Hope Corps Now Open

April 27, 2022 by Erika Lindsay 2 Comments

Washington Diamonds Drill Team at the 2017 Muddy Lotus Festival, photo by Jenny Crooks

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is opening a new funding program, Hope Corps, that connects under- and unemployed workers in the creative industries with career opportunities. The application is open now through June 6, 2022.

Apply for Hope Corps

“Hope Corps offers a new opportunity for creative workers and artists to re-enter the workforce. We know the value and innovation artists and creative workers bring to our city. Our arts sectors have historically been a driver of local economies, and Hope Corps is a multi-faceted funding program that aims to support our artists and creatives as we move towards recovery.”
royal alley-barnes, Interim Director of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Individual artists, creative workers, community groups, and arts and cultural organizations are eligible to apply for Hope Corps funding, ranging from $15,000 – $300,000, for the following project focus areas:

Public Health
Mental Health and Healing
Food Security
Media, Journalism and Storytelling
Social Connection and Belonging
Arts Education

Applications for project concepts should:

Generate career opportunities for the local creative workforce, and
Contribute to the well-being and resiliency of our communities, over the course of either 6 or 12 months.

Please read the guidelines for full details on Hope Corps. They include eligibility, funding requirements, and evaluation criteria. You can also preview the application here without having to set up a Submittable account.

Unemployment and underemployment have devastated the creative sector. Hope Corps is a work program created to provide economic and social opportunities for Seattle’s extensive creative workforce. The program, somewhat inspired by the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration, centers Seattle’s Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and diaspora community and meets civic needs such as public health and food security by employing artists, cultural and creative workers whose ability to work has been disrupted due to COVID-19.

Workshops about Hope Corps will be held to help you turn in your strongest application:

Information Sessions

Wednesday, May 11, 2022, 1 – 2 p.m.
RSVP
Monday, May 23, 2022, 6 – 7 p.m.
RSVP

Draft Application Feedback Sessions

Friday, May 27, 2022, 11 a.m. -1 p.m.
RSVP
Tuesday, May 31, 2022, 4 – 6 p.m.
RSVP

Hope Corps project concepts could include: 

Artists-in-residence at schools, in business districts or neighborhoods 
Free performances and arts activations that engage the public 
Free art workshops, lessons, or presentations at community gathering places or online 
Community dialogue, healing circles, social practice  
Capturing current moment in history – audio/visual/written documentation, historical records, community narratives 
Creative campaigns or other outputs that address any of the six Hope Corps focus areas 
Sustain existing paid or unpaid creative, educational, research, and service work that supports any focus area

Hope Corps is made possible by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information contact Alex Rose, Hope Corps Project Manager, at (206) 459-6517 or alex.rose@seattle.gov.

Behind the Scenes on Our “Still Essential” Campaign

January 14, 2022 by Otts Bolisay Leave a Comment

Three Seattle City Light workers, two female, one male, look at computers and equipment while wearing hard hats and face masks. — *We Power Seattle,* Photo by Hugo Ludeña, 2020. Paid for with 1% for Art funds by Seattle City Light.

Early into the COVID-19 lock down of 2020, ARTS wanted to get money directly into the hands of artists. Our public art team decided to hire photographers that summer to go out and document the work of essential workers, which hadn’t stopped at all—quite the opposite, in fact. This project was called Essentially Seattle.

Thirteen local photographers went out all over Seattle to capture glimpses of the people whose labor allowed Seattle residents to shelter in place. 105 photos from Essentially Seattle are now part of the City of Seattle Civic Collection.

But what else could we do? Our public art team continued working on new and different ways of thinking about public art and 1% for Art funding. With this in mind, our Communications team took it to the next level and partnered with Amplifier, which boosts social movements and shifts consciousness while being grounded in local community. They were the perfect partner to get these images everywhere, in unique places, spaces relevant to the messaging, and directly into the hands of people.

Reimagination

Mural on a storefront of a scientist wearing protective gear holding a vial of vaccine that glows. — *Pioneer Square Murals,* Photo by Chloe Collyer, 2020. Paid for by 1% for Art funds by Seattle City Light.

At the time, the vaccine had been available for a few months, and many of us were feeling a sense of relief. You remember: things were opening up again! The Delta variant of COVID-19 wasn’t quite here yet, but we were beginning to hear more and more about it. How do you develop messaging in this kind of uncertainty? We kept returning to the concept of REIMAGINATION, which departments all over the City of Seattle engaged with as part of our collective recovery efforts.

Amplifier grounded us with the intention to respect the dignity of laborers and honor those who keep society running smoothly. We wanted this campaign to encourage:

Everybody to continue supporting, uplifting and cherishing essential workers
Everybody to embrace how much we all need each other to navigate the ongoing pandemic and our collective future in its wake
Asking ourselves as a city: how do we want to see each other and the city in a different ways? How have we changed and how do we want to grow?

This formed the basis of the Still Essential campaign.

Language Lab

As part of a Language Lab, Amplifier worked with us and poet, Jazmine Williams, to define key terms:

Essential – Extremely important and necessary. Synonyms: crucial, fundamental, imperative, indispensable

Appreciation – Recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. Synonyms: acknowledgment, recognition, thanks, gratitude

Together, Amplifier and Jazmine suggested we shift away from language that highlights appreciation for the action, towards appreciation for the person.

How do we want to see each other and the city in different ways? How have we changed and how do we want to grow?

Curation

Four members of our staff, two from Public Art and two from Communications selected a pool of their favorite photographs from the 105 Essentially Seattle images. I then chose 15 to pass along to Amplifier, and they chose the final four that would be featured in the campaign. They referred to these workers as icons.

A Black man wearing a yellow hard hat, orange safety vest, and large headphones with a long mic angled up. Around his neck is a black gaitor. — Photo by Shann Thomas, 2020.

An older cashier at the checkout line holds a spray bottle in one hand and a rag in another. She’s wearing a black apron over a blue T-shirt, blue rubber gloves, glasses and smiles behind her white facemask. — Photo by Shann Thomas, 2020.

Still Essential Artists

In presenting a menu of local artists who would use these photographs as inspiration, Amplifier made sure that we weren’t just taking these artists’ style into account, but who they were, and what it would mean to them to get a commission of this size at this stage in their career.

Black and white photo of Paige Pettibon, a mixed race woman. — Paige Pettibon

We selected Paige Pettibon (Salish, Black, White), an emerging artist based in Tacoma. Amplifier created language choices for Paige to work with while leaving enough room for her to add to the language design if she was so inspired. Paige created four portrait-based artworks and two-text-based artworks for Still Essential. One of the latter two is a poem written by Jazmine Williams inspired by the workers who keep our invisible infrastructure operating.

Black text on a yellow patterned background: You Know Me. Though you may never pause to see me, You know me. Like you know streetlights, guiding you safely home. You know me like the heat of water, washing away the heaviest of days. You know me like you know miracles, so common and convenient. You hardly remember there is a human acting on behalf of your needs. Though you may never pause to see me, you know me. — *You Know Me* by Jazmine Williams, 2021

Still Essential Campaign

Campaign posters on wall — “Wild posting”

From December 7 – 11, 2021, Amplifier flooded Seattle with an eye-catching public art campaign celebrating its local heroes:

“Wild postings”
Building projections
Free art giveaways in Arts & Cultural Districts Columbia City, Capitol Hill, and Uptown.
Facebook ads
A story on essential workers in Real Change.

Be sure to download free copies of the artwork on Amplifer’s site.

As we all deal with the Omicron variant, and pass the grim milestone of 800,000 COVID deaths in the nation, thank the essential workers who are still out there, keeping things running for all of us, and the artists who help us make meaning from the ongoing pandemic.

By Otts Bolisay, Digital Media Specialist

Both Essentially Seattle and Still Essential were paid for by 1% for Arts funding from Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities.

Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Public Art Boot Camp – Online!

October 15, 2020 by Erika Lindsay 4 Comments

Group photo of 2020 Public Art Boot Campers wearing face masks in front of a temporary public art project mounted on a chain link fence.

Seattle’s Public Art Boot Camp is an intensive training program that culminates in a commission of a temporary artwork for the City of Seattle.

The “recruits” have been selected through a competitive application process, and starting this November 2020, a series of online workshops will be available to anyone interested in learning more about public art. Featuring staff, artists, and experts in the field, the information shared will highlight the steps needed to successfully navigate through the completion of a public art project.

The workshops will be a WebEx live event and a recording will be made an available on our YouTube Channel.

Session 1 – Developing Public Art Concepts Without Losing Your Own Style and Aesthetic

Collage of the three presenting artists — *(l-r) Norie Sato, Sarah Thompson Moore, Melvin Freeman*

November 7, 2020, 10 am – Noon
Artists presenting: Norie Sato, Sarah Thompson Moore and Melvin Freeman
Recording of Session 1 below.

Congratulations, you’ve received your first public art commission! You’ve met with the community, conducted research about the site and met with the project team so you know some of the site restrictions. Now, how do you take all that information combine it with your own aesthetic and come through with a strong concept design? Hear from artists in the field how they navigate developing an artwork concept that stays true to their own voice but takes into account many factors.

Session 2 – Planning and Fabrication in Public Art

Denise and Roger pose, arms around each others' backs, in front of a worksite. Peter has a long, gray beard. — *(l-r) Denise Bisio, Roger Waterhouse, Peter Reiquam*

Saturday, February 20, 2021, 10am – Noon
Artists presenting: Denise Bisio and Roger Waterhouse, Peter Reiquam
Recording of Session 2 below.

From your original artwork concept you’ve gone through a series of reviews and revisions and now have a final design. Now it’s time for the nitty gritty logistics of engineering, construction documents, fabrication, and installation to put together a solid plan (and team) for implementation. Hear from artists and experts in this panel discussion of their experiences, best practices and tips going forward.

Session 3 – Implementation and Long-term Life of Artwork in Public Art

Collage of Horatio Law, Zorn B. Taylor and Tiffany Hedrick — *(l-r) Horatio Law, Zorn B. Taylor, Tiffany Hedrick*

Saturday, April 17, 2021, 10am – Noon
Artists presenting: Horatio Law, Zorn B. Taylor, Tiffany Hedrick
Recording of Session 3 below.

Hear directly from artists and practitioners in the field about best and worst-case scenarios and share lessons learned. Artwork installation is just the beginning of the lifespan of public art and this session will include important items to consider such as maintenance/conservation, documenting your work through photography, the realities of vandalism and damage to public artwork.

Since 2015, Public Art Boot Camp advances racial equity by centering artists of color and providing them the information and experience, they needed to enter the niche world of public art. To learn more about Public Art Boot Camp, read our white paper here.

Friends of Waterfront Seattle and Seattle’s Office of The Waterfront & Civic Projects Announces Artist in Residency Program Selection and Summer Launch of $100,000 Call for Artists

July 27, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends) and the City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects (OWCP) have selected their Future Forward: Artist-In-Residency: Takiyah Ward. Born and raised in Seattle, Ward is artistically known as T-DUB Customs.

Launched as a rapid response plan to provide immediate virtual opportunities for local artists, creatives, and makers, the artist residency supports the long-term health of the future waterfront park and will develop virtual art opportunities to activate the waterfront with temporary art installations.

Working with partners, Ward will lead a process that incorporates elements of the Seattle Waterfront Art Plan as inspiration to develop a program to award $100,000 in funding to local artists. This funding was made available by Friends and OWCP projects in support of the Seattle Together initiative, a partnership among the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Office of Arts & Culture, Office of Economic Development, Seattle Public Library, and the Mayor’s Innovation and Performance Team coming together to build a city-wide COVID-19 community response plan.

Takiyah Ward said, “I’m excited about the opportunity to bring a variety of art to the waterfront that speaks to the essence of the city, and the most vibrant parts of Seattle’s culture. To highlight the beauty of our shared story and the truth of our perseverance.” Most recently, Ward organized Vivid Matter Collective’s Black Lives Matter mural on Pine Street in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

This Artist-in-Residence pilot is created to be scalable over time and continue throughout the life of the park to allow artist-led projects to be a cornerstone of Friends’ waterfront park programming and ensure participation of a range of artists, especially those representing communities of color.

With Arts Consultant Vivian Phillips serving as facilitator of the Future Forward: Artist-In-Residency, the selection panel was comprised of a diverse group of working artists, arts administrators, and entrepreneurs, including Friends Board Member and Phila Engaged Giving Founder/Principal Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Seattle Art Museum Associate Director for Community Programs and Equity Team Founding Chair and Seattle Arts Commission Co-Chair Priya Frank, artist, educator, and Eighth Generation Founder Louie Gong, Seattle Center Managing Artistic Director of Cultural Programs and Hidmo/Cypher Community Volunteer Heidi Jackson, and visual artist and Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery owner Jake Prendez.

Friends of Waterfront Seattle Board Member, Stephanie Ellis-Smith said, “The selection of Takiyah Ward for the artist-in-residence program is significant in achieving our goal of creating a ‘Waterfront for All.’ Her voice and creativity illustrate our commitment to incorporating BIPOC artists and creatives at all levels and establishing their influence to make the waterfront an inclusive and welcoming place.”

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friends and the City recognize the importance of participating in economic recovery for the arts community while leading strategies supporting the long-term health of Seattle’s future Waterfront Park. The residency program will embrace a process for employing a creative waterfront arts program that is artist-driven and audience-minded, inclusive and welcoming of a diversity of thought and approaches, and responsive and adaptable to changing public gathering norms. The program brings to life the significance that the arts play in our daily lives as well as in our ability to be “in community.”

For details, visit friendsofwaterfrontseattle.org/events/artist-program.

Friends of Waterfront Seattle (“Friends”) is the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle responsible for helping to fund, build, steward, and program the park – today and into the future. In addition to raising $110M by 2024 to fund park construction, Friends will manage the programming and operations of the future Waterfront Park through a joint-delivery partnership with Seattle Parks & Recreation. Friends is responsible for funding and carrying out park programming for the future park. Park construction has begun following the Viaduct’s removal and the first piece of the park — Pier 62 — is planned to open later in 2020.

The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects is pleased to support this project that aligns with the City’s Seattle Together program, a series of initiatives responding to communities impacted during these unusual and challenging times. Future Forward: Artist In Residency will provide opportunities quickly to artists and arts groups for activation of the waterfront for the benefit of everyone. Seattle Together is a partnership of city departments that includes the city’s Office of Arts & Culture, which in turn collaborates with the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects to bring arts and culture to the waterfront.

City of Seattle to Provide Immediate Rent Relief for Nonprofit and Small Business Tenants

March 23, 2020 by Erika Lindsay 1 Comment

City to Provide $400,000 in Rent Relief to an Estimated 90 Arts and Cultural Nonprofits, Small Businesses, and Artist Studios that Rent City-Owned Property, including Seattle Center

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today that the City of Seattle will provide $400,000 in rent relief to arts and cultural and other nonprofits, small businesses, and artists’ studios that are located on City-owned facilities. An estimated 90 tenants on the Seattle Center grounds and on Parks and Recreation facilities will receive immediate financial relief in the form of rent waivers or rent deferment for April and May.

“Earlier this week, we announced an eviction moratorium to help our small businesses and nonprofits retain their livelihoods and a first-of-its-kind Arts Recovery Package. We’re building on that work by providing immediate financial relief for renters of City-owned facilities,” said Mayor Durkan. “We know that the economic impacts on our small businesses, nonprofits, and cultural community will be devastating and that many might not be able to pay rent for weeks and months to come. I urge property owners throughout the City to adopt this practice immediately if they’re able to. Now more than ever, we must be compassionate with one another, and look after each other during this unprecedented time.”

“These nonprofits and the artists they employ provide a cultural salve our city desperately needs in this time of emergency,” said Councilmember Andrew J. Lewis (District 7 – Pioneer Square to Magnolia). “I am proud to work with the Mayor and my Council colleagues to ensure that this important part of Seattle will still be here when this crisis is over.”

“Providing rent relief for our nonprofit partners and small businesses in City-owned buildings will allow them to continue to do their important work serving our community during this uncertain time. Our nonprofit human service providers are on the front lines, serving vulnerable communities who are most impacted by the coronavirus, and small businesses keep our local economy strong. Together, with the workers who keep them running, they make up the fabric of our community and we must protect them.” said Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide).

While rent arrangements vary across City-owned facilities, the City will provide rent relief in the equivalent of two months. For nonprofit organizations and renters with artist studio licenses, including Seattle Children’s Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Cascade Bicycle Club, the relief is in the form of rent forgiveness. For businesses including Arena Sports, Marination Station, and vendors in the Armory their rent will be deferred.

The City of Seattle is committed to providing immediate relief for small businesses and arts and cultural and other nonprofit organizations financially impacted by COVID-19. Through this initiative, the City will work with organizations and businesses on an individual basis to develop longer-term responses. The City will be looking at all components of rent arrangements including cash, public benefit, in-kind and capital investment rent.

“The far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 have devastated the arts organizations and businesses that reside at Seattle Center, and this has been felt by the thousands of people who work on the grounds and broader communities they serve. We are so pleased to be able to offer this critical support and essential lifeline for our resident tenants,” said Seattle Center director Robert Nellams.

“Due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in our community, we estimate that Seattle Children’s Theatre will lose at least $1 million in operating revenue through the end of May 2020. The cancellation of our Drama School, public performances, and state-wide Arts-Based Learning Program means lost work for Teaching Artists, Actors, Designers, Theatre Technicians and so many more. The forgiveness of rent during this challenging time allows SCT to retain more staff, keeping more people employed, offering some peace of mind and giving teams the opportunity to focus on reimagining the presentation and delivery of our programs. It is through the ongoing support of the City and our community that we will remain an unparalleled resource for young people and their families—something we are proud to provide now more than ever,” said Kevin Malgesini, Seattle Children’s Theatre managing director.

“These arts and cultural organizations and small businesses make the unique fabric of this city a place we all want to call home. We are doing everything we can to ensure that they will still be here when this crisis is over and we can celebrate once again this incredible city,” said Seattle Office of Arts & Culture director Randy Engstrom.

“Our parks and recreation tenants are our partners in extending our recreation offerings in diverse, innovative, and accessible ways. I am pleased that the City will be able to offer this critical support to these partners at such a challenging time for our city,” said Seattle Parks and Recreation superintendent Jesús Aguirre.

Mayor Durkan and the City of Seattle have worked to implement a series of actions that support artists, nonprofits, small business, and workers, including:

Deferring utility payments for customers impacted by COVID-19;
Implementing a temporary moratorium on residential, small business, and nonprofit evictions to provide relief for working people financially impacted by COVID-19;
Announcing a small business relief package that included deferred business taxes and a stabilization fund;
Creating a new Arts Recovery Package to provide immediate financial relief to artists and cultural organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19; and
Providing 6,250 Seattle families with $800 in grocery vouchers.

In addition, she continues to advocate for a comprehensive small business and worker relief package from Congress to provide immediate and lasting relief to Seattle communities impacted by COVID-19, and the City is working quickly to scale new programs. The City has created a comprehensive resource page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

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