ASL Interpreters will be present for both the reception and during the program. To request to be seated near an ASL interpreter, please note your request in the RSVP Confirmation Form which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase.  

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are provided by McCaw Hall. They may be checked out at the coat check. Note that they work best when the user has a direct line of site to the stage. If you plan to use an ALD, please note this in your RSVP Confirmation Form. 

Live Captions: The video shown during the program will have captions. We are exploring ways to offer captions for the rest of the program. 

Braille Programs will be available. If you would like a braille program, please note your request in the RSVP Confirmation Form which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase. 

Large Print Programs: All programs will be printed in 16+ point font size. 

Assistive Listening Headsets are provided by McCaw Hall and there will be a describer for the program portion of the event. If you plan to use Assistive Listening, please note that in your RSVP Confirmation Form.  

Wheelchair Seating: There are 29 wheelchair seats available throughout McCaw Hall. If you would like a wheelchair seat, please note that in your RSVP Confirmation Form which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase. 

Transfer Seats have a movable arm for easy transfer from a wheelchair or walker. There are 29 of these available at McCaw Hall. If you would like to be seated in a transfer seat, please note that in your RSVP Confirmation Form. 

Caregiver Entry: A complimentary ticket for a caregiver is available upon request. If you would like a complimentary caregiver ticket, please note that in your RSVP Confirmation Form. 

Parking: Mercer Street Garage has 48 disabled parking stalls on levels B and C. A covered wheelchair accessible skybridge to McCaw Hall is on level C.  

Drop Off: Guests can be dropped off on Mercer Street directly in front McCaw Hall. Use the wheelchair ramp in front of the Phelps Center to reach the building or select “Kreielsheimer Promenade” in the elevator located by the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall entrance on Mercer Street. 

Accessible Routes: There will be signage to mark accessible routes from all entrances and from the reception areas to the auditorium.  

Restrooms: All public restrooms in McCaw Hall are accessible.  

To make this a sensory-friendly event, audience lights will remain at a low level during the performance. People are welcome to move about as needed. A guide to lighting and sound cues that may be overwhelming will be available. If you would like a guide, please request one in your RSVP Confirmation Form, which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase.  

Service and Therapy Animals are allowed and must be kept on a leash. If you will be bringing a service animal, please note that in your RSVP Confirmation Form, which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase. 

Dietary Restrictions: At the reception, a variety of small foods will be available, including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free options.  

Answer: This year’s Celebration of the Arts will take place from 3:00 – 7 pm on Tuesday, September 24th at McCaw Hall. Check-in will begin at 3:00 pm with a reception until 4:30 pm. The program will begin at 4:30 pm and conclude at 6:00 pm, with additional social and networking opportunities until 7pm.

Answer: McCaw Hall is located 321 East Mercer Street on the north edge of the Seattle Center campus. Public transportation, driving, and parking directions can be found on the McCaw Hall website. The closest parking lot is the Mercer Street Garage directly across from McCaw Hall at 3rd Ave North and Mercer Street. This garage has 48 wheelchair accessible stalls.

Many elements of ArtsFund’s “Celebration of the Arts” event will remain the same, including a rich program of performances, an inspiring keynote speaker, and a reception when attendees can network as an arts and cultural community while enjoying visual art displays and live music. There will also be opportunities to support ArtsFund's mission through donations and sponsorships. 

The time and venue of the event are new this year. We are moving the event from lunchtime to the late afternoon and early evening to accommodate attendees’ work schedules and to make the event more accessible for out-of-town attendees. With this later time, we’ve added additional time for networking and socializing both before and following the program. Rather than a lunch, hors d’oeuvres will be served during the reception. Instead of sitting at tables for the program, guests will be seated in the beautiful McCaw Hall auditorium. At the previous luncheon, we had “table hosts.” This year, we offer the opportunity to be a “pod host” who can purchase an “audience pod,” (like a “table” at prior events), where friends and colleagues can sit together in the auditorium.

By holding the event at McCaw Hall, ArtsFund is financially supporting an arts venue and bringing our community together in an arts performance space that is connected to two of our cultural partners. This reflects our mission, vision, values, as well as ArtsFund’s newly adopted strategic plan, aimed at supporting cultural organizations that benefit from our work and programs. The event will remain a celebratory gathering of our thriving arts community and serve as a convener for those who are at the heart of what we do.

Tickets will be available on our website in July 2024. Sponsors who commit by May 10th will be recognized on the event invitation.

Institutional partners and individuals are welcome to sponsor the “Celebration of the Arts.” To learn more about sponsorship levels and benefits, please view our sponsorship document.

There will be a reception from 3:00 – 4:30 pm, and then additional networking time after the performances from 6:00 pm -7:00 pm. 

Guests who attend with a “pod host” will be seated together in “audience pods.” Those who need specific seats for accessibility reasons, e.g. wheelchair access or ASL interpreter visibility, will be assigned seats with up to two seats for a caregiver or family or friend. For all others there will be general seating. The doors to the auditorium will open at 4:00 pm and the program will begin at 4:30 pm.  

This year, instead of “table hosts,” we will have “pod hosts” who invite friends and colleagues to share their “audience pods” – a groups of seats in the auditorium so that they can enjoy the program together.  

Sponsors and pod hosts, along with their guests, will be invited to an intimate VIP reception. Executive Directors, Presidents, and CEOs of our cultural partners and grantees who plan on attending will also be invited.

Please periodically check our website for updates. In addition, ArtsFund staff are happy to share more information or discuss ways to support the “Celebration of the Arts” event. To learn more, please contact Kaitlin Hurley, Annual Giving Manager (kaitlinhurley@artsfund.org) or 206-788-3045.