On Jan. 21, 2026, Mayor Katie Wilson announced Amy Nguyen as the acting director of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Amy returns to us after working as our Public Art Director and Interim Deputy Director. Below is her vision and priorities for this new role. Seattle’s arts and… [ Keep reading ]
Housed above the historic King Street Station, ARTS at King Street Station is an arts and culture space dedicated to expanding opportunities for communities of color here in Seattle to present and share their work. Since opening this 7,500-square foot exhibition space, the Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) has invested more than $500,000 in artists, supported… [ Keep reading ]
In 2025, we built a strong foundation for a more sustainable future by completing our five-year strategic plan. This living document positions us to lead in a rapidly evolving cultural and civic landscape and grounds us for the important work of developing Seattle’s first citywide Cultural Plan, starting in 2026…. [ Keep reading ]
Gülgün Kayim joined our staff as director in July 2023 and concluded her role in January 2026. Here are some words of appreciation and gratitude from our staff: Gülgün, you brought your respectful “Yes, and…” willingness to listen and collaborate. You helped build bridges between people and ideas. I’m so grateful… [ Keep reading ]
One of our proudest accomplishments in 2025 was the launch of our new strategic plan, published at the beginning of the year and created by and for the people who make this work possible: our staff. After years of disruption caused by the pandemic across Seattle’s creative sector and multiple… [ Keep reading ]
We are proud to announce the 2025 Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF) Awardees. On pause since the pandemic, we re-opened this program last year as part of a combined application with our Centering Art & Racial Equity Grant, to increase equity and access. Out of 88 CFF applications, 14 organizations were… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture supports organizations and individual artists to keep Seattle vibrant and spur economic growth. See our open opportunities for 2026 below! Be sure to sign up for our email list and make sure “Calls for Artists/Grants” is checked to get notified as grants open…. [ Keep reading ]
Our Director, Gülgün Kayim, is featured in the latest issue of AMA Magazine #373. She talks about how we’re working in Seattle to embed arts and culture into the city’s systems—from real estate and zoning, to public art, youth engagement, and economic resilience. As Director of Arts & Culture for… [ Keep reading ]
For the second year of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan (DAP), the Office of Arts & Culture has worked to lift up the arts and culture sector as a critical piece of a revitalized downtown. Earlier this year, we hosted “Downtown is Vibrant,” an event to share with community our… [ Keep reading ]
Apply to receive general operating support and/or funds for facility projects Seattle, WA – The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture has two grants open for arts and culture organizations: Centering Art & Racial Equity and Cultural Facilities Fund. To streamline the process for those who want to apply for… [ Keep reading ]
