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The Arts Are Open: Holiday Gift Guide

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Created by April Jingco and Abbygail Eleccion

This holiday season is the perfect time to show your gratitude for the people in your life by gifting them an arts experience or a one-of-a-kind piece from local makers.  

Through The Arts Are Open campaign, King County’s artists, collectives, and arts organizations have come together to amplify their upcoming events and projects. We have compiled this special The Arts Are Open Holiday Gift Guide with gift ideas ranging from event tickets to artists’ works. Make your holiday shopping meaningful by gifting unique experiences and exciting gifts, all while supporting our arts sector. 

Click to view:

Upcoming Events ● Season Passes and Memberships ● Local Artists ● Art Galleries

The Gift of Experience: Upcoming Events

Spectrum Dance Theater: Donald Byrd’s Harlem Nutcracker

Spectrum Dance Theater is bringing Donald Byrd’s The Harlem Nutcracker to The Children’s Theatre’s stage for Workshop III, taking place December 9-12.

Get Tickets

Auburn Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Spectacular

Celebrate the holidays with Auburn Symphony Orchestra! The Holiday Spectacular will bring holiday cheer and musical delight for the whole family, featuring favorites including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Mannheim Steamroller, A Christmas Carol, Sleigh Ride, and more.

Get Tickets

The Gift of Experience: Season Passes and Memberships

Northwest Film Forum Membership

For all the film lovers in your life, a membership to Northwest Film Forum is a great gift option. Membership gives one access to discounted tickets, workshops and venue rentals, deals at local businesses, and invitations to free, members-only events.

Buy a Membership

SIFF Membership

Similarly, a membership to SIFF is a perfect way to show your appreciation for movie fanatics in your life. Membership includes perks like:

  • Discounts on screenings at SIFF Cinema venues year-round, Seattle International Film Festival tickets and passes, classes and camps, and more.
  • Popcorn! Members receive 5 complimentary medium popcorns per year.
  • Invites to member-only free screenings, the annual Seattle International Film Festival Member Preview Night, and free and discounted screenings from partner organizations.
  • Early access on Seattle International Film Festival passes.
Buy a Membership

Scarecrow Films Gifts & Membership

Scarecrow Film is a staple for anyone who prefers an at-home movie experience. Having served the film community for over 30 years, Scarecrow currently owns the largest independent video and physical media library in the country with over 137,000 titles.

You can gift a Scarecrow membership, which comes in various tiers, all with building benefits such as:

  • 2 for 1 daily deals
  • Discounts on rentals
  • Early access to blow-out sales
  • Invitations to member events
  • Screening Room discounts

You can also purchase individual titles from their large online store.

Buy a Membership
Shop the Online Store

Meany Center for the Performing Arts: 2021-22 Season Single Tickets

Meany Center for the Performing Arts invites you to partake in their 2021-22 season featuring virtuoso pianists and chamber ensembles to innovative dance companies and genre-crossing musicians. Both season passes and single tickets are now available for purchase.

Get Tickets

Early Music Seattle 2021-22 Season Passes

Early Music Seattle is the area’s largest presenter of early music, including the International Series and Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and related educational programs serving 2,400 students in Seattle Public Schools annually and more than 100 amateur musicians. Enjoy their 2021-22 Season including five performances.

Ticket Options:

  • Complete Series (All 5 Concerts)
  • Choose Your Own Series (Pick 3 Concerts)
Get Tickets

Shop Works from Local Artists

Urban Craft Uprising

Urban Craft Uprising is hosting two upcoming gift fairs that feature crafters and artisans from the Pacific Northwest and beyond:

Urban Craft Uprising
Saturday, Dec 4 (10am – 6pm) & Sunday, Dec 5 (10am – 5pm)
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

South Lake Union Winter Market
Wednesday, Dec 8 & Thursday, Dec 9 (10am – 5pm)
Van Vorst Plaza (426 Terry Ave. N, Seattle)

Learn More

Northwest Art Alliance’s Virtual Holiday Market

Northwest Art Alliance‘s Virtual Holiday Market highlights 65 talented artists and craftspeople. You can browse their online shop through Dec 5.

Shop Now

Pratt’s Online Holiday Art Sale

Pratt Fine Arts Center‘s Online Holiday Art Sale features works from over 75 Pacific Northwest artists. Shop for gifts ranging from ornaments and ceramics to paintings and home goods. The sale runs through Dec 12.

Shop Now

United Indians Art Market

Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center presents the United Indians Art Market, taking place on Dec 18 and 19. Support small, Native businesses and find gifts ranging from clothing, jewelry, woodworking, drums, and art prints. Affordable, unique, and fun!

Learn More

Still Essential: Free Art to Celebrate Water and Light Stewards, Grocery Workers, and More

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Amplifier have partnered to launch the Still Essential campaign, which aims to respect the dignity of laborers and honor those who continue to keep Seattle running smoothly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — the garbage collectors, utility workers, small business owners, artists, delivery drivers, grocery workers, and teachers we call neighbors.

Still Essential is inspired by the portraits of essential workers captured during the pandemic by Seattle photographers and reimagined by Tacoma-based artist Paige Pettibon.

Starting on Tuesday, Dec 7, this work will be distributed around town in the form of 6,000 wheat-pasted posters, as well as unique art giveaways and projections on Capitol Hill, at Columbia City Art Gallery, at Cafe Racer, at Columbia City Theater, at the Museum of Museums, and the Climate Pledge Arena. These posters also make a great gift for those in need of meaningful art. You can download and share the free artwork created through this collaboration.

Download for Free

Melissa Misoda Glass

Melissa Misoda is a glass artist and educator based in West Seattle. She received her BFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, and her MFA from Alfred University in New York. She has shown her work in galleries and museums across the nation, and has been published in several publications. You can purchase a variety of her glasswork on her online shop or find her at upcoming holiday markets.

Learn More

Vivid Matter Collective

Vivid Matter Collective brings together over 16 local artists who spread truth through art. The collective includes AfroSPK, OneSevenNine, Ari Glass, A.O. Hamer, Kimisha Turner, Perri Rhoden, Perry Paints, T-DUB Customs, ArtbreakerBT, Barry Johnson, Sneke One, Moses Sun, Future Crystals, Cody Kalani + Kevin Drake, Joey Nix, and Japhy Whitte.

Their online shop includes a variety of works from prints to attire.

Shop Now

Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery’s “All Art $100 & Under” Art Show

Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery is hosting their “All Art $100 & Under” Art Show where you can buy pieces from local artists, all for $100 or less. You can visit their gallery now through Dec 24 to view the available works.

Learn More

Fine Art Dana

Dana Teruya Len is a Seattle-based artist that creates art by collaging multiple layers of her own prints and cutout shapes. You can purchase her designs on a variety of goods from notebooks to mugs. Her art is available on Society6 and Etsy.

Shop Now

Martyr Sauce Sweatshirts

Founded in 2012 by artist and curator Tariqa Waters, Martyr Sauce is a Black-owned, artist-led art gallery and cultural institution. They just released three new hoodies and sweatshirts that make a great gift for the holidays.

Shop Now

La Sala’s Latino/a/x Artists’ Network

La Sala creates and catalyzes opportunities for Latino/a/x artists and arts organizations including providing access to professional education, art spaces, institutional connections, expanded audiences, and commissioned creative opportunities. You can view their Latino/a/x Artists’ Network to browse through the works of Pacific Northwest Latinx artists.

Learn More

The UNgentrified Brand

The UNgentrified Brand is a Seattle-based Black-owned apparel business with the goal to put culture back into the community through apparel and novelty items. You can browse through a selection of items including the brand’s “UNgentrified” design on mugs, sweatshirts, and beanies.

Shop Now

Shop at an Art Gallery

Vermillion Art Gallery & Bar

Vermillion hosts a rotating selection of local artists and musicians to showcase their works. Currently, you can purchase handpainted ornaments by Priyanka Parmanand.

Learn More

Harris Harvey Gallery

Harris Harvey Gallery is a leading Seattle fine art gallery where new and experienced collectors go to find paintings, prints, photography, and sculpture of the highest quality. Harris Harvey Gallery specializes in contemporary art by local, regional, and West Coast artists, many from the Seattle area.

Currently on view: Visiting the Familiar by Emily Wood (Dec 2 – Jan 15)

Visiting the Familiar is an exhibition of new paintings by Tacoma native Emily Wood. Wood finds solace in re-visiting places most known to her, seeking some sense of normalcy during the past year and a half. The hills of the Palouse, shores of the Oregon coast, and snowy foothills of the North Cascades provide rich subject matter for the artist, which she finds both warmly familiar and continuously inspiring. The rich color palette of her favored locales and the inviting form and line that they possess constantly provide new concepts for interpretation.

Learn More

Lynn Hanson Gallery

Currently on view: Echoes of the Past by Dian Sourelis and Marilyn Charlat Dix (Nov 4 – Dec 18)

The gallery is located at 312 S Washington St. in Seattle and is open 11am – 4pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Learn More

SHIFT Gallery

SHIFT Gallery is hosting, Fabulous, a group exhibition featuring the talent and wide-ranging interests of SHIFT Gallery’s member artists. 20% of all sales from this show will be donated to a charity selected by the artists. On view through Dec 18.

Learn More

Vetri Glass

Located one block south of Pike Place Market, Vetri showcases the work of extraordinary works in glass, ceramics, jewelry, and other media. Visit their gallery to shop for handmade objects by emerging makers and established artists from the Northwest and beyond.

Learn More

There are many more artists, organizations, and art collectives that you can directly support this holiday season. You can see more gift opportunities through browsing the hashtag #TheArtsAreOpen. Happy shopping!

New Public Artwork in Delridge: “Delridge Know How” by Wowhaus

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The view while traveling along West Seattle’s Delridge Way SW just became a little different with the addition of new public art in three locations.

Created by the Wowhaus artist team Ene Osteraas-Constable and Scott Constable, Delridge Know How is a series of bronze stylized nuts and wrenches that sit prominently alongside Delridge Way SW for pedestrians, bus riders, and vehicular traffic to enjoy.  Created in coordination with the upcoming Rapid Ride H Line, this new public art creates a new view along the busy corridor. 

Photo courtesy of Wowhaus

The artworks are located at three intersections, including Delridge Way SW and SW Henderson Street and Delridge Way SW and 18th Ave SW (east and west sides of the street). Each of the three locations has a series of three sculptures that invite viewers to physically interact with and think about the history of the area.

In the development of the artwork, Wowhaus attended several community meetings, held impromptu focus group meetings on the 120 Metro Bus, hosted a site walkthrough with elementary students from Roxbury Elementary School, and delved deep into the history of the area through resources at the Seattle Public Library and Museum of History and Industry. From this engagement work, the idea for the artwork Delridge Know How was developed.   

Delridge Know How recognizes that the foundation of any industry is human know-how and hard work. For generations, waves of immigrants from around the world have come to Delridge to find work and to make a home.  Home to a wide range of industries in the past, including shipbuilding, brick making, flour milling, canning and fishing, and the steel mill that persists nearby to this day; Delridge has a rich history of blue-collar industry. A tight-knit, diverse, and hard-working community developed in Delridge, and the neighborhood is proud to continue its tradition of welcoming diverse immigrants to this day.  

Photo courtesy of Wowhaus

In a neighborhood that is rapidly changing and growing while continuing to welcome new residents, Delridge Know How captures the persistence of human ingenuity and know-how as new patterns of life and work emerge. A series of nine bronze large-scale nuts and wrench sculptures are integrated with low-maintenance plantings in three medians that herald the entry to South Delridge, inviting engagement and play while evoking the neighborhood’s history of industry and labor. Symbolically, both the nut and the wrench sculptures include repeating elements of a hexagon. The hexagon is the shape created by worker bees that create a series of hexagons in tandem in order to create a honeycomb, a form emblematic of collective community effort. 

Scott Constable and Ene Osteraas-Constable have collaborated as Wowhaus for over 20 years, creating site-responsive art in public spaces nationwide. Wowhaus explores the common denominators of everyday life, the central question of how things, places, and relationships acquire meaning. They embrace a systems-based, community-engaged approach, finding inspiration in the cultural, historical, and ecological factors that shape a sense of place. Their artwork is oftentimes integrated into existing landscapes and specifically designed to inhabit a specific space, becoming beloved landmarks, icons, or touchstones.  

Delridge Know How is commissioned with Seattle Department of Transportation‘s 1% for Art funds and administered by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.

Artists at the Center Offers New Arts & Culture Experiences at Seattle Center

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A year-long slate of performances featuring up and coming artists to celebrate the opening of Climate Pledge Arena launches this month.  

Seattle Center, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition, and Seattle Kraken have partnered to create Artists at the Center — a new opportunity for emerging artists and the community to commemorate Climate Pledge Arena’s inaugural year.  

Artists at the Center is a new program that will feature free pop-up performances on the Seattle Center grounds, running from November 2021 through September 2022. Artists at the Center will host music, dance, theatre, and multi-disciplinary performances, presented by individual artists and performance groups based in the Puget Sound region.   

A total 29 artists and groups were selected to produce a performance at Seattle Center as part of the inaugural season. The program is designed to offer campus visitors a surprising and delightful arts and cultural experience, encountering performances as they make their way to a Climate Pledge Arena event, pop by for a Seattle Center Festál festival, head to a resident organization production, stroll through Seattle Center, or visit businesses in the surrounding Uptown neighborhood.  

Performances will begin in November 2021. For performance schedule, details, and to learn more about the artists visit Artists at the Center.  

Currently scheduled performances include:   

The full roster of selected artists: 206 Zulu, Adriana Girodano, Alfonso Cervera, Alia Swersky, Alicia Mullikin, Alfonso Cervera, Arami Walker, Arson Nicki, Da Biest, Dance with Dora, Gender Tender, Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueno, Inspired Child, Jamal Farr / Black Stax, Khu’éex’, Kole Galbraith, Let the Strings Speak, Lorna Velasco, Margo Jones, Nia Amina Minor, Orquestra Northwest, Northwest Tap Connection, Positively Positive Education, Red Eagle Soaring, Rochelle House, Sistas Rock the Arts, Sumayya E. Diop, The Mahagony Project, Totem Star, Vania C. Bynum    

While in-person events are returning to venues across the grounds, many require attendee health measures such as masking, currently a state mandate, and proof of vaccination, a King County mandate. So, be sure to check the presenter’s website or call before you go for current health and safety measures. To learn more about virtual and in-person activities at Seattle Center this month and beyond, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200.   

About Seattle Center   

Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our region. More than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations that reside on the grounds, together with a broad range of public and community programs, create thousands of events on the 74-acre campus and attract over 12 million visitors each year. At Seattle Center, part of Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena, our purpose is to create exceptional events, experiences and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Activities at the Center generate $1.864 billion in business activity and $631 million in labor income.  

The Unspoken Truths Museum comes to ARTS at King Street Station

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November 16, 2021 – January 15, 2022

This November, ARTS at King Street Station will host 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation from November 16, 2021, through January 15, 2022. The exhibition features stories and objects from the American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths that are new and unfamiliar to many.

The exhibition, created and curated by storyteller Mr. Delbert Richardson, takes viewers on a chronological journey through the beginnings of our origins in Africa, American Chattel Slavery, the Jim Crow Era to modern-day African American originators, inventors, and innovators.

Ceremonial Mask, 20th Century, Wood, Beads, Cowrie shells, courtesy of the American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths

“As the “story” goes in August of 1619 “20 odd negroes arrived” in the British colony of Virginia (which was not yet America). American Chattel Slavery as an institution, had the primary function of feeding the greed of wealth and capitalism by white men of European decent both in Europe and the Americas. The commodification of human beings primarily from the continent of Africa provided a free labor force for over 400 years. There are many histories that are still debated and told through different lenses, but stories that are centered on the attributes, perseverance, and courage, of a great people are rarely shared.”

Mr. Delbert Richardson

About the Exhibition

The mission of The Unspoken Truths’ 1619: Resistance/Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation is dedicated to the education of children, students, and adults of all ages to tell and share through a non-sanitized version of American History, using authentic artifacts, multi-media presentations, storyboards, and the ancient art of storytelling. This work is centered around an anti-racist curriculum, unbiased histories, and the journey of African people to the Americas and Europe in an effort to recognize and strengthen positive identity development and a positive self-concept and image of African people of the Diaspora. 

The exhibit is organized into four themes: 

Mother Africa, which features some of the great contributions that Africans have made throughout the world. This section connects Africa’s global impact in the areas of its rich traditions, cultures, rituals, and ceremonies.  Equally as important, are the global contributions in S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math)  

American Chattel Slavery breaks down the type of slavery where human beings are considered to be property and are bought and sold as such. This section utilizes authentic artifacts, documents, and storyboards, to expose the Impacts on enslaved Africans physically, spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically.  

Jim Crow Era is an explanation of the racial caste system geared around white superiority. Jim Crow was the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Under Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of anti-black racism.  

Still We Rise highlights African American inventors and inventions. A 40-foot display features everyday items that African Americans have invented or improved upon.  

For over 30 years, Richardson has collected and amassed an assortment of artifacts that symbolizes Africans’ contributions to Africa and the Americans. 

About Mr. Delbert Richardson

Mr. Delbert Richardson, the founder of The Unspoken Truths, is a self-taught educator, second-generation storyteller, ethnomuseologist, and community scholar. Born in Detroit, his family of six siblings moved to the Seattle area in the mid-1960s. He attended Coleman Elementary, Washington Middle School, Franklin High School, and graduated from Antioch, Seattle with a B.A. in Liberal Arts: Global Social Justice.    

Mr. Delbert Richardson is a husband and father of four amazing children. Richardson has won numerous awards including:    

  • 2013 National Campus Compact Newman Fellows Award  
  • 2017 National Education Assoc. (NEA) Human and Civil Rights Award  
  • 2019 Seattle Mayor Arts Award  
  • 2019 Seattle Crosscut Courage in Culture Award  
  • 2020 Assoc. of King County Org. (AKCHO) Heritage Education Award  
  • 2020-2021 National Maquis Who’s Who Award
  • 2021 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards (GAHA) 
  • 2021 MOHAI’s Educator of the Year 

ARTS at King Street Station will have two additional installations on view in the gallery space: Diversity by Design by AIA Seattle’s Diversity Roundtable and Home of Good: A Black Seattle Storyquilt by Storme Webber. 

Ethiopian Coptic Bible, 19th Century, Cowskin and wood, Ethiopia, courtesy of the American History Traveling Museum: The Unspoken Truths

Exhibition Exploration for Educators with Delbert Richardson (December 11, 2021)

The Creative Advantage invites educators to this special exhibition exploration session to tour the exhibit and think critically together about ways to share this exhibit and its themes with students.

December 11, 2021
11am  – 1pm
Free
ARTS at King Street Station

RSVP

ARTS at King Street Station is free and open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. In accordance with King County’s vaccination verification guidance, people ages 12 and older will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter. Masks are required, regardless of vaccination status. 

The Unspoken Truths: 1619 – Resilience/Remembrance/Liberation is organized and presented by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and is curated by Ricky Reyes in partnership with the ARTS at King Street Station Advisors. Support for the installation is provided by Benjamin Gale-Schreck and Blake Haygood. 

FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal 2021

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The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has commissioned local emergent artists to develop new temporary art installations for four locations in north Seattle. The project features four site locations in Wallingford, Fremont, and Ballard that make use of temporary construction walls and fences as part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

This year, eight artists have created temporary works exploring themes of water, environment, and our human impact in and around the ship canal. ARTS is excited to present this year’s final four FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal artists.

Salmon FLOW by Dozfy

Ballard – 24th Ave NW & Shilshole Ave NW

Photo by Joseph Oh

Dozfy is a Seattle-based artist who explores stories, histories, and connectedness through his public artworks. Reflecting a balance of yin and yang, his art embodies planning and effortlessness, precision and flexibility. Dozfy has a degree in studio art from the University of Texas, and his artistic style is influenced by Chinese calligraphy, Japanese and American art, realism, comic books, Ansel Adams, and Jackson Pollock.

As part of the FLOW ship canal project, Dozfy has chosen to spotlight three local salmon species that have shaped history and culture in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years. Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho salmon are intrinsically linked to Ballard — roughly 75,000 pass through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Ballard itself, home to an industrial working waterfront and strong maritime heritage, also reflects some of the defining characteristics of salmon. Like the keystone species, Ballard and the people who call it home are hardworking, determined, tough, and willing to meet challenges head-on.

Soak It Up by Shawn Parks

East Ballard – NW 45th St. & 11th Ave NW

Photo by Shawn Parks

Art does not need to be long-term. This is a “time will tell” project that responds to the stormwater upgrade through the Ship Canal Water Quality Project. The idea is for elements of our environment to be absorbed into the sponges over 6 months. They will transform starting out bright, fresh, and new. What goes into our water and environment is up to us. A visual reminder that everyone is always downstream from someone else. Hopefully, viewers will soak it up.

Convergence, Divergence by Christy Caravaglio

Fremont – NW 36th St. & Leary Way NW

Photo by Christy Caravaglio

“My work is inspired by the geometry of quilting and textile patterns as well as the joy of working with yarn and fibers. The design of Convergence, Divergence was inspired by the idea that the water we use converges from many rivers and streams into our homes and then diverges again to drainage, treatment, and the broader sound.” – Christy Caravaglio

Oceans of Emotions by Lisa Liedgren Alexandersson & Kait Rhoads

Wallingford – N 35th St & Interlake Ave N

Photo by Ricky Reyes

“The title of our installation is a response to the pandemic and turbulent political times. As SPU is updating the drainage system through Seattle neighborhoods to reroute wastewater safely, Oceans of Emotion aims to free stagnant life force and release collective emotional blockage.” – Lisa Liedgren Alexandersson & Kait Rhoads

The artist team has invited Seattle residents to create miniature artworks responding to the phrase ‘Release and Embrace’ in words and drawings. The project is open for participation (digitally) until November 1, 2021.

These temporary works will be on view for six months and then be changed to feature new artwork and artists including Tommy Segundo, Toka Valu, Clare Johnson, KT Hancock, and Sarah Terry.

FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal is an annual program that will use the construction fences along the project as a backdrop to allow artists to showcase their unique voice and provide a changing gallery of experiences for those who walk, bike, drive along the Burke-Gilman Trail and throughout the area.

Artists were selected by a panel of artists, community members, and city staff. The project is commissioned with SPU 1% for Art funds.

Join the Seattle Arts Commission, Nominations now Open

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The Seattle Arts Commission is looking for new members. The Seattle Arts Commission supports the City by advocating for arts policy, creating access for equitable participation in the arts, and fostering enriching arts engagement for all residents. If you or someone you know is a champion of the arts and wants to help shape policy to create a thriving arts sector apply now. 

The 16-member Seattle Arts Commission is comprised of community member-volunteers appointed by the mayor and City Council and supports the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS). Commission members include artists, arts professionals, and other community members with diverse backgrounds and strong links to Seattle’s arts community.  

Nominations: 

The City of Seattle is committed to inclusive and diverse boards and commissions. We encourage people with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, young people, older adults, people of color, and immigrants to apply. To nominate yourself or others for membership to the Seattle Arts Commission, please complete this nomination form. This nomination process will close at 11:59 pm on Nov 22, 2021. 

Apply

Commitment:  

Arts Commissioners commit to participating in monthly Commission meetings (every 2nd Tuesday of the month from 4pm-5:30pm) in addition to at least one monthly subcommittee meeting, plus additional preparation and work outside of scheduled meetings. Commissioners serve 2-year terms and can serve up to 3 consecutive terms with reappointment, for a total of 6 years. Meetings currently take place virtually. 

The Arts Commission committees include:  
The Facilities and Equitable Development Committee advises the work of ARTS around issues of cultural space and its impact on equitable development. 

The Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) serves to review and recommend public art projects and programs, develop and amend the Municipal Art Plan, and advocate for percent-for-art projects in public/private partnerships. 

The Cultural Investments Committee, comprised of Arts Commissioners, ARTS staff, and community advocates, supports and guides ARTS’ racially equitable investment strategies in Seattle’s cultural sector that address structural racism in support of a fully thriving artistic and cultural community. 

City of Seattle and NFFTY to host Film Career Day on November 6

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Registration now is open for this free virtual event for teens and young adults ages 13-26 interested in turning their passion for film into a career.

The National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED), and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) will host a free day of workshops and networking opportunities for the next generation of film professionals from the Greater Seattle Area.

Taking place on Saturday, November 6, Film Career Day will offer a streamlined curriculum that includes panels, industry networking opportunities, and connections to local resources — including media arts programs and other educators that offer training, independent filmmakers who have worked to find their niche in the local filmmaking scene, and Northwest-based film industry employers.  

This year, Film Career Day will facilitate a hybrid experience offering virtual participation options and two in-person ​​locations at the Northgate Community Center and at El Centro de la Raza (Beacon Hill). Free registration for both virtual and in-person activities is online:

Register for Film Career Day

Program Highlights

10:30 am: Virtual + In-Person Venues Open

11 am: Opening Remarks + THE PAPER TIGERS Keynote

Join The Paper Tigers crew — writer-director Bao Tran and producers Al’n Duong and Dan Gildark — in a facilitated conversation with Vivian Hua, Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum. Their exciting journey has grown from an unapologetic, independent feature filmed in Seattle into a national and global kung-fu sensation that champions a diverse cast, crew, and stories. Learn about the importance of finding your team and working with those who understand your vision, as well as key takeaways about how to evolve your own filmmaking career.

Haven’t checked out the film yet? It’s currently streaming on Netflix!

12pm: Panel: Where’s the Work?

The beloved Film Career Day panel returns! Learn about the state of film (and creative industries) in the Seattle area from working pros. Who’s hiring for film or media projects, and where do you look for those opportunities? Should I get a job at a production house or go it solo? Learn about how and where to find work in the region from producers who are hiring as well as from self-starting freelance directors.

1pm: Speed Mentoring (+ Lunch at in-person venues)

2pm: Panel: What Streams May Come

With the pandemic keeping millions of filmmakers and content creators inside, more people started streaming than ever before. But how do you get the right exposure and find the right audience? And is it possible to make some money? Hear from founders and leaders of various Seattle-based online platforms of how they built a following and refined their processes, what content they are looking for, and how to get involved in front of and/or behind the camera.

Meet the Panelists & Mentors

In-Person Venues

North Seattle

Northgate Community Center
10510 5th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125

Site opens at 10:30am on Saturday, November 6th

Transit Options:

  • Close to Northgate light rail station (New! Will be open!)
  • Bus routes 41, 67, 75, 320, 347, and 348 drop off right in front of the building

South Seattle – El Centro De La Raza

El Centro De La Raza
2524 16th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98144

Site opens at 10:30am on Saturday, November 6th

Transit Options:

  • Building is on same block as Beacon Hill light rail station
  • Bus routes 36 and 60 drop off one block away

“I look forward to saving the youth from a world of pain by sharing our successes, failures, and lessons learned in this crazy journey of filmmaking. I will also teach the finer arts of making instant ramen, an essential diet for screenwriters.”

– Bao Tran, keynote speaker and filmmaker

The third annual Film Career Day is part of NFFTY’s 2021-22 programming season, which is produced with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, ArtsWA, 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, ArtsFund, and The Norcliffe Foundation, with additional support for Film Career Day from King County Creative.  

Seattle Arts Commission 2022 Budget Priorities Letter

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Dear Council Members,

The Seattle Arts Commission wishes to express our collective gratitude for your commitment and support for creative communities and workers, given the economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that now is a critical time to invest in the recovery of our sector, by making meaningful investments in sustainable infrastructure which will ensure that arts and culture will thrive for years to come.

The Seattle Arts Commission, as a body which represents the community and supports the work of the Office of Arts & Culture, is committed to economic recovery in a way that centers and champions the arts, as well as equity and inclusion of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities that have historically been disenfranchised. As outlined in our budget letter addressed to Mayor Durkan and the Seattle City Council on August 3, 2020, the Seattle Arts Commission’s goal through the continuation of 2021 is to ensure that as little harm as possible come to the arts and cultural ecosystem, especially to the communities and economies that are highly represented, by BIPOC individuals.

Thank you all for your support of previously outlined priorities and for helping support the Office of Arts & Culture through 2022 with estimated admissions taxes, given the devastation of the COVID-19 year. We are pleased to see that the Mayor’s budget draft for funding the Office of Arts and Culture incorporated$1.5M in funding for Hope Corps, which will serve to create meaningful job opportunities for artists and organizations as we move forward in our recovery efforts. We are also pleased by the incorporation of Cultural Education work via the Equitable Communities Initiative, and ask that you protect these important investments as the budget process progresses.

While there are many worthy inclusions in the Mayor’s budget, there are several critical investments in Arts & Culture that have been left out. The following are areas of concern where we urgently request your support:

Financial Support for the ARTS Office
As it stands, the Office of Arts & Culture will experience a 10-15% budget reduction in 2022, which puts on hiatus important legacy programs such as the Cultural Facilities Fund, which supports space-related projects by local arts organizations. Even with limited resources, the ARTS Office makes high impact investments that strengthen the arts community and ensure the well-being of artist communities. It is important that the office’s budget be back-filled to pre-pandemic levels, so that it can continue to offer critical support for artists and arts organizations on the road to economic recovery. Please consider an additional $2M be allocated to ARTS, which will restore cuts currently in place for notable programs and increase capacity within the Office.

Rent Forgiveness for Arts Organizations
The City currently houses 40 organizations and had previously provided rent forgiveness which has now expired. No funding for rent relief has been allocated in the budget for 2022, but we ask for your support in providing $2M in rent relief to arts organizations, in order to provide short-term stop-gap solutions as they recover from the pandemic. Many organizations still operate under limited hours and capacity, and the actual cost to the city is lower.

Funding for the Cultural Space Agency
COVID-19 has illuminated the critical need for long-term space for arts organizations both small and large, in order to secure a future for the creative community. The Cultural Space Agency has been intentionally designed to build community wealth, especially within BIPOC communities and historically disinvested neighborhoods, through a community-led process that places decision-making authority into the hands of impacted community members. It is an especially groundbreaking entity and one solution that community members often reference as a long-term solution to keep the local arts community thriving. The Cultural Space Agency has already received viable cultural space site acquisition and development proposals from 20 BIPOC-led community organizations. However, the current budget proposal does not include funding for the Cultural SpaceAgency, which needs seed funding to succeed. We request consideration of $5M in critical seed funding to activate this innovative program and support its initial projects.

Your support is vital to our art and cultural communities, especially in times of trial and hardship. We invite you to stand with the Seattle Arts Commission as we work to create a community of support for those who are experiencing incredibly difficult challenges. This is our moment to declare unequivocally that we value arts and cultural workers, institutions, and organizations who have helped make Seattle a culturally rich tourist destination and economically thriving city.

Thank you for your shared interest and values in creating a vibrant arts and cultural sector that addresses historical inequality while prioritizing artistic and cultural sustainability. We are so grateful for your ongoing commitment to this work, and we would love to continue this important conversation with you.

Co-Chairs James Miles and Vivian Hua 華婷婷
Seattle Arts Commission

The Arts Are Open Campaign

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WHAT IS THE ARTS ARE OPEN? 

The Arts Are Open is a digital welcome back campaign created by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) to amplify the region’s arts and culture sector. With the devastating effects COVID-19 continues to have on our creative communities, this campaign aims to create a simple, fun, and collaborative way for our arts organizations to collectively promote our programs and call the greater community to support the arts economy. 

Launching in October, The Arts Are Open campaign will have an accessible digital toolkit for arts organizations and artists to use and integrate into their upcoming event/program promotions. ARTS and our partners will actively share and amplify events/programs that use the campaign elements. 

Now’s the time to support your favorite artists and creatives, visit your local art spaces, and celebrate the resiliency and strength of the arts! 

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE? 

Any and all artists, arts organizations, and arts-related individuals/collectives are invited to participate in this digital campaign. 

How you can get involved: 

  1. Use the Toolkit: Use the digital toolkit below and incorporate the branded graphics and hashtag (#TheArtsAreOpen) to your upcoming program or event’s digital promotions. 
  2. Your Events = Amplified: ARTS and our partners will be actively following the hashtag and amplify posts from the community.
  3. Support Fellow Arts Orgs: We also encourage you to support your fellow artists and arts organizations by sharing their upcoming programs and events.

THE DIGITAL TOOLKIT

View the Toolkit

Below are some samples of the assets included in the toolkit. You can integrate social graphics, digital stickers, GIFs, and more into your upcoming promotions.

If you don’t have image editing software like Adobe, we’ve also made these materials available on Canva, a FREE platform, so that you can easily utilize the branding. Visit the toolkit above for the full list of assets!

Digital Stickers

GIFs

Social Media Graphics

*Graphics 2 and 3 include illustrations of Seattle public artworks.
Graphic 1: Hammering Man, Jonathan Borofsky, Hollow fabricated steel, aluminum mechanized arm, electric motor, and black automotive paint, 1992
Graphic 2: Black Sun, Isamu Noguchi, Brazilian black granite, 1969

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

If you have questions or inquiries, please email April Jingco at april.jingco@seattle.gov. 

Request for Proposals Tiny Cultural Space: a construction project

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The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Finance and Administration, and Sawhorse Revolution, invites local cultural and community organizations to submit proposals for a new (tiny) cultural space.  

The new Tiny Cultural Space will be custom designed and built by a youth cohort under professional mentorship with you and your organization as the client. It will be built to your needs and sited on a small piece of City-owned property (a “snippet” property), at a location to be determined by the City of Seattle. 

Who can apply:  
You are eligible for this opportunity if you are any of the following: 

  • Non-profit arts, culture, and heritage organizations (nonprofits do not need to be 501(c)3’s) 
  • Community organizations and associations 
  • Applicants who represent, are led by, or are committed to pursuing equity for people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and/or other groups that have traditionally been furthest from access to the control of cultural space  

Project applicants must demonstrate a minimum 5-year commitment to the programming and maintenance of the site. 

Deadline: Proposals are due via email by 11:59 pm on Monday, November 1, 2021 

Application and Guidelines: Please email your proposal to matthew.richter@seattle.gov, with the subject “Tiny Cultural Space Proposal. Guidelines can be found here. 

Come to a Workshop: 

Sunday, October 17, 2021, 3 – 5 pm  
Sawhorse Revolution 
3219 Martin Luther King Jr Way S,  
Seattle, WA, 98144 
RSVP here 
There will be an in-person live information session at the Sawhorse Revolution HQ, adjacent to Cafe Ibex. Masks are required for all participants in this indoor meeting. 

Thursday, October 21, 2021, 4 – 6 pm 
Virtual Tiny Cultural Space Information Session 
RSVP here