Arts & Culture

Arts and culture organizations are a key component of healthy communities. The Community Accelerator Grant has provided $20M in unrestricted grant funding to hundreds of organizations across 39 counties within Washington state in 2023 and 2024. Directed by a community advisory panel, funds will advance recovery toward a stronger, more inclusive, and thriving arts and culture sector in our state. Grants also prioritized organizations serving BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and rural communities, as well as people with disabilities.

The Cultural Space Agency’s ‘Beyond Base’ Program is a three-year effort to mobilize in-the-moment recovery efforts and real estate conditions that address the space crisis, strengthen self-sufficiency in local arts organizations, promote equity, and contribute to cultural heritage preservation and vitality throughout the region. The Beyond Base Program will leverage a growing cohort of BASE-certified advisors to enhance the capacity of arts and cultural organizations in securing permanent spaces, resulting in increased accessibility to the arts for individuals of all ages and abilities while revitalizing cultural vibrancy within communities across Seattle.

The Northwest Nordic Troll Hunt is a public art project celebrating the culture and heritage of the Pacific Northwest through six giant trolls created by artist Thomas Dambo. These giant sculptures are made from natural and recycled materials and are displayed in six locations in Washington and Oregon. The project emphasizes the importance of nature conservation and honoring our land and was built in collaboration with local community leaders, arts organizations, and tribes.

Seattle Children’s Theatre’s One&Five Program expands theatre arts access by providing free tickets, bus transportation, and an accompanying Dramatic Connections workshop to the 8,000 first and fifth grade students at all Seattle Public Schools, so that every child attending Seattle Public Schools has a chance to experience performing arts over the course of their elementary education. Exposing young children to these opportunities at an early age will encourage them to value artists, creators, and cultural experiences, building the next generation of arts and culture audiences.