Materials

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture invites individual artists, cultural producers, arts administrators, creative workers, community groups, and arts and cultural organizations of all sizes to propose projects activating public spaces in Downtown Seattle in 2026. 

With the unifying theme of We Still Dream a Future, this call invites arts proposals of two types:

1. Exhibitions inside ARTS at King Street Station (KSS)
2. Activations and installations at King Street Station Plaza, Union Station Plaza and other public spaces in the Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, and Stadium District

Developed in partnership with Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan, this call for proposals addresses key civic priorities by empowering creative workers to build community and spark new arts experiences downtown. By offering free, engaging programming throughout the year, especially during peak visitation periods, this initiative enriches the city’s cultural landscape, providing inspiring experiences for residents and visitors alike.

This funding opportunity builds upon our ongoing artist- and community-led programming through ARTS at King Street Station and Hope Corps. It expands on the Hope Corps framework, which fosters economic opportunity for Seattle’s creative workforce, and aligns with ARTS at King Street Station’s mission to increase opportunities for communities of color to create and present their work.

Beyond funding, awardees will benefit from a Community of Practice, a dynamic network offering regular workshops, social opportunities, and platforms to share their work and deepen their connections to Downtown Seattle and the arts ecosystem.

For more details on this grant, please read the full guidelines.

The guidelines are also available in these languages:

• Amharic
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Korean
• Somali
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Vietnamese

Supplemental Documents

• Map of eligible areas and neighborhoods
• Budget template
• ARTS at King Street Station facility description
• Detailed selection criteria

You can use these documents to draft your application responses:

• Application Preview for Activations
• Application Preview for ARTS at King Street Station Exhibitions

Unifying Theme

We Still Dream a Future is the marshaling of our collective imagination within and beyond our current circumstances, and despite the obstacles before us. It is the celebratory declaration of our communities that they are still here and will be for many years to come. In conversation with each other, we build upon the idea that our flourishing must be and is possible.

The arts are essential to creating what comes next. When we see what could be, hear it, touch it, experience it, then what we imagine becomes something more: through art, all that is possible takes a step towards becoming real. We Still Dream a Future.

You are needed. Where does your work enter this conversation or diverge from it in important ways? A discussion of the future is also a discussion of our past and our present, of who we have been and who we might be. Is your work an exploration of identity? Do you reveal or reflect upon larger systems at work in our lives? Do you set forth visions of what lies just beyond the horizon of who we are? We can’t yet see all that you imagine in responding to this theme. Show us what is possible. 

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for funding if you meet the following criteria:

• You are an individual artist, organization, or community-based group located in, or presenting work regularly in, Seattle.
  • Organizations and individual artists representing communities most impacted by systemic oppression including low-income, people with disabilities, immigrant and refugee communities, and communities of color are encouraged to apply.
• You have not received funding from us for a previous iteration of this proposed project within the last 3 years.
• You are not currently receiving Downtown Activation Plan-related funding from us for projects taking place in 2026.
• You may apply for more than one project type, for example, you may submit separate proposals for an exhibition at KSS and an activation outdoors. But you may not submit more than one proposal for an exhibition or an activation.

Your project must not:

• Directly sell materials or post prices (this is ONLY applicable to proposals for King Street Station and Union Station)
• Use ticket sales. All programs must be presented free of charge to the public.

Funding

Grant funds up to $50,000 are available for creative worker wages and project expenses.

Due Date

Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Pacific

Please allow ample time to complete your application. Applications submitted after the 5 p.m. (Pacific) deadline will not be accepted.

Information Workshops

Please watch the videos at the top and bottom of this page to learn more about this grant and how to submit your best application. if you have additional questions, you can attend one of these information sessions:

Session 1 (Virtual)

Friday, April 25, 2025 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
RSVP for 4/25

Session 2 (Virtual)

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
RSVP for 5/13

Session 3 (Virtual)

Saturday, May 17, 2025 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
RSVP for 5/17

Session 4 (Virtual)

Thursday May 22, 2025  1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
RSVP for 5/22

Application

Apply online through Submittable.

If you have trouble, check the Submittable FAQ for step-by-step guides. You can also contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com.

Info

If you don’t have computer or internet access, or would like to discuss alternative ways of applying, contact Kate Fernandez, Downtown Activations Supervisor at Kate.Fernandez@seattle.gov or call (206) 948-3059.

Please reach out with any questions about this opportunity or for help with the online application.

We have interpreters who can speak to you in your language, including American Sign Language (via video). Just call us and tell us what language you speak. Expect a short pause while we find an interpreter to join the call.