Current Calls and Funding
Midterm Public Artist Roster Application
We use our Public Artist Roster to commission new, original, and site-responsive public artwork through the City of Seattle in collaboration with other City departments: Seattle City Light, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Public Utilities, and Seattle Parks and Recreation. Artists included on the roster are not guaranteed a commission but are part of a pre-approved application pool for City supported public art projects.
Eligibility
- You must reside in the United States or a U.S. Territory.
- You must be an artist or collaborative group that is independent. An arts organization, company, or program is not eligible.
- You must produce or present artwork that is relevant to the community and accessible to the public.
- Images submitted for review must be your own original work. If it's a team project, your role in the project must be clearly defined in the image description.
- You must be 18 years of age or older. Collaborative groups must be composed of artists who are 18 or older.
- You may submit only one application.
Budget
Public art commissions will be up to $500,000. Each new project will include information on the specific project budget and scope of work.
Due Date
Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, 5 p.m. Pacific.
Please allow ample time to complete your application. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
Application
You'll be asked to provide contact information, up to 10 artwork samples, an artist statement, and biographical statement. The application also includes a series of questions that will be used to help sort and organize the online gallery.
Applications will be reviewed by a community selection panel and notification of results will be sent in November 2025.
If you have trouble applying, check Submittable's FAQ for step-by-step guides. You can also contact their tech support at support@submittable.com.
Contact
For questions about the program or for help with the online application, please contact Project Manager, Adetola Abatan, at Adetola.Abatan@seattle.gov or (206) 794-1839.
We have interpreters who can speak to you in your language, including American Sign Language (via video). Just call us and tell us what language you speak. Expect a short pause while we find an interpreter to join the call.
Adetola Abatan
Bio + -
Adetola.Abatan@seattle.gov
(206) 794-1839
Adetola Abatan is an artist, musician, curator, engineer, and arts leader based in Seattle, WA. She believes visual art amplifies her inner voice and articulates her musings on race, gender, faith, and identity.
Her collage artworks have featured in the Seattle Deconstructed Art Fair at Wa Na Wari, Meloy Gallery, Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery, Mini Mart City Park, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and PublicDisplay.Art magazine.
Adetola curated the 2022 Blue is Our Color exhibit in the Hedreen Gallery as well as the 2023 Future Cosmologies exhibit at Mad Art Gallery. She holds an MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University as well as a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ade also speaks Yoruba.
The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster (Rolling Deadline)
The Creative Advantage is a city-wide initiative to establish equitable access to arts learning for every student in Seattle Public Schools. The Creative Advantage is made possible through a public-private partnership with Seattle Public Schools, the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, the Seattle Foundation, and over 100 community arts partners.
The Community Arts Partner Roster consists of individual teaching artists and community arts and culture organizations approved to work in Seattle Public Schools through The Creative Advantage. Community Arts Partners collaborate with schools to provide:
- Student Art Residencies
- Teacher Professional Development
Please Note: An applicant can apply to lead student arts residencies and/or teacher professional development.
Helpful Resources
Creative Youth Programs Glossary
Visit the Creative Advantage website for more information.
Eligibility
Open to teaching artists, community arts organizations, and cultural institutions serving students, teachers, and schools in Seattle with three (3) or more years of teaching experience. Applicants must be over the age of 18.
The Roster application is open, and will stay open year-round for new artists, teaching artists, community arts organizations, and cultural institutions to apply. Applications will be vetted and approved by Creative Advantage Advisors, through a panel process three times annually (March, June, October). Roster Advisors are Seattle Public School teacher leaders and current Roster partners.
Review Deadlines:
- Applications submitted between 11/1/24 and by 5 PM (PST) 2/28/25 will be reviewed during the March review cycle
- Applications submitted between 3/1/25 and by 5 PM (PST) 5/31/25 will be reviewed during the June review cycle
- Applications submitted between 6/1/25 and by 5 PM (PST) 9/30/25 will be reviewed during the October review cycle
An applicant can apply to provide both student art residencies and/or professional development opportunities for teachers and will have the option to indicate that on the application.
Application
If you have trouble with Submittable, check their FAQ which offers step-by-step guides. For further assistance with the Submittable online application, please contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com.
Info
For questions about the program or for help with the online application, please contact Project Manager, Tina LaPadula.
We can speak to you in your language, including American Sign Language. Just call us and tell us what language you speak. Expect a short pause while we find an interpreter to join the call.
Tina LaPadula
Bio + -
Arts Education Project Manager
tina.lapadula@seattle.gov
(206) 518-4205
Tina LaPadula is an East coast transplant and warrior for equitable art-making and learning opportunities. For more than 15 years she poured most of her creative energy into Arts Corps, the award-winning arts and social justice nonprofit she helped found. She has collaborated with The Frye Museum, The Museum of History and Industry, and Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival to curate exhibitions and events that elevate the art and perspectives of young people. As a teaching artist, Tina has taught for Centrum Arts, Seattle Children's Theatre, The University of Washington, and in a multitude of schools and afterschool programs. She has served as a consultant to many cultural organizations facilitating workshops on racial justice and the arts. Tina supports the growth and development of teaching artists locally and nationally, most notably as the founder of the Seattle Teaching Artist Network, as a faculty member for the WA State Teaching Artist Training Lab, as the former chair of the Association of Teaching Artists, and on the national advisory team for the Teaching Artist Guild. Her writing and opinions have been featured by Americans for the Arts and The National Guild for Community Arts Education.
smART Ventures Grant (Rolling Due Date)
Black Arts Love, photo by Jenny Crooks
smART Ventures is flexible, inclusive, simple, and encourages innovation by individuals, organizations, and communities that may not qualify for other funding programs. smART Ventures provides support ranging from $500 to $1,000, proving that small investments can have big impacts.
Eligibility
- Individuals or groups of people – including youth and older adults – seeking support for a unique project, opportunity, or event involving arts and culture and not currently funded by our office
- Organizations – arts and culture and others – organizations do NOT have to have 501(c)(3) non-profit status
- emerging (less than 3 years old), OR
- not currently funded by our office, OR
- grassroots or business organizations
- Practicing artists not currently funded by our office and who have never received a CityArtist grant before
Due Date
The application is open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Application
Information Sessions and Draft Application Review
Come learn more about this grant and how to submit your best application.
Virtual Information Sessions
After reviewing the smART Ventures guidelines, attend a group session to learn how to submit your best application.
Sessions are available the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fridays of each month (excluding City Holidays), 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Virtual Draft Application Review Sessions
Must attend a smART Ventures info session first.
Attend this group session and bring 2-3 questions you may have regarding your application to share.
Sessions are available the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fridays of each month (excluding City Holidays), 12:30-1:30 p.m.
RSVP for a session on our calendar.
Info
For questions about the program or for help with the online application, please email the Project Manager at SmARTVentures@seattle.gov.
We can speak to you in your language, including American Sign Language. Just call us at (206) 684-7171 and tell us what language you speak. Expect a short pause while we find an interpreter to join the call.
Sign up for updates to hear about future calls and grants, or visit our Other Opportunities page to view artist calls and job openings from other organizations.