In 2015, we partnered with King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Council to make a historic $28 million investment in our region’s cultural infrastructure. The endeavor was called Building for Culture, and it paved the way—literally, in some cases—for new and improved cultural facilities of all kinds, in all corners of King County.

Building for Culture funded things like plasterwork, HVAC repairs, sound systems, lighting, brick laying, commercial kitchen equipment, and so much more, and now we are beginning to truly see what these all add up to. The organizations who put these dollars to work have been able to grow and expand, serving more King County residents than ever.

As these projects come to fruition, we asked photographer Eduardo Calderon to document them using his exceptional perspective. He created an incredible body of work—it captures the myriad spaces that house some of our most vibrant experiences as King County residents. Here are just a few highlights from the more than 47 projects that are either complete or well underway:

All photos by Eduardo Calderon, 2016.

As summer got underway, we began the search for two photographers for Picturing Trails, a project in partnership with King County Parks to comprehensively capture and interpret the Regional Trail System through fine art photography for the very first time. Now, as fall approaches, we’re excited to announce that Jenny Riffle and Melinda Hurst Frye have been selected!

As a component of the Arts Master Plan for the RTS, written in 2015 by Brian Borrello, Picturing Trails represents an ongoing effort to bring the trail system to life for the public, and King County Parks brought invaluable expertise to the selection process. Regional Trails Coordinator Robert Foxworthy welcomes Riffle and Hurst Frye to the project saying that it “…extends the vision and ethos of the Arts Master Plan to enhance the public’s awareness of and relationship to the trails. Parks recognizes the value of art and image-making to the public’s experience and understanding of the trails as unique destinations on the way to destinations.”

Melinda Hurst Frye is a Seattle-based artist who works within a still-life aesthetic, revealing the mystery and activity of subterranean ecosystems. Of the Picturing Trails projects, she states that her excitement “…is magnified by my background growing up in King County and traversing the trail system. As a fine art photographer, this amount of access and support is both inspiring and important to the artistic process.” Hurst Frye often uses scanners to create her multi-layered images, and she views this project as “…a beautiful opportunity to show the uses, the users, and the natural world together. I am ready to hit the trails with my bike and scanner to create images inspired by King County’s Regional Trails System. See you out there!”

Jenny Riffle also hails from Washington state and has a longstanding affinity for the RTS: “I have always found the wildness of the parks and trails in this region a wonderful experience, so close to the city streets one can get into the woods and feel as if you are far away from the din of the city.” Her Sound of Wind series captures the mystery and dreaminess of Northwest landscapes—you may have seen some of these works at Metro bus stops. She’ll bring that perspective to Picturing Trails as well, stating, “…I will be using photography to show the border between the urban and natural world and the beauty and power of nature and the relationship that humans have with it.”

Over the coming year, both photographers will spend time exploring and photographing in the trail system using their unique approaches and methods. Parks and 4Culture will work with the photographers to select a number of images to become part of the King County Portable Works Collection, a diverse collection of portable artworks that can be seen in public buildings, hospitals, and health centers throughout the region. Stay tuned to 4Culture and Parks for chances to interact with Riffle and Hurst Frye out on the trails, and for a chance to have your own photography featured in a future phase of this project!

Threatened by long neglect, two historic properties in Skykomish have been stabilized and are on a path towards reuse.

The Skykomish Theatre building was originally built as a warehouse for Maloney’s Store, but locally is more commonly known for its use as a theater from the 1930s to the late 1960s. Later, it was used primarily for storage and fell into disrepair. New owner Frank Martin has accomplished a full rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the building. Salvaging as much original material as possible, he has transformed the interior to include five units of extended-stay lodging, with common spaces intended to foster a sense of community among those who stay there. Martin has dubbed the project OneMish Lodge, and envisions the building as a base camp for recreation and tourism.

The Skykomish Hotel, which was abandoned and deteriorating for many years, has also seen substantial new investment, after the Town of Skykomish acquired the building and leased it to Revive-Historic Skykomish, LLC. With support from 4Culture, Revive Historic-Skykomish replaced the roof, abated hazardous materials, and structurally stabilized the building. They are now seeking retail tenants for the first floor, and will begin restoration of the upper floors.

We offer grants and programs to support preservation work like this throughout the year. Learn more!

We see evidence of King County’s love for arts and culture every day and everywhere—in festivals, workshops, exhibits, performances, art walks, classes, heritage tours and more. We have no doubt that the voters’ concern with Prop 1 is a statement about our regressive tax system, not the value of the arts in our communities.

As King County and Washington State grapple with how best to fund all the things that make communities livable, 4Culture affirms our commitment to our services, and the people they benefit. Regardless of the outcome of this week’s vote, there is growth in our future. Our funding programs are sound and robust—we look forward to continuing to invest in King County culture.

You may be aware that Prop 1 would have required the creation and implementation of geographic and equity plans to guide the distribution of funds. Even though the measure did not pass, we recognize the necessity of these plans and pledge to move forward with work on them. Another major component of Prop 1 was its education program, funding access for King County’s school-age children to museums, performances, and science centers. We will be pursuing that work as well, fostering dialogue on the important role cultural organizations can play in our schools.

We would like to thank Executive Dow Constantine for his commitment to the cultural sector and for proposing the initiative to the voters of King County. We would like to also thank the King County Council for putting this measure on the ballot to ensure arts and culture plays a strong role in quality of life for everyone in our region.

Sincerely,
4Culture Board of Directors

Domonique Meeks received a 2016 Tech Specific grant to produce the second season of his documentary, Soul of Seattle. This project represents a unique intersection of not only tech and art, but brings topics like race, history, business, and more into the mix. We’re excited to see how it evolves and grows with the help of these funds:

I am a storyteller, information scientist, and documentary filmmaker. I co-host a podcast called No Blueprint that gathers stories from cultural ambassadors to discuss how they defy societal norms to pursue their passions. I am also the co-founder of Ambassador Stories, where our mission is to utilize media to highlight the people, places, and spaces that bring soul to our beloved communities.

I am excited to share my documentary series Soul of Seattle Season 2. It will look closely at entrepreneurs of color and their small businesses in the Southend and Central District neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington. We will hear their stories, their missions and what drive them. As our city booms from technology and land prices skyrocket, it is unfortunately a time of changing demographics in many ways including economically and ethnically for many underserved communities. The project will discuss how entrepreneurs and their businesses are responding, and what advice they have for their peers and individuals who follow.

Our hope is with the support of 4Culture and other local entities our story can inspire other filmmakers and entrepreneurs of color to continue to use their passion to create meaningful content.

Tech Specific is open now! Read the guidelines, join us for a workshop, and apply by September 28.

Saturday, August 19, 12:00—7:00 pm
Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave, Seattle
Free, no registration required

206 Zulu and Hidmo Cypher invite you to Boogie Up the Block, a Central District block party taking place at the historic Washington Hall! This day-long, free block party features various all ages entertainment, music, art, exhibits, food, dance, and a kids corner.

Find information about performers, parking, and more on Facebook.

Sundays, August 6, 13, or 27, 2017
9:00 am—5:00 pm
Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave , Seattle, WA 98122
Tuition: $50 per person. Tuition assistance available for veterans; contact Candice Corey, King County Veterans’ Program at (206) 477-6989 to find out more.

Historic Seattle presents a new opportunity to learn one of the essential skills of historic preservation – window restoration! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the fundamentals of repairing and rebuilding wood windows at Seattle’s historic Washington Hall. Whether you are an experienced wood-worker looking to add a new skill to your repertoire or just interested in the craft, this workshop offers an opportunity to learn from experts. Representatives from Bear Wood Windows, veteran, minority, and woman-owned company, will teach these day-long courses, providing each participant with hands-on, comprehensive knowledge of standard wood framed windows.

Workshops are open to residents of King County, with scholarship opportunities available for Veterans! Visit Historic Seattle online for more details.

This program is sponsored by 4Culture, and presented in partnership with Earthwise, Seattle Public Utilities, King County Veterans Program, Washington Hall, Bear Wood Windows, and Colorado Steel Sash.

4Culture is proud to help fund the upcoming annual convening of Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), which is headed to Seattle for its first national event in the Pacific Northwest! Here, the NET team shares a bit about what to expect:

Founded in the mid-1990s by a small group of ensemble theaters, NET has grown into a vibrant national community of over 350 ensembles, affiliate organizations, individuals, and students from multiple performance disciplines. Current NET members from the Seattle area include Akropolis Performance Lab, Fantastic.Z Theatre, Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders, The Satori Group, theater simple, and UMO Ensemble.

In partnership with our local host, University of Washington School of Drama, Past Forward: 2017 NET National Gathering and Symposium will bring together NET members, artists, co-creators, practitioners, educators, scholars, students, activists, organizers, funders, policy-makers, and others from around the country with an interest in collaborative creation across disciplines and sectors. We invite you to join us June 22—25 for a jam-packed weekend of workshops, panels, performances, off-site outings, parties, networking, and more.

To celebrate NET’s past 20 years of expanding ensemble practice, Past Forward will honor the diversity of the ensemble movement’s powerful legacy and collectively imagine our way to what’s next. Topics include:

• Artistic lineage and legacy in the ensemble movement.
• Resonance between Indigenous knowledge and cultures and ensemble-based approaches.
• Enhanced storytelling through immersive media and emerging technologies.
• Art and community collaborations addressing xenophobia and building empathy.
• Collaborative practice and collective action in movement and network building.

Of special interest to locals, we are offering three pre-conference sessions on Thursday, June 22, and a limited number of partially-subsidized registrations for attendees from within King County, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, and for more information, please visit our website!

Event details:
What: Past Forward: 2017 NET National Gathering and Symposium
When: June 22—25, 2017
Where: University of Washington School of Drama, and other locations around Seattle Center and the International District

Past Forward is made possible, in part, through the support and participation of: Host Partner (University of Washington School of Drama), Event Sponsors (National Endowment for the Arts, 4 Culture), and Community Partners (Artist Trust, Cornish College of the Arts, On the Boards, and Seattle Office of Arts & Culture).