In 1971, a city ordinance established the Seattle Arts Commission (SAC) to promote development of and public interest in the arts, as well as to advise the city on cultural and artistic development. The fifteen-member body replaced a predecessor agency, the Municipal Arts Commission, and staff support was originally provided by the Seattle Center. The Commission was given cabinet-level status in the city government in 1976.
In 2002, a reorganization abolished the existing SAC, created a new Seattle Arts Commission made up of volunteers and a new city Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs (OACA), and divided the functions of the old SAC between the two new organizations. The current commission is comprised of 16 citizen volunteers appointed by the Mayor and City Council. OACA was brought into the Executive Department in 2013 and its name was changed to the Office of Arts and Culture.
The department supports arts groups, community festivals, and neighborhood arts councils; funds and promotes public art, and promotes Seattle as a cultural destination. It also oversees the One Percent for Art program (one of the nation’s first), where one percent of Seattle’s capital improvement project funds are reserved for public art. Since the program began in 1973, it has acquired nearly 3,000 artworks.
Annual reports of the Seattle Arts Commission and its predecessor organization, the Municipal Art Commission, date from 1955 to 1984; researchers should note there is a gap from 1962 to 1980. Early reports discuss goals of the Commission, recommendations for projects and programs, and actions taken in the areas of art, music, dance, theatre, and general City beautification through the planting of trees, plants, and flowers, the installation of public art, and enhancements to Seattle parks and waterfronts.
Reports from the 1980s include organization charts, budget information, and descriptions of programs such as One Percent for Art, Artists in the City, and the Neighborhood Arts program, among others.
Annual reports are arranged chronologically by year.
Records are open to the public.
[Item and date], Seattle Arts Commission and Municipal Art Commission Annual Reports, Record Series 1802-I2. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Records were originally filed with the City Clerk in the Comptroller/Clerk's Files (CFs) and were removed to create this record series.
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.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.