A Moment in Time
I grew up in the Seattle area. I regularly snuck out of my suburban enclave at night to smoke cigarettes and drink coffee at Septieme on Capitol Hill surrounded by bohemians clouded in patchouli. Artists were everywhere, and Seattle seemed like the creative center of the country, if not the universe. I left for college in 1995.
By the time I returned in 2007, the heyday of fringe theaters in garages and abandoned spaces was over. Artists had done their work of revitalizing economically blighted urban areas like South Lake Union and Capitol Hill, and had been subsequently priced out. So goes the tale. It was impossible to imagine affordable art space ever happening again in Seattle.
And then it did.
Downtown Seattle has been gutted by the pandemic. Global brands have fled. Gorgeous brick buildings renovated to the teeth with amenities in anticipation of the viaduct’s removal sit waiting empty for the tech companies to return.
The reality of the era has finally set in to the corporate owners: Seattle isn’t coming back the way it was before.
Cue: The artists.
Have you seen Basecamp 1 & 2? Their gallery in the old Bergman Luggage building and artist studios next door feel like old Seattle, overflowing with scrappy brilliance and creativity. Just down the street is Cannonball Arts, our city’s new wildly ambitious modern art museum in the old Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They’re spooling up their basement music venue, complete with a state-of-the-art sound system and set of vintage high-school gym bleachers.And then, like some aging hipster legend of “the way Seattle was”, Common Area Maintenance purchased an abandoned Belltown building for $20 to build artist residences.
What happens when artists do cool things in cities? Streets become safer. Small businesses built on foot traffic thrive.
And for Seattle specifically, we become a city where are values are not just reflected in our politics but in our culture. Investment in the arts is not just inspirational, and aspirational, but it is fiscally logical and responsible. Isn’t that crazy? It lights me up. I could talk about it all day.
Which is why it’s easy for me to ask you to participate in this renaissance by donating to Nebula Seattle’s Dream Pioneer Campaign.
We are in the very beginning of our journey to bring a state-of-the-art, perfectly Seattle, immersive art experience to a building that has sat empty since before the pandemic. We are bringing sustainable creative jobs to Pioneer Square along with 22,000+ people a year to the neighborhood to spend money on drinks, dinner, and parking.
Art or no, that’s just good business.
Help us reach our goal of $85,000 to cover our initial expenses: architectural plans, permits, and structural engineering reviews by donating today. 100% of your gift is tax-deductible, and we are eligible for corporate matches if your employer offers them.
TO THE FUTURE!
Erin Brindley
