WaSMAR5807_14 Guide to the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Performing and Visual Arts Program Records 1976-1990 Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Performing and Visual Arts Program 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
5807-14 Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Performing and Visual Arts Program Records 1976-1990 1976-1984 1.8 cubic feet 5 boxes Administrative records of the staff responsible for the Department of Parks and Recreation's cultural programs. 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.

Records of the Performing and Visual Arts section (until 1979 known as the Cultural Arts Section), including correspondence, memos, program histories, reports, budgets, concession agreements, photographs and subject files concerning music, dance and theater performances, and arts instruction programs. Also documented is the unit’s management of the Bathhouse Theatre, Madrona Dance Studio, Poncho Theatre, Pratt Fine Arts Studio and Seward Park Art Studios following their renovation or construction using Forward Thrust funds. Documented also is the 1982 transition to operation of the Parks’ cultural facilities by the program’s advisory councils.

Related records of the Performing and Visual Arts staff are also in records series nos. 5810-01, 5807-15, 5807-03, 5807-16, 5808-01 and 5807-07.

Arranged alphabetically.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation Performing and Visual Arts Program Records, Record Series 5807-14. 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.

Chambless, John O'Neill, Maureen A. Seattle (Wash.). Dept. of Parks and Recreation Pratt Fine Arts Center (Seattle, Wash.) Seward Park Art Studio (Seattle, Wash.) Madrona Dance Studio Bathhouse Theatre PONCHO (Organization : Seattle, Wash.). Theatre Seattle (Wash.) Art schools--Washington (State)--Seattle Art schools--Washington (State)--Seattle Glass art--Washington (State)--Seattle Concerts--Washington (State)--Seattle Music--Washington (State)--Seattle Children’s theater--Washington (State)--Seattle Theater--Washington (State)--Seattle Dance--Washington (State)--Seattle Dance schools--Washington (State)--Seattle Seattle Fine Arts Performing Arts Photographs Film negatives

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

5807-14 Performing and Visual Arts Program Records 1976-1990 1/1 Advisory Councils / Transition 1976-1983 1/2 Affiliate Artist Program (Includes Photographs of Performing Artists) 1987 1/3 Affiliate Artist Program 1987 1/4 Annual Report - Performing and Visual Arts 1977 1/5 Art Commission 1976-1978 1/6 Arts and the Parks Department's Role 1978-1979 1/7 Arts Symposia 1978 1/8 Arts Symposia - Proceedings and Reports 1978 1/9 ASCAP Copyright 1982 1/10 Attendance Statistics 1981 1/11 Bond Issue Project 1981 1/12 Budget 1979-1983 1/13 Budget - PVA 1980 1/14 Budget - PVA 1982 2/1 Budget - PVA 1980-1982 2/2 Budget - PVA 1981-1982 2/3 Budget - Bathhouse Theatre 1980-1981 2/4 Budget - City Art Works 1980-1983 2/5 Budget - PVA (Including Christmas Ship) 1981-1982 2/6 Budget - Madrona Dance Studio 1979-1981 2/7 Budget - Music 1981 2/8 Budget - Poncho Theatre 1981 2/9 Budget - PVA Management 1981 2/10 Calendar of Events 1976-1977 2/11 City Council 1981-1982 2/12 Communications - Mayor / City Council 1981 2/13 Concession Agreements 1982-1983 2/14 Concession Agreements - Bathhouse Theatre 1982-1985 3/1 Concession Agreements - Madrona Dance Studio 1982 3/2 Concession Agreements - Madrona Dance Studio 1983-1984 3/3 Concession Agreements - Poncho Theatre 1977-1984 3/4 Concession Agreements - Pratt Fine Arts Studio 1982-1984 3/5 Concession Agreements - Seward Park Art Studio 1977-1985 3/6 Fees and Charges 1981 3/7 Financial Records 1982-1983 3/8 Grant Applications - NEA 1976-1979 4/1 Grants - NEA Summer Expansion Arts 1980-1981 4/2 Grants 1977 4/3 Inspections of PVA Facilities 1982 4/4 Layoffs 1982 4/5 Music Concerts In Parks 1982 4/6 Performing and Visual Arts - History / Data 1978-1990 4/7 Performing and Visual Arts - History / Data 1978-1990 4/8 Performing and Visual Arts - Needs Analysis 1981 4/9 Pier 57 Exhibition Space Proposal 1977-1982 4/10 Reports - John Chambless 1978 4/11 Seward Park Art Studio / Pratt Fine Arts Center Reorganization 1979-1980 4/12 Staff Meetings, PVA - Minutes and Agenda 1976 4/13 Summer Touring Shows undated 4/14 Weekly Reports 1981 4/15 Weekly Reports 1981 5/1 Bathhouse Theatre Negatives undated 5/2 Bumbershoot Negatives 1976 5/3 Madrona Dance Studio (incl. Slick Watts' Party) Negatives 5/4 Miscellaneous Negatives undated 5/5 Music in the Parks Negatives 1976-1977 5/6 Musician Photographs undated 5/7 Poncho Children's Theatre Performances Negatives 1976-1977 5/8 Seward Park Art Studio Negatives 1976-1977 5/9 Seward Park Art Studio, Gasworks Park Concerts, Bumbershoot Photographs 1976 5/10 Summer Stage Negatives and Print 1977