4Culture eNews

1. from the director

1967 - 2007: Then and Now

On November 21, 1966, the three-member King County Commission (pre-dating the establishment of the County Council) passed a resolution creating the King County Arts Commission (KCAC), which began operation in 1967, two years after the establishment of the National Endowment for the Arts. King County Arts Commission was one of only a handful of county arts agencies at the time. 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of King County's commitment to the arts. Over that 40 year span, many things have changed, most for the better.

KCAC's first program was "Rep and Rap," which sent the Seattle Repertory Theatre on a tour of King County communities to perform and do post-show talks with the audience. Today, we are doing the Site-Specific Performance Network, surprising audiences with contemporary multi-disciplinary performances not in theatres, but in stores, on the streets, and in parks. This past year, 16 artists and arts ensembles participated in the program presenting 52 performances in 13 King County cities.

In 1972, King County Arts Commission and Seattle Arts Commission partnered in publishing a monthly newsletter, The Arts, which King County Arts Commission produced for the next 18 years. The King County Arts Commission's budget in 1972 was $40,000, with the proviso that none of the money could be used administratively. A Parks Department staff person, Yankee Johnson, was its first administrator.

In 1973, King County implemented one of the nation's first 1% for Art ordinances, just a few weeks before the City of Seattle adopted its public art ordinance. 4Culture's Public Art Program now manages projects for suburban cities, private developers, and international clients.

In 1978, in the afterglow of the nation's Bicentennial celebration, King County created an Office of Historic Preservation and in 1980 a Landmarks Commission to identify, designate and preserve significant structures important to the county's history. Today, we celebrate regional centennials: the Pike Place Market, suburban city centennials, and the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition Centennial.

The King County Landmarks program remained in King County government when we transitioned the agency into a public development authority, but today we now have a very active Preservation Program focused on raising public awareness about the value of preserving physical elements of our regional history.

Over time, KCAC's name changed; its responsibilities expanded; the programs and funding grew considerably; the cultural community grew in size, quality and numbers of organizations. About what you'd expect over 40 years. Technically, we are no longer the King County Arts Commission, but 4Culture will be acknowledging this 40th anniversary in our emails, on our website, annual report, and other publications throughout the year.

It's an opportunity to look back and see how far we all have come. We hope you enjoy it.

4Culture Celebrates 40 Years

Jim Kelly
Executive Director

2. heritage cultural education grant program

deadline April 30, 2007
www.4culture.org/heritage

4Culture's Heritage Cultural Education grant program offers support for K-12 curriculum projects and programs. Applications will be required to support, enhance, and align with Washington State Standards for Social Studies, including EALRs and CBAs. Projects will also be required to be available in an electronic format and demonstrate the ability to provide a 3-5 year term of public benefit. Application workshops will be held April 19 and 29 at the 4Culture offices.

image: © Courtesy of Museum of History & Industry

3. dreams: poetry on buses 2007

transit employee workshop April 19, 2007, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
deadline April 30, 2007
http://www.poetryonbuses.org

Poetry on Buses presents poetry from our community, written by that person across the aisle, that kid in the back, or the published poet - written by you and printed on the placards found right above the bus seats. Each year, some of the poems selected for Poetry on Buses are written by people who have never published a poem before. It's one of the best things about the program, and this year, the poetry selection panel will choose at least one poem written by a Metro transit employee for Poetry on Buses 2007 Dreams. Poems submitted by Metro Operator or Vehicle Maintenance employees will be judged alongside all adult submissions, with at least one Metro submission guaranteed to be selected. Poems will be displayed on a transit interior, published in a book, and featured at a poetry reading in November 2007. Poems must be submitted using the online submission form at www.4culture.org.

A poetry workshop will be held for Metro Operator and Vehicle Maintenance employees, with Dana Elkun, published poet and educator, conducting an hour-long workshop at Ryerson Base, 2nd floor conference room on Thursday, April 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. To register for workshop, please contact Tina Hoggatt at 206-205-5436.

image: © Design concept by YaM Studio

4. goats with a taste for art

April 15-22, 2007
Robert Morris Earthwork

Vashon Island's Rent-A-Ruminant will travel April 15-22, 2007 with a herd of 60 goats to Johnson Pit #30, an earthwork by artist Robert Morris located at 216th and 40th Place S in SeaTac, Washington. Serving as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly maintenance effort, the goats will be on site eating blackberry bramble and Scotch broom that has begun covering the work. Morris' earthwork was originally planted with rye grass, with minimal maintenance required. Periodically, landscaping crews have cut back and removed the volunteer growth, but the blackberries have proven to be a persistent challenge. This year, in a new approach, goats will graze for a week on the earthwork, eating any renegade plants, thereby eliminating the extra cost, labor and environmental impacts of more traditional upkeep methods.

Johnson Pit #30 was created in 1979 in conjunction with the symposium, Earthworks: Land Reclamation as Sculpture, an effort to create new tools to rehabilitate land abused by technology and provide artists with design opportunities for surplus King County property in gravel pits, surface mines and landfill sites. Morris was selected to work on a 3.7-acre site, a sand and gravel pit abandoned in the 1940s. Now part of the King County Public Art Collection, Morris' earthwork has returned this land to active use as a park-like setting for visitors.

image: © Goats with a taste for art at Robert Morris' earthwork, Untitled (Johnson Pit #30), 2006, photo by Greg Bell

5. margot quan knight: faith in science

reception May 3, 2007, 6 - 8 p.m.
www.4culture.org/publicart/gallery

Gallery4Culture is pleased to present new photographic works by Seattle artist Margot Quan Knight. These new photographs and video explore a fantasy found within the conflicted intersection of science and religion. Inspired by our modern world and medieval Christian iconography, the work will stimulate contemplation and dialogue. The Procreation series interprets the story of the birth of Christ within the context of stem cell research. The five triptychs draw from medieval and Renaissance references. The later Intervals series continues the investigation, this time from a perspective informed by physics. The theoretical becomes personal: each of us has experienced distortions in time when lost in thought or absorbed in a task. Knight translates these sensations into images that tap the spiritual as well as the personal experience of our collective memory of images. The works in this exhibition were created with support from a 2006 Arts Special Projects grant from 4Culture, a 2006 CityArtist grant from the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and a 2005 GAP grant from Artist Trust.

A reception will be held on May 3, 2007, the first Thursday of the month, during the Downtown Artwalk, from 6 - 8 p.m. Faith in Science is on display from May 3 - June 1, 2007.

Gallery4Culture is located within 4Culture offices at 101 Prefontaine Pl S, at the corner of Third and Prefontaine, in the Tashiro/Kaplan Building. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed government holidays; the gallery is open and free to the public. For more information about this program call 206.296.8674.

image: © Margot Quan Knight, Shelter, 2006, color photograph, detail

6. redmond's stone house first landmark designated by new commission

www.4culture.org/preservation

A new commission created by an agreement between the King County Landmarks Commission and the City of Redmond has designated its first landmark: the Orson and Emma Wiley Residence, popularly known as the Stone House, in the city's historic Old Town neighborhood. The action by the Redmond Landmarks Commission earlier this year boosts the structure's eligibility for grants and loans and a potential listing as a federal landmark.

Under the inter-local agreement, the King County Landmarks Commission and a representative of the City of Redmond act as the Redmond Landmarks Commission to review nominations submitted as city landmarks. Built around 1916 as a home for Redmond pioneers Orson and Emma Wiley, the Craftsman-style Stone House is made almost entirely of river rock and stones. The window frames are made of brick. The house is currently home to the Stone House Café, which has added period furniture and décor to the interior. Building owners will likely pursue listing the building on the National Register of Historic Places.

image: ©Stone House, Redmond, WA, courtesy Redmond Landmarks Commission

7. framing the view: from studio to public spaces

Steve Badanes - May 9, 2007 at 7 p.m.
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington
15th Ave NE and NE 41st St
www.4culture.org/publicart/events.htm

4Culture is pleased to be joining the Henry Art Gallery in sponsoring the lecture series Framing the View, featuring public artists, design professionals and writers. The final lecture in the series will feature Steve Badanes on May 9, 2007.

Steve Badanes is an innovative and respected architect, educator and artist, with a joyful and collaborative approach to community and the built environment. A founding member of Jersey Devil, a group of architects and artists that was an early advocate for the interdependence of building and design, he currently holds the Howard Wright Endowed Chair at the University of Washington. His Fremont Troll sculpture is a beloved icon of Seattle's Fremont neighborhood.

Steve Badanes's Field House, commissioned by 4Culture and the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, is the first public art project to break ground as part of the extensive Brightwater Treatment System Project. It will be sited in a wooded clearing on over forty acres of reclaimed forest, wetland and salmon stream habitat. The Field House will serve as a study center and meeting place that exemplifies green architectural practices. Badanes will speak on this and other projects.

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1. calls-for-artists/opportunities

4Culture Public Art Calls List
subscribe - www.4culture.org/publicart/calls
Public Art 4Culture compiles a list of current public art opportunities available through Public Art 4Culture and other agencies across the country. The Public Art Calls List provides brief project descriptions, deadlines, and how to receive more information about each opportunity -- bimonthly, free of charge.

Northwest Film Forum
Washington State Screenplay Competition
deadline April 24, 2007
www.nwfilmforum.org
Northwest Film Forum, a cinematheque and filmmakers collective, is now accepting submissions for the Washington State Screenplay Competition. The focus of the competition is to provide local exposure and informed, critical feedback to the screenwriters that rank the highest in the competition. Requirements for submissions include that entrants be residents of Washington State. However, there is no constraint on where the script is set (contrary to previous years when the film was required to be set in Washington)

City of Woodinville
Carol Edwards Loop
deadline April 27, 2007
www.ci.woodinville.wa.us
In spring of 2009, the residents of Woodinville will reopen the renovated sports fields located in downtown Woodinville at 131 Avenue NE and NE 175th Street. Surrounding the fields will be a new pathway designed to be a community gathering place, walking trail, and open air art gallery. Multiple opportunities for incorporating art into the site may be explored including park furniture, fencing, children's play area, gathering places, and decorative elements for an entry gateway. Artists will be engaged at the mid-point of the design process, or as soon as they are selected, to ensure maximum coordination. For more information, contact Brenda Eriksen.

Wing Luke Asian Museum
East Kong Yick Building
deadline April 27, 2007
www.wingluke.org
Wing Luke Asian Museum, a regional cultural center that preserves the stories and promotes the voices of Asian Pacific Islander Americans throughout the Pacific Northwest, is seeking artists for art plan projects for the new museum in the historic East Kong Yick Building. Several projects are planned, the April 27 deadline is for the Donor Art Installation #3: Mezzanine Hallway.

Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence
deadline April 30, 2007
www.ernestjgainesaward.org
The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence honors the legacy of one of America's finest literary treasures and recognizes the work of a deserving fiction writer. The winner will receive a $10,000 award and present a reading from the work at the award ceremony in January 2008. The panel of jurors for the award includes Alice Walker, Dr. John Callahan, and Dr. Rudy Byrd. Any book-length work of fiction published during 2006 may be submitted; the writer must be an African-American.

Washington State Arts Commission
Roster of Teaching Artists
deadline May 1, 2007
www.arts.wa.gov
Washington State Arts Commission is pleased to announce the first round of applications for the new Roster of Teaching Artists. The roster is presented as a resource for schools, districts, and other organizations looking for highly qualified teaching artists to support their arts education goals. Use of the roster is encouraged for those applying for WSAC's First Step or Community Consortium grants, as well as for other independent projects.

Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
The CREATION Project
deadline May 18, 2007
www.cdforum.org
The CREATION Project is a year-long new works and professional development program supporting the creation of new work for King County African-American performing artists in the formative stages of their careers; using the artistic process as the platform for learning critical professional development skills; and supporting distinctive African-American artistic voices. Up to six participants will be selected to represent a range of artistic performing arts disciplines. Each participant will receive a $1,000 stipend to be used towards the creation of innovative new work and participate in professional development seminars, facilitated peer discussions and a showcase. For more information, please contact 206 323.4032 or judeh@cdforum.org.

The International Rescue Committee Seattle (IRC)
deadline June 19, 2007
www.theirc.org
The IRC Seattle will be hosting an art exhibition by refugee artists in honor of World Refugee Day to be held on June 19, 2007 at the Capitol Hill Arts Center Showroom. IRC is seeking artists, performers, or craftspersons who are refugees, asylees, or children of refugees. If you would like to show and/or sell your art, perform, or connect with the art communities in the Puget Sound area, contact Megan at 206.623.2105.

National Endowment for the Arts
Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth
deadline June 11, 2007
www.nea.gov
The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engage students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art. Funded projects apply national or state arts education standards.

City of Kent Arts Commission
Herbert Bayer Earthworks at Mill Creek Canyon:
25th Anniversary Celebration
deadline June 15, 2007
www.ci.kent.wa.us/arts
The City of Kent Arts Commission is offering two opportunities for artists. Artists can apply for the Kent Summer Art Exhibit and Purchase Award as well as the 25th Anniversary Bayer Earthworks Exhibit and Publication.

Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council
Shoreline Arts Festival/Arts In Bloom
various deadlines
www.shorelinearts.net
The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is seeking artists for the 17th annual Shoreline Arts Festival, a community event featuring two days in June 2007 of music, dance, theater, literary arts, visual arts, and food, plus the Shoreline Philippine Festival and Lake2Sound Film Festival. Juried categories include 2-D art, sculpture, artisan crafts, photography, poetry, and film. New this year, a special area will be set aside for artists whose work is suitable for gardens: Garden furniture, pottery, planters, urns, tiles, masks, fountains, birdbaths, feeders and houses, wind chimes, lanterns, sculptures, kiosks, sundials, window boxes, gates, arbors and trellises, etc.

2. employment

City of Kent Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Summer Internship/Visual Arts Program Assistant
deadline April 23, 2007
www.ci.kent.wa.us
The Cultural Programs Division of the City of Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department is seeking a student intern to fill the position of Visual Arts Intern. The position is available May/June through August/September (dates are somewhat flexible). Full-time, $8/hr with university credits available, hours of work will vary according to program needs. The intern will assist with the planning, preparation and execution of the Kent Summer Arts Exhibit, Cornucopia Days, Fourth of July Splash and the Public Art Program. Interested in students pursuing studies in fine arts, public art, art management or related fields. For a complete job description, please email cdosremedios@ci.kent.wa.us or call 253.856.5058.

Washington State Arts Commission
Public Arts Project Manager
deadline April 30, 2007
www.arts.wa.gov
The Washington State Arts Commission, dedicated to the support, promotion, growth, development and preservation of the arts within the state, is seeking an experienced visual arts administrator to manage public art projects in schools, universities and other state agencies. This position facilitates meetings, negotiates public art contracts, manages budgets and works with a roster of 400+ public artists. In-state travel required; part of five-person Art in Public Places team. Full time with salary range of $45,000-$51,000.

Lopez Center for Community and the Arts
Executive Director
deadline May 16, 2007
www.lopezcenter.com
Lopez Center, the primary location for community-wide gatherings, serves the island's community of approximately 2,500 full time residents, hundreds of tourists, and many part time residents. The Executive Director is responsible for planning, scheduling, implementing, promoting, managing, communicating, and coordinating the day-to-day operation of the Center's programs and facilities. This includes program development, facility maintenance, office management, supervision of administrative staff and local volunteers, fiscal and reporting responsibilities, and representing the Center in the community and to other nonprofit organizations, community groups, schools and governmental agencies.

Gage Academy of Art
Communications Manager: Marketing & Public Relations
open until filled
www.gageacademy.org
Gage Academy of Art is committed to building a vibrant visual-arts community in the Northwest through programs that educate, enrich and engage artists and the public. The Communications Manager will increase awareness of and interest in Gage Academy, representing the school to the local and national community in print and online while creating marketing and communications plans and quarterly reports. Part-time, 24 hours/week.

Youth Program Manager
open until filled
www.gageacademy.org
Gage Youth Programs offer practical art instruction in drawing, painting and 3-D design for 6 to 18-year old artists with a curriculum that encourages students to explore new materials and techniques, creative problem solving and self-expression. The work of the Youth Programs Manager is to design an exemplary arts program for young artists and to represent Gage and its dynamic Youth Programs to the local and national community in public, print and online. Full-time, 32-40hr/wk.

Kirkland Performance Center
Client Services Coordinator
open until filled
www.kpcenter.org
The Client Services Coordinator works with KPC Production Manager in facilitating artist and client hospitality needs. He/she works with touring artists appearing at the theatre and their representatives to facilitate their travel, housing and hospitality needs in adherence to their contract riders. Part-time with flexible hours averaging 8hrs/wk, pay of $12/hr.

Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Marketing Assistant
open until filled
www.visitseattle.org
Sharp marketing assistant needed to support the director of Cultural Tourism in organizing and executing host city functions for the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference in November 2007. This position may also assist with other projects in the Cultural Tourism division: including the production and distribution of marketing collateral, website content, and other duties as assigned. Event planning experience preferred. Experience working in the arts & culture community a plus. Part-time, starting at 10-15 hours/week and growing to full-time in weeks prior to conference, with pay of $15-18/hr doe. Possibility of extending employment past 2007 dependent on circumstances.

Frye Art Museum
Director of Communications
open until filled
www.fryemuseum.org
Through its exhibitions, collections, and programs the Frye Art Museum engages audiences, challenges perceptions, and encourages dialogue about representational art in all its complexities, past and present. The Museum is seeking a senior management position responsible for advancing the Museum's mission through outstanding marketing, advertising, public relations and messaging strategies. Director will lead redesign of the website and develop Museum's brand to encompass communications, publications, website and events.

Manager of Membership Development
open until filled
www.fryemuseum.org
The Frye is also hiring a Manager of Membership Development, responsible for overseeing membership program including a plan to expand and diversify. The position will create and implement a compelling development program. Part-time, approximately 80% time.

SecondStory Repertory
Education/Marketing Director
open until filled
www.secondstoryrep.org
SecondStory Repertory, the Eastside's first full-time theatre ensemble, offers a year-round season of musicals, comedies, revues, and dramas, along with its popular SPROUTS Children's Theatre series and performing arts classes. The Education/Marketing Director will coordinate education programs including: scheduling in-house classes, hiring and contracting teachers, and working to create outreach programs and afterschool activities; and marketing efforts including: press releases, newspaper ads, program copy, press relationships, and regional website listings. Part-time, 15-20 hours per week with pay of $12.50/hour. For more information contact Caitlin Finne, Managing Director.

3. events/workshops

Gage Academy of Art
The Artist's Tool Kit Series
Artist's Self Promotion: Getting Noticed/Noted: April 19, 2007, 12:30-2 p.m.
NW Public Art/Community Art Concepts: May 17, 2007, 12:30-2 p.m.
Gage Academy, Geo Studio, Room 204, 1501 10th Ave E, Seattle
www.gageacademy.org
Seattle art professionals present lively lunchtime conversations about the ways of the "real world" of art. Come meet fascinating artists, collectors, consultants and art critics. Join Seattle artist Lauren Grossman in April to discuss one artist's loathing of self promotion and how she has learned to handle it. In May, 4Culture's Cath Brunner and Gage Instructor Mike Magrath, two active participants in Seattle's public art scene, share their thoughts on how artists participate in the political world of public art.

Catch Your Audience:
A Workshop for Artists with Disabilities
Registration deadline April 19, 2007
May 2, 2007, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Center House, Seattle Center, Seattle
Are you an artist who wants to expand your artistic career? Want to know where to find your audience? Need pointers on how to be an artist in business? Here's your chance to meet successful artists, to learn from them, to network with other artists, and to hear a fabulous speaker. Emerging artists with disabilities in all art forms including: visual, performance, written, tactile, sound, film, and others are encouraged to attend. Lunch provided, free registration required. For further information and registration forms contact Bitsy Bidwell at 360.586.2421.

Langston Hughes African American Film Festival
April 21-29, 2007
Various times and venues
www.langstonblackfilmfest.org
The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival supports community building by providing opportunities for artists and audiences to connect using the medium of film as a catalyst for dialogue that leads to social change. This annual event provides films from independent Black filmmakers featuring panel discussions, screenplay readings, matinee screenings for middle and high school youth and in-depth chats with filmmakers, industry professionals and local community leaders.

Seattle Architecture Foundation
Jeffrey Ochsner Lecture Series: History of Seattle Architecture
Part One: Saturday, April 28, 1 to 3 p.m.
Part Two: Saturday, May 12, 1 to 3 p.m.
Seattle Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium, 1000 Fourth Ave, Seattle
www.seattlearchitecture.org
Co-sponsored by Seattle Architecture Foundation and the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Room, Ochsner's Seattle Architecture and Urbanism series includes two free lectures. Part One begins with Victorian Seattle and traces developments up to the 1930s, Part Two traces the impact of Modernism from the 1930s to the present. Professor Ochsner is the author of several books and articles on Seattle's architectural history.

University of Washington
Rethinking Museums: An Interdisciplinary Academic Conference
May 3-4, 2007
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle
www.rethinkingmuseums.org
Museums are dynamic interdisciplinary organizations, characterized by rapid growth and change. What are the issues involved in the sudden expansion, increased professionalization, and changing expectations of our cultural institutions? The Museology Graduate Program at the University of Washington aims to address this question through their upcoming conference, Rethinking Museums: An Interdisciplinary Academic Conference. Through workshops, panel discussions, and presentations the conference will focus on the changing and interdisciplinary nature of museums. Conference is free, with registration required.

ArtsEd Washington: Arts Education Week
May 14-20, 2007
www.artsedwashington.org
Join Governor Gregoire in celebrating arts education during Arts Education Week. This week is an opportunity to recognize the value of arts education, to celebrate the role of the arts in improving educational success for all students, and to make commitments to improving and expanding arts education efforts around the state. This is the second year for this statewide recognition, a project supported by the Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC), ArtsEd Washington, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Schools, districts, arts organizations, parents, city and county governments, and local arts agencies are all encouraged to get involved and help engage local communities in support of arts education. An extensive toolkit is available, with ideas for participation, materials for increasing awareness from parents to policymakers, a copy of the governor's proclamation, a downloadable Arts Education Week logo, and more.

4. resources

Americans for the Arts
Sign Up and Be Counted: National Campaign
www.americansforthearts.org
Americans for the Arts urges all individual artists and arts organizations to get their own free Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) number-or if they already have a D&B number, to ensure that they are accurately coded as an arts organization or artist. Since 2004, Americans for the Arts has produced the Creative Industries: Business & Employment in the Arts report, a study of the nonprofit and for-profit arts-related businesses in America. The Creative Industries research uses D&B data to document the number of arts-related businesses and employees in any geographical region or political jurisdiction. Americans for the Arts makes it easy for you to contact D&B and sign-up for a DUNS number with step-by-step directions that will guide you through the process of contacting D&B via e-mail or phone.

Washington Post
Pearls Before Breakfast
www.washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post recently staged an experiment in Washington DC's L'Enfant Plaza subway station, placing world-famous violinist Joshua Bell posing as a street performer to see what the response would be from busy commuters. See what happened in the full article online.

4Culture Heritage Advisor
subscribe - heritageadvisor@4culture.org
Heritage Advisor is the voice of the Heritage 4Culture Program of 4Culture and is produced as a technical assistance service to the heritage community of King County. Priority of coverage includes the program's own activities and other information that may be of interest to the program's funding partners and community. Deadline for inclusion is 10 days before the end of the calendar month. Heritage Advisor is produced monthly, except July and December. Listing or coverage in Heritage Advisor does not imply endorsement by the Program. For more information, e-mail heritageadvisor@4culture.org.