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 ]
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 ]
Funding will support World Cup celebrations in every district and downtown experiences led by local artists and cultural leaders Seattle, WA – Today, the City of Seattle announced nearly $1.3 million in investments to activate public spaces, celebrate local culture, and bring people together across the city through grants for… [ Keep reading ]
Over 500 attendees flooded into McCaw Hall at Seattle Center on Tuesday, October 14th for the 2025 Creative Economy Career Day, a free, annual, one-day educational program hosted by The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and the Office of Economic Development. The morning featured panels, presentations and live demonstrations… [ Keep reading ]
The 2025-2026 Proposed Budget for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture is now available for public viewing. The Seattle Arts Commission, a group of citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and the Council to support and advocate for the Office of Arts & Culture (OAC), issued the below response… [ 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 ]
Did you know that when you attend certain events and venues in Seattle, 5% of your ticket price goes towards the City’s Arts and Culture Fund? It’s called the Admission Tax. This is the fund that we use to support artists and organizations through our grants. If you were one… [ Keep reading ]
If you squint at the bottom of a playbill or art exhibit description at a Seattle theater or gallery, you’ll often see the characters A&C written in purple, surrounded by a circle. That’s the logo of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, or OAC, which funds some $13 million worth… [ Keep reading ]
