WaSMAR5810_01 Guide to the Pratt Fine Arts Center Records 1975-1982 Pratt Fine Arts Center Records Finding aid prepared by Janet Ness Funding for processing this record series was provided through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Seattle Municipal Archives © 2011
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
Finding aid encoded by Janet Ness 2011 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Seattle Municipal Archives
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle, WA 98124-4728 Phone: 206/233-7807 Email: archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
5810-01 Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation Pratt Fine Arts Center Records 1975-1982 1.4 cubic feet 4 boxes Records of a Seattle visual arts school and studio. Collection materials are in English Historical Note

The Department of Parks and Recreation maintains the City's parks, shorelines, and boulevards; and administers community centers, public golf courses, and other athletic and cultural facilities. Seattle's first park was established in 1884 after David Denny donated land to the City for that purpose. At that time, a three-member park committee, with limited authority, was created to manage the nascent park system. A Board of Parks Commissioners was established in 1890 with control over all public parks and authority to appoint a Parks Superintendent. In 1896, the City Charter created the position of Superintendent of Streets, Sewers and Parks. The Parks Department became a separate entity in 1904. In 1926, a City Charter amendment abolished the position of Superintendent, distributing its responsibilities between the Head Gardener and the Landscape Architect. A 1948 City Charter amendment required the Board of Park Commissioners to appoint a park superintendent to administer the department. In 1967, another City Charter Amendment reconstituted the Board as an advisory body to the Mayor and City Council, changed the agency name to Department of Parks and Recreation, and placed fiscal and operational administration under the superintendent. In 1902 the City hired the Olmsted Brothers, the country's premier landscape architectural firm, to design a parks and boulevards system. Although not all of the plan was implemented, the Olmsted legacy is evident in many of Seattle's parks and boulevards. The City acquired significant amounts of property for park purposes following the turn of the 20th Century, but in 1926 further acquisition was limited by a City Charter amendment that stipulated only money in the Park Fund could be used for that purpose. However, in the 1970s the Forward Thrust Bond issue, along with federal grants and the Seattle Model City Program, supported the largest expansion of the Park system in Seattle history. These programs funded more than 70 new parks and park facilities. The Department manages over 6,000 acres of park land, over two dozen community centers, five municipal golf courses, the Aquarium, and many other recreational and athletic facilities.

Correspondence, service contracts, block grant materials, recreation services survey, and attendance reports for a fine arts program established in 1978 to serve the City's central area. It was created as part of a cultural arts center based in the Yesler-Atlantic neighborhood and operated out of the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center. Conceived as a "fire arts" studio, Pratt offered classes in glass, pottery, jewelry and metalsmithing, metal fabrication and sculpture. Pratt, along with other art programs, was cut from the city budget in 1980. A private non-profit group, City Art Works, was formed to continue the operation of Pratt and its many programs.

Records of City Art Works (record series 5807-16) include additional documentation on the operations of Pratt Fine Arts Center. For related records documenting the administration of the Department of Parks and Recreation Performing and Visual Arts Program, see record series 5807-14.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], Pratt Fine Arts Center Records , Record Series 5810-01. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation Pratt Fine Arts Center (Seattle, Wash.) Seattle (Wash.) Art schools--Washington (State)--Seattle Art Study and teaching--Washington (State)--Seattle Glass art--Washington (State)--Seattle Art metal-work--Washington (State)--Seattle Ceramics--Washington (State)--Seattle Seattle Fine Arts Photographs

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

5810-01 Pratt Fine Arts Center Records 1975-1982 1/1 Center: Weekly Attendance Reports 1980 1/2 Center: Weekly Attendance Reports 1981 1/3 Weekly Attendance Reports 1982 1/4 Block Grant Attendance Reports 1978 1/5 Block Grant Attendance Reports, April 1979 1/6 Block Grant Attendance Reports, May 1979 1/7 Block Grant Attendance Reports, June 1979 1/8 Block Grant Attendance Reports, January to April 1979 1/9 Block Grant Attendance Reports, July 1979 1/10 Block Grant Attendance Reports, August 1979 1/11 Block Grant Attendance Reports, September 1979 1/12 Block Grant Attendance Reports, October 1979 1/13 Block Grant Attendance Reports, November 1979 1/14 Block Grant Quarterly Reports 1978 1/15 Block Grant Quarterly Reports 1979 1/16 Block Grant Memos 1978-1979 2/1 Budget 1982 2/2 Budget Information 1981 2/3 Budget Request 1980 2/4 Budget Request 1979 2/5 Pratt Budget, Part Time 1978 2/6 Pratt Budget, Part Time 1977 2/7 Contracts for Professional Services 1979 2/8 Gift, Correspondence 1979-1981 2/9 Gift, Proposals 1979-1981 2/10 Job Announcements 1979-1981 2/11 Equipment Correspondence 1978-1981 2/12 Memos, Incoming 1978-1982 2/13 Memos, Incoming 1978-1982 2/14 Memos, Incoming 1978-1982 2/15 Memos, Incoming 1980 2/16 Memos, Incoming 1978-1979 2/17 Memos, Incoming 1978-1979 2/18 Memos, Outgoing 1980-1981 3/1 Memos, Outgoing 1980-1981 3/2 Memos, Outgoing 1980-1981 3/3 Recreation Services, Winter 1980 3/4 Memos, Interoffice 1982 3/5 Memos, Interoffice 1978-1979 3/6 Recreation Services, Fall 1979 3/7 Recreation Services, Summer 1979 3/8 Recreation Services, Spring 1979 3/9 Recreation Services, Winter 1979 3/10 Recreation Services, Fall 1978 3/11 Recreation Services, Summer 1978 3/12 Recreation Services, Winter 1978 3/13 Recreation Services Study - Instructions 1978 3/14 Recreation Survey, Winter 1982 3/15 Recreation Survey, Fall 1981 3/16 Recreation Survey, Summer 1981 3/17 Recreation Survey, Spring 1981 3/18 Recreation Survey, Winter 1981 3/19 Recreation Survey, Fall 1980 3/20 Recreation Survey, Summer 1980 3/21 Recreation Services, Spring 1980 3/22 Park Department Attendance Reports, Fall 1979-1980 3/23 Park Department Attendance Reports, Summer 1979 3/24 Park Department Attendance Reports, Spring 1979 4/1 Park Department Attendance Reports, Weekly 1979 4/2 Volunteer Services Summaries 1978-1982 4/3 ''W'' Contracts 1979 4/4 Surplus Items, City of Seattle 1981 4/5 State Surplus, Information and Correspondence 1978-1982 4/6 Use Permits 1978 4/7 Vandalism Reports 1979-1981 4/8 Glass Workshop Poster undated 4/9 Central Community Fire Arts Center 1975-1977 4/10 Central Community Fire Arts Center 1976-1977 4/13 Pratt Fine Arts Center Proposal 1977-1978