Office of Arts & Culture Seattle

We went local for our staff gear this year!🌼

Designed and printed by Seattle artist , staff brought in their chosen garments so every piece has a unique touch! You'll spot the OAC team sporting these prints at our summer events and beyond.

We think the floral design ties in perfectly with our freshly debuted temporary installation “Clouds of Belonging” by , inspired by the shifting skies and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. Come see it IRL on the King Street Station Plaza tomorrow for 's First Thursday Art Walk!

“If you lose the process—and the process is completely vital in discovering what is the story that you want to tell and how are you going to tell it—there’s not going to be any soul. No matter how good AI gets, it’s going to always miss that part.” - Vivian Cho, Bridge Artist in Residence

The 2025 SDOT Bridge Artist in Residence Showcase opens tomorrow for Pioneer Square Seattle's June First Thursday Art Walk! Watch the culminating animation works by our bridge artists Vivian Cho and Freyja Whitney at ARTS at King Street Station and read more about Vivan and their work in UW Alumni Association Magazine!

Between college and “the real world,” design alum and animator Vivian Cho finds herself on the University Bridge Design alum Vivian Cho spent the last few months of 2025 as the Artist in Residence at the University Bridge.

Our 2027 CityArtist grant is open! This year the grant supports Seattle-based individual artists/curators working in dance, music, and theater (including Playwriting) to research, develop, and present ideas or ventures.

Learn more on our blog and apply by July 14, 2026, 5 PM (Pacific)!

2027 CityArtist Applications are Open! The CityArtist grant supports Seattle-based individual artists/curators in the research, development, and presentation of creative work.

"Frequencies, amplitudes, and rhythmic qualities from the music were translated into the placement, density, height, and movement of the vertical elements."

We spoke with public artist Ivan Toth Depeña about his new work "Sound/s" at Symphony Block. Read the full interview: artbeat.seattle.gov/2026/05/29/artist-highlight-sound-s-by-ivan-toth-depena

The Symphony Block publicly sited art installations are in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Symphony , Benaroya Hall, Downtown Seattle Association, King County Metro Transit, Sound Transit, Unico Property Management and the University of Washington.

Kick off summer at ARTS at King Street Station on June 4 for Square Seattle’s First Thursday Artwalk! The evening will feature live music and dancing on the King Street Station plaza with Joe Brazil Legacy and a Mobile Book Fair and Zine Library by Common Area Maintenance.

In addition to the plaza festivities, join us in the gallery to celebrate the opening of three exhibitions: "This Room is Ours: Centering the Black Figure," "Ancestral Future: Taíno Archives," and the "2025 SDOT Bridge Artists in Residence Showcase." Read more about the shows and programs on our blog!

June First Thursday: New exhibitions, live music, and more! Kick off summer at ARTS at King Street Station on June 4 for Pioneer Square’s First Thursday Artwalk!

We're back with another packed month of events at ARTS at King Street Station! From sound baths to performances—this June is packed with free events. Head to our blog to learn more and RSVP!

June Programs | ARTS at King Street Station Join us throughout June for gallery exhibitions, dancing, sound baths, and more!

Head to Seattle Center this month for Artists at the Center pop-up events!

May 29: Stephcynie
May 30: Oroki Productions
May 31: F-Rock Inc.

Learn more and see the full Artists at the Center lineup: seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/artists-at-the-center

Artists at the Center is a multi-year collaboration between OAC and Seattle Center, with support from Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition and the communities adjacent to Seattle Center campus. The project is made possible by a 10-year grant from Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken.

“I want to plant as many seeds as possible” - Amy Nguyen, Office of Arts & Culture Director

Our director Amy sat down with International Examiner to talk about her upbringing, the Seattle arts economy, sowing seeds of change, World Cup and so much more!

"Dreaming alongside communities": Amy Nguyen, Director of Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture, on displacement, survival, and the algorithm that must change - International Examiner White Center Before she was aware of urban policy, Amy Nguyen understood White Center through her feet and her grandmother’s hand. Every day they walked the main commercial corridor together. The street was full of fruit shops and, as she remembers it plainly, adult video shops: the unglamorous, u...