Construction is supposed to wrap up soon on the new amphitheater
Nearly $900,000 in grants through Seattle’s last 2021 round of Neighborhood Matching Fund awards will power new events at the Central District’s Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, a new arts showcase at Capitol Hill’s Gay City, and a performance series next summer to celebrate Volunteer Park’s new $3 million amphitheater.
“Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center is thrilled to partner with the Department of Neighborhoods to produce the first annual Emerge Arts Cohort and Showcase, a program for BIPOC LGBTQ+ performing artists that offers production support, artistic mentorship, and business and sustainability training,” Bekah Telew, director of development at Gay City said in a statement. “The City’s investment in supporting BIPOC LGBTQ artistic voices in this holistic way is directly responsive to the needs of BIPOC LGBTQ artists, who continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”
The matching fund awards include nearly $230,000 in grants across District 3 that will help groups create several new events and the new performance series in Volunteer Park.
CHS reported here on the start of construction on the $3 million amphitheater replacement project that will create a new outdoor performance facility with a roof, storage and green room space, all-gender bathrooms, upgraded electrical access, and “a resilient floor that will even accommodate dance performances.” Construction is expected to be completed this month.
Other new D3 events will include a new arts festival from Gay City as the nonprofit moves into its new E Pine home and a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Black and Tan Nightclub with a celebration at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. The center will also host the Artist of Color Expo & Symposium from Shunpike with financial support from the matching fund.
District 3 funding
$50,000 to Friends of SHARP Seattle for Honoring Community Health & History, a project that partners with older Black adults in Seattle’s Central District to produce a culturally celebratory group walking experience and create an oral history archive celebrating Black life in the neighborhood. The archive will be a compilation of stories from 36 Black adult volunteers recorded while walking through the Central District. The archive and routes will be shared broadly with the public via a community celebration, community outreach and online. (Community match: $50,174)
$29,900 to Gay City Health Project for EMERGE, an arts showcase offering production support, mentorship, and business and sustainability training for emerging performance-based artists. This framework will create a festival that is informed by, and seeks to address, access to health and sustainability guidance for artistic development and production. (Community match: $19,310)
$23,000 to Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association for Rideshare Drivers and Riders Appreciation Day, an event to bring together Uber and Lyft Drivers and Riders to appreciate one another and forge a path back to normality following the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, held at Judkins Park, will also provide resources and information to drivers about local services available to drivers like subsidized housing, health insurance, and training programs. (Community match: $15,610)
$50,000 to Black and Tan Project for Black and Tan 100th Anniversary Celebration, a commemoration of the opening of the Black and Tan Nightclub, at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. This historical event will consist of live performances and a reception with a focus on bringing arts, culture, and theatre to the community free of charge. (Community match: $43,310)
$25,000 to Volunteer Park Trust for Volunteer Park Amphitheater Summer Series, a free multi-event, outdoor public performance series in Volunteer Park. Coordinated by a diverse community Task Force, the outdoor series will feature multicultural music, dance, and theater, and showcase the newly completed facility. (Community match: $38,180)
$49,510 to Shunpike for Artist of Color Expo & Symposium (ACES), a Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) led arts conference that fosters community, showcases talent, and facilitates professional development for BIPOC artists. The conference will be held at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and will feature performances, exhibits, workshops, films, presentations, artist talks, and info sessions. (Community match: $36,080)
In the Central District, D3 investments also include $23,000 to the Seattle Rideshare Drivers Association to create a “Rideshare Drivers and Riders Appreciation Day” event in Judkins Park “to bring together Uber and Lyft Drivers and Riders to appreciate one another and forge a path back to normality following the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Overall in this second round, the city awarded $891,410 to support 21 “community-initiated projects” through the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods fund process. The community groups received awards ranging from $18,900 to $50,000 and have pledged $707,755 to match their award through local cash donations, volunteer hours, donated materials, and in-kind professional services, the city says.
CHS reported on the first round of awards here in June.
Learn more about this year’s grants and how to apply at seattle.gov.
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