Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact Information
Otts Bolisay, Communications Manager
Phone: 206-733-9581
Email: Otts.Bolisay@seattle.gov
Grant for Seattle Artists/Curators Now Open
Literary, media/film, screenwriting, and visual artists should apply
Seattle, WA (June 17, 2025) – The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture opened its grant for Seattle-based artists/curators today. This cycle of the CityArtist grant focuses on literary, media/film, screenwriting, and visual artists. In odd-numbered years, the focus shifts to dance, music, theater, and playwrighting. Awards of $8,000 are available.
“My post-film discussion included professor and author, Gary Atkins, whose book Gay Seattle inspired me to make Shelley's Leg," said Wes Hurley, a 2024 CityArtist recipient. "We spoke about the importance of preserving gay history, hoping to inspire younger generations and other writers/filmmakers to explore more stories from our local gay and lesbian history."
By sustaining individuals who are at the core of the cultural sector in Seattle, this grant supports creative careers and work so they can develop and adapt over time. This is critical to artists’ professional growth and business insight. Providing financial support for creative entrepreneurs contributes to the broader economy and quality of life in neighborhoods across the city.
Apply for CityArtist before it closes on July 29 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The guidelines are also available in Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Virtual information workshops are available to help you turn in your best application.
What People Are Saying
Hanako O’Leary, Visual artist and 2024 CityArtist grantee
“This project taught me how to lead a team. It is my dream one day to run a studio where I can have full time paid staff to help me accomplish my artistic goal and create an environment of mentorship so younger artists can go off to start their own studio someday. The funding from this project brought me one step closer to this goal.”
Calvin Gimpelevich, Literary artist and 2022 CityArtist grantee
“I used my funding to research, write, and complete my first draft of queering historical fiction about Queen Cristina of Sweden. Holding my public event online allowed Seattle's LGBTQ community and those outside the city to attend.”
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"Aluvium and Lode", kiln-fired glass drawings by Katie Miller, 2024 CityArtist, photograph by Jueqian Fang
About CityArtist
The CityArtist grant supports Seattle-based individual artists/curators in the research, development, and presentation of creative work. By sustaining individuals who are at the core of the cultural sector, we ensure that creative careers and work can develop and adapt over time, which is critical to artists’ professional growth and business insight. Providing financial support for creative entrepreneurs contributes to the broader economy and quality of life in neighborhoods across the city.
Awarded artists will need to offer a public presentation within Seattle city limits. We encourage a broad range of artistic and cultural expression that reflects the Seattle’s diversity.
This program is open to specific discipline clusters in alternating years:
- Even Years (2026, 2028): Literary, Media/Film (including Screenwriting), and Visual Art
- Odd Years (2025, 2027): Dance, Music, and Theater (including Playwriting)
About the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
Formed in 1971 with a mission to activate and sustain Seattle through arts and culture, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture manages the City's public art program, cultural partnerships grant programs, The Creative Advantage arts education initiative, and cultural facilities such as the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute and ARTS at King Street Station.
In alignment with the City's Race and Social Justice Initiative, we seek new solutions that use arts as a strategy to drive not only our office, but the City as a whole toward racial equity and social justice. We will continue to break barriers and build arts-integrated tools that challenge the status quo and push us toward the inclusive society we envision.
We are supported by the 16-member Seattle Arts Commission, citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and City Council.
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