Materials

Artists at the Center 2025-26

Artists at the Center introduces emerging and established artists to Seattle Center, while broadening the arts and cultural experiences in the Uptown Arts & Cultural District. Selected artists reflect the city’s cultural diversity and have the unique opportunity to perform at Seattle Center, enjoy technical production support, connect with new audiences, and showcase their talents. Visitors to the campus and the surrounding neighborhood benefit from surprising and delightful pop-up performances throughout the year.

Artists at the Center is a multi-year collaboration between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) 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.

For more details on this grant, please read the full guidelines.

The guidelines are also available in these languages:

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for this grant if you meet the following criteria:

You are an individual artist, artist-led collective, organization, or community-based group presenting work regularly in Seattle.
You are located 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) and are based in, or have current and active programming within, the City of Seattle.
- 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 (2024-2025) are not eligible to apply for the 2025-2026 season.

Your pop-up is eligible to be funded by this grant if it meets the following criteria:

Your pop-up will be free and open to the public at one of the eligible Seattle Center locations.
Your pop-up will be between 40-90 minutes.

Funding

You may use the award funds for pop-up-related expenses, such as: artist fees, marketing and promotional fees, project management, personnel costs, supplies, equipment rentals or other production-related costs, required insurance, and up to 10% for food-related costs. Additional expenses may be allowed upon advance approval by the grant project manager.

Funds from this grant cannot be combined with other City funding sources nor with funds supporting another Seattle Center event (e.g. Festál, Folklife, etc.). Applicants are not allowed to be funded for the same project/pop-up twice by the City of Seattle.

You can apply for the following levels of funding:

$2,000 award (typically 1-2 performers), plus $750 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
$4,000 award (typically 3-5 performers), plus $1,360 in-kind production support from Seattle Center
$6,000 award (typically 6+ performers), plus $1,800 in-kind production support from Seattle Center

Due Date

Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 5 p.m. Pacific

Please allow ample time to complete your application; applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Information Sessions

Learn more about this opportunity and how to turn in your strongest application. We highly encourage first-time applicants to attend one of the below workshops:

Session 1 (Hybrid)

Thursday, May 22, 4:00 - 5:20 p.m. (Pacific)
In-Person: Seattle Center Armory, Room 301
Virtual: Webex
RSVP to May 22

Session 2 (Hybrid)

Tuesday, June 3, 10:00 - 11:20 a.m. (Pacific)
In-Person: Seattle Center Armory, Room 301
Virtual: Webex
RSVP to June 3

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.

Info

If you don’t have computer or internet access, contact Zach Frimmel, Grants Project Manager, as soon as possible at (206) 963-9226 or email Zach.Frimmel@seattle.gov.

For questions about the grant, please refer to these Frequently Asked Questions. If you have any further questions or need help with the online application, please reach out..

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.