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Office of Arts & Culture news and events

A Recap of The AMP’s Ribbon of Light Dedication

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On June 30, The AMP (Aids Memorial Pathway) celebrated the installation of the final piece of the project — Horatio Hung-Yan Law’s Ribbon of Light at Cal Anderson Park. This piece marks the final artwork installation of The AMP, which started in 2015.

Photo by Jo Cosme

The dedication event featured remarks and participation from Horatio Hung-Yan Law, Gay City, The AMP Steering Committee, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS).

Take a peek at some photo highlights from the event below, courtesy of Jo Cosme.

You can experience the entirety of The AMP and all of the artwork — Christopher Paul Jordan’s andimgonnamisseverybody, Civilization’s We’re Already Here, Storme Webber’s In This Way We
Loved One Another, Novaby’s The Names Tree, and Horatio Hung-Yan Law’s Ribbon of Light — at The AMP in Capitol Hill on the north edge of Cal Anderson Park.

Seattle Celebrates 50 years of African-American Culture at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

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Legacy through community. With special guests: MC Isiah Anderson Jr., MC StevYaddy, Teen Summer Musical and more.

Saturday, September 10, 2022; 1 – 5 p.m. 
104 17th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 

Celebrations and performances include 2022 Teen Summer Musical, Black Stax, Arami Walker, Marco Farroni, and Anzanga/Zambuko Marimba Ensembles 

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) announces the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) will be held on September 10 from 1-5 p.m. Please join us as we celebrate the community members and artists that have sustained LHPAI over the past 50 years. Mayor Bruce Harrell will welcome the community. 

“Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute must always serve as an accessible hub for artistic excellence, cultural engagement, and civic life here in Seattle. From my youth through to today, I’ve seen many engaging and thought-provoking performances, shows, and events, elevating messages and themes that remain with me now. Its location within Seattle’s historic African-American community — the Central District — reinforces the salience of the artistic contributions of the city’s African-American communities past, present, and future.” 

Mayor Harrell

Organized in collaboration with LANGSTON and the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas, the program will feature, highlight and honor key members of the LHPAI community who have contributed to its longevity and who are instrumental in shaping its future.  

“Each year Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute recommits and rejuvenates its civic and cultural connections through the robustness of programs community engagement. For 50 to come LHPAI will be a steward of African-American arts in Seattle, and a beacon for arts engagement citywide.” 

royal alley-barnes, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Acting Director.

The celebration will be hosted by Isiah Anderson, Jr., Teen Summer Musical Director, and Steve Sneed, Former Director of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Remarks will be provided by Mayor Bruce Harrell, Seattle Parks Deputy Superintendent Christopher Williams, and ARTS Acting Director and former Executive Director of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, royal alley-barnes. 

Vivian Phillips, ARTE NOIR Founder, will introduce community Artists Honorees Tee Dennard and Kibibi Monie. The program will also feature performances by the 2022 Teen Summer Musical, managed by Acts On Stage in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Black Stax, Arami Walker, Marco Farroni, Anzanga/Zambuko Marimba Ensembles, and the Northwest African American Museum’s African American Cultural Ensemble, DJ TOPSPIN aka BLENDIANA JONES, Josephine Howell, LiaPlusSum, and DJ Yaddy. 

Black Stax
Arami Walker
Marco Farroni
NAAM’s African American Cultural Ensemble

Built in 1915 and named after the renowned African-American cultural luminary, Langston Hughes, the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) is a historic landmark in the historic Central Area of Seattle. Designed by B. Marcus Priteca, and formerly the orthodox Jewish Synagogue of Chevra Bikur Cholim, the building became a community center and part of the City of Seattle’s facilities in 1972. It underwent extensive renovations in 2011 to preserve its architectural character and update the facilities.  

For 50 years, and throughout multiple iterations and re-imaginings, LHPAI has played a central role in the artistic, cultural, and social life of Seattle’s Central District. LHPAI has always been an engaged neighbor and cultural partner welcoming Central District community members and organizations as well as those operating throughout the city of Seattle.  

Special thanks to our promotional partners Black Heritage Society of Washington State and the Central Area Neighborhood Council.

Download the press kit for LHPAI50.

Seattle Civic Art Collection Selects: by Anh Sy Seattle Youth Employment Program Intern

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By Anh Sy, SYEP Intern

Art is an amazing creative invention. All of the artworks below – all curated from the Seattle Civic Art Collection – are pieces I chose because they represent myself, my dream, and my aspirations for my future and world.

Changing of the Bay, Alyson McCrink

Changing of the Bay, Alyson McCrink, Acrylic paint, gold leaf, and modeling paste on stretched canvas, 2019

Why I chose it: I love the mysterious color of water, of the ocean. So beautiful!

A State of Mind, Maya Milton

A State of Mind, Maya Milton, Mixed Media, 2019

Why I chose it: Women are such precious stones. Beautiful. Easily Broken. And strong, too.

Wildflower Wolves, Michelle Zeidman

Wildflower Wolves, Michelle Zeidman, Ink & Watercolor, 2019

Why I chose it: Bright & colorful pathway. Lights up the way I go home.

Mother Earth and the Northwest, Blanca Santander

Mother Earth and the Northwest, Blanca Santander, acrylic on canvas, 2018

Why I chose it: Mother Earth gives us life and places to live. We have to be grateful and treasure it. Gratitude!

Road to Spring Pasture, Emily Wood

Road to Spring Pasture, Emily Wood, Oil on canvas, 2014

Why I chose it: This is my dream home where I want to build my own house and live for my whole life. Peaceful, simple, and homely.

Pretty Paper, Cathy Fields

Pretty Paper, Cathy Fields, Acrylic on wood panel, 2015

Why I chose it: Pretty paper should be used to make pretty things, to make life and the world prettier.

Falling Leaves, Adrienne La Faye

Falling Leaves, Adrienne La Faye, Acrylic on Canvas, 2011

Why I chose it: This seems like another side of the world — “heaven.” It looks like a famous scene in a movie I watched called “Tam sinh tam the thap ly dao hoa” — a ten miles of peach blossoms garden.

Additional Selections

Pier 32, Stephanie Ashby, Mixed media (ink(acrylic), watercolor, gouache, acrylic gesso and paint, 2008
Switchwall, Ned Kahn, Stainless steel, anodized aluminum, LEDs, magnets, 2019
Reunion, Juliana Kang Robinson, Screen print, 2019
andimgonnamisseverybody, Christopher Paul Jordan, painted bronze, aluminum, and stainless steel, 2021
Tendrils, Lisa Sheets, Mixed Media Collage, 2020
View Anh’s Full Favorites Gallery
Make Your Own Favorites Gallery Here

About Anh

NgocAnh “Anh” is currently a junior at Evergreen High School and is a Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) intern working at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Prior joining the communication team, Anh was also an SYEP intern at the Central Area Senior Center, working as an Activity Assistant. Anh is grateful and honored to be a part of the communication team where she explores how the arts and technology work to support her future career goals.

Anh is a Vietnamese immigrant and moved to the U.S. in 2018 with her family. She loves to create art such as drawing, painting, cooking, playing instruments, photography, etc.

The Creative Advantage Summer Institute Returns Live & In-Person

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By Tina LaPadula, Arts Education Project Manager

The Creative Advantage Summer Institute returns in-person to the Seattle Art Museum on Thursday, August 18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This day of professional learning is the creative kick-off to the 2022-23 school year, and a time for teachers, teaching artists, community arts partners, arts administrators, and education leaders to reconvene, get inspired, and explore new collaborations.

The event features members of The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster and includes panels, workshops, networking, student performances, lunch, and clock hours. The event is FREE, but registration is required.

The Creative Advantage is a leader in working with partners to imbed artists in Seattle Public Schools programs. Artists working with arts educators create diverse arts opportunities to keep meaningful art experiences available to our young people. Together we build One Seattle through the arts!

royal alley-barnes, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Acting Director
Register Now

Program Highlights

  • Workshops from all featured organizations highlighting four different artistic disciplines:
    • Theatre for Personal + Collective Empowerment with Red Eagle Soaring (RES) is a workshop that will focus on the personal and collective empowerment of our Red Eagle Soaring performing arts-related activities, the importance of bringing storytelling to the forefront of our holistic and educational growth mindset, and keeping that part of us vibrant throughout our lives. This workshop will be led by RES Program Manager Nicole Suyama (Inupiaq) and RES youth Olivia Vann & Sophia Vann (Cherokee) + Isaac Benally-Brooks (So. Cheyenne/Dine’/Nakota).
    • The Rhapsody Project’s interactive Layers of Heritage workshop will provide participants with activities and tools that help people of all backgrounds explore the layers of their identity and root themselves more fully in their status as a culture bearer. By sharing and discussing different elements that compose a person’s heritage — whether it be one’s ethnicity, the land or community that we are raised in, or the traditions we are drawn to absorb — participants will celebrate or express themselves in musical and written formats.
    • Dance For All is a workshop that provides a vibrant exchange with Spectrum Dance Theater artists and instructors. Open to movers of all ages and skill levels, Dance For All participants will explore dance as a medium for self-expression and social connection. Centering on the work of Spectrum Dance Theater and Donald Byrd, students will engage in a physical exploration of dance as an art form and as a social civic tool.
    • Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) with Seattle Art Museum is an art teaching philosophy in which students learn to think like artists. The TAB philosophy states that the child is the artist and the classroom is the artist’s studio. During this session, educators will discuss how to inspire and guide youth in connecting with artworks in the galleries and developing their craft. This workshop will be co-facilitated by Yaoyao Liu and teaching artist, Alicia Betty.
Seattle JazzED
The Rhapsody Project

A special thank you to Masao Yamada and the incredible young artists from Ground Zero (GZ) Radio, who will be on-site collaborating with The Creative Advantage on media coverage for the entire event.

Meet the Facilitators

Russell Brooks (So. Cheyenne) is the Executive Director of Red Eagle Soaring in Seattle. Russell grew up in Montana and is a former radio disc jockey, and is also a filmmaker and co-founder/board member of the Olympia Film Collective. Russell also works with band promotion and booking, and arts & cultural space preservation. Russell is passionate about continuing to create opportunities for Native artists and actors in the performing arts, as well as for Native storytellers to unleash their creativity across mediums, blending opportunities to tell their stories and finding the necessary support to bring their vision to the greater public, as well as collaborating with artists in the greater community. 

Nicole Suyama (Inupiaq) is the RES Program Manager and an Alum of RES, having been with the organization since age 11. Nicole is a musician, actor, director, teaching artist, and also the reigning World Karaoke Tour North American Champion. 

Joe Seamons is a musician and teacher who co-founded The Rhapsody Project with Ben Hunter in 2013. Through exploring his local heritage of Pacific Northwest folk music and lore, and the troubled history of prejudice therein, Joe’s work as a songster and teacher fused with his commitment to agitate for social justice. A descendant of the Aurora Colony in Oregon, Joe continues to explore the ways in which his personal heritage connects him to the legacy of that region. In shedding light on the songs and stories that have been preserved, as well as those that have been forgotten or suppressed, Joe works with his partners in the Rhapsody Project to harness the power of roots music to create empathy and equity. When he’s not performing with Ben Hunter, Joe plays with his Portland-based band Timberbound. 

Stephanie Guiland, originally from NYC, danced for Donald Byrd/The Group, Complexions on Broadway in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple as the Dance Captain and Swing, and for Disney’s The Lion King. Her performance background also includes music videos and commercial dance work touring the U.S. and Europe. She served as Mr. Byrd’s Rehearsal Director for his company, his assistant on numerous projects for The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and assisted with equity workshops for The Color Purple on Broadway and White Noise. Working with youth, she’s instructed for Dance Theater of Harlem’s Dancing Through Barriers program, Disney’s Lion King Cub School, WRArts, and in Arts in Education. Prior to relocating to Washington in 2020, she was a summer faculty member for the Joffrey Jazz and Contemporary program for five years and worked for the Bounce Summer Intensive in NYC. She was an Adjunct Dance Professor at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY for nine years and is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer with numerous certifications. Her passion project aside from her main one — raising a beautiful child — is her fitness company, Kick My Assets. She joined The School of Spectrum Dance Theater as its School Director in 2021.

Yaoyao Liu is the Manager of School & Educator Programs at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). She joined SAM in 2018 as the Museum Educator for the Seattle Asian Art Museum, creating resources and programs for students, educators, and families. Yaoyao earned her BA in English with a minor in Asian Languages and Cultures from the University of Michigan and her MA in International Studies from the University of Washington. Outside of SAM, she serves as Volunteer Manager for the Seattle Asian American Film Festival, fostering youth involvement with filmmaking and community building.

Alicia Betty is a local artist who has been affiliated with the Seattle Art Museum since 2008, teaching both students pre-K-12 and educators in the classroom, in workshops, and at special events. Born and raised in Seattle, they hold a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in drawing and painting from the University of Washington. Their current Xerox collage-based prints reflect their involvement in the punk and queer community over the past 20 years. In addition to being an artist and craftsman, they are a 35mm film projectionist and are committed to preserving physical media as they work at Scarecrow Video Archives.

Aaron Walker-Loud is an artist, band director, composer, producer, and educator. He is the founder and director of Big World Breaks (B.W.B.), a production company built for performance, studio and education, that has shared stages with Janelle Monae, Kool DJ Red Alert, Digable Planets, DJ Qbert, Macklemore, Reggie Watts, Saul Williams, and many more. B.W.B. has also produced live show backing for various artists such as Grammy-nominated vocalists Wayna and Rocky Dawuni, Sy Smith, Zo!, Dynamq, Choklate, Kimberly Nichole, Massive Monkees, and Xperience. Aaron is a proud alumni of the CD Music Factory: Washington Middle School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Robert Knatt, and Garfield High School Jazz Ensemble / Drumline, under the direction of Mr. Clarence Acox. Walker-Loud began working with youth and families in 1999, eventually becoming the Education Director for Seattle JazzED (2010-2016), a teaching artist for Arts Corps (2008-present), as well as the drumline director for Washington Middle School (2008-2016) and O’Dea High School (2012-2018). Most recently, Walker-Loud became a member of The Creative Advantage roster, co-founded 50 Next: Seattle Hip-Hop Worldwide in 2012, founded the award-winning intergenerational BWB Drumline in 2015, and co-curated The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop exhibit at MOHAI (with over 31,000 attendees and 20 co-produced events), which won the 2016 American Association of State and Local History Leadership in History Award, “the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.”

“Pantheon Anew” by artist Saira Barbaric on View at ARTS at King Street Station this Summer

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July 28 – September 23, 2022

This summer, ARTS at King Street Station hosts Pantheon Anew, the premier gallery exhibition from multidisciplinary artist Saira Barbaric. The exhibition traverses Barbaric’s exploration of pop culture and spiritual ideology, highlighting the stories we tell to comprehend reality and seek joy.  

Skull Guard 2: Goat, Acrylic, foil, watercolor, paper, 2021

About the Exhibition

Pantheon Anew is a collection of more than 30 collages plus video art and installation inspired by the past and present of Black diasporic spirituality. African people who were bought and sold in the 16th to 19th century Americas were regularly separated from their families and anyone from their region. Over the centuries, this artist’s ancestors took what they were allowed to build new systems of belief that helped to create protection, community and new understanding.  

Honoring these legacies of gathering and crafting for worship and necessity, Barbaric’s collages incorporate magazines, comics, and books from 1963 to the present — some long-loved and some new to the artist — alongside watercolor and acrylic painting. The artist showcases fantasy beings they created and heroes of modern media, sharing the internal pantheon that holds them up. Each piece juxtaposes youth and adult imagery to evoke how we each collect and build a sense of self through time and practice. Barbaric also invites a group of contemporary Black artists to contribute to a video gallery speculating on how that accumulation of self can affect the ebb and flow of spiritual connection. 

“Saira’s artwork allows the viewer to experience their journey and path to the creative soul that lives within us all. Saira’s creative and engaging mix of mediums, source material and personal spiritual influences creates an exhibition that engages us all.” 

royal alley-barnes, Acting Director for Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Exhibition Opening

Join us for the opening on Thursday, July 28. Saira will be present from 1 – 5 p.m. 

  • Thursday, July 28 – September 23, 2022, 1 to 5 p.m.
  • ARTS at King Street Station (303 S. Jackson St., Top Floor, Seattle, WA)
  • FREE

About Saira Barbaric  

Courtesy of the Artist

Saira Barbaric (they, he, she, ze) is a nonbinary Black disabled hedonist fascinated by birth, death and rebirth. They are a maker of erotica, performance art, collages and events. Barbaric grounds their work in mediums and venues considered both high and low art with the aim at weakening the barrier between the two. After an undergraduate degree in costuming for theater, Barbaric came west to work in film and nightlife while continually dreaming of crafts. Be it fiber, paper, the body or fauna, Barbaric is driven by how materials interact. Barbaric is the co-founder of Scumtrust Productions, a nonbinary porn project that crafts films and spaces exalting sensual magic. Scumtrust films have been selected to screen in dozens of cities across North America and Europe including HUMP, 2017, the Porn Film Festival Berlin, 2021 and The Seattle Erotic Art Festival, 2022.  

ARTS at King Street Station is FREE and open Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m, and until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays.

These exhibitions are organized and presented by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with program lead Jenny Ku and the ARTS at King Street Station Advisors. Support for the installation is provided by Benjamin Gale-Schreck and Blake Haygood.

The Cultural Aesthetics of Visual Art By Dr. James R. Gore 

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Culture has an influence on how art is perceived. Since perception is a cognitive function, the question is how does cultural experience affect the viewing of artwork? A 2019 article in the journal, Frontiers In Psychology…Cognitive Science stated: “Culture aesthetics requires an empirical inquiry into the kinds and varieties of experiences associated with the artistic activities as they are understood in diverse cultures.” (Yang, Silveira, Formuli, et al, 2019). 

Visual art by African American artists whose artwork reflect the African American experience, have had an especially significant role in America. One factor of importance of art by African American artists, as it provides a perspective or worldview that is self-interpreted based on experience. In the book Harlem Renaissance, Art of Black America by the Studio Museum of Harlem, a quote by Alain Locke, (1925, p.11) stated: “If after absorbing the new content of American life and experiences, and after assimilating new patterns of art…then the Negro may well become what some predicted, the artist of American life.” 

Historically, African American visual artists have had key periods which define their art, such as: the Harlem Renaissance, spanning the 1920’s and 1930’s and the Black Arts Movement (BAM) also referred to as the Black Aesthetic Movement, beginning in the mid-1960’s thru the early 1970’s. Regarding the Black Arts Movement, the New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (2016) stated: 

Artists involved in the Black Arts Movement were adamant in their aim to reveal the particularities, struggles, strengths, and celebrations of African Americans through the creation of poetry, novels, visual art, and theater. Embedded in these works was a palpable emphasis on Black economic and cultural autonomy that was akin to the teaching of the Black Power Movement and Black Liberation Struggle. 

Visual Artists from the Harlem Renaissance such as: Jacob Lawrence, James Van Der Zee, William H. Johnson, Palmer Hayden, Aaron Douglas, Meta Warrick Fuller and Carl Van Vechten were visual storytellers of the African American aesthetic during the Harlem Renaissance. The Black Arts Movement brought the increased use of Public Art which artist Jeff Donaldson’s famous Wall of Respect is said to have inspired the Outdoor Mural movement. Artist Betye Saar utilized medium such as printmaking and Faith Ringgold’s mixed-media artwork is still being celebrated today.  

African American visual art is becoming increasingly relevant institutionally and to art collectors. The artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat has sold at auction for over One Hundred Million Dollars and Kerry James Marshall and most recently an Earnie Barnes painting have been sold at auction for multi-millions. The works of Marshall is especially notable because his work has become valuable while he is still living. 

It is important for America’s cultural pluralism to be successfully self-defining, that visual artists of all cultures illustrate their experiences and tell their stories. In addition, objective perception of cultural aesthetics of other cultures is important to diversity and inclusion in our society. Objective perception does not mean without feelings of emotions, it simply refers to an open-minded approach to artwork you are experiencing.  

ARTS at King Street Station 2022-23 Exhibition Calendar

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Upcoming exhibitions at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s ARTS at King Street Station will explore pop culture, transmedia, and Indigenous culture. Exhibitions feature local artists Saira Barbaric, Hexe Fey, and collective IMMINENT MODE. ARTS at King Street Station is a dynamic space for arts and culture in the heart of the city, dedicated to increasing opportunities for communities of color to generate and present their work. 

Pantheon Anew 

July 28 – September 23, 2022  

Pantheon Anew is a collection of more than 30 collages, video art, and an installation created by contemporary Black artists and inspired by the past of Black American spirituality. Organized by artist Saira Barbaric, the exhibition juxtaposes youth and adult pop culture to create a new spiritual pantheon featuring fantastical creatures. Barbaric invites viewers to take a journey through the exhibition and forge their own path in any direction.  

IMMINENT MODE: US 

November 3, 2022 – January 5, 2023

IMMINENT MODE: Us is a deeper examination of where we’ve come from, why our ancestors immigrated to this land, and how our cultural differences can find harmony. Each team will explore and celebrate their unique cultural heritages and express that through their work. A group of teams comprised of a Garment Designer and Fine Artist, are paired to collaborate and create work for an exhibition featuring a piece of wearable art and a large-scale installation based on a theme. Additionally, a complementary secondary and tertiary garment will be walked in a fashion show at the Opening Gala. IMMINENT MODE is curated by Jordan Christianson, Adé A Cônnére, and Anouk Rawkson.  

digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia 

February 2 – April 6, 2023 

A showcase of trans Indigenous artists working in digital media curated by Hexe Fey and featuring art by Raven TwoFeathers, Ty Defore, Raven Kameʻenui-Becker, Catrileo Communidad, and Elijah Forbes. 

Stay tuned for more information about these upcoming exhibitions. ARTS at King Street Station is free and open Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Public Art Blooms across Seattle this summer 

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Temporary and Permanent Arts abound from West Seattle to Lake City  

Photo by Jenny Crooks

The Seattle Office of Arts and Culture is excited to share that, starting in July, temporary and permanent artworks will be installed in Seattle neighborhoods, parks, and right-of-ways. A diverse mix of local artists, genres, and themes will make the summer of 2022 filled with arts experiences for everyone.

This year’s slate of art and artists explore themes of nature, conservancy, history, connections, resilience, and responsibility through both permanent commissions and temporary public artworks that are ephemeral, experiential, and experimental allowing artists to explore current issues.

“These temporary and permanent artworks showcase our artists at work and embedded in creating new voices in diverse communities. This is One Seattle at its continuous best.”

royal alley-barnes, Acting Director of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture

JULY

Events  

Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition – Lake City 
Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition – Lake City will transform plain concrete into vibrant art that will, beautify the neighborhood, promote public safety, and highlight local businesses and nonprofit organizations. Live music and events reflect Lake City’s cultural diversity. Build Lake City Together also commissioned a new community mural to celebrate the opening of a new community arts and culture space.   

  • Thursday, July 14, 7 – 8 p.m.: Gansango African Music and Dance 
    Lake City Farmer’s Market, 12546 – 28th Ave NE 
  • Friday, July 22, 7 – 8 p.m.: Panama Folklore Seattle 
    Lake City Mini Park, 12359 Lake City Way NE 
  • Thursday, July 28, 7 – 8 p.m.: Trío Guadalevín 
    Lake City Farmer’s Market, 12546 – 28th Ave NE  

Artists at the Center
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. The program is an ongoing partnership with Seattle Center, ARTS, Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition, and Seattle Kraken.

Friday, July 29, 6 p.m.: Dance with Dora 
Northwest Courtyard 

Art Installations 

Arts in Parks – Temporary Art Installations and Events  
Four local artists, Ken Roepe, Tory Franklin, and Jean Bradbury will have temporary artwork for 6 weeks in Westcrest Park, Pritchard Island Beach Park, and Cal Anderson Park, respectively. Installations will be on display starting mid-July through the early fall. Arts in Parks, a partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation and ARTS, is offering a number of free events and temporary art projects that will activate community parks this summer. The Arts in Parks program includes events, series, public art installations, and family-friendly, kid-centered activities in neighborhood parks throughout the northeast, northwest, central, southeast, and southwest regions. 

ChromaCyclium by Ken Roepe, courtesy of the artist
Island / Marshland by Tory Franklin, courtesy of the artist
The People Make This Park by Jean Bradbury; Photo by Jeremy Beliveau

Art Interruptions at Lake City – Temporary Art Installations 
Enjoy temporary artworks around Lake City by artists Amanda Lee, Baso Fibonacci, Damon Brown,  Kamla Kakaria, Lynn Yarne, Micah Lawton McCarty,  and Sabina Haque. On view for one more month!

Lake City Landbanked Park – Permanent Artwork Installation 
ARTS, in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, has selected Seattle artist Elizabeth Gahan to create a permanent, site-specific artwork for a new park in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood.  

The new neighborhood park located at 12510 33rd Ave NE previously housed an office building that was purchased in 2010 as part of the Green Spaces Levy and demolished in early 2016. The park will serve Lake City’s growing population with much-needed green space and provide a safe place to play, exercise and enjoy. Seattle Parks and Recreation has worked over the past year to gather community input into the overall design of this ¼-acre park. 

Northgate Bridge Artwork – Permanent Artwork Installation 
ARTS, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), selected artist Charles Sowers to develop and design artistic elements that will be integrated into the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. 

AUGUST

Events 

Artists at the Center 
Wednesday, August 3, 5:30 p.m.: The Mahagony Project 
Northwest Courtyard 

Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition – Pioneer Square
Saturday, August 6, 1-8 p.m., Nord Alley and Occidental Ave S.  
Styled as MS PAM’S Block Party and curated by Tariqa Waters, it will be an 80s-themed event that will be held in Nord Alley, Occidental Ave S, and surrounding areas. The event will feature DJs, musical acts, interactive art activities, and performances. 

Artists at the Center  
Sunday, August 7, 3 p.m.: Inspired Child 
The Armory  

Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition – Lake City 

  • Friday, August 12, 7 – 8 p.m.: David Arteaga and The Paul Miranda Trio 
    Lake City Mini Park, 12359 Lake City Way NE  
  • Friday, August 26, 7 – 8 p.m.: Indian Classical Dance with Mrs. Ekta Sandbhor Patil
    Lake City Mini Park, 12359 Lake City Way NE

Artists at the Center  
Sunday, August 28, 2 p.m.: Nia Amina Minor 
Northwest Courtyard

Art Installations 

Saltwater Podcast
This podcast is conceived of as a way to engage pedestrians in the area around the Ship Canal Water Quality Project construction sites in Fremont and Ballard, as well as a broader podcast-listening audience. This tour will reveal what’s hidden, go under(water), from the droplets that flow through the Salish Sea’s watershed, to the shallow tidal waters, into the depths of the Sea.

As we move through geography, we’ll also move through time, hearing about some of the environmental and human forces that flow into and through the Ship Canal and the Salish Sea. Given that the Salish Sea Streets’ permanent installations feature Indigenous artists, the audio tour will also center on Indigenous stories and voices with a focus on the peoples of the Salish Sea region. The tour will have a total run time of at least 50 minutes with shorter 1-3-minute short pieces (excerpts). We have consulted with several Coast Salish sources and the Salish Sea Streets artists and conducted additional reading and listening. 

The audio tour will weave together several audio elements:

  • Language recordings of Salish Sea peoples: We hear the human sounds (language) used for thousands of years to describe these waters
  • Underwater recordings: Sound travels faster in water and many water-living creatures use it to communicate
  • Interviews featuring storytellers, Coast Salish language and history experts, scientists, and a Salish Sea Streets artist 

Seattle Center Art Activations – Temporary Art Installations  

Skating in the Sky by Nikita Ares; Photo by Ricky Reyes
To Catch the World by Matthew Dockery; Photo by Ricky Reyes
Path of the Sky Dragon by May Kytonen; Photo by Rick Reyes

Working with Seattle Center and ARTS, up to four selected artists will design and develop small-scale temporary artworks to be installed on City-owned street furniture, infrastructure, or building facades, (e.g., light poles, railings, sidewalks, trees, tree pits, stair risers, etc.). These installations will be on view for a minimum of 12 weeks and up to four months from mid-August 2022 through early-January 2023 on the Seattle Center campus.

FLOW – Temporary Art Installations  
ARTS, in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), will be installing the next round of artists commissioned to develop new temporary art installations for four locations in north Seattle. FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal is a project designed to enliven temporary walls and fences surrounding construction sites that are part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

A Visual Love Letter by Perri Rhoden; Photo by Ricky Reyes
We Are All Immigrants by Malayka Gormally; Photo courtesy of the artist
Landscape, Collage, Waterway, Tapestry by Allyce Wood; Photo by Ricky Reyes
Aquatic Kaleidoscopes by Marsha Rollinger; photos courtesy of artist

FLOW features temporary and site-specific artwork in four different locations (Ballard, East Ballard, Fremont, and Wallingford) and changes every six months. New artists will be commissioned over the next few years. You can view the current round of FLOW artworks which will be on view until late August when the new round will be installed. 

Nihonmachi Alley – Permanent Art Installation  
The Nihonmachi Clear Alleys Artwork is a pilot partnership between SDOT, SPU, ARTS, and the community to commission an artwork in Nihonmachi Alley in support of SPU’s Clear Alleys Program. 

SEPTEMBER

Events

Created Commons – Legendary Children  
Friday, Sept 23: Olympic Sculpture Park  

Art Installations

Art Interruptions West Seattle – Temporary Art Installations 
ARTS and SDOT commissioned four local artists, Clare Johnson, Tommy Segundo, Malayka Gormally, and Toka Valu to create temporary art installations along the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway for Art Interruptions 2022. The artworks will be installed on City-owned infrastructure and offer passers-by a brief interruption in their day through moments of surprise, beauty, contemplation, or humor.  

all the ways we’ve found through these downs and ups and downs by Clare Johnson
Lukia e Tenifa by Va’eomatoka “Toka” Valu
School’s Out by Malayka Gormally

The Creative Advantage Celebratory Tour

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by Tina LaPadula

Four masked people stand in a classroom, one of them stands behind a guitar.
Acting Director alley-barnes with Jack Straw teaching artists Sierra Nelson and Tomo Nakayama and 2nd grade teacher Ms Allphin at Lowell Elementary

Just prior to the end of the 22/23 school year, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) Acting Director, royal alley-barnes, engaged in a “Creative Advantage Celebratory Tour” to observe teaching artists from The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster and to talk with principals about arts education at their schools.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Visual + Performing Arts Manager Gail Sehlhorst and Arts Education Manager for ARTS, Tina LaPadula led the school visits highlighting elementary and middle school residencies in a variety of artistic disciplines.

Child's poster says "We all belong" in colorful lettering
An elementary Pride poster from Orca K-8
MLK Principal Nesbitt and Acting Director alley-barnes, with Teaching Artist Mr. Greg in the background

Powerful arts learning was evident as students crawled under desks during collective playwriting; explored their cultural identities through symbols for T-shirt designs; and reflected metaphorically about their feelings and literature through poetry and songwriting.

Tour stops included:

  • Queen Anne Elementary with Principal Roy and teaching artist Gillian Jorgensen from Book-It Repertory Theatre
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary with Principal Nesbitt and Arts Corps teaching artist Greg Thornton
  • Lowell Elementary with Principal Talbot and teaching artists Sierra Nelson and Tomo Nakayama from Jack Straw Cultural Center
  • ORCA K-8 with Dr. Luster and teaching artists Geoff Larson, Megan Krants, and Stephanie Anne Johnson from Bushwick Northwest’s Songwriting Through Literature Education / STYLE Program.

Celebrate Pride with Arts & Culture Events Near You

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Each June, our communities come together to celebrate Pride Month to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community’s resilience. Take a look at some of the many Pride events and programs taking place in our community below.

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway

Ongoing
920 E Barbara Bailey Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Free

The AMP uses public art to create a physical place for remembrance and reflection, shares stories about the epidemic and the diverse community responses to the crisis and provides a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination. The space features art by Christopher Paul Jordan, Civilization, Horatio Hung‑Yan Law, and Storme Webber.

They recently launched their AMP augmented reality (AR) app, which includes narratives, images, and interactive experiences around each of the physical artworks, as well as a virtual tour.

Learn More

ARTS at King Street Station: “Hanako O’Leary: Izanami and Yomi” and “Molly Vaughan: Her Body and After Boucher”

Photo by Chloe Collyer

Ongoing: On view through July 7
ARTS at King Street Station ( 303 South Jackson Street Top floor, Seattle, WA)
Free

Hanako O’Leary: Izanami and Yomi and Molly Vaughan: Her Body and After Boucher explore themes of feminine power, transgender transformation, fertility, and self-determination. Both exhibitions are on view May 5 through July 7, 2022. 

Learn More

Beneath the Streets: The Queer (Underground) Tour

Ongoing: Select Wednesdays and Thursdays
Ticketed Program

Beneath the Streets presents The Queer (Underground) Tour, a guided exploration into the history of pioneer Square’s underground nightlife and how Seattle became a queer cultural mecca.

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Molly Vaughan: Safety in Numbers

Ongoing: On view through July 2
MadArt (325 Westlake Ave N, #101, Seattle, WA)
Free

On view at MadArt, Safety in Numbers is an installation and performance created by artist Molly Vaughan. The exhibition includes functional elements of a salon that are intentionally set to stage the performance. Segmenting the space into areas for activation and secondary programming, Vaughan utilizes large abstract panels with designs based on places of personal importance. In Safety in Numbers she relies on her belief in the potency of hair to act as a vehicle for social justice, as well as aesthetic beauty. 

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Pacific Northwest Black Pride: Juneteenth – The Lituation

June 18, 10 p.m.
19309 68th Avenue South, R103, Kent, WA
Free before 11 p.m.

Pacific Northwest Black Pride presents the Juneteenth The Lituation, a night of dancing with music by DJ Bop. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go towards PNW Black Pride scholarships.

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Taking Black Pride: Seachella

June 25, 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Seattle Center Mural Amphitheatre
Free, Donations Welcome

Taking Black Pride returns for a day of music, performances from BIPOC trans and queer artists, and community. Organizers of this event ask that allies and supporters respect who is being centered in this Pride Space and donate to the sustainability of this truly one-of-a-kind Pride event.

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Indigiqueer Festival

June 25, 3 – 7 p.m.
Pier 62
Free

Overflow with Indigiqueer Joy! Presented as a part of the Indigiqueer Joy Campaign, the Indigiqueer Festival is curated by the Quileute drag queen Hailey Tayathy. Enjoy food, music, drag and more while coming together with the Queer Indigenous community.

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PrideFest Capitol Hill & Seattle Center

June 25: 12 – 8 p.m. in Capitol Hill
June 26: 12 – 8 p.m. at Seattle Center

PrideFest returns with its Pride weekend events, PrideFest Capitol Hill and PrideFest Seattle Center, taking place on June 25 and 26 respectively. This year’s theme, “We’re Still Here,” celebrates the resiliency of the LGBTQIA+ community and reaffirms our communities’ fight for a more equitable and inclusive world.

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Queer/Pride Festival

June 24-26
11th Ave. Between Pike & Pine St.
Ticketed Event

Queer/Pride Festival returns to Capitol Hill for a three-day festival featuring musical performances by Kim Petras, Iggy Azalea, Princess Nokia, Adore Delano, Crystal Methyd, Laganja Estranja, and Queer/Bar’s very own Bosco.

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Gender Justice League: Trans Pride Seattle

September 2, 5:45 – 9 p.m.
Location TBD
Free

Trans Pride Seattle returns for an in-person celebration on September 2 (location TBD). Presented by Gender Justice League, Trans Pride Seattle (TPS) aims to increase the strength of the trans and gender diverse community and our allies—both within and beyond Seattle—through increased visibility, connection, love, and the celebration of our lives

They are currently accepting performer applications for the festival. You can apply here.

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