4Culture News

As rapid development continues to affect every corner of King County, most public discussions focus on our future: where will newcomers live? Who will be able to afford to stay here? But as we plan for our future, we also need to consider how development affects our past. The historic buildings, spaces, and artifacts that have shaped our region are at risk of getting swept up and lost. We checked in with some of the experts—our friends at Seattle’s many neighborhood-based historical societies—for an on-the-ground look at how they’re responding to all this change.

Michelle Gehlman-Teeter from the Greater Kent Historical Society shares a sneak peek of what you can expect from this much-loved, month-long annual event! We’re proud to help fund Experience Historical Kent through our Heritage Projects grant program.

King County residents: what’s working and what’s not as you engage with culture? As part of a year-long study, we’re hosting Listening Sessions in each of King County’s 39 cities and unincorporated areas to help us better understand the cultural health of our region and how we can support you. We’d love to hear from you!

What was once a two-mile stretch of industrial buildings is transforming into an urban art gallery of incredible murals, created by artists from King County and around the world. As we finish our third and final year of painting, celebrate with us! Enjoy drinks and bites, shop a SODO Track artist print show, catch a walking tour of the Track, and meet some of the artists:

Since announcing our longtime Executive Director Jim Kelly’s retirement in December 2017, our Board, Advisory Committees, and staff have been hard at work filling this essential role. It’s a daunting task, especially as we’ve contended with other big changes and new initiatives this year. 2018 has not been boring! As we get closer to selecting and announcing our new Executive Director, we’re taking a moment to put a spotlight on the person largely responsible for holding it all together: Deb Twersky.

Beyond Integrity is a group of preservation professionals and community advocates concerned with inequity in historic preservation practices in Seattle and King County. 4Culture has hosted and supported Beyond Integrity since 2014. Claudia Kiyama, a new member of our Historic Preservation Advisory Committee and a preservation architect who has been a part of the group since its inception, recently presented at the Revitalize WA conference, as part of a panel about “Telling Difficult Stories.” This post is a condensed version of her presentation.

Interested in attending the 2018 Western Museums Association conference? We can help!

Saturday, June 9, 11:00 am—2:00 pm
Preston Community Center, 8625 310th Ave SE, Preston

Saturday, June 23, 2:00—4:00 pm
Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave, Seattle

Did you know that 4Culture manages the King County Public Art Collection? This incredible body of over 2,000 works includes sculptures, installations, portable pieces like photographs and paintings, and so much more—and you can find it all over King County. Currently, we share a small, curated selection of these works on our website. As part of our ongoing mission to make our website a great experience for everyone, we’d love to get your feedback on how we’re sharing this collection! If you’re interested in sharing your opinions with us, please fill out this short form, and we’ll get in touch with you.

Melinda Hurst Frye is one of two photographers to receive our Picturing Trails commission in 2017, a project in partnership with King County Parks to comprehensively capture and interpret the King County Regional Trail System through fine art photography. Melinda has been out on the trails photographing since October of 2017—here, she shares an update:

On Monday night, we gathered with current and past staff, board, and advisory members underneath the stunning ceiling of the Paramount Theatre to celebrate Jim Kelly’s 25 years of leadership at 4Culture. The location was fitting—a historic building that hosts artistic performances of all disciplines, run by an organization that, while based in Seattle, works tirelessly to share their programming with all of King County. The Paramount is emblematic of how the four disciplines of 4Culture—arts, heritage, preservation, and public art—are intertwined. Our agency’s vision of supporting culture on all of these levels is a product of Jim’s leadership.

Jenny Riffle is one of two photographers to receive our Picturing Trails commission in 2017, a project in partnership with King County Parks to comprehensively capture and interpret the King County Regional Trail System through fine art photography. Jenny has been out on the trails photographing since October of 2017—here, she shares an update:

Since 2008, the Storefront Media Gallery (formerly known as e4c) has given artists the opportunity to present dynamic electronic works of art that enliven Seattle’s urban core. Selected through a national call, video works are exhibited on four monitors with exterior directional speakers. Located adjacent to Gallery 4Culture, this street-level gallery is visible by foot, bike, car or bus to more than 20,000 people each day.

As we move forward through 2018 and its exciting challenges, we are sharing some changes to our leadership staff: