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Art Beat

Office of Arts & Culture news and events

Temporary Outdoor Art Exhibition FLOW 2020: temporary and site-specific artworks

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The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has commissioned local emerging 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.

Beginning this summer, artwork by a variety of artists will begin to appear.  Grab your bike or walking shoes and visit all four locations to see some artwork that inspires. The artworks can be viewed from sidewalks and streets near the Ship Canal, and especially from the Burke-Gilman trail.

 Chaac by Angie Hinojos Yusuf and Carlos Jimenez

Ballard – 24th Ave NW & Shilshole Ave NW Angie Hinojos Yusuf and Carlos Jimenez (on view)
Hinojos & Jimenez Art
Angie Hinojos Yusuf & Carlos Jimenez
Chaac

Chaac is the Maya god of rain. This piece emulates the great carved stone masks that can be found on the pyramids in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The masks were made of stone carved into intricate shapes which were assembled together to form the powerful visage of the god. Chaac had both human and animal characteristics, showing the interdependence of all living things and their relationship to life-giving water. It illustrates the natural cycle of the flow of water, as it originates in the clouds, where Chaac strikes his jade axe and causes thunder and rain, to where it falls on the land, is crucial. Water infrastructure will safeguard our environment for future generations.

Wallingford – N 35th St & Interlake Ave N (July 2020)
Kalee Nelson and Crystal Christopherson
MMIW

Elevating awareness of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is the key goal of this temporary installation that includes a large scale mural featuring traditional formline design of Killer Whales.  Kalee Nelson is an Alaskan Native from the Tsimshian Tribe and Crystal Christopherson is Alaskan native from the Tlingit tribe. 

East Ballard – NW 45th St. & 11th Ave NW Katie Miller (August 2020)
Katie Miller
Crossing

Crossing is inspired by Seattle’s maritime industry, the nearby ship canal, and our relationship to water. Crossing alludes to a journey moving through or along water and serves as a metaphor for our individual experiences, personal connections to, and reflections on water.

Fremont – NW 36th St. & Leary Way NW Minh Carrico (August 2020)
Minh Carrico
TATTARRATTAT

Honoring the waterway connecting Lake Union and the Puget Sound, the phrase “TATTARRATTAT” is spelled out using the International Code of Signals for water vessels moving in either direction of the canal. The repetition of the palindrome serves as a visual interpretation of the “knock, knock” emanating from a construction site for months to come. 

These temporary works will be on view for six-months and then be changed to feature new artwork by artists including Barry Johnson, Hugo Moro, Shawn Parks , Whitney Lynn and Janelle Abbott

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.

Drive-Up COVID Testing Sites

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The City of Seattle, King County, and the UW Medicine are now offering free COVID-19 testing, regardless of your immigration or insurance status, at two drive-up sites in Seattle:

  • North Seattle: Aurora site – 12040 Aurora Ave N, Seattle WA 98133, Mon – Sat, 9:30am-4pm
  • South Seattle: SODO site – 3820 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108, Mon – Sat, 9:30am-4pm

If you live, work, or regularly visit Seattle, the City is urging anyone with symptoms or with 15 minutes or longer exposure to someone with COVID-19 within the past two weeks to get tested.

COVID-19 symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of smell
  • Chills
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Runny nose
  • Congestion

If you want to be tested, please register online. If you need help with registration, call (206) 684-2489. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 5:00PM and Saturday, 10:00AM to 3:00PM. If you need in-language assistance, please tell us in English the language you need, we will then connect you with an interpreter.

After registration, you will be able to drive-thru the testing site at your scheduled time. With preregistration the process can take less than 10 minutes. Wear your face covering when visiting the site.

If you have medical questions related to COVID-19, contact your medical provider or the King County COVID-19 call center between 8 AM to 7 PM PST at 206-477-3977. Learn more about COVID-19 testing.

In-Language Resources

  • Amharic
  • Chinese
  • Korean
  • Somali
  • Spanish
  • Vietnamese

Artist Kalina Chung selected for new park in Little Saigon neighborhood

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The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation (PARKS), has commissioned artist Kalina Chung to develop and install an artwork in a new park in the Little Saigon neighborhood, in the Chinatown International District. Chung will work closely with ARTS, the PARKS, Murase Associates (landscape architects), the Little Saigon Park Advisory Committee, and other community representatives to develop a site-specific art installation that will be integrated with the park design. The artwork will honor the history, cultures, and current experience of the communities that live nearby and hopes to inspire and inform residents and visitors about the history and future of the site as well as enhance the experience of park-goers and passers-by. The artwork and the park are expected to be completed in 2021.

Passing By, 2017, Wood, Paint, 19’ x 8’ x 12’
Delridge Playfield Park, Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy of the artist

Chung is a second-generation Asian-American woman, of both Chinese and Vietnamese descent. Her parents immigrated as teenagers from Vietnam to Seattle, where they met and started a family. They frequented Little Saigon nearly every day for a banh mi at Saigon Deli, pho at the OG Pho Bac, and groceries from Lam’s Seafood. She was a student of the Hengda Dance Academy, where she found a sense of belonging and a deeper understanding of her heritage. Little Saigon truly shaped her identity and she hopes to connect her family’s story to the stories of other members of the community through her artwork.

Chung received her BFA from the 3D4M (3-Dimensional Forum) Program at the University of Washington, and was a recipient of an Artist Trust GAP Grant in 2018. She was commissioned for a bamboo and metal installation in Occidental Park in 2020.

The Little Saigon Park site was purchased in 2013 after several years of community engagement led by PARKS’s property unit and conversations with several stakeholders interested in providing a park for Little Saigon. The park is located immediately adjacent to the Nisei Veteran’s Memorial Hall and the historic Victoria condominiums. As of January 2018, the park is now located within the International Special Review District.

Chung was selected by a panel of artists, community stakeholders, city staff and consultants. The project is commissioned with Seattle Parks and Recreation 1% for Arts funds.

Seattle Public Library Reading Lists: Black Lives Matter and Always Available: Reading About Race

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In June of 2020 there were national uprisings after the police and vigilante killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and others. These lists shared from Seattle Public Libraries may help those who are interested in larger conversations about the movement for Black Lives and racial justice. 

Black Lives Matter.
Explore African American history, current events, and tools to challenge racism and dismantle white supremacy.

Always Available: Reading About Race
Explore these books that explore the history and legacy of white supremacy and institutional racism.

Statement from ARTS on Recent Events regarding Black Lives

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To our arts and cultural community,

We are committed to centering racial justice in our everyday practices, and we believe art is a powerful agent for change in our culture.

As a city department whose values of anti-racism and transformation guide us, we work with many of you in community and share a common belief that art is a powerful agent for change in our culture.

In this moment, we as an arts and cultural community cannot afford to operate at a surface level. We cannot be silent.  A social media post is not enough.  A racial equity training is not enough.  We are living under two crises right now: first the pandemic and most recently, the continuation of racial warfare that has climaxed after 400+ years of hate inflicted on our Black community.  We must act now. 

There is so much work to be done to break down systems of oppression that are built specifically targeting the Black community. What is your commitment towards dismantling these structures? For non-Black and BIPOC orgs, what is your organization doing to support BIPOC staff during this time and beyond? What is your action plan for moving forward and staying accountable? How can we support you in your commitment, and what do you need from our agency to move this work forward?”

Our office is committed to continuing to address these questions through our daily practices, which are through a racial equity lens. We invite the entire arts and cultural community to think strategically and ethically about how they might do the same. Stand with our Office in solidarity for all Black lives, not only in the greater Seattle community, but nationally as we continue to fight for justice.

In solidarity,

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Statement from the Seattle Arts Commission on Recent Events regarding Black Lives

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In light of the recent protests that were sparked over the heinous murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and the countless other Black lives across the United States; and the anti-Blackness act to weaponize Christian Cooper are all the result of racism, police brutality and white supremacy. We are wounded, angry and outraged that the Black community continues to be victims and targets of this violence.

In the Arts Commission, diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism are always in the front of our minds and play a large component in our policies, decision making and service that we provide to both the arts and cultural communities. We see and acknowledge the hurt and pain and stand in solidarity with our Black artists, Black leaders of organizations and Black arts and cultural administrators during this painful and egregious period.

We recognize that these acts of injustice will continue to surface unless we, the arts and cultural communities collectively unite to dismantle the systemic racism that continues to cripple the Black community. We must work together to find a legislative process that legalizes Blackness and is fair and equitable to all Black artists, organizations, cultural centers, and the Black community at large. We invite everyone to stand with us as we continue to battle these issues so that the Black community does not have to continue to be impacted by these repeated, painful experiences. Only then will we be able to stand united together once we have attacked and abandoned these unhealthy ways continue to hurt our Black community.

Standing in solidarity,
Priya Frank and Dr. Quinton Morris, co-chairs Seattle Arts Commission

Statewide Cultural & Creative Economic Survey

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Statewide Cultural & Creative Economic Recovery Survey

We know there have been many other economic impact surveys in our sectors, and that this is yet another one.

The difference now is that twelve local, regional, and statewide agencies including City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, 4Culture, King County Creative, ArtsFund, Artist Trust, ArtsWA, Humanities Washington, InspireWA, Washington Filmworks, Whip Smart, and Spokane Arts have collectively decided to combine efforts by designing together and using one survey that will go out to everyone.

Moving forward, this consortium will be working in a coordinated fashion to collect and share impact data for the arts and cultural sectors and creative industries, relevant to individual artists as well as organizations/businesses.

Timeline

There will be three surveys at different times throughout the year (June, August, October) to measure impact.

Purpose

We intend to use your feedback to design and fund relief programs and recovery/re-opening plans, inform elected officials and advocates, and to amplify your stories about the devastating impacts due to COVID-19. All questions asked are voluntary.

Guided by and honoring Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative and the King County Vision for Equity and Social Justice, we are using demographic questions towards the end of our survey to identify disparities in how our communities are experiencing this pandemic differently. The data will be reported in aggregate, to protect individual confidentiality.

Who should fill out this survey:

  • Artists
  • Creatives
  • Cultural workers
  • Creative small businesses
  • Large arts institutions
  • Everybody in-between and within the arts and cultures sectors.

The survey takes approximately ten minutes to complete and will remain open until June 15, 2020, 11:59pm, Pacific.

Outcomes

The data from each survey will be shared out to the agencies, who will communicate findings relevant to their jurisdictions. We have agreed to a 2- week window after each survey closes for sharing out high-level information, with more buffer time for comprehensive reporting and data analysis of qualitative feedback.

Button: Take the Survey

Past COVID-19 Related Data Results

Arts sector survey results/press releases from data collected during the early months of COVID-19 can be found here:

Data is forthcoming from the Office of Economic Development, City of Seattle and ArtsWA. Expect it this summer.

City of Seattle Launches Seattle Together Initiative

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The City of Seattle is launching the Seattle Together initiative, which is designed to celebrate ideas, share resources and events, and connect community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Seattle Together initiative asks community members to amplify stories of good work and resiliency by residents, elevate resources and share best practices, and build relationships as Seattle residents continue to follow the statewide “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order and public health physical distancing guidance.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Seattle, necessary public health guidance has undoubtedly taken a toll on the economic, physical, and mental health of residents. Seattle Together will help people connect by lifting up community-generated ideas, highlighting philanthropic efforts, and sharing information about City resources. Seattle Together is a curated hub that features local artistic content, mental health breaks, physical activities, and helpful resources designed to provide respite and hope for our community.

“Much has rightly been said and done about the economic and public health impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our communities. But we must acknowledge and address the impact this crisis is having on our collective wellbeing, and the loneliness and fear the pandemic creates,” said Mayor Durkan. “At a time when the weather is getting warmer and our City is at its most beautiful, we must continue to stay inside and physically distance ourselves from our loved ones and neighbors. Seattle Together is about creating a platform where we can build community and connection during this unprecedented time and celebrate the innovation, creativity, and drive that makes Seattle the best city in the country. As a City government, it’s our responsibility to not only look out for the physical and economic health of our residents, but to fight for the emotional wellbeing and happiness of all our communities. Seattle Together does just that.”

“While we are still focused on relief, we know that we need to find ways to connect and give our City a chance to come together in new and different ways. Seattle Together is an initiative that invests in our most impacted communities and celebrates our region’s resilience and the work everyone is doing to survive and come out of this crisis stronger than before,” said Randy Engstrom, Director of the Office of Arts & Culture.

Key elements of the initiative include a Seattle Together website, SeattleTogether.org and online campaign featuring the creativity and stories of Seattle residents, both well-known and undiscovered. Seattle residents are encouraged to share their ideas using #SeattleTogether on social media or submit their ideas, stories of community resiliency, and resources for the Seattle Together website.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be launching From Home to Home: Northwest Folklife Festival this weekend—a place where we can collectively showcase our folklife, right from our homes,” says Kelli Faryar, Executive Artistic Director of Northwest Folklife. “In the same spirit as the Seattle Together initiative, we hope that From Home to Home and SeattleTogether.org will serve as a virtual platform showcasing local artists and culture bearers, creating a space for cultural exchange and community connection.”

Seattle Together will recognize community members, organizations, and businesses dedicating their time and money to those in need, individuals connecting with one another through creative and unique experiences, and artists sharing cultural content to vulnerable populations.

The City of Seattle will also share information on new resources and initiatives, online activities, and cultural programming. Online activities on Seattle Together range from yoga classes to live-streamed concerts, so that Seattle residents can access their favorite classes, as well as new opportunities. Seattle Center, Parks and Recreation, the Office of Arts & Culture, The Seattle Public Library, Human Services Department, Seattle Fire Department, and other City departments are contributing to Seattle Together.

Totem Star offers online music programs to youth in response to COVID-19

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The idea for the youth-focused nonprofit was formed in 2010 when Daniel Pak and fellow co-founder Thaddeus Turner hosted a summer program at Rainier Community Center for 10 youth recently released from Juvenile Detention. Over the summer, Pak and Turner spent 240 hours with the youth creating and recording music.

Totem Star artists supporting Kiddus Fecto during Winter Magic – Photo by Avi Loud

“We had Bloods and Crips in the same studio, and we were all a happy family,” Daniel Pak, co-founder and Executive Director of Totem Star.

Three weeks after the conclusion of the program, Pak had what he calls an, “aha” moment when he found out 1/3 of the youth had already been booked back into the detention center. In that moment, Pak remembers thinking, “We need to have a place where young people can always come. A safe and encouraging creative sanctuary.”

That creative sanctuary is now 10 years old and, according to Pak, has mentored about 2,000 youth. Located inside Youngstown Cultural Arts center in West Seattle, Totem Star has become a central hub for young artists looking for studio time, mentorship, and most importantly, family.

“It’s a real thriving and beautiful community”, youth artist Mirabai Kukathas explains. “Once all this [COVID] started, it was like, ‘I can’t see my family anymore!’”  Kukathas, who was set to compete in the final round the MoPop Sound Off! before the event was cancelled due to COVID, is one of many youth who were worried when Totem Star was forced to shut its doors in March. However, due to quick action from Totem Star staff, the programs never missed a beat. “Pretty much immediately, I get these emails saying not to worry because everything is moving online,” she recalls. “We can book sessions like normal, but only through Zoom. We can’t record stuff, but we can chat, we can write songs, we can cry, we can make jokes, and it’ll be the same.”

It may not be fair to say that everything remained the same, but there are some ways Totem Star has improved. With all sessions becoming digital, it has become easier for artists outside of the Greater Seattle area to participate in programs. Since closing their doors in March, Pak has brought in a singer/song writer from Auburn and reconnected with an alumni who is currently studying abroad in Holland. Speaking of using technology to expand Totem Star’s reach, Pak says, “The whole remote sessions model really gives us a sneak peek into what the future looks like should we decide to expand. We could literally serve any young artist in the world right now.”

Co-Founder Thaddeus Turner (right) working with Mirabai Kukathas (left) in The Studio. Photo by Tracey Wong

Totem Star has shifted smoothly to the new world of remote meetings. During normal times, teens would come to their studio Monday-Friday during after school hours to hang out with friends and work on music. Now, in addition to remote one-on-one mentor sessions, they host big virtual meetings via Zoom every Wednesday and Thursday where youth can still connect with their Totem Star family. Communications Manager Tracey Wong points out, “We had a physical open mic night that was twice a year, but we have now brought it online at #TotemStarLive and it’s a virtual open mic every first Friday.”

Mirabai performing at Summer Kick Off – Photo by Maurice Harnsberry

Totem Star is currently accepting applications for new artists. To any youth considering joining, Pak says, “Totem Star has always been a welcoming and inclusive space for any young person passionate about music to discover a new family.”
For more information visit: https://totemstar.org/

Welcoming New Teaching Artists and Organizations onto The Creative Advantage Arts Partner Roster

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The Creative Advantage is excited to collaborate with this new cadre of partners who were just chosen by a panel of arts educators, teaching artists and youth development professionals. Their addition brings The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster to just over 130:

  • Art with Heart
  • Cecelia Renee DeLeon
  • Centro Cultural Mexicano
  • Mode Music and Performing Arts
  • Delbert Richardson
  • Erica Merritt
  • Jenna Spinei
  • Leah Mann
  • Matthew Masayuki Fujimoto
  • Melissa Koch-de Wrangel
  • Michael Grant
  • Northwest Film Forum
  • Pottery Northwest, INC.
  • Seattle JazzED
  • Sea-King Media (BOREALIS, A Festival of Light)
  • Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras
  • Stephanie Segura
  • The Rhapsody Project / Joseph Seamons
  • The Williams Project
  • Wing Luke Memorial Foundation