Interested in being a part of the grant-making process? On-Site Reviewers go to events presented by arts and heritage organizations funded by or applying for our Sustained Support grants—orchestras, theaters, dance groups, galleries, choruses, festivals, museums, and more. They then write up short reviews of their experience, which are given to the panels that determine funding, providing a patron’s-eye-view of each organization.

We are seeking artists, arts and heritage administrators, and informed community members who are comfortable evaluating arts and heritage events and who are able to articulate their opinions clearly in written form. You must have some verifiable background in an artistic discipline or heritage/ preservation activity, or you must be able to demonstrate your knowledge and experience in some other way. If you work or volunteer for an organization that receives 4Culture funding you can apply, though you won’t be asked to review organizations where there is a conflict of interest. You must be able to discuss the substance of events beyond a “thumbs-up, thumbs-down” response. Because grant panel members may be reading applications from more than 350 organizations, it’s crucial that On-Site Reviews be both thoughtful and concise.

On-Site Reviews will be conducted between May 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. During the spring and fall, when arts activity is heavier, On-Site Reviewers could possibly attend 3-4 events in a month, but more often will attend 1-2 events per month. 4Culture funds organizations throughout King County; ability and willingness to travel to suburban and rural communities is a plus! On-Site Reviewers receive 2 tickets to each event they review and are paid $40 per review, although we regret that we are unable to pay for travel expenses, with the exception of ferry costs.

Applications are due Wednesday, April 24, 2019 by 5:00 pm PDT. Please submit the following via email to Bret Fetzer at with “On-Site Review Applicant” in the subject line:

1. One page with your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, along with a short (200-500 word) review of an event you’ve recently attended.
2. A resume indicating your experience with arts or heritage activity. If your experience is non-professional or doesn’t fit a resume format, please write a short statement describing your experience and what art forms or heritage activities you’d be comfortable reviewing.

If you have any questions before you apply, please contact Bret Fetzer at the email address above or at 206-263-1599. Download this call as a PDF.

The Washington Museum Association represents museums of all types and sizes throughout Washington state and offers an annual conference for peer-to-peer learning, networking, and idea exchange. This year’s conference is happening June 19 to 21 at Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. The theme is “All Stories Are Told Here,” and we’re excited to offer $500 stipends!

Stipends are available to King County residents who are a staff member, volunteer, or board member of a heritage organization located in King County. The stipends may be used for conference registration, travel, and lodging costs. After the conference, we’ll ask you to write a brief statement about your experience.

To apply, please submit a letter of interest via email to Heritage Support Specialist Megumi Nagata at by May 1, at 5:00 pm. The letter should be no longer than one page and should include the following:

1. Your contact information (name, daytime phone number, mailing and email addresses).
2. Itemized budget for your conference attendance.
3. Your current status with a King County heritage museum or organization.
4. Please share how your conference participation will impact your career, your affiliated institution, and the heritage field. How will you utilize the information, connections, and inspirations you gain from attending the conference for your professional goals, your institution, and/or future of the heritage field?

Please include “WaMA 2019 Attendee Stipend” in the subject line of your submission email. 4Culture staff will review and select applications, and will notify all applicants by May 6, 2019. Please contact Megumi with any questions. See you in Spokane!

Our Sustained Support grant program offers unrestricted funding every two years—it helps culture thrive in our region by keeping the lights on at King County cultural organizations, and it’s growing! For the 2019-2020 cycle, we’re proud to be awarding more than $2.5 million to 447 organizations, and especially excited that 88 applicants were brand new to the program.

With this many organizations participating, you probably know and love many of them. Sustained Support funds museums, art centers, symphonies, theaters, and more, as well as city governments that offer arts programming or do preservation work. Visit our Past Grants page to see the full lists of this cycle’s recipients in Arts, Heritage, and Preservation.

Congratulations to all of the 2019-2020 Sustained Support recipients!

In 2015, we partnered with Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Council to invest a historic $28 million in our region’s cultural infrastructure. Now, almost four years later, we continue to see the results of that investment as more and more of these major renovations and building projects are completed. The latest is the Sunset Garage in North Bend!

The Sunset Garage sits prominently at the corner of North Bend Way and Bendigo Boulevard South. It has evolved with the times—originally a livery stable, it provided car sales, repair services, and gasoline for travelers as the Sunset Highway became an east-west thoroughfare in the 1930s. Although many of the building’s original 1929 Art Deco features remained intact, they were covered by a facade of concrete and plate glass sometime in the 1960s. The primary corner of the garage sustained multiple collisions over the years, resulting in the building being labeled “the eyesore of the decade.”

Rehabilitating the Sunset Garage was a priority for both its owner and the City of North Bend. Now, thanks to their dedication and Building for Culture funds, the Garage has been restored to its historic appearance. The concrete exterior facade was completely demolished, and the storefront was framed, sealed, and textured with stucco in the blue color pictured above. New custom windows, front door, and upper awnings with Spanish tile roofing were added. Underneath the new second floor overhang, LED lights were installed to provide night-time illumination.

The restored Sunset Garage serves as a tangible, visible link to North Bend’s past, while also making way for its future.

After more than 30 years as a historical society without a permanent physical location, the Highline Heritage Museum is opening its very own doors this summer! We’re proud to support the project through several grants, and excited to offer this sneak peek from the museum’s Executive Director Nancy Salguero McKay:

We are the Highline Heritage Museum! We capture the stories of the Highline region, and bridge the years from the earliest of times, to the newest immigrant stories. History and heritage are a personal matter to everyone. We believe that exploring everyone’s heritage allows us to experience a personal journey that enriches us as a community.

The Highline Heritage Museum is opening its doors in June 2019, but this organization was founded in 1994 as the Burien Heritage Society and later as the Highline Historical Society. We are a new museum, but we have been preserving stories, collecting artifacts, installing exhibits and providing programs for a very long time under the leadership of Cyndi Upthegrove.

As we are transitioning leadership, we are starting a new chapter by opening our doors. We are very motivated to provide a vibrant community museum and authentic social gathering place. It truly takes a village to raise a museum, from inspiring and fiercely dedicated volunteers, to donors, to board members, funding support from various sources and amazing partnerships co-curating all the exhibits. Despite the challenges, our eagerness to build a stronger and more connected community is our daily inspiration. This museum is from the community to the community!

Our passion is for our visitors to have access to a broad spectrum of information sources and cultural perspectives. We envision ourselves sitting at a round table where no one is the leader and stories are heard respectfully, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, disabilities or ethnicity. We want our stories to spark discussions and to share differences and similarities. We are creating a place where visitors can connect with the stories and with each other.

Just like history itself, our Heritage department has been in a state of flux this past year! Brian Carter became our Executive Director in August, leaving his former position of Heritage Lead open. We were thrilled to have Chieko Phillips, formerly the Heritage Support Specialist, head up the department in the fall. Now, we welcome Megumi Nagata into Chieko’s vacated position!

Megumi is passionate about history and culture, especially those of underrepresented communities. She holds a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Lewis and Clark College and an M.A. in Museology from the University of Washington. Prior to joining 4Culture, Megumi worked and interned at various organizations in the area, including the Museum of Flight, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Renton History Museum, and Pacific Science Center. She has experiences in education and programming in museums, as well as conducting audience research projects. She is looking forward to supporting  the organizations and individuals working in the King County Heritage field.

Chieko—a self-described history nerd—brings an impressive background to this leadership role. Before joining 4Culture in 2016, she served as Executive Director at BlackPast.org and Public Program Curator at the Photographic Center NW. Chieko has helped grow our Heritage funding program—in 2018, the department supported 87 unique organizations and individuals from across all districts of King County. Our 2019 Heritage grant deadlines are set and Chieko and Megumi are gearing up for more growth, with plans to expand our T.I.P.S. programming and services in the works this year. Look for them out and about in King County!

We are honored to announce the recipients of our Arc Artist Fellowship!

The 2019 Fellows are:
Sadiqua Iman, Interdisciplinary Artist
Anis Gisele, Literary Artist
Jesse Higman, Visual Artist
Nic Masangkay, Performing Artist
Jake Prendez, Visual Artist

The Arc Artist Fellowship provides critical—but rare—unrestricted awards of $12,000 to artists residing in King County. In the program’s second year, we received 92 eligible applications, making the selection of our five fellows extremely competitive.

Our Executive Director Brian Carter says, “The Arc Artist Fellowship demonstrates 4Culture’s commitment to being responsive to what artists need. By acknowledging the forces that result in uneven access to culture, we are working to dismantle entrenched and inequitable barriers to making art. Congratulations to the 2019 Arc Artist Fellows!”

Each year, a new cohort of Arc Fellows is selected, with an eligibility requirement that changes annually. This year, Arc was open to artists who identify as trans, non-binary, neurodivergent, or as physically, developmentally, behaviorally/emotionally, and/or intellectually disabled. Arc Fellows will assist in determining the Arc Eligibility Requirement for next year’s fellowship, participate in a public presentation organized by 4Culture, and help with planning and community engagement for the 2020 program.

Marketing support has been identified as a top priority for today’s working artist. In addition to funding, Arc also provides each Fellow with a page on the 4Culture website to use for promotional purposes, featuring a description of their work, biography, and images. Check back soon to explore the 2019 Fellows’ pages!

Congratulations to Sadiqua, Anis, Jesse, Nic, and Jake! Stay tuned to learn more about the 2019 Arc Fellows and how you can connect with their work.

Did you know that King County has an art collection? We’re proud to be its caretakers, and thrilled to announce that it just got bigger!

Of the more than 2,300 works in the collection, about 1,700 are considered “portable.” This means they can be easily moved and installed in publicly accessible areas of county facilities. Last summer, we put out a call for photographs and works on paper—drawings, paintings, prints, mixed media, and more. It was our first opportunity to purchase new portable art for the collection since 2013, and over 300 artists responded. A panel of arts professionals and county representatives reviewed the submissions, and in late 2018 we acquired 82 original artworks by the following artists:

Formally accessioned, framed, and accompanied by interpretive text, the pieces are now ready to install. Collection Curator Jordan Howland and Preparator Guy Merrill are busy helping King County staff select new work to enliven their spaces.

We thank everyone who applied for this opportunity, and welcome these incredible artists into the King County Public Art Collection!

The King County Council has created a Task Force to evaluate 4Culture through an equity and social justice lens. In the coming weeks, the Task Force invites you to give feedback and engage in dialogue with its members at a series of community input sessions:

Saturday, January 26 
10:00 am–12:00 pm
Kent Senior Activity Center

*CANCELED DUE TO SNOW* Wednesday, February 13
7:00–9:00 pm
Kenmore Community Club

*CANCELED DUE TO SNOW* Saturday, February 16
10:00 am–12:00 pm
Snoqualmie City Council Chambers

UPDATE: SESSIONS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED:

Saturday, March 9
10:00 am–12:00 pm
Third Place Commons

Tuesday, March 12
7:00–9:00 pm
Snoqualmie City Council Chambers

Please contact Calli Knight at with any questions.

Last year, a Yale study found that Latinx communities are especially ready to take action on climate change. Inspired by this collective will, and committed to growing our practices in equity and inclusion, we partnered with King County Water and Land Resources Division’s Stormwater Services Section to creatively engage local Latinx communities. We invited Spanish-speaking artists to apply for a new role in the Stormwater Section: Artist in Residence. This month, we’re thrilled to announce that Hernan Paganini was awarded this unique commission and has already begun work centering art in fostering dialogue and environmental change.

But first: what is stormwater? In forests, fields, and wetlands, rain water seeps into the ground and gets filtered naturally. However, in urban environments, rain water falls on hard surfaces and collects pollutants—this is stormwater. The polluted water eventually ends up in the Puget Sound, and while we may not realize it, most of us contribute to it every day.

In the coming year, Hernan will work closely with 4Culture, Stormwater Section staff, and King County Latinx communities to raise awareness and offer insights about stormwater. “We are delighted to welcome Hernan as our first community-focused Artist in Residence,” says Tamar Benzikry, 4Culture’s Senior Public Art Manager. “As the grandson of Argentinian farmers and builders, Hernan brings a love of earth and craft to all that he does. The son of an engineer and school teacher, he also brings passion for both science and education. And as a sculptor and collage artist, he combines the lessons of generations before him to craft community-based artworks—all over the world, and now in King County.”

Born in Zárate, Argentina, Hernan studied and taught Graphic Design at the Buenos Aires University. He has participated in international Artist Residencies and exhibited works at multiple art fairs, biennales and shows around the world. In 2012, he launched a nomadic school workshop called Viaje en Barco. The project ran for five years across institutions in Latin America and Europe, and engaged both children and adults in art making and the natural environment. After completing an Artist Residency at Facebook in the end of 2017, Hernan moved to Seattle and we’re proud that this residency is one of his first projects in King County!

Over the coming months, Hernan will visit stormwater-related work sites all over King County and spend time in his new county cubicle. His goals: learn as much as possible, collaborate and strategize with Section staff, and ultimately produce art experiences with Latinx communities that will help us all better understand Stormwater and runoff, and what we can do to help.

Reflecting on his career, Hernan says that, “The gestures inside my work put into the light three simple facts: nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect.” As Latinx communities take a leading role in caring for our changing environment, Hernan’s artistic vision will be vital on a local level and beyond. Check back here and on social media to follow along and get involved!

We are proud to have awarded a grant to the Black Heritage Society of Washington State (BHS) to preserve the legacy of Edwin T. Pratt, Seattle’s renown civil rights leader. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of his assassination, BHS shares how they are putting these funds to work:

The Pratt Legacy Collection includes photos, documents, and artifacts providing a personal glimpse into Edwin T. Pratt’s life and times that represent defining moments of national importance and Seattle’s 1960’s civil rights movement. The collection is a resource that is managed as a public asset by BHS at its Museum of History & Industry partner repository in Georgetown. A major component of the grant funds the digitization of the Pratt Legacy Collection in order to allow easy access for research and historic interest.

Pratt was executive director of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle throughout the turbulent sixties. He played a significant role in the Northwest campaigns for equal housing, employment, racially neutral policing, and school desegregation. His daughter Miriam K. Pratt donated the collection to ensure her father’s work is remembered.

On January 26, the City of Shoreline, supported by BHS, kicks off a series of Pratt commemorative events with an exhibition entitled “Living the Dream, Dreaming the Life” to celebrate Pratt’s legacy and stimulate creative thinking about civil rights in the community Pratt integrated in 1959. The exhibition will run January 26 – April 26, 2019 at Shoreline City Hall. Emerging and established artists are invited to submit artwork that responds to photographs and documents selected from the Pratt Legacy Collection. The deadline for submittals is January 15, 2019; read the full Artist Call, as well as source material on Pratt.

“The Pratt Legacy Collection is significant and fits squarely within the mission of the Black Heritage Society of Washington State,” says BHS President Stephanie Johnson-Toliver. “We are dedicated to the acquisition, preservation and exhibition of materials relating to the history and culture of African-Americans. We very much appreciate support from King County 4Culture. A Call for Art by the City of Shoreline where Pratt lived his last days is a fitting tribute to honor his legacy.”

In addition to preservation of the Pratt materials, the 4Culture grant supports involvement by BHS for a photo exhibit at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral on February 2, 2019. The Episcopal church, local civil rights leaders, and community choirs will celebrate Edwin T. Pratt at 2:00 pm. Next year, BHS will pursue funding to create an online history of Pratt and aligned retrospective of Seattle’s civil rights movement in the sixties.

Monday–Friday, December 17–21, 2018
9:00 am–5:00 pm

The gateway to Downtown Seattle is now a world-class art destination! The SODO Track has transformed 2-miles of industrial buildings into the world’s longest street art corridor, featuring work by over 60 artists.

For one week, limited edition fine art prints by a selection of SODO Track artists will be on view and available for purchase at Gallery 4Culture. Documentary photographs of artists at work will also be on view.

This is your opportunity to collect art and support the SODO Track! 50% of sales go directly to the artists, the other 50% goes back into the project. Also available: SODO Track tees and pins.

Can’t make it into the gallery? Check out our online shop!

Prints by: Angelina Villalobos (Seattle), Baso Fibonacci (Seattle), Brian Sanchez (Seattle), Celeste Byers (San Diego), Christopher Derek Bruno (Seattle), Cyrcle (Los Angeles), Damien Gilley (Portland), Elliot Routledge (Sydney, Australia), Evah Fan (Los Angeles), Jeremy Nichols (Portland), Jesse Brown (Seattle), Mary Iverson (Seattle), Paola Delfin (Mexico City, Mexico), Saddo (Bucharest, Romania), Spencer Keeton Cunningham (Portland), Tant (Haifa, Israel), Zach Yarrington (Portland).

Photos by @wiseknave and @akoorisphoto.

Produced by 4Culture, the SODO Track is curated by Gage Hamilton and led by Tamar Benzikry with support from the SODO BIA, King County Metro and Sound Transit, Urban ArtWorks and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

The Tolt Historical Society is settling into a beautiful new home just in time for the holiday season! After relocating from Carnation Farms in July, the Society and its collection now occupy the historic Hjertoos House, just south of Carnation. The Hjertoos House is a large, late-Victorian farmhouse with a prominent dairy barn, and a King County Historical Landmark. It is situated on the Carnation Tree Farm, which is on the National Register of Historic places.

The Tolt Historical Society invites you to help them celebrate their first winter in their new home! “We are decorating the house with as many Christmas decorations as we have in the collection,” shared a member of the Tolt Historical Society. The house will be open from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Thursday through Sunday. This coincides with the Tree Farm’s last open weekend for the season—they will be open 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Spend the day exploring the Hjertoos House, learning about the area’s history, and enjoying the Farm festivities—then head home with a tree!

We’re proud to help fund the Tolt Historical Society through our Heritage Sustained Support grant. Learn more about their mission to preserve and interpret the history of the Carnation area on their website.

As a public agency, it’s 4Culture’s job to make sure that all King County residents can access our resources and see themselves in the work we do. Deep inequities—especially related to race and geography—persist in our county and world. Too often, they prevent us from reaching all the people and communities we need to serve.

This is why we’re making the critical step of collecting demographic data.

When you log in to our application portal, a demographic update is part of your account profile. You should complete this before you apply for a grant or artist call year. We’re asking organizations to provide demographic information for their staff and boards. We know this may be a challenge—when you log in you’ll find materials to help you as you collect this data.

We also know that providing this data is riskier for people and communities who have historically been persecuted for how they identify. The security of your data is our priority. All 4Culture staff are trained on our data governance policy, and we will never share your information without your consent. A few other important things to know are:

• Your demographic information will not affect your application or funding—we never share it with panelists.
• 4Culture staff will see combined data, not specific answers attached to your name. We can see whether you have submitted a demographic update, but we cannot access its contents.
• These updates are critical in helping us improve. However, you do have the option of selecting “Decline to Answer” for any of the questions.
• We store your data in our secure database—not on workstations or mobile devices.

We’re excited about what this data will allow us to do! As we learn more about who we fund, support, and partner with, we’ll be able to better focus our work. We’ll also be able to better understand King County culture as it evolves. We’re grateful to all our applicants for providing this information—thank you for helping us improve!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Bart J. Cannon by email at  or by phone at (206) 263-1584.

We’re thrilled to share exciting news from our Public Art department! Please join us in welcoming Selina Hunstiger and Andy Le.

Selina Hunstiger takes on the role of Project Manager. With degrees in Photography, Cultural Anthropology, Restoration Ecology, and Landscape Architecture, she brings an impressive and diverse background to the team. She puts this to work in her own creative practice, too. Through projects like Coming Soon and the Earthworks Bicycle Tour, she explores culture and place. Prior to 4Culture, Selina worked at Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, and served on our Public Art Advisory Committee.

Andy Le joins us as Public Art Program Assistant. Andy has worked in the arts for the past 5 years, which included time with the Henry Art Gallery. He is passionate about race and equity, and helped launch the CORAI Project, supporting people researching the art histories of marginalized groups. Andy holds degrees in both Studio Art and Art History.

The next time you visit 4Culture, say hi to Selina and Andy!