Two new exhibitions explore mosaic collage and digital media on view at ARTS at King Street Station

January 30, 2023 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Happy Room — Mosaic Collage

digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia

February 2 – April 6, 2023

digital indigiqueer features projected films and virtual reality videos alongside artifacts and 2-D works. Happy Room is a collection of 50 small, mid-, and large-scale works that evoke a sense of joy and draw from the Hygge lifestyle.

Two new exhibitions Happy Room — Mosaic Collage and digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia will be on view at the Office of Arts & Culture’s ARTS at King Street Station gallery, February 2 through April 6, 2023.

Happy Room — Mosaic Collage features everyday objects through the artistry and colorful lens of artist Naoko Morisawa. Juxtaposed with Morisawa’s mosaic collages is a collection of multi-media artworks from five multi-disciplinary, award-winning Indigenous artists in digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia.

“Both Happy Room and digital indigiqueer illustrate the power of artists telling their histories and illuminating the magic inherent in our everyday lives. ARTS at King Street Station is proud to provide a platform for artists to engage the public in a showcase of their incredible talents.”
royal alley-barnes, Acting Director, Office of Arts & Culture

Happy Room — Mosaic Collage
Naoko Morisawa/ Morisawa Studio

Specializing in intricate natural and oil-dyed wooden and paper mosaics, artist Naoko Morisawa invites viewers to experience Happy Room — Mosaic Collage, a collection of over 50 small, mid, and large-scale works that evoke a sense of joy and draw from the Hygge lifestyle. The installation is divided into four rooms, Shoes/Closet, Kitchen/Living Room, Theater Japonism/Living Room, and Heart Room. Each piece and room transforms everyday objects like a dependable pair of shoes or a pastry from a café into ornate, dynamic mosaics that invite viewers to find beauty in the details. Happy Room – Mosaic Collage features pieces from various bodies of work from the past 15 years including pieces from My Collection Shoes, Mosaic Café, Japanese Opera – Noh Mask, and newer abstract works.

“With these works I tried to bring to life the material properties of wood and paper as much as possible. I think that mixing two (or more) materials on one panel will make each other more complicated and increase their presence and statement.”
Naoko Morisawa

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Naoko Morisawa studied design and ceramics at Tama Art University, one of the major art schools in Japan. Her work spans from art exhibitions, commercial design projects, and teaching art classes in Tokyo, Yokohama, and the Canadian Embassy.

In 2004, Naoko moved to the Pacific Northwest where she explored exhibition opportunities starting from small exhibition spaces which then grew into national and international exhibitions. Morisawa has exhibited her work throughout the US and internationally in Canada, Japan, and Ireland. Her work has also been collected by and displayed at various entities including the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, City of Portland, City of Seattle, City of Bellevue, Kent, Shoreline, Seattle Convention Center Summit Building, ArtsWA, Amazon, General Electric, Nordstrom, and Facebook. Morisawa has been awarded artist grants from the Puffin Foundation, The Santo Foundation, Artist Trust, and more. Naoko Morisawa’s abstract artwork is represented by Traver Gallery, Seattle.

digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia
Hexe Fey

A showcase of transgender and sacred gender indigenous artists working in digital media, transmedia, film, 360 video, glitch art, contemporary interpretations of traditional forms, and future mediums. digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia includes 11 individual pieces exploring the diversity of contemporary indigenous creativity and touching their futures and pasts. Work from Raven TwoFeathers, Ty Defoe, Raven Kameʻenui-Becker, Communidad Catrileo+Carrion, Elijah Forbes, and organizer Hexe Fey.

Aritst Bios

Hexe Fey (he/they) is a transmasculine Oglala Lakota and European interdisciplinary mover, art worker, curator, glitch user, interactive fiction writer, and community harm reductionist. Hexe is the creator of the video game Cursed Task, which focuses on the struggle of writing artist bios.

Raven TwoFeathers (Cherokee, Seneca, Cayuga, Comanche) is a Two Spirit, Emmy award-winning creator based in Seattle, WA. Originally from New Mexico, they spent their childhood moving and exploring Indigenous cultures across the continent and Pacific. They returned to New Mexico to attend Santa Fe University of Art & Design, graduating magna cum laude with a BFA in Film Production. After graduation, their path led them to working on and creating more Indigenous art than ever and things began to feel right. They recently released a comic-based zine, “Qualifications of Being,” about their journey of realizing they are trans and Two Spirit. They continue to grow and explore their practice through the people they meet, and the stories that guide them.

Ty Defoe (Giizhig) is an Indigiqueer citizen of Oneida and Anishinaabe Nations. He is an interdisciplinary artist and Grammy Award winner who has authored multiple works including Ajijaak on Turtle Island, The Lesson (w/ Avi Amon and Nolan Doran), and Firebird Tattoo. He has received recognition for his works including the 2021-2022 Sundance Fellow, Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, Jonathan Larson Award, Cultural Capital Fellow with First People’s Fund, Robert Rauschenberg artist in residence, and The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays for the Stage, among others.

Communidad Catrileo+Carrion are queer/trans/nonbinary Indigenous epupillan (two-spirit) beings who work articulating generative spaces of reciprocity and relationality. They honor the land and their ancestors through ceremonies materialized in their audiovisual, textile, editorial, curatorial, and community practices. Communidad Catrileo+Carrion reside divided between Pikunmapu/Qullasuyu (Valparaíso Region, Chile) and Kumeyaay Territory (San Diego, California, USA). The group is currently composed of Antonio Catrileo Araya, Constanza Catrileo Araya, Malku Catrileo Araya, Alejandra Carrión Lira, and Manuel Carrión Lira.

Elijah Forbes is an Indigenous Two-Spirit creative that focuses on bringing Odawa storytelling and transgender joy into the world through his work. He has previously worked with Twitter to create illustrated media for the Trans Awareness Week hashtag, as well as with many other clients to bring their ideas to life. Some of these companies include: BookRiot, Andrews McMeel Publishing, The Boys and Girls Club of Canada, and Iron Circus Comics.

All-ages Exhibition Exploration of digital indigiqueer

Saturday, February 4, 2023
1 – 3 p.m.

This special all-ages event includes an exhibition tour, interactive panel discussion, and creative seeding through reflective writing with featured artists Raven Kame’enui-Becker, Antu and Manu of Communidad Catrileo+Carrion, Elijah Forbes, and curator Hexe Fey.

FREE, but registration is required.

RSVP

For questions or inquiries, please contact Tina LaPadula, Arts Education Project Manager, at tina.lapadula@seattle.gov or at (206) 518-4205.

*Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

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.

Seattle Public Schools and the Office of Arts & Culture expand The Creative Advantage to Nine New Seattle Schools

January 18, 2023 by Erika Lindsay 1 Comment

By The Creative Advantage Implementation Team: Rayna Mathis, (Seattle Public Schools Creative Advantage Project Manager) Gail Sehlhorst, (Visual & Performing Arts Manager), and Tina LaPadula (Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Arts Education Project Manager)

A handwritten sign by a child: Welcome to the bureau (misspelled) of fearless ideas, with 3 exclamation points.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) in partnership with the Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is expanding The Creative Advantage program into the Whitman K-12 Pathway, which includes nine neighborhood schools.

Adams Elementary
Loyal Heights Elementary
North Beach Elementary
Viewlands Elementary
Whittier Elementary
Whitman Middle School
Licton Springs K-8
Salmon Bay K-8
Ballard High School

Working with Seattle Public Schools to bring more arts access to schools is a top program priority. This is an amazing way to celebrate The Creative Advantage partnership. The impact of artists in the schools and arts education access to students, family and community build One Seattle.
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Acting Director royal alley-barnes

A group of school principals pose in a classroom, holding a large yellow pencil.

The Creative Advantage Implementation team’s November meeting at the Greenwood branch of The Bureau of Fearless Ideas, a Creative Advantage arts partner, with Whitman K-12 Pathway principals created a new K-12 continuum, envisioning an arts program that starts in Kindergarten and continues through 12^th grade. Planning included a focus on racial equity data at the nine schools and arts access data in the pathway. From there, the principals developed an arts vision for the next five years to ensure a high-quality continuum of arts learning for all students and that ensures students of color, furthest from educational and arts justice, have access to thriving in the arts. The vision points include: 

Increased and equitable funding for arts 
Teacher support for high-quality instruction 
Arts as the pulse through integrated arts learning 
Students having voice, choice, and agency 
Regional arts collaboration, connection, and celebration

On a whiteboard: A writing prompt "4" Principals (by BFI Students): Describe an entire day at school if you were a student. What classes would you attend? What would you have for breakfast? How do you feel about homework?" Smiley face.

 The Creative Advantage Implementation Team is honored to partner with principals and teachers who are committed to artists in the schools and arts education, and value student voice and community input to center the arts in diverse ways that supports student, teacher, and school needs. Learn more at https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/arts/

The Creative Advantage Seattle: https://www.creativeadvantageseattle.org/

The Creative Advantage is a collective impact partnership between the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), Seattle Public Schools (SPS), Seattle Foundation, and over 100 arts partners aligned across the mission providing equitable access to arts education to every student in SPS. Working with schools directly, The Creative Advantage program approach is to engage in “K-12 pathways,”. These are defined by Seattle neighborhood’s elementary, middle, and high school(s). Using this definition ensures that comprehensive, sequential, and predictable arts learning from kindergarten through high school. With the Whitman K-12 Pathway, The Creative Advantage is now in 90 out of 106 schools in the Seattle Public School District.  

Celebrating 10 Years of Artists Up

December 29, 2022 by April Jingco Leave a Comment

All photos by Jo Cosme

On Thursday, December 1, community members, artists, and creatives came together at ARTS at King Street Station to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Artists Up program.

Left to right: Ashraf Hasham, ARTS Partnerships, Education, and Grants Manager; Maritza Rivera, ARTS Deputy Director; Nina Yarbrough, 4Culture Arts Program Director.

Created in 2012, Artists Up is a collaboration between the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), 4Culture, and ArtsWA with a goal to better serve all artists in the state. This program was formed to address a common need at the time: to increase the number of artists of color applying for funding. This robust programming was based on conversations with Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, and Indigenous artists about their needs, concerns, and barriers.

Since its formation, Artists Up has served over 350 artists through programs such as Mentorly scholarships, which connect emerging artists with professional creatives from around the world.

Artists Up supports our brilliant and impactful individual artists. As we gather celebrating this remarkable 10 years of creativity, we must all pause to commend the tremendous work of Irene Gómez and Artists Up partners.
royal alley-barnes, Acting Director for Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Individuals from Hope Corps, Public Art Boot Camp, The Change Leader Institute, Public Art Roster, CityArtists, and TAT LAB Teaching Artists program gathered alongside 4Culture, ArtsWA, and ARTS staff to celebrate this milestone. Attendees also had an opportunity to explore the current exhibition at ARTS at King Street Station, IMMINENT MODE: US.

“We were delighted to celebrate the tremendous work of Artists Up alongside current and future artists, partners, and community members who share one central goal: to support our artists today and every day.”
Maritza Rivera, Deputy Director for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

One of the original founding partners at ARTS, Project Manager, Irene Gómez, received a standing ovation for conceptualizing and piloting AU and her skillful dedication and generosity in curating the body of work that has impacted so many underrepresented (LGBTQ+, elder, immigrants, and refugee) artists.

Irene Gómez, ARTS Project Manager and Co-Founder of Artists Up

“I applaud mentors, mentees, sponsors, and partners for continuing this important peer support to advance careers and networks.”
Irene Gómez, ARTS Project Manager and Co-Founder of Artists Up

We celebrate this milestone of Artists Up and look forward to many more years of supporting and elevating artists in our region.

Art Inspired by Social Justice

December 19, 2022 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

By Dr. James R. Gore

Art can provide a platform of expression for social commentary. Poet, author, academic, and President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Elizabeth Alexander’s new book, The Trayvon Generation, is a reflection from the perspective of an African American mother and professor, expressing concern for her students. The book’s inner cover indicates that Alexander:

“…wrote a celebrated and moving reflection on the challenges facing young Black America. Originally published in the New Yorker, the essay incisively and lovingly observed the experiences, attitudes, and cultural expressions of what she referred to as “The Trayvon Generation,” who even as children could not be shielded from the brutality that has affected the lives of so many Black people…” (Alexander, 2022).

I Am a Man – Diorama of Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike – National Civil Rights Museum – Downtown Memphis – Tennessee – USA
May 14, 2012, 13:06:45. Source: Own work. Author: Adam Jones, Ph.D.

The opening chapter of the book provides a reference from Dr. W.E.B. DuBois’s Souls of Black Folks, published in 1903, critically examining America’s primary issue in the 20^th Century, Alexander updates DuBois’s analysis stating, “the problem with the 21st Century remains the color line…. How does it feel to be a problem.” (p.3). He is inferring that Black folks may still be perceived as a “problem” by some in America.

In the book, Alexander uses literary and visual art to express the African American perspective of the “problem.” She cites the poem why some people be mad at me sometimes by Lucille Clifton, Maryland State poet laureate, written to commemorate Maryland’s 350^th Anniversary:

they ask me to remember

but they want me to remember

their memories

and i keep on remembering

mine.

The perception of the “problem” in America is expressed overtly and covertly via multimedia channels and institutionally. The consequences of perceiving African Americans as the “problem” has cognitive effects on everyone, including African Americans. Therefore, to combat this perception, it is important to create positive self-expression and self-identity by African Americans artistically and in all forms of media.

Historically, African American aesthetics have not always been positively received institutionally or individually, which may be a contributing factor to the “problem.” For example, the recent banning of the 1952 American literary classic Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison by school districts in our country, illustrates the perception of the “problem” still exists.

The questions related to the “problem” posed by DuBois and Alexander may be a double entendre, meaning, the questions are directed to the folks who are perceived to be the “problem” and the folks perceiving the “problem.”

My question is, what is the solution?

The Creative Advantage (Re)Ignites Joyful Partnerships

December 15, 2022 by Otts Bolisay Leave a Comment

by Rayna Mathis, Seattle Public Schools Creative Advantage Project Manager

Two facilitators smile widely at the front of the room, one of them pointing, in front of tables full of attendees.

On December 1, school leaders and arts partners gathered at the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) on a snowy Thursday evening in Volunteer Park for The Creative Advantage: Re(Igniting) Joyful Partnerships event. After offering virtual and limited in-person programming during the pandemic, The Creative Advantage, now in its 10th year, continues its focus on restoring access to the arts for all students in Seattle Public Schools through community-based partnerships with diverse and exceptionally talented artists across the city.

A Black woman stands at a table, smiling and gesturing forward with one hand. People seated and standing around her smile.

A woman holding a mic speaks to a group circled around her.

This year’s Community Arts Partnerships event theme was JOY! As was evident on the faces of folks coming into the space to see arts-learning peers in-person, reunited after virtual years apart. The evening began with incredible student performances from Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and students from the MY Southeast program led by conductor Kim Roy. A brief overview of The Creative Advantage and introduction of the newest team member, SPS project manager Rayna Mathis.

The night continued on with the sweetest game of “speed friending”, after-hours walks through SAAM’s beautiful galleries, and finally, round table discussions led by The Creative Advantage teachers and arts partners Silvio dos Reis, Julie Trout, Elaine Dondoyano, and Sumayya Diop. Before we knew it, the night was over, but energy was still crackling in the air. Truly, a joyful event indeed. A delicious buffet was catered by Shooby Doo Catering; special thanks to arts partner Seattle Art Museum for hosting the festivities.

Low shot of people silhouetted in a gallery, looking at artwork. The lights are dimmed, and the polished floor reflects everything.

The Creative Advantage is made possible through a public-private partnership with Seattle Public Schools, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Foundation, community-based arts organizations, and teaching artists.

Learn more about the history, addressing arts access gaps, and providing resources for schools.

All photos by Alborz Kamalizad.

The Voice of Jazz In Literature

November 28, 2022 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

by Dr. James R. Gore

American literary giants such as Langston Hughes, Tony Morrison, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin utilized Jazz as literal and metaphorical perspectives of African American life in literature. An essay by Mohamed Schir Syad stated: In terms of the black/white dichotomy, Langston Hughes explained in his 1926 short essay, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” the idea behind the appropriation of jazz in his work:

“Jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America; the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul—the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world […]; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile.“
Syad, 2014

Hughes’ description of Jazz as part of the African American cultural experience — as expressed in his writings — illustrates how African American artists utilized art to present an authentic African American aesthetic.

Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. (1997) Milt Hinton is a world-renowned double bassist who has played with Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong. Also a well-known jazz photographer, he lives in New York and California.

The proposition of literature adopting the attitude of Jazz was revolutionary. Jazz literary form reveals the seemingly invisible lives of African Americans. It voices their passions, pains, and disillusions about being Black in America. For example, Ralph Ellison noted Louis Armstrong’s song “What Did I Do To Be So Black And Blue” in his 1952 novel, “Invisible Man”; Armstrong’s song is parallel to the narrator’s search for identity in America.

The literary storytelling by the aforementioned writers provides courageous human introspection and validation Jazz literary form may not be discussed often in American literature; yet, it is worth the time to investigate and enjoy this form of literature in its variations.

Explore Jazz in Literature

Shareout: Arts Recovery Through Anti-Racist Action

November 2, 2022 by April Jingco Leave a Comment

Tasveer Community Speaks Participants; Photo by Hira Farhad

As our cultural sector strives to recover from the pandemic, a part of moving forward is creating a more equitable and human-centered working culture. Presented by the Office of Arts & Culture, this free virtual share-out features artists and cultural workers representing people of the global majority (BIPOC) highlighting initiatives, strategies, and ideas to inspire arts, cultural and heritage organizations on what it means to be more inclusive and anti-racist in how we move forward.

We invite anyone working in and with the arts, cultural, and heritage sector — cultural workers, artists, teaching artists, creatives, arts administrators, board members, volunteers, and supporters — to attend.

Arts Recovery Through Anti-Racist Action
Wednesday, November 16, 3 – 5 p.m. (Pacific)
FREE
Online (Zoom)

RSVP

*Please Note: If you are interested but not able to attend the live workshop, please feel free to still RSVP, as we will send out the recorded version afterward.

Presenters (subject to change):

Aimee Chou of Sound Theatre
Valerie Curtis-Newton of The Hansberry Project
José Montaño (Aymara-Quechua) with United Indians of All Tribes Foundation’s Sacred Circle Gallery
Fox Whitney, a queer black mixed transgender filmmaker, actor, dancer, and teaching artist

A special thanks to the Surdna Foundation Thriving Cultures Program, Race Forward, the American Recovery Plan Act, Seattle Theatre Leaders, Sound Theatre, Erin Bednarz, Ariel Bradler, Malie Fujii, Jasmine Jackson, Mario Orallo-Molinaro, Naho Shioya, Roger Tang, and Jay O’Leary Woods.

For questions or inquiries, please contact Kathy Hsieh, Cultural Investments Strategist, at kathy.hsieh@seattle.gov or at (206) 733-9926.

Artists Everywhere is Art Everywhere: Black Lives Matter Mural Restoration

November 1, 2022 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

On the road with royal alley-barnes, Acting Director for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Seattle is an incredible City that is home to a diverse and expansive art and cultural sector. Almost every neighborhood is home to art, artists, and the threads that weave our cultural landscape into a rich city that thrives because art is everywhere. From our city’s first people’s to the birth of the state, music, art and culture have defined our region.

Supporting, strengthening, and celebrating the rich history and the people who continue to make Seattle one of the nation’s most livable cities is the heart of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Acting Director alley-barnes vision and the impetus behind this blog series celebrating “artists everywhere.”

“Artists everywhere IS Art EVERYWHERE. Art is the music we listen to, the movies/plays/poems/books/anime/paintings/sculpture we laugh, cry, cling, empathize, live with and through. Artists and the public are the focal point of our mission, employing artists so that we can all enjoy art everywhere. I hope you explore the city with me and discover the art that is everywhere.”
royal alley-barnes, Acting Director, Office of Arts & Culture

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture is an incubator that strengthens the arts sector and Creative Economy through grants, Public Art, arts experiences in public schools. For the first feature in this series, we take a look back at the Black Lives Matter mural restoration in Capitol Hill.

In July 2022, ARTS partnered with Vivid Matter Collective, the Seattle Department of Transportation, and community volunteers to repaint the Black Lives Matter mural on Capitol Hill.

Black Lives Matter mural before and after the restoration (l-r); Photos by Rick Reyes

Created on June 11, 2020, Vivid Matter Collective – now comprised of 16 local artists – created the 250-feet-long Black Lives Matter mural along Pine Street as a creative reflection of the grief, anger, pain, hope, and resilience of the Black community amidst the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests in Capitol Hill.

In September 2020, ARTS and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) began collaborations with the 15 original artists from Vivid Matter Collective to recreate and maintain the mural.

Takiya Ward at the Black Lives Matter restoration; Photo courtesy of the artist

“The annual repainting of the now landmark Black Lives Matter street mural serves as an opportunity for reflection and reverence. We as the artists responsible remember that fateful day when we painted the mural seen around the world June 11, 2020. What has happened since then is the effect of that effort. We decided to form a collective to continue to support one another in our artistic endeavors. We opened a gallery, with support from Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, to continue to show our work and share with the community. As monumental of a moment that mural was, what we got from it was so much more. We got each other. We’ve all experienced individual and collective successes since then, but the real reward is connection, affirmation and a renewed sense of purpose. Our hope with the mural continuing to hold space on Capitol Hill is that the people who encounter it are reminded of the energy of that time, and continue to commune, speak, work and grow from a place of connection and want for everyone to have their fair share. To live and thrive, not just survive.”
Takiyah Ward, Co-Founder of Vivid Matter Collective

Among the volunteers at the recent restoration was ARTS Acting Director, royal alley-barnes, who assisted in repainting the large letters while also connecting with the muralists and volunteers.

“The recent restoration of the Black Lives Matter mural shows the utmost importance of this artwork to both the community and the City. What an honor it was to share the afternoon with Vivid Matter Collective artists, ARTS & SDOT staff, and – most importantly – community members who collectively share the desire to ensure the legacy of the mural prevails for time to come.”
royal alley-barnes, Acting Director, Office of Arts & Culture

royal alley-barnes, ARTS Acting Director with SDOT staff; Photo by Rick Reyes

“This mural feels like a representation of our neighborhood and of our city. To see Vivid Matter Collective and community members show up to be a part of archiving this moment together feels really important to the work we should be doing as a city.”
Ricky Reyes, ARTS Public Art Project Manager

Today, the mural stands as a reminder of the importance and cultural significance of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. ARTS and SDOT remain committed to ensuring this mural and its message are preserved for years to come.

Mayor Harrell Announces Proposed Efforts to Beautify City: Address Surge in Graffiti

October 28, 2022 by Erika Lindsay 2 Comments

Includes Many Hands Art Initiative which will create a more beautiful Seattle

Mayor Harrell detailed elements of his One Seattle Graffiti Plan to beautify Seattle and address a surge in graffiti through new strategies and proposed budget investments. Mayor Harrell’s plan includes six major pillars one of which is the Many Hands Art Initiative, through the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) Spatial Justice through Street Art RFP.

Volunteer award recipient Denise Chase (partially cut off far left), WSDOT Northwest Region Maintenance Communications Lead James Poling, SPU GM & CEO Andrew Lee, Parks Superintendent AP Diaz, Mayor Harrell, ARTS Acting Director royal alley-barnes (speaker), MO Director Graffiti Programs & Initiatives Paul Jackson, MO Executive General Manager Adiam Emery, MO Performance Liaison Liz VanBemmel

Under the direction of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), the Many Hands Art Initiative will engage with artists, businesses, volunteers, and others to activate spaces with art, mitigating and preventing graffiti. ARTS is currently seeking partners to install new public art, providing opportunities for creative workers. Spatial Justice through Street Art is a part of the Hope Corps program, a one-time request for proposals (RFP) that seeks to encourage youth voices in communities to explore and create street art. This opportunity supports organizations or programs that reinvigorate and expand the definition of “arts and culture,” foster community among street artists, and create equitable, collaborative spaces to nurture emerging voices in One Seattle.

The Hope Corps Many Hands Art Initiative RFP, creates transformative, equitable, sustainable, collaborative community spaces to elevate street art and nurture new voices. Approaching this increased graffiti activity through a spatial justice lens means creating opportunities for these new voices – as street artists –to work with community and create new visuals – murals throughout the city upon agreed on sites.
royal alley-barnes, Acting Director Office of Arts & Culture

More information about Mayor Harrell’s proposal and six pillars is available here.

The Creative Advantage Summer Institute Success

September 20, 2022 by Otts Bolisay Leave a Comment

by Tina LaPadula, Arts Education Project Manager, photos by Ground Zero

Attendees check in at the registration desk.

On August 18, more than 125 community arts educators and teachers flooded into the Seattle Art Museum to attend The Creative Advantage Summer Institute.

Seattle JazzEd youth performers blared big band standards to greet the attendees, and a full day of arts learning began.

Three youth with horn instruments sit in front of music stands, playing. — Seattle JazzED

Red Eagle Soaring reps with a drum on stage. — Seattle JazzED

Russell Brooks and Nicole Suyama from Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre opened the main program in the Plestcheef Auditorium, reminding all guests of our responsibility to the land we’re on, the native people of this area, and the 2015 passage of Senate Bill 5433 requiring the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State or other tribally-developed curriculum be taught in all schools. 

Youth Poet Laureate Sah Pham recited a powerful piece created just for the occasion, encouraging all the educators to remember what’s at stake in our classrooms. An excerpt:

I am grateful for you
Teachers, educators, shipmakers
lifeguarding without limitation
drifting us onto better days
boats big enough to carry our dreams to shore
It is because of this port language,
That I arrive at this pier
Where the same hands before me held nothing
The boatful of stars I hold are burning
So that when I look up
I see that I have everything
Thank you, Cảm ơn
for this artful education.
without you
I could not have held up this sky
Long enough to paint it blue.

Acting Director of the Office of Arts & Culture royal alley-barnes and Seattle Public Schools Executive Director of Partnerships and Engagement James Bush, lauded the accomplishments and progress of The Creative Advantage in it’s 10 year history, and reaffirmed their institutional commitments to this important city-wide arts education partnership.

Other highlights of the day included: a panel and interactive workshops in theatre, dance visual art and music with representatives from representatives of Red Eagle Soaring, The Rhapsody Project, Spectrum Dance and Seattle Art Museum; a picnic lunch on the steps while student performers The Rhapsody Songsters crooned folk and blues tunes; an Everybody Dance salsa lesson with Spectrum’s Stephanie Guiland with live accompaniment from Big World Breaks’ Aaron Walker Loud. Documentation of the day and arts advocacy interviews with Ground Zero student journalists.

Speakers pose on stage. — Guest Speakers

Two of the planners pose, standing warmly together. — Guest Speakers

The Creative Advantage Implementation Team is beyond grateful to kick off the school year in the company of all the arts leaders who collaborated and attended, making the day a rousing success. Here’s what participants had to say:

“Every part of the Institute was centered on JOY and inclusion which also invigorated me to take that to my students this year.”

“It was overall just amazing to be in a room with other arts educators and art education champions. I feel so energized and excited after the institute!”

“The movement workshop reminded me how important it is to bring the physical into a day of learning. The music workshop gave me a wonderful framework for exploring my own identity as well some tools for helping my students explore theirs.”

“I came wondering about the state of arts learning in SPS and hoping to connect with local teaching artists. So, I was really glad to hear the info in the speaking program and for the networking opportunities. The workshops were delightful…I came out feeling refreshed and inspired.”

Art Beat Blog Office of Arts & Culture