Thoughts on Seattle’s Arts Community
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Growing up as a creative in Washington, I think I always saw Seattle as this ‘amazing hub of art and culture’ that I wanted to be a part of.
And it is amazing — though the older I grew, the more I realized that not many others saw it the same (whether unaware of its existence or only familiar with art from Seattle’s privileged, pretentious, and “elite”). The more I immersed myself, the more apparent it became that the creatives around me were not receiving the recognition they deserve. That’s when I stopped seeing it the same way too.
When I think of the Seattle creative scene that I love, I think of the BIPOC youth. There is a lot of potential in this community of makers, but as a city, what prevents us from tapping into it?
Lack of Resources
i. Funding the Arts and Artists
We are not unique in the fact that creative avenues fail to provide a sustainable living.
Many people aspire to find careers in the arts or creative industries, though with this knowledge many are equally turned away. Additionally, it can be challenging to navigate the field — as jobs are scarce and competition for work can be fervent. Barriers between the People and industry standards also exist, such as paywalls restricting the use of tools like Adobe’s creative software, and a lack of art programs in our schools.
ii. Providing an Accessible and Quality Arts Education
While arts education was mandated by Washington state for K-12 students in 1993, and again in 2014, according to the Seattle Foundation, “no funding was included, leaving districts and less-resourced schools with a requirement they had no way to pay for.”
Arts programs are a catalyst for learning and discovery, and providing these opportunities for our youth may help to ignite the creativity that exists within them. When taught in the classroom, the arts keeps students engaged in school, and may improve their overall academic success.
A Missing Sense of Community
Seattle is by no means an art capital like New York City or Los Angeles. But because of this, not many new artists are attracted to the city. They have to want to be here, to stay, and to contribute to the culture, attracting even more creatives to the area. Luring in artists and investors is often aided by physical arts spaces such as galleries and venues that Seattle lacks (besides those accessible only to artists with a certain status and disposable income).
Additionally, I think there’s a lot of untapped potential when it comes to collaboration. Whether across disciplines or bridging ‘North’ and ‘South,’ we don’t often take the opportunity to work together. Maybe it’s our “Seattle freeze” that prevents us from doing so, but as a result of our disconnect I feel that we feed into exclusivity and stop the scene from moving and growing — something that all creative communities desperately need.
An Unengaged Audience
Art shows and events make little to no impact if no one is interested. This reiterates a need for education to cultivate an appreciation for the arts, though ultimately highlighting out need to engage the greater community, and make them aware of our presence.
More Thoughts from the Community
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