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Building for the Arts Capital Program Receives Significant Funding Increase

On May 19, 2021, with the passage of the 2021-2023 biennium state capital budget, the Building for the Arts program was awarded $16 million—the full funding requested for 21 capital projects across the state.

The Building for the Arts capital grant program was created in 1991 by ArtsFund and The Boeing Company to support Washington state arts and cultural organizations with facility improvements and expansion. Since then, this highly successful program has been awarded over $129 million to support 262 projects across the state. ArtsFund continues to lead this program through our coordination of advocacy efforts and coalition building. This cycle marks in increase in funding to this important program for the first time in 30 years, making more support for capital projects available to more arts and cultural groups.

The 21 projects span the state and vary in size, scale, and scope. The projects include plans to make spaces more accessible to better serve their communities. Seattle based Path with Art’s project, ArtHOME, provides them with a new facility located within Plymouth Housing’s new affordable housing project—creating an ADA compliant art space that will serve no-to-low-income adults in active recovery from homelessness, addiction, mental and physical health challenges, domestic violence and other traumas. Across the Sound, the Bainbridge Performing Arts Center is renovating and adding new features including a new multipurpose space, lobby expansion, and a sensory-access space among other renovations that will make the new Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts accessible for all. The Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner is acquiring additional space so that they can create a larger, more accommodating educational space with smart technology to expand service to students and visitors.

Congratulations to these organizations and best of luck undertaking their capital projects!

Below is a full list of organizations receiving funding:

Bainbridge Performing Arts | $1,600,000

Bellevue Arts Museum | $243,000

Classical KING FM 98.1 | $814,000

Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation | $1,600,000

Cornish College of the Arts | $1,600,000

Hands-on Children’s Museum | $1,600,000

Harlequin Productions | $500,000

Imagine Children’s Museum | $31,000

Kirkland Arts Center | $220,000

Mini Mart City Park | $200,000

Museum of Northwest Art | $500,000

Orcas Center | $133,000

Path with Art | $1,757,000

Pilchuck Glass School | $135,000

Port Angeles Waterfront Center dba Field Arts & Events Hall | $2,000,000

Roxy Bremerton Foundation | $269,000

Sequim City Band | $250,000

Seattle Symphony Orchestra | $418,000

Village Theatre – New Technical Studio Warehouse | $409,000

Village Theatre – Francis J. Gaudette Theatre Renovation| $257,000

Washington Center for the Performing Arts | $1,464,000

To read the press release, click here.

For more information about the Building for the Arts program, click here.

Header image: Sequim City Band, Swisher Hall Expansion.