Tag Archives: nonprofit

Hugo House announces new permanent executive director — and says the book almost closed on the Capitol Hill literary arts center in 2024

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Pepe Montero will become the permanent executive director (Image: Hugo House)

Capitol Hill literary arts center Hugo House announced a new leader this week. The 11th Ave nonprofit announced Pepe Montero has accepted the position of permanent executive director.

The appointment marks the culmination of what it says has been an eighteen-month recovery period for the Capitol Hill literary center, which narrowly avoided permanent closure in early 2024.

“The path to this announcement began during one of the most difficult chapters in Hugo House’s history,” the announcement reads. “We found ourselves with a mostly new board and a completely overwhelming question: who could we get to run the place?”

The transition from interim to permanent leadership comes after a challenging period for the arts organization. CHS reported here in early 2024 as its then-director resigned amid ongoing challenges.

Hugo House was founded in 1996 and had been well-positioned among Capitol Hill and the city’s strongest arts nonprofits. In 2018, it opened its new 9,600-square-foot writing center on the ground floor of the new mixed-use apartment building developed on the corner Hugo House has called home since the late 1990s. Continue reading →

Eat Out 2016 for Country Doctor: 21 bars, restaurants, and cafes supporting nonprofit’s quest to build new Capitol Hill home

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14040017_10153958119527545_4576690007042986366_nCountry Doctor Community Health Clinic is making progress towards raising the funding it needs for a new structure to replace its old office space on 19th Ave E. A capital campaign to raise the remaining money necessary for the project is underway. Thursday, you can boost the nonprofit provider of community health care by going out to eat.

“A portion of your breakfast, lunch and/or dinner bill will be donated to our organization to help our patients get the high quality, caring, culturally appropriate primary health care they need and deserve,” the promo reads.

The list of participants is below: Continue reading →

Seattle Arts and Lectures moves to 15th Ave E, plans to stay forever (and ever)

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Literary-focused nonprofit Seattle Arts and Lectures has made Capitol Hill its home base. The organization migrated from its previous office in Georgetown to a new spot on 15th Ave E where architecture firm Board and Vellum was housed until its move earlier this summer.

“We’re so grateful to be here and be part of such a vibrant art community and such a vibrant neighborhood.” director Ruth Dickey said. Dickey said that though the move came because SAL’s landlord in Georgetown wanted the space, the organization is ecstatic about its new neighborhood. “We hope to stay forever.” Continue reading →

SASG says goodbye to the Dunshee House, seeks new Capitol Hill home

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Seattle Area Support Groups and Community Center, a collection of groups that has evolved with community needs over the past three decades on Capitol Hill, is losing its longtime home at 17th and Thomas and has begun a capital campaign to secure a new one.

“We have been leasing this space for the last 26 years and it pains us to bid farewell after cultivating so much rich history between these walls,” the group’s announcement, below, reads. “However, with the rapid growth and new development in this area, a move was inevitable.”

SASG says it hopes to find a new home on the Hill — with a little help:

A very generous donor has pledged $300,000 towards the purchase of a new space for SASG and is issuing a challenge to the community to match this gift. Any donations, large or small, will be matched by this gift dollar for dollar up to $300,000.

You can learn more or donate at sasgcc.org.

The group will remain in the house through the end of the year — possibly into early 2016, according to the announcement. You might know the old house best for the organization’s annual Christmas tree lot. Organizers say they will be able to hold the sale in the same location this year in the Group Health parking lot behind the house.

Continue reading →

Capitol Hill nonprofit has one question for you: ‘What would you most like to see in the new Hugo House?’

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download (4)Last fall, CHS reported that Capitol Hill nonprofit Hugo House had begun work on a plan to build a new center as part of a mixed-use development at the site of its 11th Ave home. The literary arts organization is asking for community feedback on what shape its new venue should take with an online survey and Monday night community forum:

Hugo House is going to have a new home! Come help us dream up an even more dynamic center for writing and reading and listening.

What do you most wish to see in the new Hugo House—whether it’s something you hope we continue to have, a practical addition, or a wild wish for something new? We wouldn’t dream of making decisions about our new facility without you: the teachers, the students, the event attendees—the writers. This forum will give you a chance to tell us what would make the new house a home.

We’d love to see you there—and please invite anyone on your friends list who you think might be invested in the future of the House.

The “community conversation” starts at 6 PM at Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave.

You can also add your voice via this one-question survey:

Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 11.03.45 AM

Note: You’ll have to enter at least five characters so F-U-N won’t count. We always preferred essay questions over multiple choice, too.

One group is already rallying to ask for Hugo House to include a performance venue in its plans:

Right now, the building is home to an 1800 square foot black box with fixed seating for 87, theatrical lighting grid and built-in sound system – this stage has been a place for local Seattle playwrights to debut the bold new work being produced in our city, and to lose it would be a serious setback in transforming Capitol Hill into the arts district it strives to be.

In the announcement of the new development project last fall, Hugo House and the longtime property owners of the more than 100-year-old building said they were working with a developer to determine “the exact mix of uses as part of the design and permitting process.” The announcement notes the property owners have “generously supported all facility costs, including rent” for Hugo House throughout its history.

2013’s ‘Stars on Broadway’ to be unveiled during Capitol Hill art walk

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A 2012 honoree (Image: STart)

Five great artists have been paired with five great nonprofits working to make a difference on Capitol Hill for the annual Stars on Broadway celebration. A lighting ceremony to unveil the new stars is Thursday night as part of the December Capitol Hill art walk. The annual Sound Transit and Capitol Hill Chamber effort honors local nonprofits with an artistically rendered star along the Big Red construction wall surrounding Broadway at John’s Capitol Hill Station construction site. You can see the 2010, 2011 and 2012 honorees here. The 2013 Stars and artist pairings are below.

STars on Broadway celebrates fourth year
Sound Transit, for the fourth year, is partnering with the Capitol Hill Chamber to shine a light on neighborhood non-profits that make life brighter for everyone on Capitol Hill.

Join us for a lighting ceremony:
Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.
In conjunction with Capitol Hill ArtBlitz 
Meet at the corner of East John Street and Broadway

STart, Sound Transit’s art program, pairs an artist with a local organization selected by the Capitol Hill Chamber to create a custom STar inspired by the non-profit. These STars stay lit on the Capitol Hill Link light rail construction wall throughout the dark winter nights. The STars will be installed on the Capitol Hill Red Wall at East John Street and Broadway on Dec. 12. They will stay up through early February.

2013 Non-Profit STars on Broadway, and their STart artists: