Seattle University ScholarWorks @ SeattleU
Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Arts Ecosystem Research Project
2020
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture: Confronting Institutional Racism in the Arts
Tanya Sharp Seattle University
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/seattle-office-arts-culture
Recommended Citation Sharp, Tanya, "Seattle Office of Arts & Culture: Confronting Institutional Racism in the Arts" (2020). Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. 1. https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/seattle-office-arts-culture/1
This Case Study is brought to you for free and open access by the Arts Ecosystem Research Project at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Seattle Office of Arts and Culture by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 1
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture: Confronting Institutional Racism in the Arts
Tanya Sharp
Seattle University
Seattle Arts Ecosystem Research Project
March 17, 2020
SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 2
Abstract
The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (OAC) played an important role in implementing the Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), introduced by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to address institutional racism within the City government. This case study examines how the RSJI influenced the office’s internal and external processes and practices, and how it has caused a ripple affect across many arts organizations in Seattle. From 2004 to 2008, Nickels, through the
City’s Office of Civil Rights oversaw the initiative and focused on addressing internal inequities prior to engaging the community. In 2008, a strategic plan was implemented to address racial disparities externally, in partnership with community members and stakeholders. Since it began implementation of the RSJI, the Office of Arts & Culture has experienced positive outcomes ranging from more equitable grant funding to increased access to arts spaces for people of color.
This initiative is just starting to gain momentum and will continue to contribute to the City and other Seattle arts organizations. SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 3
Seattle Office of Arts & Culture: Confronting Institutional Racism in the Arts
The Municipal Arts Commission was established as a City department in 1955 to advise the Mayor on cultural and urban improvement projects including historic preservation. In 1971, the Municipal Arts Commission became the Seattle Arts Commission, charged with promoting development and public support for the fine and performing arts. The Commission’s staff managed grant programs and public art in the City’s capital projects. The Seattle Arts
Commission was renamed the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs (OACA) in 2002 and, in 2013, the Office of Arts & Culture (OAC). The Seattle Arts Commission is the governing board for an array of staff-managed programs including public art, arts education, grant-making, equity in public access to the arts, and the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. This office has seen tremendous growth and great success in its mission to sustain Seattle through arts and culture (Blecha & Becker, 2013).
In 2004, the City of Seattle adopted the Race and Social and Justice Initiative (RSJI) which sought to eliminate institutional racism and address social justice issues across City departments and services. Out of this initiative, the OAC transformed many internal processes and services as well as influencing the arts organizations they served. In turn, these arts organizations sought to set a new racial and socially just direction (OAC/Racial Equity, n.d).
The City of Seattle had a long history of trying to resolve systematic and institutional racism leading up to the adoption of RSJI. No other city in the U.S. had ever set about explicitly focusing on these areas. And since that time, local governments across the United States have recognized and acknowledged that race matters. In 2004, this was not a new concept for Seattle or the United States (King, 2011). Diversity and competency training for City staff had been conducted throughout the 1980s and 1990s but had done little to solve the systemic issues. SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 4
People of color were intentionally excluded from higher education, discriminated against in employment and housing opportunities, and denied equal access to public services and law enforcement (King, 2011, p. 158). Although, the environment in Seattle was somewhat more liberal than in other cities in the nation in the 2000s, this difference was shaped by the leadership which encompassed a different mindset. Seattle Arts Commission member Vivian Phillips describes a City of Seattle Human Resources Department training session, which led them to the discovery of the Maafa. The Maafa is a Kiswahili term meaning “terrible occurrence” or “great disaster.” It refers to the Black Holocaust when millions of Africans died during the journey of captivity from the west coast of Africa to the shores of America, known as the Middle Passage
(Meyers, n.d.).
“They were absolutely stunned by the content of the Maafa and they had a deep desire
[for others in] the city to have the same experience” (V. Phillips, personal communication,
March 4, 2020). Kathy Hsieh, Cultural Partnerships and Grants Manager at the OAC reinforces this notion.
We live in a bubble in Seattle, so do realize that if our Mayor and City Council didn’t
embrace it and then King County’s government didn’t follow suit and embrace it at the
state level, this potentially would be a very different landscape. (personal communication,
February 27, 2020)
In spite of having built strong communities, people of color in Seattle have a history of marginalization and injustice going back over 150 years. Cassie Chinn, Deputy Executive
Director of the Wing Luke Museum and a member of the Seattle Arts Commission, contributes some historical perspective: SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 5
[Communities of color] have responded in their own way prior to the Race and Social
Justice Initiative. These communities fought against the system and they created systems
of their own and those systems are still there, active and living. They are continuing to
work to build community against injustice. (personal communication, February 19, 2020)
That history includes a long record of redlining in the City of Seattle. As late as 1964, voters rejected an open housing referendum (Wilma, 2001). Legislation banning housing discrimination was not passed until 1968. The practice of redlining was documented well into the
1970s (Seattle Municipal Archives, n.d.). Phillips explains that, “because there was a history of racism in Seattle, remembering your route through that is a route you don’t want repeat”
(personal communication, March 4, 2020).
A City-wide Commitment
In 2002, when Mayor Greg Nickels was elected, one of the first items on his to-do list was to reach out to City officials and conduct an internal survey on attitudes toward race. He found that there were major contradictions in employees’ views of equity within City government. White people felt well-served, people of color did not (Seattle Office for Civil
Rights, 2008). Hsieh remembers,
When Nichols was appointed, he led the effort for the Race and Social Justice Initiative
for the City, that basically connected with all the City departments. He actually
approached the arts department first because he really felt like arts and culture change
people’s minds about things and move people to act. (personal communication, February
27, 2020)
In 2005, Nickels, wanted the City to focus on racial disparities in its own internal programs and operations and to “get our own house in order” prior to focusing outwardly. The SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 6
City of Seattle committed to combatting institutional racism within the City’s programs and services through employee training and workshops. For the first phase of the initiative, Nickels instructed City departments to concentrate on drafting and implementing the RSJI into work plans. A list of common central concerns was addressed, including workforce and economic equity, immigrant and refugee services, public engagement and capacity building (Seattle Office for Civil Rights, 2008).
After three years of concentrating internally, accomplishments and challenges were reviewed, and a plan was developed for the next phase of the initiative. The plan consisted of building on the foundation of the first phase, continuing to address racial disparities and social inequality internally, and beginning to work externally by partnering with community members and stakeholders. Realizing that the City staff required additional knowledge and tools to achieve the goals of the RSJI, Nickels issued an executive order requiring departments to undergo culturally competent public engagement and outreach training (Seattle Office for Civil Rights,
2008). City departments continued to focus internally to address causes rather than just treat the symptoms. This training was intended to give City employees the skills and understanding to eliminate institutional racism and work toward social equity. “Departments were taking these trainings to address racism and establish a baseline for understanding the work ahead” (Levine,
2001). Hsieh remembers that
We needed to really understand what our own institutionalized racism was before we can
expect anyone else to contract with our work and to embrace the philosophy that we
need, so that we role model the change we want to see. (personal communication,
February 27, 2020) SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 7
Training included self-sustaining community forums and workshops designed to organize, educate and inform various communities and to also facilitate healing and empowerment (Levine, 2001).
Arts Play a Leading Role
The OAC was one of the first departments to implement the RSJI. As Cultural
Partnerships and Grants Manager, Hsieh became the department’s point person.
My role was specifically part of the city-wide team and I was working as a representative
from the OAC. The initial charge which was to set up a structure and provide tools for the
rest of the city to use. (personal communication, February 27, 2020)
The second phase of the initiative introduced a Racial Equity toolkit and an Outreach and
Public Engagement toolkit which were distributed as resources to each City department. These toolkits encompassed best practices criteria, worksheets, questions and example applications.
Departments used these toolkits to analyze race and social justice implications on budget proposals, programs and policies (City of Seattle, 2010).
After these toolkits were distributed and utilized across City departments, a survey was conducted in 2008 and again in 2010, assessing employee attitudes and perceptions of racial equity in the workplace. Survey results indicated that 33 percent were aware of the toolkit but of those, over 56 percent reported that the toolkit in fact improved racial equity. One survey participant noted, “Ideally the City would establish working relationships with key members of communities of color so that we can call on them to help us do a better job of outreaching to those communities” (Seattle Office for Civil Rights, 2011).
SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 8
Access to Grants
Based on the survey results, the OAC expanded its mission to support artists and organizations with grants, placing emphasis on outreach and workshops to help artists and institutions in communities of color. Grant programs added capacity-building training to address structural racism and increase the number of successful funding applications from community- based arts organizations. As a testament to the RSJI’s impact, by 2012, there were over 500 organizations in the OACA partner database (Blecha & Becker, 2013).
SmART Ventures, a new grant program, offered individual artists, cultural facilities, and neighborhood and community groups small scale project funding. As a result of this new grant program, the OAC experienced a surge of grant proposals from 2003 to 2005. There were 221 grant proposals of which 91 were funded during that time period. RSJI values were embedded into the grant programs, which enabled arts projects promoting racial and social justice to blossom and serve the community. Diverse cultures and underserved audiences who had not typically been funded began to gain more access to grants, expanding arts and cultural opportunities for residents and visitors throughout Seattle (Sanchez, 2004).
An increase of funding meant that there was an increase of vibrant multi-cultural arts experiences: arts education, theater, neighborhood parades, festivals, celebrations, community building, and lectures. The funded projects included the 2003 Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at Seattle Center, a festival bringing together the Latino community (Gonzalez,
2003); the 2004 Rainier Beach Performance Showcase, a semi-annual event that involved performances by students and amateur and professional community members (Ely, 2004); and the 2005 World Art Magnet Project (W.A.M.) which brought a wide range of multi-cultural and multi-racial children, youth, and adults to participate in expressing traditional and contemporary SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 9 culture in the plastic arts (Escobar, 2005). All the accepted proposals received a letter highlighting that the funding was reduced in award amounts, so that more projects could be funded (Sanchez, 2004).
A notable project funded in 2004 was A MAAFA Experience, produced by the Sankofa
Foundation and Arts Corps. It included development of an educational curriculum along with several theatrical performances at the Moore Theatre. The performances dramatized the Maafa and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The curriculum focused on underserved youth, bringing them a message of racial and social justice through arts education and creativity and power through art
(Phillips, 2004). In retrospect, Phillips, who served as the Executive Producer for this project, vividly describes it as “a perfect confluence of partnerships with Arts Corps… a relatively new organization and their direct impact was to service primarily kids of color” (personal communication, March 4, 2020).
Program for performances of A MAAFA Experience.
Courtesy Seattle Theatre Group and the Sankofa Foundation. SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 10
“Return and Get it” curriculum guide prepared by Arts Corps for A MAAFA Experience.
Courtesy Seattle Theatre Group and the Sankofa Foundation
Another project supported by the RSJI was the Arts & Social Change symposium in
Seattle. Organized by a consortium of government arts agencies and cultural organization, this event was
…geared towards toward arts administrators, artists, social service professionals,
government representatives, and social justice leaders from around the Pacific Northwest,
the gathering will address the role diverse arts play in creating awareness, inspiring
understanding and developing policies that address cultural equity and social change… in
hopes of engaging arts and social change communities to learn how to become
transformative change agents using the arts. (Licata, 2012, para. 5)
Access to Cultural Space
The OAC is a “key leader and watch dog for cultural spaces of Seattle. Cultural space is not defined only as formal art museums, professional theater, but as protected spaces of all kinds in all neighborhoods where art activities can occur” (Blecha & Becker, 2013). An issue SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 11 addressed through the Race and Social Justice Initiative was the ongoing difficulty of access to artistic and creative spaces for artists and communities of color. Again, the OAC looked past the surface to get to the root cause: the lack of equity in the planning and development of art spaces.
Based on this focus, they developed the Cultural Space program to help artists and arts organizations to better understand how land use and building codes impact the use and funding for their projects (Blecha & Becker, 2013). Chinn connects the lack of cultural facilities access to
Seattle’s history of
…housing discrimination; of redlining practices along with alien laws that prevented
Asian immigrants from owning lands; the forced relocation of Japanese Americans
during World War II; and the removal of Native Americans from the City of Seattle by
city ordinance in 1865. The Cultural Facilities Fund removed barriers to this funding –
even to the point of not making it reliant on an organization to apply for funding.
(personal communication, February 19, 2020)
The Cultural Space program collected resources and commissioned reports to help artists navigate city rules and expand cultural space in their communities. It led to the establishment of the Cultural Facilities Fund which
Award[s] grants to Seattle arts, heritage, cultural and arts service organizations with
facility projects that create greater access for those who have been (and are) inequitably
excluded from owning, managing and leasing property. Communities of color have had
the least access to controlling cultural space. This fund will prioritize projects that
eliminate this disparity. (OAC/Cultural Space, n.d.)
SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 12
Access to Public Art Projects
In 1973, Seattle was one of the first cities in the United States to adopt a percent-for-art ordinance which is implemented by the Public Art program at OAC. While internationally recognized for over 40 years, with the alignment with the City’s Race and Social Justice
Initiative, the Public Art program has worked towards eliminating institutional racism in its policies and practices (OAC/Public Art, n.d.). To broaden access to public art commissions, in
2015, they created the Public Art Boot Camp, to train emerging artists in the ins and outs of government projects. Hsieh recollects that,
One of the challenges [artists of color] face is that the one percent funding basically goes
to these large public art projects, and the people who are applying were not necessarily
very diverse. It’s usually two connections when you first start and then once you get
those connections, you use the same artists over and over who get all the public arts
commissions. And so predominantly the field is very white. So our Public Art team
designed this amazing Public Art Boot Camp where it was really like this is training for
how you become a public artist. (personal communication, February 27, 2020)
The Impact and the Future of the Race and Social Justice Initiative
Programs designed to implement the RSJI have had a ripple effect on the Seattle arts community and the economy. Sixteen years after the launch of the Race and Social Justice
Initiative, discrimination and institutional racism continue to create barriers to success for people of color in the City of Seattle. What difference has the RSJI made in the lives of residents, businesses, and city employees? What further steps will be needed in the future? How will we build on the mistakes and accomplishments to move forward? The Race and Social Justice
Initiative is still a work in progress. City employees continue to participate in trainings, utilize SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 13 toolkits on best practices to eliminate institutional racism, and take surveys to measure the effect of the RSJI on City employees and the communities they serve. As the RSJI embarks on a new chapter, how will the work advance racial equity?
Method Note:
This case study was developed by Tanya Sharp, MFA 2021, as part of the Seattle University’s
MFA in Arts Leadership applied research seminar focused on the Arts Ecosystem Research
Project. Interviews were conducted with Cassie Chinn, Wing Luke Museum Deputy Executive
Director, and Seattle Arts Commissioner 2015-present; Kathy Hsieh, Cultural Partnerships and
Grants Manager, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture; and Vivian Phillips, Seattle Arts
Commissioner 2015-present. Susan Kunimatsu provided editing. SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 14
References
Blecha, P. & Becker, P. (2013, July 22). Seattle Arts Commission/Office of Arts & Culture.
HistoryLink.org Essay 9684. www.historylink.org/file/9684
City of Seattle. (2010). Racial equity toolkit for policies, programs, and budget. [Budget and
policy document]. Office Subject Files. Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Ely, R. B. (n.d.). Rainier Beach performance showcase: Semi-annual show involving diverse
community RBHS students. Race and Social Justice Project (Box 7, Folder 17). Seattle
Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Escobar, L. (n.d.). W.A.M. - World Art Magnet project. Race and Social Justice Project (Box 3,
Folder 1). Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Gonzalez, M. (2003, November 2). Dia de Muertos in Seattle Center. Seattle Times.
https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20031102&slug=dayofdead02m
King, C.S. (2011, April 25). Government Is Us 2.0. M.E. Sharpe.
Levine, S. (2001) Racial and ethnic disparity. [Seattle’s 2001 Consolidated Plan]. Richard
McIver Subject Files (Box 14, Folder 14). Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Licata, N. (2012). Arts & social change symposium. Council Connection.
https://council.seattle.gov/2012/08/20/arts-social-change-symposium/
Meyers, R.V. (n.d.). Maafa. National Juneteenth observance foundation.
http://nationaljuneteenth.com/Maafa.html
Office of Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Cultural Space. www.seattle.gov/arts/programs/cultural-space
Office of Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Public Art. www.seattle.gov/arts/programs/public-art
Office of Arts & Culture. (n.d.). Racial Equity. www.seattle.gov/arts/programs/racial-equity SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 15
Phillips, V. (2004). Sankofa Theatre/Arts Corps curriculum project. Race and Social Justice
Project (Box 7, Folder 6). Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Sanchez, Y. (2004). Race Relations Justice Pilot Project Request for Proposal. [Winning
proposal letter]. Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Seattle Municipal Archives. (n.d.). Redlining in Seattle. www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-
and-education/online-exhibits/redlining-in-seattle
Seattle Office for Civil Rights. (2008, December). Report 2008: Looking back, moving forward.
Race and Social Justice Initiative.
https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/RSJI/Jan20FINALRSJIrept.pdf
Seattle Office for Civil Rights. (2011). Race and Social Justice Initiative: 2010 Employee
Survey. [Survey data compilation]. Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.
Wilma, D. (2001, March 31). Seattle votes down Open Housing on March 10, 1964.
HistoryLink.org Essay 3154. www.historylink.org/File/3154 SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 16
Additional Readings
Artists Up. (2019). About. ARTISTS UP. artistsup.org/about
Au Yong, B. (2013, February). Arts and social change from an artist's perspective. Grantmakers
in the Arts. www.giarts.org/article/arts-and-social-change-artist’s-perspective
Bouchegnies D. (2000). Gerber, Anne (1910-2005): A Life in Art. HistoryLink.org Essay 2852.
www.historylink.org/File/2852
Enomoto, Erika. (2019). Artist Trust Racial Equity Framework.
www.artisttrust.org/artist_trust_racial_equity_framework
Houston, S. D. (2011). Ethnography of the city: Creativity, sustainability, and social justice in
Seattle, Washington. [Doctoral dissertation, Syracuse University].
https://surface.syr.edu/geo_etd/69
Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). (2017) City of Seattle – Turning commitment
into action. www.racialequityalliance.org/2017/01/09/city-of-seattle-turning-
commitment-into-action/
Graves, J. (2011). Deeply embarrassed white people talk awkwardly about race. The Stranger.
www.thestranger.com/seattle/deeply-embarrassed-white-people-talk-awkwardly-about-
race/Content?oid=9747101
Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. (2012). Bright spots leadership in the Pacific Northwest.
2012. https://www.giarts.org/sites/default/files/Bright-Spots_Leadership-in-the-Pacific-
Northwest.pdf
Poyner, F. (2016). Festál (Seattle Center). HistoryLink.org Essay 20154.
www.historylink.org/File/20154 SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE 17
Sandell, R., & Nightingale, E. (2012). Museums, Equality and Social Justice. Routledge.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Museums_Equality_and_Social_Justice/XfmneyJ
B1VwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=RACE+SOCIAL+2005+ANNUAL+REPORT,+Seattle&p
g=PA101&printsec=frontcover
Whittenmore, T. (2005). 2005 Race Relations Justice Project Request for Proposal. [Winning
proposal letter]. Seattle Municipal Archives, Seattle, WA.