In September we welcomed Laura Elizabeth Becker as Senior Project Manager in our Public Art Department. Laura has been a champion for arts and culture for nearly 20 years, producing public art projects in Seattle, Spokane, Santa Monica, Beaverton, and more—so we weren’t surprised when she opted to introduce herself via some of the artists she’s partnered with.

We asked Deborah Ascheim, Ellen Picken, and Juan Alonso-Rodriguez—all artists who have created work for a project managed by Laura—to share something about our new colleague. Advising that, “the artists that get to work with her will understand what I mean,” Juan says, “…she helped me navigate through a project that at times I felt I wanted to give up on, but with her assistance and ability to push forward, I was able to visualize and see the project through to a glorious end result.” Ellen echoed this sentiment, saying, “…she inspires the introvert to be bold, ignites enthusiasm and participation among the community, and will even get messy installing the artwork with the artist. She’s got your back.” According to Deborah, she brings a “forward-looking and inclusive approach” to her projects: “Laura is incredibly thoughtful about public art, what it is, what it could be, and who it is for.”

Laura even drew on an artist partnership when it came time to select an image for this post—see her portrait by Kelly Bjork! It’s clear that Laura has an impact on the arts wherever she goes, and we’re so excited about what’s to come here at 4Culture. Say hello next time you’re at our Pioneer Square offices, and watch for Laura doing work all over King County.

It’s been a bittersweet month at 4Culture! After 20 years managing our funding programs Deputy Director Deb Twersky retired, leaving an incredible legacy of compassionate and expert support for cultural organizations in King County. Stepping into the role is Joshua Heim, who comes to us from the City of Bellevue’s Arts Program and Community Development Department. In the midst of reviewing budgets and project files as they passed the baton, the two sat down for a conversation to look back as well as forward. The edited transcript is below:

Joshua Heim: Deb!

Deb Twersky: Josh!

JH: Hey, you’ve been working here for a long time. In arts and culture, probably even longer.

DT: Yeah!

JH: So what’s changed and what’s stayed the same all these years?

DT: When I started working, I thought I would be working in museums. That’s where I worked first, and at that time, the museum world was 100% male and white, and museum leaders were making a transition from being very wealthy people who had these collections that turned into museums. And it wasn’t really even a legitimate line of business. It wasn’t something you went to school for, you just became the museum director. It was this sort of rarefied atmosphere. So that part of working in this field is just fundamentally revolutionized, right? Completely changed. The workforce has changed. The nature of this as a business. Think about the value of the U.W. Museology program, or the Seattle U Arts Leadership Program. There was no such thing at that time. It’s fundamentally shifted the kind of people in the field. The kind of things we aspire to.

So what hasn’t changed at all is the arts at the center of it, the artists. The creative people, the writers, the historians who want to change the status quo and want to use their voice, their vision to make the world a different place. And this overwhelming and overriding sense of culture as being a thing that binds us together, and that lets us imagine each other’s worlds. That was always at the center of it. It might have been at the center of it for those guys who are opening their family’s mansion and collected stuff, but it certainly has been the one throughline for me in our work.

Think about 4Culture and King County 10 years from now. You have such great insight into it from different places physically, different places in the county, different roles. Where do you see it going?

JH: Yeah, so I think about this question a lot. I had this idea—and I hope King County can lean into it—which is to be the country’s first equitable cultural system. A cultural system that would deliver cultural opportunities and experiences to people where they are. Think about the library system, right? And how we as a society are endeared to them and rely on them, in particular here in King County, I think. It serves as a really interesting model, because they blur the lines of literacy, basic needs, and community in ways that I think are super exciting. So for instance, in King County, in the county library system, you can find a seed bank. You can find a tool library. You can go to a maker space.

DT: I think King County libraries are in the vanguard of providing social services as well. Having trained social workers as they do in San Francisco actually taking that step and working with people and saying, “You’re at home here, you’re welcome here.” Yeah, it’s an incredible system.

JH: It’s really interesting and I think with 4Culture’s new focus on racial equity, to me, this notion of a cultural system just seems like the natural end—when you take access and equity to its radical ends as applied to the cultural sector. That’s what I think about. Of course, we famously can’t think about tomorrow. It’s almost sci-fi. But in 10 years I would love to see that. There’s also another project that has been in the back of my mind. I’ve never been able to figure out how to do it. I think it’s far deeper and it’s this: I would love to see the end of the starving artist.

DT: Yeah.

JH: You know, before I got into arts and culture, I had a stint in social services and I stepped, very briefly, into the food security world, so: hunger. I directed this coalition of soup kitchens, advocating for their needs, helping them. I take the notion of hunger really seriously, both metaphorically and literally, and why I think this is so pernicious is that it gives people permission to devalue other people, other human beings. I can’t see a world where arts and culture fully step into their power, and fully step into their potential, if at our core, our society continually devalues us.

DT: I agree. When you’ve had that said to you—”But you love your work, you don’t need to be paid for it.”

JH: Yeah. It’s a way of perpetuating oppression, right? And I don’t know how much of that ties to the creative economy, to creative workers being paid. Because the folks who are doing orchestral scores for video games are finding themselves propelled into a different world, because they are artists who are no longer poor. They’re in a creative economy that here, in this place, works in ways it doesn’t in other places.

DT: So I know folks whose kids graduated in music and are now working in that field. It’s a different vision than they had of their lives as symphony musicians, you know what I mean?

JH: I understand what you’re saying because having been in Redmond and Bellevue for eight years, right? The center of the gaming industry in the region, and these conversations about the creative economy. What’s going to bridge us? What’s going to be a bridge for today’s parents to really give support to their creative children? Right now, I know a lot of parents who would say to their child, “Yes, if you want to be an artist, that’s great.” And then bite their nails, right? You know, after they tuck them in at night go, “Oh my god, what are we going to do?”

DT: “Stem, not steam!”

JH: [laughs] Yeah, “Please take math.” If the gaming industry is a way to bridge these parents into seeing arts and culture less as a threat and as a dead end, and more as a potential and as a life choice, great. The next five years, the next 10 years, let’s do it. You know, let’s use that bridge and once we get there, what’s the next bridge? How do we climb ourselves out of this perpetual marginalization? I always say, “If you can’t do it here, then where?”

DT: Ten years ahead, where do you see the communities in King County? Will everybody have been pushed out of Seattle? Will all the cultural communities be in the suburbs?

JH: Well if you look at demographic trends, there’s two things going on. There’s what you’re saying, but what we’re also seeing are new immigrant communities who are establishing themselves in suburban communities. In Bellevue, we knew that something like 85% of the overall population growth was due to foreign-born residents moving there. What I love to remind people is that it’s our suburbs that are actually the center for communities of color. They’re growing. So this idea that the inner city is a location of need, and intervention—

DT: —it’s a, “Yes, and…” for sure.

JH: Yep. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. So, you and I are about to head into your last 4Culture board meeting. And my first as Deputy Director! What advice are you going to give your board members and 4Culture leadership as you depart?

DT: It is so hard to bring together a group of people who are selected because they have passion and interest in an area, and then say to them, “Take the big view. Stand above all of that. Stand above your passion, and look at the whole of 4Culture.” I always believed and I continue to believe that the four pieces of 4Culture are remarkable and offer so much opportunity for partnering and for working together, and for community-building. So I think for the board members, that willingness to move past where they are to be in this room of a whole, and look at the entire county is going to be critical. It’s been a great joy for me. So that’s what I hope going forward.

JH: In that framework of seeing the whole, what’s the biggest opportunity that you don’t want us to lose sight of?

DT: I think intentionality in funding. Seizing, in some way, the ability to be intentional and invest. Not to wait for the perfect project or the perfect time but to be able to say, “We’re going to make this intentional mark here. We’re going to try this new program.” I mean, the great thing about 4Culture’s always been, “You want to try something? Try it.” There’s been a general open door policy. Now, maybe you have to do it on a shoe string, but you can try it. The most important new thing for me would be to pick some places and do intentional investments in them.

JH: What’s the unfinished project that sadly you’re leaving behind? Or the project that you always wanted to do?

DT: To really get serious about access for disabled communities in cultural spaces all over, and really support that. I feel like I’ve started that in some ways, you know? We got the hearing loop initiative going. I want to see that move ahead.

What inspired you to start a career in arts and culture?

JH: I think fundamentally I believe culture is the original basic need. And you know, I’m talking culture with a big “C.” Language, identity—

DT: —community.

JH: —community. Society. Meaning without those things, we don’t exist. Just fundamentally. I’m going to put that on the table. And I came into that awareness, right? I was a drama club kid, and I danced hula. I’m from Hawaii. I went to an arts conservatory that was trying to feed us into BFA programs and at the same time, I’m doing hula, which we would label as a folk art. Which they practice in the elementary school that my mother taught at in a portable starting a 7:00 pm, flickering lights. That was just sort of how I grew up.

DT: A kind of bifurcated experience there?

JH: That’s right. So what’s the commonality? Well, we were both marginalized. In theater, we were marginalized for being creative and for having new ideas, just for being out there. And in the hula world, they were marginalized for being who they were, Native Hawaiians and the history of colonialism. I was dealt these two identities that are both marginalized, but all that I see are just completely compelling and legitimate ways to live your life, and earn a living. So what inspired me to get into this is that I can be close to the ideas. I can be close to artists. The things that continually inspire me are when I actually see a proposal—whether it’s a project proposal or just having coffee and hearing, “Hey, I have this idea for a project in my neighborhood and that lights me up.” That’s what keeps me in the game, that’s what it’s about for me.

DT: Yeah, I felt like I had something—when I sat with the artists that I knew, I had something that I could help with. I could read a spreadsheet. I could apply for that grant for them. I could figure out how to get a space and rent it, and get people in the door. That was the passion for being on this end of it, for me. I mean, I have been so privileged here to have people share their dreams with me. That’s what people are doing all day is coming in and saying, “I have this idea. I think we can do this. Maybe it’s crazy.” Being able to be that cheerleader. I’m not the person that’s going to implement the project, they are. But if I can make it easier, if I can be their supporter—not necessarily always with dollars. We have long term relationships. We’re not funding the entire world—we’re here. We’re part of this community. So yeah, I agree with you. That’s the passion for me as well.

What would you say is the biggest challenge for people just coming into this field now?

JH: I think it’s scale. I say scale, because it’s always dogged me. Throughout my career, if I had an idea or the community had an idea or the artists had this idea—we would try it. We would pilot it. We would do a mini version of it. So many of the them never grew, right? It’s a resource issue, partly, but problems today are complex. They are interrelated. They are dynamic in ways that forced me to climb really high altitudes to get perspective, and then have to turn around and dive really deep. You know? Painting eight foot tall golden eggs on the weekend.

DT: Washing the dishes after the event.

JH: Scooping poop. I have scooped poop in a downtown park.

DT: For sure. I think as creative people in a building full of creative people, we’re aware ideas are not unusual here. There’s a million incredible ideas out there. The hard thing is really finding that resonance. Maybe for me, that’s why, again, those four branches of 4Culture are so important. When I see things that bring different pieces and communities together, then it starts to really resonate for me. I think, “That’s got legs.” Some partners might change, but there’s enough strength there in the unity of those things that doesn’t exist in them separately that could allow this to continue. I feel like some of the long term projects where I really feel that 4Culture’s made a difference—I see that it’s those kind of projects.

JH: What I just heard in that is: working through lenses of coalition, of interconnectivity. Going back to the whole starving artists stereotype—I think that is actually related to this idea of individuality. Hyper individuality.

DT: Totally—this myth of always needing isolation in order to flourish, right?

JH: I totally agree with you, and then would even maybe amend the whole scale thing. Scaling your idea up means you’ve got to figure out partnerships and collaboration.

DT: Yeah. It’s long work, and I think some of the great things that have happened here did that. I was thinking about what projects we’ve supported over the years. I was thinking of being at Mukai Gardens for the first Japanese festival last year. I just hadn’t kept up with their progress, I lost track for about six months what was happening and I got there—I couldn’t get anywhere close to park and I was walking on a lane where a barbed wire fence had been. And I realized the gate was open and everything hit me and I just burst into tears. The people in that community brought artists and historians and Parks and Rec people to the table. And it’s there. It’s happening now. There is an incredible satisfaction in just being a tiny piece of that through the years.

JH: You know, one thing I would say, having interfaced with 4Culture from the outside for eight years is that you’re the conveners, you connect people. Right? You lead with the yes and you want to see things happen.

DT: Absolutely. The danger in being the funder is you’re not on the ground anymore. You’ve got to still be boots in the field—to be really close to organizations that are producing projects, to remember what it’s like to not make payroll. So I would say to you, push for that.

JH: Thank you.

DT: Maybe you’ll create your own program!

JH: Uh-oh!

“We have lived a few blocks from the store for the last 15 years and have always wanted to see someone give this obvious piece of history the attention it deserves. ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone fixed that up!’ we would say every time we drove by. We eventually thought that maybe that ‘someone’ could be us.”

What better start to a preservation story?

Built in 1931, Sutherland’s Grocery Store sold staples—milk from owner Victor Sutherland’s cows and penny candy—to travelers on the Military Road thoroughfare, adding a filling station in 1934 and a duplex in 1935. The Sutherland family owned and operated the store until 1953 when it was sold and renamed the Lake Geneva Grocery Store; the business sold again in 1984. Despite being designated a King County Landmark in 2002, the property, which is the last hybrid gas-and-grocery store from the early automotive years left in south King County, sat unattended since 2009.

Enter Marty Dickinson, who purchased the property in 2016 with a vision of turning the deteriorating store into a community events space. Since then, three 4Culture grants—two from Preservation Special Projects and one from Landmarks Capital—have helped fund plans for a septic tank and designs for development of the store and duplex. Marty and his family have hit obstacles in getting their septic plans approved, but haven’t let the unforeseen delays stop them from making amazing progress. They have cleared blackberry overgrowth from the site, replaced deteriorated fences, removed more than 30 tons of debris, and completed a topographical survey of the land parcel. Their work, visible from the road that is still a main thoroughfare, has attracted support from neighbors who remember the store, including Victor Sutherland’s granddaughter. Cheer the Dickinsons on and follow their progress on Facebook!

Throughout the process of managing public art funds for the new Children and Family Justice Center, we’ve focused on supporting youth impacted by the facility and the juvenile justice system. Now, as we get closer to the building’s opening later this year, we’re sharing the ways in which the artists commissioned for work at the CFJC are doing the same.

Murals
Five artists were selected to create murals for the detention areas at the facility: Jesse Brown, Sophia Dawson, Blaine Fontana, Haruka Ostley, and Brian Sanchez. They spent the spring and summer developing their designs—each of their creative processes are unique and involved youth in meaningful ways.

Ostley says, “The youth inspired me greatly, so I made sure to give them my all for this collaborative project. What textures are there to bring warmth into the space? What materials can I share that can be special for them? How can I show that they are valued and cared for?” Ostley drew on the strength and unity symbolized by Japanese koi fish in her mural. Each individual fish was designed by a young person in detention—in the mural, they move forward on a journey together.

Dawson also asked the youth questions to form the basis of her mural, located in the visitation room: “We talked about the concept of a ‘visit’, and if we were to sit across the table from someone that we loved what would we do? Where would we be? We all agreed that the mural design should cause visitors to feel that they were in an entirely different environment.”

For Brown, who spent time in the old juvenile detention center during his own youth, “…this was a project that felt important to be involved with.” He led workshops with youth in detention, combining their original writing through the PONGO Teen Writing program with song lyrics and literature to create text-based mural designs.

Alder Street Entrance
Artist Horatio Law will create artwork for the entrance to the campus’ transitional housing on Alder Street, providing access for social service providers and their clients. Law is a Portland-based installation and public artist who focuses on making creative projects with diverse communities—he frequently engages stakeholders in planning and production of the artwork. His projects explore issues of identity, memory, history, and the meaning of community in a global culture.

Portable Works
91 artworks by 40 artists have been purchased for the CFJC’s juvenile court building. These paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper form a special collection that will be displayed in all public access areas, including lobbies, courtrooms, and social service offices. A panel of court-involved and formerly court-involved youth, artists, arts professionals, community stakeholders, and court staff reviewed the applications submitted for this opportunity and selected works that represent a diversity of perspectives. Many of the artists are from the Northwest, while others live and work elsewhere in the United States.

4Culture believes deeply in juvenile justice reform that results in zero youth detention, and that artists can lead the way in enacting this change. Beyond creating art objects, they are culture-bearers, storytellers, and community-builders. Every single artist involved in this project has demonstrated their commitment to change and to uplifting youth. For more information on how we’ve managed public art funds for the CFJC, click here.

The communities of King County have asked challenging questions and advocated tirelessly for zero youth detention. We welcome all questions, comments, and ideas related to art at the CFJC. If you are interested in working with youth in detention, you are invited to contact Karen Kinch, Volunteer Coordinator.

Supported by a 4Culture Art Projects grant, Alice Mao, 17, and Taylor Wang, 15, organized a teen art show. Here they share the inspiration behind it and invite King County to experience the results of their work:

What strikes you when you hear the words “The Modern Youth’s Identity?” We invited teen artists across the country to interpret this theme for our new Student Art Spaces gallery. Over the weekends and between our classes, we’ve been organizing everything from 4Culture grants to shipping of the work. The show will feature the work of 43 artists aged 15–21.

Our mission is to provide teens with an audience and a professional atmosphere. It’s often events like these, early in artists’ careers, that give them confidence and propel them forwards to a path of creativity. Not only will this encourage youth participation in the arts, but it will promote accessibility in an industry that is often perceived as exclusive or elitist.

We’ve been recognized by the Issaquah Reporter as “dedicated to youth outreach and participation in the arts.” Artists from Seattle’s Franklin High School to the Rhode Island School of Design submitted work that reflects the experience and the turmoil of being a young person in 2019. We hope that the unique viewpoints showcased in our gallery will prompt thinking and discussion. Thanks to grants from 4Culture, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and 34 Kickstarter donors, we are able to put on this show.

All 43 artists’ work will be on display at Seattle Artist League, 10219 Aurora Ave, Seattle, WA 98133, from August 31–September 2! Join us on opening night at 6:30–8:30pm. Learn more at studentartspaces.com.

“Country” Marilyn Roney is a 4th generation Duvall resident, still living on her family’s farm homestead, and Vice-President of the Duvall Historical Society. She shared with us about how some of the town’s quirkier history is still being celebrated today.

On Saturday, July 28, the 2nd Annual Uncle Lumpy’s Jug Band Fest took place at the Dougherty Farmstead on Cherry Valley Road. The Amber Lanterns, a six-piece band from the Snoqualmie Valley, performed bluegrass-inspired tunes with guitar, banjo, fiddle, acoustic bass, mandolin, and washboard.

51 years ago, Larry Van Over—also known as Uncle Lumpy—flew over Cherry Valley Road in a helicopter, watching as cars drove toward his property. Local radio station KRAB FM had announced that they would be partnering with the Helix newspaper to drop an upright piano from a helicopter at musician Van Over’s farm, and that rock band Country Joe and the Fish would perform. The Great Piano Drop of 1968 was born. An estimated 3,000 people attended the event—the population of Duvall at that time was 400.

The event’s history survives for a number of reasons. KRAB FM was founded and run by the Jack Straw Foundation, which still operates today as the Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle’s University District. The editor of the now-defunct Helix was none other than beloved local historian and Seattle Times columnist Paul Dorpat. And at the center of efforts to keep this history alive is the Duvall Historical Society, which nurtures and supports the town’s art and culture. They convened and covered a conversation between surviving Piano Drop attendees—including Dorpat—at Jack Straw; read more about it in their recent newsletter! Now, the annual Jug Band Fest honors Uncle Lumpy’s love of music and Duvall.

From the DHS: “The Historical Society’s vision is to preserve, record, publish, and promote appreciation of the history of Duvall, the community pioneers knew as Cherry Valley, and the lower Snoqualmie Valley. We invite you to our regular Open House of the Dougherty House every Sunday, 1:00–4:00 pm, through September 30. We also welcome volunteers! Volunteer opportunities include:

• Docent at the Dougherty House.
• Design and implement exhibits.
• Help clean and maintain our buildings.
• Process and catalog artifacts, books, and archival material.
• Promote Society membership.
• Plan and organize programs on historical topics.
• Assist in meeting public research requests.
• Educational outreach to our local schools to promote the history of Duvall and the Valley.

Thanks to the support of 4Culture and collaboration with the Duvall Cultural Committee we can honor the past, celebrate the present, and provide a legacy for the future of Duvall.”

We’re thrilled to welcome new staff member Claire Miccio into a brand new position here at 4Culture—Government and Community Relations Manager.

The role is designed to strengthen our relationships with policymakers at the local, state, and national levels and help ensure that the communities we serve have a voice in how those policies impact arts and culture. Claire brings broad experience and a fresh perspective: before joining us she worked in public policy, consulting on issues like housing, education, public health, and more. She has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Smith College. At the heart of this impressive background is her love of the legislative process—most of the time!—and her belief that government can and should play a positive role in people’s lives. Claire steps into this new position with an invitation: “Are you a government or community leader looking to connect with 4Culture? Let’s get coffee.”

A note about the photo above: Claire stands in the Third Avenue lobby of the King County Courthouse in Seattle, a building she’ll be spending a lot of time visiting as she collaborates with the King County Executive and Council. On the lobby floor, you can see Truth Crushed to the Earth Will Rise Again, a marble artwork by artist Linda Beaumont. The terrazzo floor is etched with a photo of the March on Washington, celebrating the renaming of King County for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and, quite literally, grounding those entering the courthouse in Dr. King’s ideals. The piece is part of the King County Public Art Collection, which we are proud to steward—this integration of arts, culture, government, and community is a perfect illustration of Claire’s approach to this new position at 4Culture. Let’s get to work!

One of our 4Culture values is to meet communities where they are at as we work on building access to arts and culture. For the youth of King County, this largely means we need to meet them at school—how well are students able to engage with art as part of their education? We recently partnered with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction—OSPI—to learn more, starting with data. Now, we’re proud to share the King County Arts Education Data Dashboard!

This project provides crucial information to education leaders, teachers, families, and community partners about who is participating in arts education in King County’s high schools and who is not. The data shows that students receiving free and reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and students who are English language learners all participate in the arts at lower levels than peers who are not in these categories. Race and ethnicity demographics also show disparities when compared to the student body as a whole.

The arts are not optional enrichment activities. Our state school districts are required to teach and measure students’ progress in this core subject, and the existing requirement of one arts credit for high school graduation was recently increased so that the class of 2019 onwards will be required to have two arts credits on their high school transcript. Futhermore, new opportunities for careers and livelihoods are rapidly emerging in the creative economy. Students who have the opportunity to develop strong creativity and critical thinking skills through arts classes will be ready to take advantage of these opportunities.

Arts requirements for students increase their chances of success later on, yet the Data Dashboard shows where gaps in access exist—this is a starting point for ensuring that all students are empowered to engage with art. Dig into the Data Dashboard and learn more about the project in this FAQ.

The Holocaust Center for Humanity teaches the lessons of the Holocaust, inspiring students of all ages to confront bigotry and indifference, promote human dignity, and take action. In this guest post, Grants Manager and Communications Associate Sydney Dratel shares about the process of enacting change in education:

Founded in 1989, we are a museum and educational resource center that uses the Holocaust as a lens through which to engage and educate our community on issues of discrimination, tolerance, civic engagement, and the difference one person can make. From fall 2018 through spring 2019, the Holocaust Center worked with Washington State Senator Ann Rivers, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to research, draft, and ultimately pass into law bipartisan Holocaust education bill SB5612.

In 1992, three years after our organization’s founding, Holocaust survivors and Holocaust Center staff lobbied for a Washington State Holocaust education mandate. However, the bill that passed was a curriculum recommendation, which did not have a large enough impact on Holocaust education in Washington State. Three decades later, in 2018, Holocaust education was still an issue, and retired teacher Hannelore Tweed—who taught history for 30 years at Camas High School, supplemented with many Holocaust Center resources—approached Senator Ann Rivers about lobbying for stronger Holocaust education legislation in our state.

In October, I traveled to La Center along with our Baral Family Executive Director Dee Simon, a lobbyist, and an employee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle to meet with Senator Ann Rivers about this legislation. In response to this successful meeting, we spent months researching, drafting, writing, and rewriting the language of the bill. We included the teaching of other genocides and crimes against humanity and the stipulation that the Holocaust Center for Humanity would work with OSPI to create guidelines and best practices for these topics. Also added was a clause stating that after two years, the Holocaust Center will make recommendations to the state on the future of Holocaust education in Washington.

After gathering support from dozens of teachers and organizations across the state, a group of Holocaust Center staff traveled to Olympia with Holocaust survivors, members of our Teacher Advisory Board, and a member of our Student Leadership Board to testify in front of the House and Senate Education committees. None of the teachers, students, or survivors had testified in support of legislative bills before, but their passion for this bill helped them brush aside their nerves, and each person gave compelling, personal, and powerful testimony.

We were thrilled to see that SB5612 was widely embraced by senators and representatives, passing unanimously through both education committees. Legislators’ votes were often accompanied by moving remarks by those who had family histories related to World War II and the Holocaust and therefore understood first-hand the importance of Holocaust education. This bill is a huge step towards ensuring that every student in our state has equal access to quality Holocaust education.

Studies show that Holocaust education effectively teaches students about antisemitism, bigotry, and the consequences of indifference. This legislation could not be more timely, as antisemitic incidents are higher than they’ve been in almost 20 years: 2017 showed a 60% increase in antisemitic events, a staggering 32% increase in hate crimes in Washington State, and K-12 schools have been reporting disturbing increases in hate-based incidents. At the Holocaust Center for Humanity, we use Holocaust education as a powerful tool to dismantle hate and inspire action, and we know that SB5612 will aid us in carrying out our mission and reaching even more students across Washington State.

Did you know that May is Preservation Month? Since 1973, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has led the country in celebrating the people and organizations who advocate for our historic sites. And while the National Trust shared lots of ways you can celebrate, we’re joining in the festivities the best way we know how: by putting the spotlight on a King County historic site.

The View Crest apartment building in Seattle’s Queen Anne is a great example of the mid-century modern style that characterizes the neighborhood. Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca—designer of Seattle’s Coliseum, Orpheum, Paramount, and Admiral theaters—it is now owned by a cooperative. This year, they received 4Culture funding through our Preservation Special Projects grant to hire a consultant to develop a historic structures report, which will help guide their preservation efforts. With information like the building’s historic significance and structural integrity recorded and recommendations for rehabilitation materials and techniques included, the report will be a powerful tool for the View Crest cooperative. They plan to submit a City of Seattle Landmark Nomination as the report is completed.

So, why highlight this site for Preservation Month? The View Crest building is not ornate or even particularly old—it doesn’t fit the profile of a property you might usually think of as “historic.” In fact, this is exactly why we are excited to share its story! It’s a property with historic significance that is still very much a part of the current-day fabric of Seattle. In their grant application, the cooperative state that the building residents are “middle-class wage earners such as teachers, nurses, and administrators in the health industry, as well as fine artists, writers, and designers that otherwise would be unable to live in the neighborhood.” As our region grapples with population increase and rapid development, too often the conversation forces us to choose between preserving historic buildings and creating enough affordable housing. The View Crest is a great reminder that we can actually have both, if we are creative and inclusive in our approach to preservation.

Happy Preservation Month from 4Culture!

With great enthusiasm, we share 4Culture’s new mission, vision, and values with you! Read them on our website.

To arrive at this point, our staff, Board of Directors, Advisory Committee members, and community stakeholders spent six months critically examining our organization’s ecosystem: who we are, what we do, and how we can support the myriad individuals and institutions that make our region so vibrant.

It was essential that our mission, vision, and values articulate the core beliefs that underpin our responsibilities toward King County’s cultural community. These new institutional guideposts recognize the complex web of systems that have historically privileged particular communities over others. This understanding of privilege demands a reckoning with the forces of oppression—racism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, ageism, regionalism, classism, and more.

Our mission statement deliberately focuses on racial equity to affirm this understanding. More importantly, it provides 4Culture with the tools necessary to dismantle all oppressions. It prompts us to continually review and refine our internal policies, operations, and efforts toward the removal of entrenched barriers to inclusion. To date, this work has included the creation of an internal Racial Equity Team, a year-long training program for staff, Board, and Advisory Committees focused on racial equity, and the creation of programs like Community 4Culture, the Arc Artist Fellowship, Artists Up, and Creative Justice. Now, it also includes this new mission, vision, and values statement.

You will notice that in both our mission and vision, we use the term “culture.” This was a purposeful decision, not to deprioritize our four program areas—Public Art, Preservation, Heritage and Arts—but rather to embrace the intersections between them. The brilliance and creativity of the cultural sector means that it is fluid, constantly unfolding, and frequently realigns based on need and circumstance. We believe our new mission, vision, and values strongly position 4Culture to continue supporting the existing cultural environment, while simultaneously working to effect change—both internally and externally.

Our deepest thanks to all who helped shape these statements—our Board, Advisory Committees, staff, and consultants.

Sincerely,
Brian J. Carter, Executive Director
Heather Trescases, Board President

The goals of our long-standing Site-Specific program are to engage new audiences for contemporary art and create new opportunities for King County artists by encouraging collaboration. Over the years, the grant has periodically evolved—most recently it existed as Tech Specific, funding creatives working at the intersection of art and tech. In 2018, it took on a new shape: Creative Consultancies.

Cities across King County shared their challenges and hopes for what artists could bring to the table. We then invited artists, organizations, and creative planners to respond. Cities and creatives were paired, creating project proposals that have now been evaluated by a panel and awarded funding! The full list of funded collaborations is below—watch for these projects to get underway across King County later this year:

Auburn and Kathleen Frugé Brown
The visual and public artist will create an environmental design, street mural, and lighting elements for the alleyway between the new Arts and Culture Center and the Auburn Avenue Theater.

Bothell and Una McAlinden
The planning consultant will facilitate a cultural planning process for the newly created Bothell Arts Commission and the greater City of Bothell.

Burien and Enjoy Productions
This event planning firm will work with the City of Burien to redesign the highly successful Arts-a-Glow Festival which has grown to more than 5,000 participants in recent years.

Duvall and Don Fels
The visual and public artist and their collaborator, sound composer Suzie Kazowa, will work with the Duvall Foundation for the Arts to create architectural renderings for the reconstruction of the Thayer Barn as an art center.

Kent and Lucia Neare
The artist will conduct an extended community engagement project to connect with the new communities and changing demographics of Kent and activate the downtown corridor.

Kirkland and Ann Marie Schneider
The artist will create an arts plan and wayfinding project for the growing Totem Lake business district of the city of Kirkland.

Mercer Island and George Lee
The artist will create a new vision and arts plan for the restoration of the Greta Hackett Outdoor Sculpture Gallery located along I-90 and the future light rail station on Mercer Island.

Newcastle and Claudia Bach
The planning consultant will work with the newly formed arts commission, activities commission to facilitate a cultural planning process for the rapidly growing city of Newcastle.

Redmond and Susan Robb
A visual and conceptual artist will work with various city departments Friends of Youth to engage homeless and endangered youth in a developing tree canopy project for the city of Redmond.

SeaTac and Framework
The consulting company will work with the recently formed SeaTac Arts, Culture and Library Committee to help reimagine the former International Festival and explore opportunities to connect with the broader community and SeaTac airport.

Shoreline-Lake Forest Park and Beverly Aarons
A multi-disciplinary artist will work with the Shoreline historical museum and Arts Council to conduct a series of interviews and oral histories with various ethnic communities in the City of Shoreline and create a theatrical production based on stories of their past and imagined future.

To the artists and community members who have spoken out in recent days regarding 4Culture’s involvement with the Children and Family Justice Center: thank you. We—and, much more importantly, King County’s youth—need your voices. I write today, as Executive Director of 4Culture, to share some of the history and intent of our involvement with this project.

My own convictions and 4Culture’s organizational values put us firmly in opposition to the current system of youth incarceration, especially the overrepresentation of children of color within this system. In 2012, when King County voters approved a $200 million levy to build the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC), the county’s percent-for-art ordinance went into effect, directing 1% of the budget for this county construction project toward public art. 4Culture automatically became the agency responsible for managing the 1% for this project.

At that moment, 4Culture had a choice to make. Walking away from the project would have been illegal—with far-reaching consequences for the artists and organizations we support across the county. Staying with the project meant working within a system that criminalizes the youth of our community, especially our black and brown children. There is no silver lining to this situation. We understood then, as we do now, that many in the community would rightly disagree with this decision.

4Culture accepted the percent-for-art funds with the intention of using as much of the money as we could to actually develop alternatives to youth incarceration in King County. This resulted in Creative Justice, an arts-based program that works to get youth out of detention and empowers them to advocate for systemic change. Over the past seven years, 4Culture staff pursued outside funding for the program through grants and donations, and we’re proud that it is now becoming an independently operating organization.

Despite our attempts to direct more CFJC percent-for-art dollars to Creative Justice and other social engagement efforts instead of fixed art, by law we are required to use the remaining funds to do the following:

• Purchase portable artwork for the public access areas of the juvenile court building on the CFJC campus. This is the call for artwork that went out most recently.
• Commission murals for the detention area of the campus.
• Commission an artwork for the exterior façade of the Alder Street transitional housing entrance.
• Relocate existing artwork from the current site to the new campus.

I make no claims to being infallible, and as long as our organization serves King County’s creative communities, we will continue to listen, collaborate, and respond. In this instance, we continue to push, as we have since 2012, for art that helps bring about a reality where youth incarceration is obsolete.

Sincerely,
Brian J. Carter
4Culture Executive Director

As development continues throughout King County, more and more of our surfaces are impervious. When rain hits pavement and asphalt, it collects pollutants as it travels into Puget Sound’s streams, lakes, rivers, and bays—this is stormwater.

In order to address stormwater issues, King County’s Water and Land Resource Division Stormwater Services Section (the Section) is developing a program to incentivize green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) on private properties in unincorporated King County. It partnership with the Section, we put out a call for an artist to reimagine rain gardens and help get the public engaged with them. Now, we are excited to announce that Vaughn Bell was selected for this unique opportunity.

Vaughn brings experience working with people across disciplines—engineers, community members, young people, scientists, artists, and many others. Her experience working with Seattle Public Utilities Drainage and Wastewater since 2016 as Artist in Residence has united her interests in environmental policy and public art.

She is especially interested in how rain garden design could reveal the function of GSI, and serve as a lens for people to experience more directly the flow of water through their environments and art’s potential to make connections to everyday life. Vaughn believes the design, construction and maintenance of rain gardens can be a way for people to create more intimate relationships with their local ecology.

In addition to an interest and experience with stormwater infrastructure, she will bring her fascination with plants to this project. Her experience working with plants in an art context, and collaborating with landscape architects, botanists, and horticulturalists, has given her a sensitivity to both the creative possibilities in planting and the issues at stake such as selecting plants that will thrive and considering maintenance, growth and change.

Over the next couple months, Vaughn will work closely with 4Culture and the Section to understand the art and science of stormwater management and the GSI Incentive program goals. By participating in site visits she will experience different rain garden design strategies to inform methods of creatively capturing and filtering stormwater runoff across a variety of landscapes in unincorporated King County. She will be involved with projects in two locations: King County-owned land and at the Vashon Island. Vaughn will work with the Section to select the King County-owned site location; WLRD staff will provide support, stormwater engineers will offer technical advice in properly sizing and locating the rain garden, and plant experts will review and provide feedback as the she develops a planting plan. She will create permanent art at this location.

The second site is the Vashon Market IGA parking lot, which is the first GSI incentive pilot project and consists of several connected and engineered rain gardens. For this site Vaughn will create a planting design highlighting plant groupings and formulate rain garden typologies, which will aid in creation of the palette of planting options.

Stay tuned, as we will provide updates as Vaughn starts exploring rain gardens this spring!

Gallery 4Culture has been exhibiting innovative and underrepresented artists and art forms in solo and small-group shows for 40 years!

Jurors Kira Burge, John Criscitello, and Marilyn Montufar reviewed applications submitted through a recent open call process and selected 10 King County-based artists for our next season, which runs from September 2019 through July 2020:

Ann Leda Shapiro
September 5-26, 2019
Opening: First Thursday, September 5, 6:00-8:00 pm
As an artist and acupuncturist, Ann Leda Shapiro uses a dual lens in her investigations of our interior and exterior worlds. Her cut and painted paper constructions pair anatomical features with elements from nature.

Cicelia Ross-Gotta
October 3-31, 2019
Opening: First Thursday, October 3, 6:00-8:00 pm
Is someone who lives in temporary housing still homeless? Cicelia Ross-Gotta explores this question with hand-embroidered reviews of the motel where a family member has lived since August 2016. The reviews highlight certain trends – from complaints about the conditions to critiques written by and about the homeless people who reside there.

Ko Kirk Yamahira
November 7-December 5, 2019 
Opening: First Thursday, November 7, 6:00-8:00 pm
Closing: First Thursday, December 5, 6:00-8:00 pm
Ko Kirk Yamahira’s deconstructed paintings are a meditation on the relativity of perception and time. As dots assemble to produce a line, the line forms a circle, and the circle forms a dot…

Yunmi Her
January 2-30, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, January 2, 6:00-8:00 pm
Yunmi Her’s social media-driven audio and video installation, The factory worker in 2016, examines the shared yet contradictory perspectives of observer and subject.

Tatjana Pavićević
February 6-27, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, February 6, 6:00-8:00 pm
In a series of etchings and other works on paper, Sarajevo-born Tatjana Pavićević delves into the transformational impacts of modern warfare and the realities of living in a perpetual state of violence and fear.

Nichole DeMent
March 5-26, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, March 5, 6:00-8:00 pm
Nichole DeMent’s mixed media encaustic portraits reveal the intersection of the creative subconscious and the power of art.

Nate Clark
April 2-30, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, April 2, 6:00-8:00 pm
Drawing on the history of meditative spaces, from gardens to cathedrals, Nate Clark’s handmade nets and cedar arches offer a contemplative environment.

Mia McNeal
May 7-28, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, May 7, 6:00-8:00 pm
Mia McNeal’s photography explores the intersections of history, trauma, and identity. With an emphasis on personal narrative, she empowers marginalized communities and inspires discussion and healing.

Carlos Brache
June 4-25, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, June 4, 6:00-8:00 pm
American-born, Cuban-raised Carlos Brache creates work in which objects overlap, representative of his search for home between a country that was never his and a country that tells him he is from somewhere else.

Philippe Hyojung Kim
July 2-August 7, 2020
Opening: First Thursday, July 2, 6:00-8:00 pm
Closing: First Thursday, August 6, 6:00-8:00 pm
Philippe Hyojung Kim experiments with plastic as a base material and cultural metaphor, articulating our complex relationship with this powerful, world-changing synthetic resource.