Introduction
The Creative Advantage is a partnership between Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Public Schools to increase student access to arts learning.

The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster is a list of artists, teaching artists, and community arts and culture organizations approved to  receive compensation through The Creative Advantage in Seattle Public Schools. Arts partners from the Roster provide integrated and/or cultural arts residencies for students and/or professional development for teachers.

The Creative Advantage Community Arts Partner Roster is maintained by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture as a resource for schools seeking partners to help them meet their arts education equity goals.
 

The Roster opens for 2024 on October 11th, 2023, 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. 

Deadlines for 2024 Submissions:

• Applications submitted between 10/11/23 and by 5 PM (PST) 3/1/24 will be reviewed during the March review cycle
• Applications submitted between 3/1/24 and by 5 PM (PST) 6/7/24 will be reviewed during the June review cycle
• Applications submitted between 6/7/24 and by 5 PM (PST) 10/11/24 will be reviewed during the October review cycle

Eligibility
Open to artists, 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.

An applicant can apply to provide integrated/cultural arts residencies for students and/or professional development opportunities for teachers. Applicants must indicate whether they want to be considered for one or both of these options.

Application Components
All applications must be submitted online through Submittable.

Documents to Submit:  Applicants will upload documentation of their work as an individual artist, teaching artist, or arts organization: 

• Individual artist biography or organizational history & teaching artist biographies
• Sample lesson plan(s) or class outline(s)
• Work samples
• Professional development plan (if applicable)
   

Narrative Questions:  Applicants will complete questions that provide information on the following: 

• Teaching philosophy and approach
• Equity & access
• Culturally responsive strategies
• 21st Century Skills development
• Lesson plan development
• Teacher collaboration

Review Criteria
Applications for Arts Residencies for Students will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Approach & Collaboration: Clear approach and experience teaching art to young people
• Lesson Planning: Ability to develop a lesson plan or class outline
• Equity & Access: Experience and skills working with participants of diverse racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds; experience working with communities experiencing oppression and inclusion of culturally responsive teaching practices 
• Integrated & Cultural Arts: Experience teaching effective integrated arts and/or cultural arts to young people
• 21st Century Skills: Ability to articulate clear arts learning objectives and assessment criteria that include one or more 21st Century Skills (creative and critical thinking, communication, collaboration, perseverance, and growth-mindset)
• Work Samples: Samples demonstrate abilities, experience, and/or achievements as a teaching artist or teaching artist organization

Applications for Professional Development for Teachers will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Approach & Collaboration: Clear approach and experience leading teacher professional development 
• Professional Development Planning: Ability to articulate clear arts learning objectives for adult learners 
• Equity & Access: Experience and skills working with participants of diverse racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds; experience working with communities experiencing oppression and inclusion of culturally responsive teaching practices
• Integrated Arts: Ability to develop a professional development outline for teachers for integrating the arts
• 21st Century Skills: Activities that support teachers to foster 21st Century Skills with students in their own classrooms
• Work Samples: Ability to evaluate/assess and demonstrate impact of professional development on participants

Notification of Results
All applicants will be notified of panel decisions by email, after each round of panel reviews (end of March/early April, end of June/early July, end of October/early November).

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture reserves the right not to select any of the applicants.

Questions About This Opportunity?

Please contract the Arts Education Project Manager Tina LaPadula, at tina.lapadula@seattle.gov.


Tips:
1.  Read the guidelines, online instructions, and, if need be, contact Submittable for any technical questions.
2.  Schedule a 1:1 mentoring session with the Arts Education Project Manager (Tina LaPadula - tina.lapadula@seattle.gov) for support completing the application or to talk through the basics of a class outline or learning plan.
3. Submit your application early to avoid errors or technical difficulties. Please do not wait until the last minute.

How to Use Submittable
Submittable maintains a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and offers step-by-step guides on their help platform here. For further assistance with the Submittable online application, please contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com

Additional Opportunities
The Creative Advantage is one way that the Office of Arts & Culture supports arts education and creative youth development. Join our mailing list to learn about professional development, arts funding, and innovative creative youth program opportunities.

Privacy Notice:
Information that you provide in your application will become part of a record that is subject to public disclosure. The Office of Arts & Culture will not publish this information, but we are legally bound to provide it upon request. For more information, see the Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56. To learn more about how we manage your information, see our Privacy  Statement at www.seattle.gov/tech/initiatives/privacy.

INTRODUCTION

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) at King Street Station (KSS) is a 7,500-square-foot gallery and cultural space housed above Seattle’s historic King Street Station in Pioneer Square. Its mission is “to increase opportunities for people of color to generate and present their work and to reflect and foster the creativity and talents of people that continue to create the fabric of Seattle”.

In 2018, ARTS published a community feedback report drawn from focus groups hosted citywide. The report outlined the public’s hope that KSS might serve as an accessible arts space and a hub for community building through the arts with a race and social justice (RSJ) lens as its guiding principle. As part of that vision, the KSS Advisors were born.

The KSS Advisors form a group of 12 individuals who are tasked with building, guiding, and sustaining robust arts and cultural programing through an RSJ lens. Serving a two-year term (with the opportunity to reapply for an additional term), the KSS Advisors assist ARTS in selecting exhibitions and events, fostering a robust residency program, creating dynamic technical and social programming, and providing outreach to the broader community. 

To meet the current needs of the KSS Program, the 2024 cohort of Advisors will be selected both through an open call to community and through nominations by current KSS Advisors, ARTS staff, and community partners, with the goal of selecting advisors across a breadth of arts disciplines and across a range of diverse communities to enhance KSS programming and grow community connection and awareness.

KSS Advisors will:

• Serve a two-year term with the option to renew for an additional term of two years.
• Attend hybrid-online meetings with fellow Advisors and ARTS staff once a month to guide programming and ensure the success of the KSS mission to build creative community and support artists of color in generating work. (Meetings are approximately 2 hours in length; times will be determined depending upon selected Advisors’ availability.) Please note, while meetings will typically be hybrid, there may be certain meetings or events that require in-person attendance (accessibility accommodations will be made).
• Review applications for events, exhibitions, and residency between meetings (approximately 2-4 hours per month). We expect proposals for visual art exhibitions, performance, dance, music, lectures, film screenings, literary readings, spoken word, combinations of these formats, and more.
• Outreach to your community and the broader community to notify potential applicants of upcoming opportunities.
• Notify the public of KSS programming (e.g., social media, word-of-mouth, professional networks).
• Advisors will collaborate with ARTS staff in programming that coordinates with citywide activation such as Art Fair and the 2026 World Cup, and coordinate with community arts partners to expand impacts and outreach in the city and region.
• Advisors may propose and host programming (lectures, salons, workshops; subject to review.
• Help communicate KSS as a dynamic and important resource for creative community in the heart of Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square.
• Assist ARTS in nominating and selecting future Advisors.
• Advise in KSS Strategic Planning.

In addition to monthly Advisor meetings, you will be expected to participate in two (2) orientation days in July 2024 and one (1) KSS Gallery Application Review Panel day in August 2024:

• A general orientation to being a KSS Advisor, to take place during the week of July 8-12 (exact date and time TBD based on Advisor availability)
• An orientation to prepare you to review applications for the KSS Gallery, to take place on July 18 or July 19 (date and time TBD based on Advisor availability)
• A panel discussion of the applications to the KSS Gallery during the week of August 5-8 (exact date and time TBD based on Advisor availability)

BECOMING AN ADVISOR

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

The KSS Advisors are artists, arts and cultural workers, activists, and culture keepers who reflect the diverse communities they are seeking to support and uplift.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

We seek to build a diverse group of Advisors, representing a broad range of experiences, identities, backgrounds, ages, and cultures with demonstrated experience in community outreach and/or the arts.  

• Advisors must be 15 years old by selection on May 30, 2024. Signed parental/guardian permission needed for applicants under 18 years of age. 
• Advisors must work in or be a resident of King County. 
• Advisors must be able to commit to an onboarding orientation and once-per-month Advisor meetings for the duration of the 2-year term.
• Advisors must be able to work well in a collaborative, supportive, and positive cohort.

WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS ARE AVAILABLE?

Access needs will be met to the best of our ability. Please contact james.coley@seattle.gov / (206) 684-4186.  

WHAT IS THE COMPENSATION?

Advisors will receive a $1,000 yearly stipend. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE

5 p.m. (Pacific), Tuesday, April 30. Please allow ample time to complete your application; applications submitted after the 5 p.m. (Pacific) deadline will not be accepted.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

All application materials can be submitted either in written or audio/video formats, but please note that this should not be a highly produced/edited video—a short recording that speaks directly to your interest in becoming an Advisor will suffice. The intent of this option is to provide an opportunity for individuals who feel they can represent themselves better verbally versus in writing. 

If you are interested in being considered for this project, please submit the following:  

• Statement of Interest explaining why you want to be an ARTS at King Street Station Advisor. (not to exceed 500 words or 3 minutes) 
• Biographical Statement detailing what experience and knowledge you offer. This can include work, independent practice, volunteer work, activism, lived experience, education, community roles and outreach, or other sources of experience and knowledge. This can include experience within “arts and culture,” and/or in any other field. (not to exceed 800 words or 5 minutes) Note: This replaces the traditional resume and provides the selection panel with information about your background and lived experiences, including educational or professional experiences.
• OPTIONAL addition to Biographical Statement providing examples of your work in the arts or in community outreach. This might take the form of a link to a website, a social media profile, or you can upload pictures from a portfolio of your work or samples or past outreach efforts (jpg or pdf formats, max 5 files).
• Racial Equity Statement detailing your approach to, and experience with, advancing racial equity. Be sure to include an answer to the question of “how do you see your approach in advancing racial equity as influencing/impacting reviewing applications as an advisor to King Street Station?"(not to exceed 300 words or 2 minutes)

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture is committed to reflecting the diversity and cultural richness of our city in the selection of Advisors. The Advisors will be selected based on the following criteria: 

• A demonstrated commitment to racial equity and social justice 
• Proven experience in an arts discipline, community outreach, exhibition, or other relevant field to gauge feasibility of applicant proposals (see "KSS Advisors Will" section above for details) 
• Connection to community/ability to engage in community outreach 

Please keep the above criteria in mind while deciding what information to include in your application materials. The strongest applications will directly address each of the criteria outlined above.

The selection committee reserves the right to not select any applicants.  

PLANNING AHEAD

If you are chosen to be an Advisor, you will be asked to make the following commitments. Please review and make sure you can meet the following responsibilities before applying:

• Commit to a 2-year term
• Attend two (2) orientation sessions in July 2024 - one during the week of July 8-12 and one to take place on July 18 or July 19 (dates and times TBD based on Advisor availability)
• Attend one (1) KSS Gallery Application Review Panel day during the week of August 5-8 (exact date and time TBD based on Advisor availability)
• Attend monthly meetings (Meetings are approximately 2 hours in length; times will be determined depending upon selected Advisors’ availability.) 
• Receive and respond to emails in a timely manner. 
• Review proposals before artist selection meetings (approximately 2-4 hours per month). 

REVIEW AND SELECTION 

After applying through Submittable, a selection of finalists will be asked to interview with current Advisors and ARTS staff. Final selection will be made by past KSS Advisors and ARTS staff.

NOTIFICATION

Applicants will be notified of selection in early July 2024. ARTS reserves the right to not select any of the applicants.

 

QUESTIONS? WE ARE HERE TO HELP! 

WORKSHOPS

• ARTS will host an application workshop on Tuesday, April 16 from 4:30pm-6:00pm, hosted by the KSS Program Lead, James Coley (please contact James at james.coley@seattle.gov / (206) 684-4186 for more information). The KSS Program Lead will walk attendees through the application process and answer any questions applicants may have. The workshop will then be posted online for future applicants (link forthcoming).

TIPS FOR APPLYING

• Read the call guidelines and online instructions carefully. 
• If need be, contact Submittable for any technical questions. 
• Submit your application early – to avoid errors or technical difficulties, do not wait until the last day to complete your application. 

Questions about this opportunity? Please contact program lead James Coley at James.Coley@seattle.gov or at (206) 684-4186.

Questions about using Submittable? Submittable maintains an FAQ and offers step-by-step guides on their help platform here. For further assistance with the Submittable online application, please contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com. 

PRIVACY NOTICE:

Information that you provide below will become part of a record that is subject to public disclosure. The Office of Arts & Culture will not publish this information, but we are legally bound to provide it upon request. For more information, see the Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56. To learn more about how we manage your information, see our Privacy Statement at www.seattle.gov/tech/initiatives/privacy.