Arts in Parks Program

The Arts in Parks 2025 program is a funding opportunity offered through a partnership between the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Parks and Recreation. Since 2016, this initiative has provided support to grassroots organizations, community-based groups, and individual artists to activate Seattle parks with arts and culture programming. The program’s purpose is to strengthen community connections, celebrate cultural diversity, and bring free and accessible arts experiences to underserved communities and neighborhoods across the city. The grant emphasizes inclusion and accessibility, prioritizing applicants and projects that represent communities most impacted by systemic oppression, including low-income populations, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and communities of color. Eligible applicants must be individual artists, local organizations, or community-based groups located in or regularly presenting work in Seattle. Applicants are not required to have nonprofit status or fiscal sponsorship. All projects must take place in eligible Seattle parks between May 1 and November 30, 2025, must be free and open to the public, and must adhere to Seattle Parks and Recreation’s mission of providing safe and welcoming opportunities to build community. Ineligible projects include those located in Downtown or City Center parks, as well as those in certain playfields and parks adjacent to community centers, which have other funding sources. Funding levels are tiered, with award amounts of $2,000, $4,000, $6,000, or $8,000, depending on the applicant’s experience and project scope. Applicants with less experience are encouraged to apply for the $2,000 level, while larger funding levels are intended for those with demonstrated experience producing events. Projects funded at higher levels in recent cycles may face restrictions on the maximum allowable award unless they meet minimum thresholds of public programming hours. Funds may be used for artist fees, marketing, project management, supplies, rentals, permits, and limited food costs, but not for fundraising events, religious services, gifts, unrelated administrative costs, or excessive food expenses. Funds cannot be combined with other City funding for the same project. Awardees are required to obtain event liability insurance, acknowledge City support in promotional materials, and meet reporting requirements. Payment is issued on a reimbursement basis after the event and submission of required reports. Applications open on October 15, 2024, and close on November 26, 2024, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Late applications will not be accepted. Two information sessions will be offered in October 2024, one virtual and one in-person, to help applicants learn about the process. Draft application feedback sessions will also be available in November 2024 to allow applicants to receive staff review before submission. Proposals will be evaluated based on strength of proposal, community impact, feasibility, and whether they occur in preferred parks. The evaluation panel will make recommendations in December 2024 and January 2025, with award notifications expected in February 2025. Projects will take place between May and November 2025. Applicants will complete an online application through the City’s Fluxx system, which requires basic profile information, project details, community engagement strategies, production capacity, and a narrative budget. Applicants must also submit demographic information for program tracking purposes, though it will not be scored. The Office of Arts & Culture provides guidance to applicants, encourages early submission, and recommends that applicants prepare responses outside the online form to prevent data loss. Tips also include double-checking budgets for balance, saving work frequently, and contacting the project manager early for assistance. Contact for this program is Zach Frimmel, Grants Project Manager, who can be reached at (206) 963-9226 or Zach.Frimmel@seattle.gov. Translation and interpretation services are available upon request, including American Sign Language. The Office of Arts & Culture also upholds anti-racist principles and a commitment to equity, ensuring that funding supports communities historically excluded from cultural opportunities. An appeal process is available for applicants who wish to contest funding decisions, and all applications are public records subject to disclosure. The program emphasizes accessibility and compliance with nondiscrimination laws, as well as freedom of expression in supported projects.

Applicants are encouraged to read guidelines carefully, attend info sessions, draft responses outside the portal, save work frequently, provide clear and concise responses, ensure balanced budgets, and submit early. Contact the project manager early for assistance.