Current Calls and Funding
Public Art Boot Camp 2026-27
Boot Campers tour the Seattle Center Poetry Garden
The Office of Arts & Culture is invested in training the next generation of public artists who can create culturally relevant artworks that resonate with the diverse communities that make up the City of Seattle. Public Art Boot Camp provides training for artists who are ready to translate their exhibition and other studio art experience into the public art realm.
We offer this professional development program for visual artists who are interested in the public art realm but have limited experience. Up to 18 artists will be selected through a competitive process to participate in a series of monthly workshops, seminars, and lectures focused on public art practice. The program will culminate in a review with feedback from multiple project managers and other public art professionals.
For more details, please read the full guidelines.
Due Date
Monday, May 18, 2026, 5 PM Pacific
Please allow ample time to complete your application. Applications submitted after the 5 PM Pacific deadline will not be accepted.
Eligibility
This is an open call to all qualified artists living in Washington state who have not received a single temporary or publicly sited art commission over $20,000. For these purposes, a commission is defined as an artwork that is created by an artist at the request of an entity (public agency, private business, corporation, or individual) that is displayed in a public location.
Public Art Boot Camp is intended for artists who are new to public art. Artists who have previously participated are not eligible. You must be 18 years or older. Current students attending any undergraduate or graduate program are not eligible to apply.
We are committed to an equitable selection process and strongly encourage applications from underrepresented artists, including women, LGBTQIA+, people with disasbilities, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Artists of all walks of life are encouraged to apply.
Budget
Participants will be compensated $1,000 for attendance and participation in all required workshops, lectures, and program activities, divided into $200 per session.
Information Workshop
Learn more about this opportunity and how to submit your best application. This virtual session will be recorded and posted on our website:
Thursday, April 23, Noon – 1 PM
RSVP to 4/23
Timeline and Schedule
This timeline is subject to change:
- RFQ Opening – Wednesday, April 15
- RFQ Deadline – Monday, May 18, 2026
- Artist Selection – June/July 2026
- Workshops & Seminars – September 2026 - January 2027
- Workshop 1: Orientation & Public Art Foundations
- Workshop 2: Concept Development, Project Planning
- Workshop 3: Fabrication & Implementation
- Workshop 4: Public Art Business 101
- Workshop 5: Graduation, Artist Roster Application, and More
Application
Apply online through Submittable.
If you have trouble, 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.
Contact
For information and assistance with the application or eligibility, contact Maija McKnight, Public Art Project Manager, at (206) 684-7311 or Maija.McKnight@seattle.gov.
Artists at the Center Grant
Artists at the Center funds individual artists, arts collectives, community groups, and organizations to develop and present pop-ups at Seattle Center. Artistic genres may include music, dance, theater, demonstrations, and multi-disciplinary work. Pop-ups will be scheduled between October 2026 and September 2027.
Artists at the Center is a multi-year collaboration between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (OAC) and Seattle Center, with support from Uptown Arts & Culture Coalition and the communities surrounding the Seattle Center campus. This project is made possible by a 10-year community benefit grant from Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken.
They are also available in these languages:
Due Date
Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 5 PM Pacific
Please allow ample time to complete your application; applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
Eligibility
- You are an individual, organization, or community group that regularly presents arts and cultural-based activations in Seattle.
- You reside in King County or unincorporated King County within Washington state.
- Organizations and individual artists representing communities most impacted by systemic oppression including low-income, people with disabilities, immigrant and refugee communities, and communities of color are encouraged to apply.
- You have a Federal Tax ID number (Social Security Number, ITIN, or Employee Identification Number).
- Groups applying are not required to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nor are they required to use a fiscal sponsor or fiscal agent.
- You may submit only one application per cycle to this program.
- Multiple applicants cannot submit separate applications for the same pop-up.
- Awardees from the current season (2025-2026) are not eligible to apply for the 2026-2027 season.
Funding
You can apply for the following levels of funding:
- $2,000 award (typically 1-2 performers), plus $780 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
- $4,000 award (typically 3-5 performers), plus $1,420 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
- $6,000 award (typically 6+ performers), plus $1,865 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
Timeline
This timeline is subject to change:
- March 10, 2026 (10 AM Pacific): Application opens
- April 21, 2026 (5 PM Pacific): Application closes
- May-July 2026: Peer panel review process
- August 2026: Applicants notified of funding decisions
- August 2026: Awardee orientation and contracting
- October 2026 - September 2027: Artists at the Center performances take place, invoicing occurs, and final reporting is submitted.
Information Sessions
Watch this recorded information session to learn more about this grant and how to turn in your best application.
Application
Apply online through the City of Seattle’s grant portal.
If this is your first time using FLUXX, you will have to create a user profile before you start your application. If you don’t have computer or internet access, contact staff as soon as possible.
Contact
For information and assistance with the application, eligibility or online technical support, please contact Zach Frimmel, Project Manager for Artists at the Center, at (206) 963-9226 or Zach.Frimmel@seattle.gov.
If you don’t have computer or internet access, contact Zach as soon as possible. They need at least two (2) weeks before the application due date to provide accommodations.
If you have questions about the grant please refer to these Frequently Asked Questions, or contact Zach.
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.
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 (SPS). The Creative Advantage is made possible through a public-private partnership with SPS, the 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 SPS through The Creative Advantage. Community Arts Partners collaborate with schools to provide:
- Student Art Residencies
- Teacher Professional Development
Please Note: You can apply to lead student arts residencies and/or teacher professional development.
Helpful Resources
Creative Youth Programs Glossary
Visit The Creative Advantage for more information.
Eligibility
Open to teaching artists, community arts organizations, and cultural institutions serving students, teachers, and schools in Seattle with three or more years of teaching experience. Applicants must be over the age of 18.
The Roster application reopens on November 1, 2025, 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 Nov. and Feb. will be reviewed during the March review cycle
- Applications submitted between March and May will be reviewed during the June review cycle
- Applications submitted between June and Sept. will be reviewed during the Oct. review cycle
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.
Contact
For questions about the program or for help with the online application, please contact Arts Education Project Manager, Tina LaPadula, at (206) 518-4205 or Tina.Lapadula@seattle.gov.
We 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.
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. It provides support ranging from $500 to $1,500, 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
To apply, you must attend an information session first.
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 and 3rd Thursday of each month (excluding City Holidays), 11:30 AM -12:15 PM Pacific.
Virtual Draft Application Review Sessions
You 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 and 3rd Thursdays of each month (excluding City Holidays), 12:15-1 PM Pacific.
RSVP for a session on our calendar.
Contact
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 (via video). 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.