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The Rainier Beach Arts & Culture Roundtable is a collaboration between the Rainier Beach Action Coalition and the Cascadia Poetics Lab. We meet once a month (3rd Friday, 6-7:30pm) to network as neighborhood creatives, support arts and culture, improve the visibility of arts & culture in Rainier Beach and make the neighborhood a destination for arts & culture. To get involved, contact Paul E Nelson, (206) 422.5002 or pen@cascadiapoeticslab.org
Roundtable Schedule, 3rd Friday, 6-7:30pm
Roundtable 1 (April 17, 2026) – At The Table: City of Seattle resource list for the arts, artist inventory started, Guest Matt McIntosh, Community Relations Manager for the Mayor’s Office and Kelly Davidson, Deputy Director of the Office of Arts and Culture; Facilitator: Paul Nelson.
Roundtable 2 (May 15, 2026) – In The Field: Visit to Paul Horiuchi’s former Home, Guest: Jason Wirth; Facilitator Paul Nelson
Round Table 3 (June 19, 2026) – At The Table: 9059 MLK Jr Way South, RBAC RB FIC: Arts inventory work session, resource gathering work session, Riffs; Facilitator Gregory Davis
Round Table 4 (July 17, 2026) – At The Table: 9059 MLK Jr Way South, Arts inventory work session, resource gathering work session, Riffs; Facilitator Gregory Davis
Round Table 5 (August 21, 2026) – In the Field: Mapes Creek Walk, meet at Be’er Sheva Park at N.E. corner of Henderson and Seward Park AV S. & hear the vision of daylighting this urban stream. Riffs; Guest: Logan McClish, Facilitator Paul Nelson
Round Table 6 (September 18, 2026) – In the Field – Othello Roof Top Healing Circle, Riffs; Guest TomJack, Facilitator Gregory Davis
Round Table 7 (October 16, 2026) – At The Table: 9059 MLK Jr Way South, RBAC RB FIC, Arts inventory work session, resource gathering work session, Riffs; Facilitator Gregory Davis
Round Table 8 (November 20, 2026) – In the Field: Location TBD, – Riffs; Facilitator Paul Nelson
Round Table 7 (December 18, 2026) – At The Table: 9059 MLK Jr Way South, RBAC RB FICArts inventory work session, resource gathering work session, Riffs; Facilitator Gregory Davis
Rainier Beach Arts and Culture Roundtable
Mission: To create a neighborhood cultural census and monthly arts networking meeting to identify current arts & cultural activities in Rainier Beach, expand awareness of neighborhood arts & cultural activities for local residents, promote local artists & arts/culture organizations, & make Rainier Beach a regional destination for lovers of arts & culture.
Vision: Make Rainier Beach a thriving cultural and artistic neighborhood & change the regional reputation of the neighborhood.
Values: Neighborhood Health, Safety, Creativity, Prosperity
Activities: Host a monthly roundtable, with remote and in-person meetings;
To conduct and maintain a neighborhood database on arts and cultural activities;
To share information online about activities of artists/ and arts &cultural organizations in the Rainier Beach neighborhood.
Goals (2026)
# of Roundtables – 9
# of inventory and resource generation work sessions – 18
# of Riffs – 45
# Roundtable Attendees – 100
# of in the field activity – 4
# of Artists registered -100
# of Events calendared – 50
# of $ resources identified – $500,000
# of $ resources secured – $100,000
Rainier Beach Arts and Culture Orientation
4 corners of the stage
In the field
Arts Inventory
Resources
Riffs – demonstration that you seek to master your craft
Corner 1 – In the field
Paul Horiuchi ‘s former home,
Rosettes
Mapes Creek (52nd Ave Walkway
RB 4 pearls Public Art Installation Walk, RB Raised Garden Bed Walk,
RBAC Food Innovation Center
Future – NWTap Connection, Rainier Beach Dance Center
Indigenous Creatives Collective (formerly yehaw)
Corner 2 – Inventory
Painting: The application of pigments to a surface (e.g., canvas, wood, or walls).
Sculpture: Three-dimensional art created by carving, modeling, or casting materials like clay, stone, or metal
Textiles: Use of fabric and materials
Architecture: The art and science of designing and constructing buildings.
Literature: Written works, including poetry, novels, and drama.
Music: The art of arranging sound in time through rhythm, melody, and harmony.
Performing Arts: Forms like theatre, dance, and film that are performed live or recorded.
Corner 3 – Resources
Public Sector
City of Seattle
Office of Arts Culture
Mayor’s Office
MLK County
Philanthropy
Private Sector
The Residents
Corner 4 – Riffs To date
Matt McIntosh, Community Relations Manager for the Mayor’s Office
Kelly Davidson, Deputy Director of the Office of Arts and Culture.
Jason Wirth
Notes for speaking points:
We have conducted two roundtables thus far and a rhythm has presented itself. This Roundtable experience will be
“In the field” – visual, haptic auditory experience in opens spaces
“At the table” – inventory and resource expansion
“On the stage” – to demonstrate our commitment to expand (master?) our crafts.
Every other meeting will be “in the field” or “at the table”, every gathering will be open for six – five minutes riffs (“on the stage”).
Standards for RBAC Promotion (with coordinating or collaborative party)
Promotional material (fliers, press releases, social media post etc) RBAC logo placement – top right, coordinating party bottom right (reference – “in coordination with” or in collaboration with). Collaboration is dependent on 1. Partnership Agreement on record. Coordination is an. RBAC entry point designation with an entity desiring partnership.
Promotion Schedule
-3 weeks before event – respective orgs agree on copy
-2 weeks before event – send out meeting notification via email list, respective org socials
-1 week before event send reminder to email list
-3 days before event – resend socials
-1 week after event send meeting notes
Typical email/social media post – description, M/V/V/A, measurement if success, schedule, typical agenda, previous meetings referenced
Description
The Rainier Beach Arts & Culture Roundtable is a coordinated effort between the Rainier Beach Action Coalition and the Cascadia Poetics Lab. RBACR meets once a month (3rd Friday, 6-7:30pm) to network as neighborhood creatives (young and seasoned), support arts and culture, improve the visibility of arts & culture in Rainier Beach and make the neighborhood a destination for arts & culture. To get involved, contact Paul E Nelson, (206) 422.5002 or pen@cascadiapoeticslab.org or Gregory Davis (206) 914.1762 or ed@rbactioncoalition.org
Cite mission, vision, values and activities
MEASUREMENTS OF SUCCESS:b
Buy in to agenda i.e., creation of an arts inventory and a neighborhood arts calendar, development of arts resources, and increased artist collaboration and networking.
SCHEDULE:
3rd Friday, 6-7:30pm; June 19, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20, December 18
Typical agenda
Welcome/Share Mission, Vision, Values, X Factors (Goals, Announcements, etc)
Introductions – Shared well-being, kudos, check in questions
Inventorying/Guest Speaker/Site
Riffs – Six 5 minute performances
Announcement of Next Meeting (3 min)
Reference previous meetings
On May 15, Roundtable #2 we met outside the former home of late painter Paul Horiuchi, with guest speaker Professor Jason Wirth of Seattle, University. 9773 Arrowsmith Ave S. is the address but we gathered just off Waters Alley, near the top of the pedestrian stairway. After the brilliant talk by Professor Wirth, we enjoyed N.A. cocktails at Rosette.
At our April 17 Kickoff Roundtable #1, at Rainier Beach Action Coalition Rainier Beach Food Innovation Center, guest speakers were Matt McIntosh, Community Relations Manager for the Mayor’s Office and Kelly Davidson, Deputy Director of the Office of Arts and Culture. These resources were shared:
Current Calls for Artist and Funding
Arts in Parks
SmART Ventures Grant
Hope Corps – to open again in 2027
Arts and Cultural Districts: Information on Creative Placemaking Toolkit
Community Arts Partner Roster – Teaching Artists
The Roster – The Creative Advantage
Creative Economy Career Day
SocialRx About — SocialRx
Our June 19 Roundtable #3 gathering will be at the Rainier Beach Action Coalition Rainier Beach Food Innovation Center. 9059 Martin Luther King Jr Way South, Seattle, WA 98118. Parking So Fairbanks Street, West of MLK. and RB Light Rail Station #1. We will learn about each other’s crafts, we will expand the inventory of creatives and resources for us, we will experience fellow creatives riffs (six, 5 minute presentations of your craft, first come first served, sign up here). See you there!
Insert resources or pictures here.
Paul Nelson, Jason Wirth, photo by Gregory Davis
At our April 17 kickoff, at Rainier Beach Action Coalition HQ Food Innovation Center, guest speakers were Matt McIntosh, Community Relations Manager for the Mayor’s Office and Kelly Davidson, Deputy Director of the Office of Arts and Culture. Kelly offered these resources:
Public Art Boot Camp – Deadline May 18
This is a great program to direct to local studio artists who want to learn how to get into public art.
Current Calls and Funding – Arts | seattle.gov
Arts in Parks
Arts in Parks – Arts | seattle.gov
SmART Ventures
smART Ventures grant – Arts | seattle.gov
Hope Corps – to open again in 2027
Hope Corps – Arts | seattle.gov
Creative Districts – Includes information on Creative Placemaking Toolkit
Arts & Cultural Districts – Arts | seattle.gov
Community Arts Partner Roster – Teaching Artists
The Roster – The Creative Advantage
Creative Economy Career Day
SocialRx
Purpose: This Project will produce multiple cultural events and cultivate a driving vision for future collaboration and artistic expression in Rainier Beach. Our headquarters are .2 miles from the recent murder scene of two Rainier Beach High School students. This particular moment in the neighborhood is critical, given recent neighborhood tragedies and the general hyper-vigilance that many in the country are feeling.
Cascadia Poetics Lab is working in partnership with the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, a Black-led, BIPOC, grass roots neighborhood development action coalition devoted to implementing neighborhood responsive renewal and development, focusing specifically on the implementation of the Rainier Beach Neighborhood Plan Update (1997, 2012). Our “activations” are modeled on the successful neighborhood events produced by RBAC over the last ten years. Their extensive community network will help us reach neighborhood residents, businesses, and organizations as volunteers, participants, and supporters of our poetry-centered cultural events.
Community Benefit:
This project will benefit the Rainier Beach community by 1) producing at least 7 free poetry-centered cultural programs in parks in Rainier Beach. These activities will strengthen the fabric of the community and celebrate the rich diversity of cultures represented here. The arts & cultural networking effort will connect Upper Rainier Beach with the main part of the neighborhood, will create awareness of individuals working in the neighborhood, allowing for more effective partnerships and will also create greater awareness of cultural agencies here and their events, leading to increased participation, awareness and revenues.
Community Involvement:
This project will maximize the benefit of the working partnership between CPL and the Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC). We’re also working with the Rainier Beach Community Club, the venue for CPL’s annual Cascadia Poetry Festival. We plan an activation at yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective and Kubota Garden, two local cultural institutions with large networks. RBAC’s long and rich history of engagement in this community such as Walk the Block and Street Corner Activations inform and guide community outreach by Cascadia Poetics Lab, which will educate participants on the history and ecology of the staging areas, local parks.
RBAC has developed a trusted relationship with Rainier Beach businesses and organizations that will inform how the vision created can be actualized in economic, ecological, educational, health care, community safety, and cultural arenas.
Who are the creatives in our neighborhood?