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Office of Arts & Culture news and events

New ‘UNION’ Art Exhibition Creates Opportunities for Public Art in Capitol Hill

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SeaLevel Properties (“SeaLevel”), Capitol Hill Arts District (“CHAD”), and Sensebellum have partnered to showcase public art in Capitol Hill through the ‘UNION’ project. Located on the corner of 10th Ave. and E Union St., this new public art installation will feature a rotating, 60-foot tall projected art show curated by revolving guests on SeaLevel’s new Woodworth Apartment Building. The first art show will be held on Wednesday, July 14 at 9:45 p.m. and will continue every night at dusk throughout the year. You can RSVP for this event on Facebook.

Woodworth Apartment Building, courtesy of The Capitol Hill Arts District

The first ‘UNION’ exhibition highlights local photographer and artist LeLeita McKILL. Selected by Capitol Hill Arts District, McKILL will display her photographs taken during the COVID-19 pandemic for Essentially Seattle, (originally commissioned by ARTS) along with her other work.

About Essentially Seattle:

Essentially Seattle is a Public Art Project featuring 25 artists who document essential city services in the time of COVID-19 and mandated restrictions on physical movement and gatherings. Partners for the project include Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, Seattle Fire, Human Services Division, and Arts & Cultural districts. The photographs highlight City frontline employees, at work, along with community essential workers, artists, and neighbors.   

  • Diana Adams, owner of Vermillion Gallery
  •  Missy Berens, owner of Nomadia Creatives
  •  Laurie Kearny, owner of Ghost Gallery
  • Daniel Reveles, Manager of Facilities at Gage Academy
  • Rhonda and her father Henry Faison, owner of Juiced by Rojo
All photos by LeLeita McKILL as part of Essentially Seattle

As part of the inaugural exhibition celebrations, all are invited to join the CHAD Steering Committee Members and McKILL for an opening celebration at Optimism Brewing on Wednesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. The group will then walk a half-block away to witness the inaugural unveiling of the exhibition around 9:30 p.m.

The ‘UNION’ installation will rotate every two months, with the current curator joining a panel of artists to select the next artist. Stay tuned for future art shows!

The Mixer: New Media and Digital Arts – Next Steps and Funding Opportunities

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To The Mixer Community,

Thank you to everyone who attended our June 30 Mixer on New Media and Digital Arts! From playing with the definition of “New Media” to touching on NFTs, accessibility, and the wild world of the future we are making today in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual (VR); we covered a lot of ground. We’re grateful to our panelists Abie Ekenezer, gome, Evie Powell, Julia Bruk, and Elizabeth Ralston — be sure to keep an eye on what they’re up to! 

Snapshot from The Mixer: New Media and Digital Arts on June 30

At the June Mixer, we also launched the New Media and Digital Arts survey that will guide our team in making new policies to include New Media in our awards and granting structures. If you or someone you know are New Media artists or dabblers, please make sure they/you add their voice below. We want to hear from you!

Take the New Media and Digital Arts Survey

While we are still working on finding a path to encompass the wide array of art forms under the umbrella of New Media, hearing from the participants also illustrated that: 1) many of us are in that same boat, 2) interest in incorporating modern elements like streaming was high, and 3) more information would be useful all around.

Our internal working definition of New Media is: any expression that uses “dot com technology” on any axis other than exclusively marketing or distribution. How does that resonate with you?

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Here’s a round-up of funding opportunities that were shared at The Mixer — keep these in mind for your new media and digital arts projects in the works:

CURRENT:

  • Artists Up: Focus on underrepresented artists; apply for mentorship scholarships (four on-hour online sessions with a mentor).
    • Application opens Sept. 1, 2021
  • smART Ventures: Up to $1k; funds personal or neighborhood projects; youth can apply.
    • Applications accepted on a rolling deadline
  • Neighborhood Matching Fund (Department of Neighborhoods): $5k available, funds a variety of unique and creative community projects; applicants must match their award with contributions from the community whether as volunteer time, donated materials, donated professional services or cash. Details in this virtual workshop recording.
    • Applications accepted on a rolling deadline
  • Open 4Culture (4Culture): Up to $1500; prioritizing projects within King County but NOT in Seattle (unless the project is heritage or preservation-based).
    • Applications accepted on a rolling deadline
  • 4Culture’s Round-Up of Other Opportunities: Various grants, calls and opportunities around the region and the country.

UPCOMING:

  • City Artist: $2k, $5k, $8k funding available; supporting specific, rotating disciplines each year.
    • Applications open again in 2022
  • Arts in Parks: $1300-$7800; currently on pause, check back for future opportunities
  • Artists at the Center (working title): Performance activations on the Seattle Center campus, funded by Climate Pledge Arena/Seattle Kraken. Pilot starts October 2021.
    • Open call for future years’ opportunities to come in 2022.
  • Public Art Roster: This roster of visual and public artists is used by the Office of Arts and Culture for various “fast track” projects. The roster is curated by a community selection panel that includes working artists, administrators and curators.
    • Opens every 3 years — next in mid-2022.
  • King Street Station Artist in Residence: artists/artist teams may apply for a residency award at ARTS at King Street Station. Each residency period is approximately two months long, and includes use of the studio space and a $2,000 stipend. Artists from historically under-represented communities, including communities of color, immigrant, and refugee communities are encouraged to apply.
    • Applications open again in 2022.

Please help us gather as many voices as possible so that we can help grow into the office that we know we can be. Give us your feedback by filling out the survey by July 23, 2021!

P.S. The Mixer is taking a break for the summer and is scheduled to return on September 29. See you soon!

Beat the Heat: Stay Cool with The Arts

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With the next few days bringing record-breaking heat to Seattle, we have put together a list of air-conditioned arts organizations you can visit to experience the vibrant arts and culture in our city all while staying cool!

Courtesy of the National Nordic Museum

Henry Art Gallery 

Visiting Information: The Henry Art Gallery is open with free admission through October 1, 2021. Advance registration for timed tickets is encouraged. Beginning July 10, timed ticket reservations are no longer necessary. Plan your visit here.

Hours: Sat–Sun: 10am–5pm 

Featured Showcase: 2020 – 2021 University of Washington MFA + MDes Thesis Exhibition (May 29 – June 27)

The Henry is pleased to present the University of Washington’s School of Art + Art History + Design Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design thesis exhibition. Throughout their programs, fine arts and design students work with advisers and other artists to develop advanced techniques, expand concepts, discuss critical issues, and emerge with a vision and direction for their own work. This year’s presentation will include work by both 2020 and 2021 graduating students.

Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) 

Visiting Information: MOHAI is offering free admission for all visitors under 15 years of age and the Museums For All and Access Pass programs. The full list of discounts and other ticket options is available on their website. Masks are required for entry.

Hours: Thurs–Mon: 10am–5pm

Featured Showcase: Stand Up Seattle (Now through July 5)

Stand Up Seattle: The Democracy Project is an exploration of the power of self-government, engaging visitors in experiences that encourage them to take action now to create the change they want to see. Shaped by the evolving story of democracy in our region, and drawing on MOHAI’s extensive collection of historic artifacts, images, and oral histories, Stand Up Seattle: The Democracy Project highlights how direct participation sustains, expands, and reimagines a government of, by, and for the people. The exhibit includes rare artifacts from Seattle’s history of democracy, personal stories of democracy in action, and interactive experiences that put the power of democracy directly in the hands of visitors. 

National Nordic Museum 

Visiting Information: All visitors must reserve tickets before arriving to the Museum, including Members, complimentary pass holders, and general admission. Masks are required for entry. Plan your visit here.

Special Offer: For a limited time, use the code “heatwave” upon checkout to reserve one free ticket for every paid ticket.

Hours: 

  • Fri: 10am–5pm 
  • Sat: 10am–5pm 
  • Sun: 10am–5pm 

Featured Showcase: Among Forests and Lakes: Landscape Masterpieces from the Finnish National Gallery (May 6 – October 16)

Be transported to the beauty and drama of the Finnish countryside through 50 works of art spanning over 150 years of artistic interpretation in Among Forests and Lakes from Finland’s National Gallery. This is the only North American showing of this exhibition. 

Photographic Center Northwest 

Visitor Information: The Photographic Center Northwest is free to the public. Masks are required for entry. 

Hours:  

  • Mon–Thu: 12:30–9pm
  • Sun: 12–6pm 

Featured Showcase: Time Capsule (June 24 – August 12) 

As humanity continues to face historical reckonings in politics, science, race, class, and the arts amidst a pandemic, photography plays a critical role in our processing and understanding. Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) asked artists to submit work that reflects this time. We received over 1600 still and moving images, from 251 artists from all over the world. Submissions came from 34 US states and international artists submitted from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Lebanon, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine. Juror Shamim M. Momin chose 59 works from 42 individuals to be included in the exhibition. 

Wing Luke Museum 

Visitor Information: As part of the Museums for All program, you can free admission for up to 5 individuals with an EBT card. Plan your visit here.

Hours: Fri–Sun: 10am–5pm 

Featured Showcase: A Dragon Lives Here: Bruce Lee Exhibit Part 4

Building on their popular Bruce Lee exhibit series, A Dragon Lives Here  hones in on Bruce Lee’s Seattle roots and the fact that Seattle, now known as a city for innovation, technology, and entrepreneurs, also played a key role in shaping Bruce Lee and his groundbreaking approach.

A Dragon Lives Here was created in partnership with the Bruce Lee Foundation and with the generous support of sponsors, donors, and partners.

Be sure to visit your favorite arts organizations’ websites to see what they have to offer this weekend!

Civic Poet, Jourdan Imani Keith, Launches Women & Whales First, Poetry in a Climate of Change Podcast

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Seattle’s Civic Poet, Jourdan Imani Keith, has partnered with Jack Straw Cultural Center for the new podcast, Women & Whales First, Poetry in a Climate of Change. Launching on June 19, this podcast will host conversations between Jourdan and local poets about how poetry can be a tool to illuminate environmental and social issues. Episodes will launch on Soundcloud every Saturday through July 30.

See the full list of upcoming episodes below: 

Saturday, June 19
Episode 1: Whales and Dragons 

Jourdan Imani Keith interviews poet, artist, and activist Jae Eun Kim who speaks about the mythological connections between dragons and whales.  
 
About the Guest: An alum of the University of Washington, Jae has worked at non-profits Powerful Voices and Young Women Empowered and facilitated many arts-based and social justice education programs for young people. Kim creates within various mediums, speculative fiction, poetry, urban mythology, performance, visual, and fiber arts. In 2015, they were invited to stay at Hedgebrook for a short-term writers residency. 

Saturday, June 26
Episode 2: The Risks of Gender

Jourdan Imani Keith interviews Aleyda Marisol Cervantes, who speaks about the risks associated with gender, colonialism, and environmental activism. 
 
About the Guest: Aleyda Marisol Cervantes is a self-identified third-world woman, who grew up in a small town in Guadalajara, Mexico. She co-wrote and published a chapter in the anthology Gendering Globalization, Globalizing Gender: Postcolonial Perspectives Edited by Gül Çalışkan. She currently works at a community college building bridges between underrepresented students and the world of higher education and serves as a board member in Mujer al Volante, an organization cultivating leadership and autonomy for immigrant women. She also makes the time to write and dream a little more in occupied Coast Salish territory. 

Saturday, July 3
Episode 3: Diving for Our Ancestors

Jourdan Imani Keith interviews Ebony Wellborn about ancestry and scuba-diving. 
 
About the Guest: Ebony Wellborn is originally from the South, but has been an active community member in King County for the last three years. As her life has progressed, Ebony has learned just how interconnected we are with our non-human friends. 

Saturday, July 10
Episode 4: Whale Song and Lullabies

Jourdan Imani Keith interviews Kamna Shastri about the lullabies of her youth and the songs of the whales.  
 
About the Guest: Kamna Shastri is a community journalist with a background in sociology and environmental studies. Shastri is especially interested in the messiness of cultural identity and breaking down the false distinction between humanity and nature. Poetry has been her lifelong method of self-expression.

Saturday, July 17
Episode 5: Mysteries of the Marine World

Jourdan Imani Keith interviews Savannah Smith about being drawn into the mystery of the marine world.  
 
About the Guest: Savannah grew up in an animal-loving home. Her early exposure to a variety of different creatures taught her that every animal — no matter the size or species — has its own unique characteristics and soul. Savannah is passionate about fostering positive outdoor experiences for BIPOC, especially in marine environments. 

Saturday, July 24
Episode 6: Stories of Migration

Jourdan Imani Keith has a conversation with Rasheena Fountain, who speaks on migration and displacement for humans and whales. 
 
About the Guest: Originally from Chicago, Rasheena Fountain is a multi-genre writer and interdisciplinary educator living in Seattle. A past Walker Communications Fellow with National Audubon, she is currently an MFA Prose Candidate at the University of Washington, where she is working on an environmental essay collection. 

Saturday, July 30
Episode 7: We Are Cousins 

Jourdan Imani Keith closes out this seven-part podcast series with a discussion on the impacts of environmental toxins on her family and whales. Jourdan Imani Keith is a storyteller, essayist, playwright, naturalist, and activist. A student of Sonia Sanchez, her TEDx Talk, “Your Body of Water,” the theme for King County’s 2016-2018 Poetry on Buses program won an Americans for the Arts award. Her poetry is largely anthologized. She has been awarded fellowships from Hedgebrook, Wildbranch, Santa Fe Science Writing workshop, VONA, and Jack Straw. Her memoir in essays, Tugging at the Web, is forthcoming from University of Washington Press.  

The Women & Whales First, Poetry in a Climate of Change Podcast was created in partnership with the Civic Poet, the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Urban Wilderness Project, and Jack Straw Cultural Center. Visit the Civic Poet page for more information about Jourdan and her work. 

Civic Poet, Jourdan Imani Keith, Featured in Juneteenth 2021 Artist Collective

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Seattle’s Civic Poet, Jourdan Imani Keith, has joined the Artist Collective virtual showcase, which features local Black creatives as part of Northwest African American Museum’s larger Juneteenth celebrations. 

Friday, June 18, 2021; 7 p.m. 
Juneteenth 2021 Artist Collective  
Streaming Online (Visit the website below for the broadcast link) 
Website 
RSVP on Facebook 

In honor of Juneteenth, the Artist Collective broadcast will showcase Black-identifying musicians, dancers, artists, and creatives who focus on the theme Sankofa (translates to “go back and get” in Akan Twi and Fante). Jourdan Imani Keith joined a panel of experts who selected the participants of this showcase. Stay tuned for the full virtual showcase, hosted by Northwest African American Museum’s L. Patrice Bell.  

This program is presented by the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass’ collective Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity Committee in collaboration with Northwest African American Museum, One Vibe Africa, and Wa Na Wari.  

Race and Social Justice in the workplace

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A former staff member at the Office of Arts & Culture has recently shared his experiences during his time as an employee of the Office. The experiences and trauma he describes are difficult to read and he describes a culture of white supremacy that does not reflect our values. While I’m glad that Mr. Rucker is in a secure place where he feels safe to name these events, we need a workplace that can deal with issues as they arise, so that all staff feels supported. And even though these events occurred 10 years ago, it’s still concerning to us that any employee who worked or continues to work at ARTS has this experience. We are committed to creating a safe and racially equitable workplace and this work is collective, iterative, and ongoing. We are committed to the city’s Race and Social Justice Initiative which builds on the work of the civil rights movement and the ongoing efforts of individuals and groups in Seattle to confront racism. The Initiative’s long-term goal is to change the underlying system that creates race-based disparities in our community and to achieve racial equity.   

As a first step the ARTS department will be reviewing our policies and processes in place for reporting concerns without fear of retaliation and ensuring that staff are informed about new mechanisms that have been added in the last several years, such as the Office of the Employee Ombuds. Created two years ago, the Ombuds Office along with Human Resources Investigation Unit have supported hundreds of employees who have reported concerns and have found relief in the intervention offered by these new entities. 

As a City and an Office, we must reflect and be accountable. 

–Calandra Childers, Acting Director, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
 

The Seattle Arts Commission welcomes four new commissioners

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The Seattle Arts Commission (SAC) has welcomed four new commissioners Rick Araluce, Ebony Arunga, Vivian Hua and Vanessa Villalobos. They all bring a wealth of experience and diverse artistic backgrounds to SAC that will be invaluable as the commission navigates advocating for the arts and culture sector which has been devasted by the pandemic. 

Born in 1960, Rick Araluce has been a life long artist. At an early age Rick began creating drawings, paintings, hand-fashioned objects, miniature scenarios, plastic models—creations depicting whatever piqued his interest at the time. He put his efforts into being a painter originally, though began to create and evolve his artwork towards a more sculptural realm, and in the 1990s began making detailed miniatures a primary focus of his work. This he continues to this day. Along the way, Rick began to work in a larger form, ultimately creating complex immersive installations which incorporated multiple media, including lighting, sound, motion, and computer automation. These have been some of Rick’s most noteworthy endeavors. He has among other artistic pursuits created book and album illustration, art-directed and created work for a number of animated music videos, and has had his artwork featured in a handful of commercial films. For 20 years, Rick was a Lead Scenic Artist with Seattle Opera, until the Opera’s closure of its scene shop, though he continues this work as a Master Scenic Artist employed by Arts Tech Group, a scenery and event fabrication company where he oversees and runs multiple facets of the artistic side of production. He is essentially self-taught, having chosen to forgo university and art school. Nonetheless, Rick has secured some significant achievements, including a Pollock/Krasner in 2009, Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Award in 2010 and a 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship. As an individual coming from a low-resource background, Rick has acquired a degree of understanding and empathy for the challenges of those coming from less privileged and non-traditional backgrounds who have chosen the artist’s path.  

Ebony Arunga is an arts manager, advocate and entrepreneur. She was born in Kisumu, Kenya and raised in the historically Black Central District of Seattle, Washington as part of a multi-faceted artistic family. In 2008 she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, with a BFA in Theatre with an emphasis on Stage Management and has since managed artists, projects and events both nationally and internationally. Her work spans across arts genres including theatre, film, music, dance, and literature. Ebony’s presence in the Seattle arts scene grew prevalent through her work as an event producer at the legendary Faire Gallery Cafe. Carrying on the legacy of her mother, Marcia Tate Arunga, Ebony and her sister Nia re-launched Seaweed International in 2017, a Black owned business specializing in jewelry imported from Kenya with the mission to provoke a new consciousness in social justice and beauty. In 2020, she teamed up with Ijeoma Oluo, Gabriel Teodros and LANGSTON to manage the Seattle Artist Relief Fund (SARF), the largest COVID-19 relief effort geared towards directly supporting artists in Washington State. Ebony serves on the board of LANGSTON and was a 2020 Office of Arts and Culture BASE (Building Art’s Spaces Equitably) cohort member. She resides in Seattle.  

Vivian Hua 華婷婷 is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer. As the Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum in Seattle and Editor-in-Chief of the interdisciplinary arts publication, REDEFINE, much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They regularly share human-centered stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE! In 2021, they will [hopefully] begin production on a comedic Asian-American series entitled Reckless Spirits. They are passionate about cultural space preservation and creation, as well as seeking ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. Learn more about their work at vivianhua.com.  

Vanessa Villalobos is a performing artist, choreographer, producer and non-profit consultant from Lima, Peru with Indigenous, African and Spanish ancestry. She presented hundreds of original works and danced with companies in New York, Seattle, and more. She has degrees in Theatre and Dance from the University of Washington and earned her MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University.  She co-founded creative company VANICH Multimedia (NY) and is the founder of BALORICO.dance (WA). She is a seasoned Teaching Artist having worked in many public and private schools in Seattle and New York. Trained in contemporary, ballet, jazz and Ballroom Theatre Arts, she is a certified American Ballroom Rhythm & Smooth instructor. Film credits include MadHot Ballroom and Walt Disney’s Enchanted where she was a principal dancer. Her dedication to racial equity is expressed through her community work with 501Commons, the Covid-19 Response Alliance, La Sala, the Dance Educators Association of Washington and Seattle University’s Center for the Study of Justice in Society. Vanessa’s cross-industry expertise has brought forth opportunities to help influence funding decisions on behalf of the Washington State Arts Commission, 4 Culture and the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. 

We need to invest in individual artists, cultural communities, and cultural space

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A case for our sector by Seattle Arts Commission Co-Chair Dr. Quinton Morris on behalf of the Seattle Arts Commission

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

Dear Mayor Durkan,

For more than a year now, Seattle has been enveloped in chaotic, stressful, and at times, inhumane moments that have tarnished our beloved city’s reputation. The haunting ripple effect of the global pandemic; the rise of racial injustices affecting people of color; economic devastation in artistic and cultural communities; and the downward spiral of the emotional, mental and physical health of our city. People are suffering and our community is in crisis. At this point of devastation, what do we do? How can we evolve and change so that people from all walks of life, regardless of where they live in the world, perceive our city as a place that is comforting to call home and a safe place to visit?

On July 29, 2020, I wrote on behalf of the Seattle Arts Commission to both you and Seattle City Council to request that as little harm as possible come to the arts and cultural community, which includes many marginalized people from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and all people of color that includes Latino/x, Asian Pacific Americans and the spectrum of Immigrant/Refugee communities) community. Yet, there are so many people who are continuing to suffer and struggle, amid the many crises our city has experienced. As a Black artist, Seattle native, and co-chair of our Seattle Arts Commission, I am deeply concerned about the people in our community that we love so much. It is going to take a village to bring Seattle out of this crisis. More than 62% of artistic and creative workers have become fully unemployed, 95% of them have experienced significant income loss and 71% of arts organizations indicate that the financial impact has been “severe” due to the pandemic.

For the past year, the Office of Arts & Culture has served as an important partner in the COVID response initiative. The Office’s success can be attributed to strong partnerships it has maintained with our arts and cultural communities. The arts and cultural sector is uniquely positioned to unite and help bring feelings of safety and solace back to our city’s residents during this crucial COVID recovery period.

I recognize that this letter is probably unconventional and unlike others that you have received from my predecessors. I acknowledge the gracious support for Seattle’s arts and cultural communities which you have provided in the past. You have invested in those communities and because of such, we have thrived and been able to carry a tradition of artistic and cultural excellence. I applaud the exponential velocity with which the City moved to provide relief for arts and cultural organizations and artists, which we recognize as both the first cultural relief package in our country; and was also among the very first actions you took to address the pandemic. In the last year, artists created connections over screens, on pieces of plywood protecting buildings, and through their professional practices. These actions made people who were scared feel connected, gave communities whose voices had been silenced a microphone, and created moments of joy and relief in an unprecedented time. Your actions with the Office of Arts & Culture alone employed close to 100 artists who were employed through various Hope Corps projects that provided key support for the community in the areas of arts education, documentation, and connecting our community last year. More than 5,000 people have viewed The Creative Advantage teaching artist videos that were created in response to the pause of in-person education. For these actions, I am forever grateful.

However, a lot has changed in a year. The severe statistics and percentages, along with the countless stories that I’ve heard at numerous Arts Commission meetings have been heartbreaking. As we begin to rethink how to “re-open” and “revitalize” the vibrant, fantastic city we were “pre-pandemic”, I invite you to collaborate with the arts and cultural community so we can get people back to work. This will only be achieved through the following recommendations for American Rescue Plan fund distribution:

  1. Invest in individual artists: The CityArtist grant program has received 10x the number of applications it has funds to grant. There simply isn’t enough funding to address the significant need in our community. We need another plan of action to address this need. I respectfully request that you invest in individual working creatives in two areas:
    • Allocate $15 million to serve as a stimulus towards individual working creatives in Seattle. These creative workers have been deeply impacted, with nearly ⅔ out of work. Working artists can create welcoming and unique physical distancing markers for local businesses, bring people together safely with public art performances like music or dance or other performances in parks and public spaces, support storytelling and sharing with interviews, videos, and written narratives, and document recovery events and infrastructure. There are so many ways that creative workers can support the City as it works to re-open safely, while the City supports creative workers to remain as vital, respected members of our community.
    • Invest seed funding of $1 million annually for a period of three years towards Hope Corps, a strategy which centers the restoration of wealth to those who have been disproportionately impacted, both physically and financially, by COVID-19, people of color, while meeting civic needs. This allocation of funding would demonstrate your desire to assist the BIPOC community who are exhausted from the aftershocks of state-sanctioned murders, COVID-19, and persistent race-based injustices. This investment also carries out the sound findings from the Creative Economy report, which recognizes the need to address inequities in the sector while also pointing to its central economic role within our City. With this commitment, your leadership will fuel our work to sustain and build wealth in these communities.
  2. Invest in Cultural Communities: I am requesting that you make an investment of $20 million towards cultural organizations, which will assist in the economic recovery of the city. Cultural organizations will play a significant role in encouraging Seattleites to re-engage with their neighborhoods while attending events safely and return to supporting their local businesses. As the city reopens, cultural facilities and activities will rebrand our city as a safe place for tourists to visit and attract local and regional visitors, who will visit downtown and the various cultural communities that make the Emerald City so vibrant. A $20 million investment would match what King County and the State have announced and will demonstrate that the City of Seattle takes our role as a leader in the cultural sector seriously and is ready to invest in ensuring our cultural anchors, which will be the last businesses to reopen, and who were already on razor-thin margins, have the support of the City to weather this storm. This is an investment in the heart and soul of our City, as well as the economic recovery that comes with our community spending money on leisure and healing activities.
  3. Cultural Space: In my letter to you, addressed on July 29, 2020, I requested support from both you and the Seattle City Council regarding the protection of our cultural spaces. Because of the COVID-19 and social issues that have permeated our city, many cultural spaces have suffered significantly, losing revenue and resources. These organizations need time to recover and rebuild as the city begins to open up. While Governor Jay Inslee’s eviction moratorium will continue through June 30th, I am fearful that once it is lifted, we will see an enormous uptick in evictions in arts and cultural spaces. These evictions will exacerbate the mass migration of Seattle’s cultural anchors, and with them, our identity as a creative capital, outside of the city limits. Because of this, I am requesting that you forgive all rents for 2021-2022 for arts and cultural organizations and artists who call the City a landlord.

    I appreciate your support of the Cultural Space Agency and am so pleased that this new entity exists to develop and steward permanently affordable space for arts and culture. Having your support to anchor Seattle’s vibrant cultural communities in place by providing additional capital to advance the development projects chosen by the community constituency of the Cultural Space Agency will provide further resources to secure the arts and cultural life that makes our City so special, support social cohesion, and further business activity, all rooted in our City’s BIPOC communities and neighborhoods. This is truly a BIPOC-centered wealth-building strategy that simply needs to be resourced to fulfill its potential.

    Regarding the 2022 budget, I’m requesting that financial cuts, resulting from diminished Admissions Tax collection, be paused and that the Office of Arts & Culture’s budget is supplemented to match their 2019 adopted budget total, before pandemic impacts. In this time of dire need for this sector, we cannot undertake austerity. Finally, I request that the city invests in digital equity for all, which will have a significant impact for artists and arts organizations and their audiences in our city. It is essential that our community has access to Wi-Fi. We humbly request that the city invest immediately in keeping our community digitally connected to the world and to each other, which so heavily relies on technology, and is absolutely essential in this moment of virtual presentations. I recognize that we are living and experiencing unprecedented times. While I applaud the availability of resources that you have provided for our work, I remain cognizant of the growing pressures people feel daily that result in racial injustice and the decrease in affordability and sustainability in our arts and cultural communities. I am writing as a very concerned Seattle native who wants what is best for our city. I believe you, as a Seattle native, do too. Therefore, I feel this is a time to engage in uncomfortable conversations and make unprecedented requests. I believe that these activities will empower us to work towards solutions that will create a more racially inclusive and equitable distribution of available support. I acknowledge and appreciate your support in the work that you have done towards the preservation of cultural space and support for BIPOC communities. Our goal at the Arts Commission is to work with you in implementing these strategies and support the work you are already doing at the policy level.

    Recently, I met with Deputy Mayor Tiffany Washington and we were able to speak about some of the same issues that I’ve raised in my letter to you. It was lovely to meet her and it seems that she shares a lot of the same concerns. I informed her that I would request a meeting with you so we could discuss some of these requests. I have since followed up and am awaiting confirmation on our meeting.

    As co-chair of the Seattle Arts Commission, I speak on behalf of all of my colleagues when I express my appreciation for your support in preserving the incredible arts and cultural city that we are known to be. I appreciate the action you have taken towards helping to sustain our arts community and the confidence you have in our Arts Commission in serving as allies in accomplishing the goals and initiatives you have already put in place.

    As you complete your term as Mayor, I believe that your legacy will be secured through your support of empowering and re-inspiring the arts and cultural community in our city. Please allow the Seattle Arts Commission to play a role in helping you. We stand with you in solidarity towards supporting the great work of Seattle arts and culture and appreciate your continued ongoing support, in advance.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Best wishes,
    Dr. Quinton Morris, co-chair
    Seattle Arts Commission
    Endorsed by the Seattle Arts Commission Sarah Wilke, Co-Chair, Meany Center for the Performing Arts; Cassie Chinn, Wing Luke Museum; Dawn Chirwa, Philanthropy Northwest; Kayla DeMonte, Citizen University; Steve Galatro, Pratt Fine Arts Center; Vivian Hua, Northwest Film Forum; Holly Jacobson, Path with Art; Yeggy Michael, Artist, Yeggy Studio; James Miles, Mentor Washington; Chieko Phillips, 4Culture; Vanessa Villalobos, Artist, Balorico Dance; Racquel West, Bill Holm Center; Mikhael Mei Williams, Seattle Art Museum

Fight for hope, fight for justice, fight for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community

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Black and white photo of a Chinese grandmother sitting on a bench and smiling at something off to the side. She's holding a young Chinese boy who reaches towards it. And a young Chinese girl holds on to Grandma's arm.
Grandma (#13) by Dean Wong, part of the Seattle Civic Art Collection, purchased with Seattle City Light 1% for Art funds

We are a society built on the premise of freedom and the reality of racism; ingenuity realized at the cost of freedom and through the labor of Blacks, Asians, immigrants, Native Americans, Latinx and countless others. 

As we recognize the horrific events that took place in Atlanta, GA last month, and the terror and trauma that has been inflicted on the AAPI community with an egregious uptick in anti-Asian violence, we must also recognize the death of another unarmed Black man, Daunte Wright, this past weekend. Instead of letting this latest violence distract us from uplifting our AAPI community, we must remember that the center of both of these things is white supremacy, and our intentionality in stamping out that scourge.  

Our BIPOC community has contributed so much to our country and in this time of anti-Asian hate we must stand up, make change and say no more. We recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history is our history, that AAPI dreams are our dreams and that AAPI struggles are our struggles. 

Asian American and Pacific Islanders are our neighbors, co-workers, friends, family, aunties, and elders. ARTS stands in solidarity with our AAPI staff to create a better city, celebrate our diversity, honor our ancestors and support our AAPI community. 

We are taking this time to amplifying the words of our AAPI staff below:  

We demand our colleagues commit to interrupting and dismantling the structures and culture of institutional silence, neglect and dismissal, and implore you to denounce anti-Asian violence and sentiment in the strongest possible terms.  

History has shown us repeatedly that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are targeted scapegoats particularly in times of national crisis.  

Our elders are being viciously attacked on the streets during the pandemic while onlookers turn their backs and shut the door to their plea for help. Seven women, of whom six are of Asian heritage, were gunned down in Atlanta.  

This is not the first or the last we have seen of Asians being scapegoated for economic downturns and job losses, disease, our loyalty questioned, being perceived as forever foreigners, our presence deemed as yellow peril invasion, our women being exoticized by orientalist fantasies, and our monolithic portrayal as model minorities. We know that such portrayals are used to pit us against our fellow Black and Brown communities and are an ongoing manifestation of white supremacy culture. 

Invest in and support cultural organizations that have a proven history of ANTI-Racism, including but not limited to:  

Bolster the work of the following organizations and many others as it relates to healing, public safety, and community social cohesion through the arts:  

Support emergent, mid-career, and established art-ivists who are already doing the work of protecting their communities from displacement, gentrification, and now violence at the doorsteps of their communities. 

Silence and inaction continue the legacy of racism. If you are interested in ways you can make a difference, consider taking the following actions: 

The Office of Arts & Culture is working towards addressing these essential needs. We invite you to join us in making our city inclusive and welcoming to all, and dismantling the systems that seek to divide us, and distract from the root cause of white supremacy.  

2020 -2021 The Creative Advantage Professional Learning

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by Regan Pro, Kayla Skinner Deputy Director for Education & Public Engagement at the Seattle Art Musuem

Dalisha, a Black woman, with a crown of flowers, holds two posing dolls used for drawing in her hand.
Dalisha Phillips

For the past eight years The Creative Advantage in partnership with the Seattle Art Museum has provided free professional learning opportunities for teachers, teaching artists and community organizations. With a primary focus always on equity, the goals of these trainings are to:

  • Create space for community building and self-directed learning
  • Invite new speakers and perspectives to deepen Seattle-based conversations
  • Provide specific skills related to timely needs for Teaching Artists and educators
  • Continue to include and highlight youth voice

The 2020 – 2021 school year presented new challenges for delivering content but also greater need to bring our stakeholders together to build community, support each other and develop new skills to adapt to online teaching. In response to community feedback and the guidance of our Creative Advantage advisors, we tripled our typical number of offerings providing 17 workshops to 1,038 participants. Workshops roughly fell into three categories (with lots of cross over): providing skills training, fostering community support and centering youth voice. Below are examples from one of each group:

  • Helping educators pivot to their new virtual classrooms, Teaching Artist & Educator Gabriel-Bello Diaz led four workshops on Teaching with Microsoft Teams. Diaz brought his experience leading virtual workshops for teens at Pratt to share tips and tricks with teachers eager to find ways to adapt their best practices from classroom engagement to creative workshops in a digital space.
  • Responding to calls for mental health resources, Art Therapist Dalisha Phillips led a four-part series Keeping it Cool through Change, Challenge, and Conflict Utilizing Art-making and Creativity. Phillips worked with a small cohort in weeklies sessions focused on mindfulness and creativity.
  • A highlight of our trainings is always the workshops that center youth voice. This fall we learned from the brilliant youth participants and program facilitators listed below on what has been working, not working and what we can reimagine when it comes to digital learning.

KEXP: Sharlese Metcalf, Kennady Quille
Seattle Art Museum: Rayna Mathis, John McShea
5th Avenue Theatre: Orlando Morales, Gavin Bradler
TeenTix: Mariko Nagashima, Chelsea Nguyen

The learning has continued this spring as we offered our first online course Pause for Presence Course Series: The Art of Allowing Education to Heal with Dr. Bre Haizlip. Beginning in January, a cohort of over 100 educators met monthly to learn from Dr. Bre and each other. This work will continue into the last course session in May and then culminate with a keynote presentation from Dr. Bre at our Creative Advantage Summer Institute this August. While we are not yet sure when or what shape the Institute will take, we know it will adapt to fit the needs of our creative learning communities. Keep an eye out for more details and we hope to see you there!

A group of people standing, arms around each other.
Regan Pro (left), and The Creative Advantage Summer Institute panelists,
photo by Jenny Crooks

Special note from The Creative Advantage: Regan Pro is stepping out of her position as the Kayla Skinner Deputy Director for Education & Public Engagement at the Seattle Art Museum at the beginning of April. While our professional development partnership with Seattle Art Museum will continue, we want to pause to shower Regan with our love and gratitude for more than eight powerful, and joyful years of creative collaboration. The Creative Advantage has learned so much and benefited from Regan’s community-centered leadership and heart-centered engagement. We are beyond grateful to have worked alongside Regan to build a national model of what an arts and justice based professional learning community can be, and we wish her all the best for whatever comes next.

Please share gratitude and well wishes for Regan in the comments.