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Seattle Film and Music Blog

City of Seattle and Partners Host Second Set of Welcome Back Weeks to Support Local Arts and Culture

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Masking and proof of vaccination are required at all City of Seattle Welcome Back events

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced a schedule of arts and cultural events that will take place as part of Welcome Back Weeks occurring from September 4-19. This is the second set of Welcome Back Weeks convened by the City and partners, with the goal of helping downtown small businesses, arts and cultural organizations, and creative workers recover.

The City is hosting three events that center our historic arts and cultural scene, small businesses, and the creative workers who define our city:

  1. Friday, September 10, 4-10 p.m.: Borealis, A Festival of Light will present free immersive light and sound experiences designed specifically for the historic Paramount Theatre. Proof of full vaccination and masks are both required for entry to this event. Tickets are completely free, and can be accessed through the Paramount’s website on a first come, first-served basis.
  2. Saturday, September 18, 4-7 p.m.: City and partners will host a Celebrate Black Lives Matter festival at City Hall Plaza. There will be performances curated by queer artist collective Legendary Children. In addition, the festival will feature local Black-owned culinary artists and retailers. This is an entirely outdoors event, and masks and vaccinations are required.
  3. Sunday, September 19, 2 p.m. to sunset: Welcome Back Seattle Welcome Back Seattle finale concert at the Mural Amphitheatre at Seattle Center. The Vera Project will host art activities including screen printing and button making from 2-4 p.m. Live performances start at 4 p.m., with local hip-hop, soul, and R’n’B artists Sango, Fly Moon Royalty and Essam are performing. This is an entirely outdoors event, and masks and vaccinations are required.

Details on all events can be found at seattle.gov/covidrecovery.

New this month, Downtown Seattle Association will welcome people to take a spin on the Westlake Park Roller Rink, supported by Community Sponsors Amazon and Alaska Airlines. Skaters can roll in the park free-of-charge starting Saturday, September 4. The City also partnered with the Intentionalist to sponsor promotions for BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+-owned downtown small businesses throughout September.

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increase, caused largely by the Delta variant spreading primarily among unvaccinated people, the City is committed to centering health and safety at our events. As such, all events will include a vaccination and masking requirement, and will incorporate social distancing to the extent possible. We hope to see you downtown this September as we help our creative workers, small businesses, and arts and culture industries reopen and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Welcome Back Weeks Attended By At Least 15,000 People, Spur Economic Activity and Support for Workers Downtown

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Welcome Back Weeks Catalyzed Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Spending at Downtown Small Businesses

Digable Planets (right to left: Ladybug Mecca, Doodlebug, and Butterfly) performing at Westlake Park at Welcome Back to Westlake | Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced the outcomes of Welcome Back Weeks – a two-week effort from the City and downtown partners to bring workers, small businesses, and visitors back to downtown Seattle. As part of Welcome Back Weeks, the City invested more than $300,000 dollars directly into small businesses, artists, and cultural organizations who have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Those investments support nearly 500 small businesses, and 80 percent of those are owned by women or people of color. The City is also employing 200 artists and cultural workers, many of whom haven’t been able to perform in person for 16 months, and 90 percent of the City-hired creative workers are women or people of color. 

Across the City’s large-scale events and partner promotions, the City estimates that at least 15,000 visited downtown Seattle to participate in Welcome Back Weeks. In addition, the City’s small business partnerships resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in new spending at downtown small businesses.

“Downton Seattle is our city’s economic engine and heartbeat, and it was devasted during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn,” said Mayor Durkan. “As we turn our attention to recovery, the City will remain focused on spurring economic activity, supporting workers, and revitalizing our arts and cultural scene. Our Welcome Back Weeks brought tens of thousands of residents and visitors back to our downtown neighborhoods, but this was just the first step in a long and dedicated effort to help our downtown core recover. I’m grateful to our partners across downtown for supporting an equitable and ambitious COVID-19 recovery.”

“It was great to see so many neighbors from all over the city come to celebrate the reopening of Downtown and our urban core. This well-attended community building activity demonstrated how placemaking can connect our community and help our local businesses. The City was able to employ many of our local artists, musicians, and other creatives during these Welcome Back Weeks, after so many haven’t had an opportunity to share their talents that help make Seattle such a great place to live. These events marked the first of many steps in our recovery, and foreshadow the positive impact we expect when all businesses return to work Downtown,” said Councilmember Andrew J. Lewis (District 7, Pioneer Square to Magnolia).

The City of Seattle estimates that 5,700 people participated in its large-scale Welcome Back Weeks events, including 2,000 people at the Hing Hay Park event in the Chinatown-International District, 700 people at the Occidental Square event in Pioneer Square, and 3,000 people at the Westlake Park event in Westlake. In addition, the City vaccinated 52 new people across its Welcome Back Weeks clinics, which were a partnership with the Day In • Day Out music festival taking place at Seattle Center this Labor Day weekend.

The Downtown Seattle Association partnered with the City on Welcome Back Weeks, and their efforts resulted in:

  • Welcome Back Booths experienced over 10,000 engagements with people
  • Downtown Summer Sounds is gaining popularity and attendees: more than 100 people at most concerts
  • Recent Beers & Bites event in Occidental Square attracted approximately 1,500 visitors over a three-day period

“People are coming back to downtown, and it’s great to see the activity picking up in the heart of the city,” said Downtown Seattle Association President & CEO Jon Scholes. “We’re seeing the number of daily visitors, total downtown foot traffic and hotel occupancy all trending upward. Downtown is turning a corner and we are keeping up the momentum by organizing Welcome Back Weeks in September to create unique events, activities and experiences you can only get downtown. We invite people to check out www.LoveSeaTown.com to see all that’s happening and come on down to take part.”

As part of Welcome Back Weeks, the City partnered with the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, the Alliance for Pioneer Square, and Intentionalist to support nearly 500 small businesses downtown, 80 percent of which are owned by women of people of color. The outcomes of those partnerships are as follows:

  • The Alliance for Pioneer Square distributed 134 Passports to Pioneer Square, which supports local small businesses in the neighborhood;
  • 423 receipts from 175 different downtown small businesses were uploaded to Intentionalist’s Receipt and Receive program, which amounts to $16,142 in spending at downtown small businesses; and
  • Intentionalist’s Gift Like it Matters program catalyzed more than $10,000 in additional gift certificate revenues for downtown small businesses.

“It was wonderful to see the community come out to support downtown small businesses throughout Welcome Back Weeks,” said Intentionalist CEO, Laura Clise. “Small business owners including Wendy Huynh of Bubble Tea Fresh Fruit in Little Saigon and Vaness Vu of Doner Box in Belltown shared with us that the additional foot traffic and support from the community means a lot as they continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of pandemic recovery. Our community showed up, and it will be important to continue to Spend Like It Matters in the weeks and months to come.”

The Intentionalist placed a Welcome Back Seattle Tab at Yen Ma’s Gan Bei, located in the Chinatown-International District. | Photo by the Intentionalist.
The Intentionalist placed a Welcome Back Seattle Tab at Yen Ma’s Gan Bei, located in the Chinatown-International District. | Photo by the Intentionalist.

In an effort to support local artists and small businesses, the City’s Welcome Back Weeks were the launch of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s (ARTS) Created Commons initiative, a new City effort to create a vital lifeline to fund artists and creatives by transforming public spaces into venues for spectacular temporary arts and cultural extravaganzas. Through this effort, the City employed approximately 200 artists and cultural workers as part of the events, many of whom haven’t been able to perform in person for 16 months, and 90 percent of the City-hired creative workers are women, LGBTQ+ and/or people of color.

“The Created Commons event was amazing! Hing Hay Park was full of people excited to be back together enjoying shows and we were one of them,” shared Bleachbear, who performed at the Welcome Back to the Chinatown-International District event. “It felt wonderful to be up on the stage again. In fact, after such a long hiatus from playing live shows during the pandemic, we were probably more pumped to be playing a show than any time we could remember! While it felt new in ways, it was also comfortable and familiar, and it just felt awesome to see familiar faces from past shows singing along with us. Pulling together events in City parks with local performers was a brilliant way to get the community connected again, and we were so glad to be a part of it.”

“I personally didn’t realize how much the Welcome Back Week shows would impact me as an artist until I was on stage at Hing Hay Park looking out into the crowd as I started my first song, realizing I would be singing songs for my family and my community. [It was my] first time onstage since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020,” shared Daniel Pak, artist and Executive Director of Totem Star, who performed at the Welcome Back to the Chinatown-International District event. “Special thanks to Jenny Ku at ARTS for championing youth voice and culture, as she advocated strongly to get youth artists on the stages at Hing Hay, Occidental, and Westlake. Witnessing Totem Star artists bring so much love and joy to the community shows us how far we’ve come and also where we need to go to ensure that young people have a platform to share their stories and perspectives as the future cultural leaders of Seattle.”

Totem Star‘s Sharmaine performed at Occidental Square as part of Welcome Back to Pioneer Square. | Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

Welcome Back Weeks are a key element of the City’s Road to Downtown Recovery plan, which seeks to bring workers, small businesses, and visitors back downtown. You can find more information on the City’s downtown recovery efforts at www.seattle.gov/covidrecovery.

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The Mixer: New Media and Digital Arts – Next Steps and Funding Opportunities

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Thank you to everyone who attended our June 30 Mixer on New Media and Digital Arts! From playing with the definition of “New Media” to touching on NFTs, accessibility, and the wild world of the future we are making today in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual (VR); we covered a lot of ground. We’re grateful to our panelists Abie Ekenezer, gome, Evie Powell, Julia Bruk, and Elizabeth Ralston — be sure to keep an eye on what they’re up to! 

Snapshot from The Mixer: New Media and Digital Arts on June 30
Snapshot from The Mixer: New Media and Digital Arts on June 30

At the June Mixer, we also launched the New Media and Digital Arts survey that will guide our team in making new policies to include New Media in our awards and granting structures. If you or someone you know are New Media artists or dabblers, please make sure they/you add their voice below. We want to hear from you!

Take the New Media and Digital Arts Survey

While we are still working on finding a path to encompass the wide array of art forms under the umbrella of New Media, hearing from the participants also illustrated that: 1) many of us are in that same boat, 2) interest in incorporating modern elements like streaming was high, and 3) more information would be useful all around.

Our internal working definition of New Media is: any expression that uses “dot com technology” on any axis other than exclusively marketing or distribution. How does that resonate with you?

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Here’s a round-up of funding opportunities that were shared at The Mixer — keep these in mind for your new media and digital arts projects in the works:

CURRENT:

  • Artists Up: Focus on underrepresented artists; apply for mentorship scholarships (four on-hour online sessions with a mentor).
    • Application opens Sept. 1, 2021.
  • smART Ventures: Up to $1k; funds personal or neighborhood projects; youth can apply.
    • Applications accepted on a rolling deadline.
  • Neighborhood Matching Fund (Department of Neighborhoods): $5k available, funds a variety of unique and creative community projects; applicants must match their award with contributions from the community whether as volunteer time, donated materials, donated professional services or cash. Details in this virtual workshop recording.
    • Applications accepted on a rolling deadline.
  • Open 4Culture (4Culture): Up to $1500; prioritizing projects within King County but NOT in Seattle (unless the project is heritage or preservation-based).
    • Applications accepted on a rolling deadline.
  • 4Culture’s Round-Up of Other Opportunities: Various grants, calls and opportunities around the region and the country.

UPCOMING:

  • City Artist: $2k, $5k, $8k funding available; supporting specific, rotating disciplines each year.
    • Applications open again in 2022
  • Arts in Parks: $1300-$7800; currently on pause, check back for future opportunities
  • Artists at the Center (working title): Performance activations on the Seattle Center campus, funded by Climate Pledge Arena/Seattle Kraken. Pilot starts October 2021.
    • Open call for future years’ opportunities to come in 2022.
  • Public Art Roster: This roster of visual and public artists is used by the Office of Arts and Culture for various “fast track” projects. The roster is curated by a community selection panel that includes working artists, administrators and curators.
    • Opens every 3 years — next in mid-2022.
  • King Street Station Artist in Residence: artists/artist teams may apply for a residency award at ARTS at King Street Station. Each residency period is approximately two months long, and includes use of the studio space and a $2,000 stipend. Artists from historically under-represented communities, including communities of color, immigrant, and refugee communities are encouraged to apply.
    • Applications open again in 2022.

Please help us gather as many voices as possible so that we can help grow into the office that we know we can be. Give us your feedback by filling out the survey by July 23, 2021!

P.S. The Mixer is taking a break for the summer and is scheduled to return on September 29. See you soon!

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Mayor Jenny Durkan Announces 2021 Mayor’s Award for Achievement in Film

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Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Vivian Hua and Northwest Film Forum as the recipient of the 15th Annual Mayor’s Award for Achievement in Film. The Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film recognizes an individual or entity for exceptional work that has significantly contributed to the growth, advancement and reputation of Seattle as a filmmaking city. The award was presented by Mayor Durkan at the Seattle International Film Festival Virtual Opening Night Gala on April 8. 

“I am proud to present the 2021 Mayor’s Award for Achievement in Film to Vivian Hua, for her extraordinary leadership with the Northwest Film Forum,” said Mayor Durkan. “As executive director of Northwest Film Forum, Vivian brings to her role a passion for preserving cultural space, centering work in equity and inclusivity, and finding ways to disrupt oppressive structures. COVID has significantly disrupted our film industry, however, despite an extremely difficult year, the drive, creativity and innovation of the industry has not been stopped.” 

“We are grateful for Vivian’s creativity and investment in the community through her work with the Northwest Film Festival. Our film industry contributes to our culture as a city, creates space for storytelling on an individual and community level, and provides economic opportunity for workers within our creative sectors,” said Pamela Banks, Interim Director of the Seattle Office of Economic Development. 

“The Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film has been given to many folks I respect in the local Seattle filmmaking community, and I am pleased for Northwest Film Forum to be represented among them yet again,” said Hua. “Here’s to a future where the City of Seattle will continue to show their strong support for our film industry, especially with regards to creating a more equitable space, so that filmmakers of all kinds can feel supported in sharing their authentic tales.” 

Vivian Hua (華婷婷) is a writer, filmmaker, organizer, and Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum since October 2018.  She has been the editor-in-chief of the socially conscious arts publication REDEFINE since 2004, and much of her work unifies her interest in the metaphysical with her belief that art can positively transform the self and society. NWFF has been Seattle’s film center since 1995, known previously as Wiggly World Studios. NWFF envisions a world where all people have the power to express themselves and connect with each other through visual storytelling and culture. As a nonprofit film and arts center located on Capitol Hill, NWFF presents hundreds of films, festivals, community events, multidisciplinary performance and public discussions each year.     

NWFF has provided a “clubhouse” of collaborative, funding and resource opportunities and has worked with Seattle directors such as Lynn Shelton, Meghan Griffiths, David Russo, and more. NWFF celebrates and offers a platform to Seattle’s emerging filmmakers with the annual Local Sightings Film Festival. NWFF is a comprehensive member-based visual media organization, offering educational workshops and services for film and media makers at all stages of their development, including access to space, gear, fiscal sponsorship and an edit lab.  

Through Vivian’s leadership, NWFF has developed critical online programs and webinars to expand the organization’s mission of supporting filmmaking and filmmakers this past year. Vivian also led the development of a series of recovery and reopening online panels, webinars and affinity groups prioritizing Black, Indigenous, people of color and LGBTQ filmmakers. Some examples include the BIPOC Filmmaker Happy Hour series, the Collective Power Fund grantmaking through the Warhol Foundation, Remove the Gap productions and the Lynn Shelton Of a Certain Age grant. NWFF supports local film festivals including Seattle Asian American Film Festival, Children’s Film Festival, Seattle Turkish Film Festival, among others, by providing resources and online screening platforms. This January, NWFF brought Seattle’s independent filmmaking to the national level through a partnership with the Sundance Film Festival. 

For over 75 years, Seattle has made its mark on the film scene as the production center for landmark films, compelling television series and successful commercial campaigns. OED offers a low cost, one-stop shop, streamlined service for permitting City of Seattle property for film productions. The office also acts as advocates for the film industry and the positive impacts production has on the local economy. 

Learn more about the award and previous winners.   

Vivian Hua. Credit: Leo Carmona.

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Seattle Office of Economic Development Will Provide Technical Assistance to Businesses Applying for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant

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The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) will provide technical assistance to eligible businesses applying for the highly anticipated Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). The long-awaited $16 billion fund will provide economic relief to live venue operators, promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, motion picture theatre operators, talent agencies, relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. SVOG is a first come, first served grant, and all submitted applications will be processed in the order they are received. OED will be available to provide technical assistance starting April 8 and is encouraging all eligible applicants be prepared to submit their application when the grant is open.

“Seattle’s many small venues are part of what make our City one of the best places in the world to enjoy art, music, film, and theatre — but this past year has devastated our artists, creative industry, and entertainment venues. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have impacted so many Seattle businesses, and too many neighborhood favorites have had to close their doors for good,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “While our City has responded quickly over the past year to help support our small businesses, many of our small venue owners and operators are still facing an uncertain future and a long road to recovery as our city opens up and live performances become possible again. This federal program will finally be available this week to help support such an important sector of our city’s economy.”

All applicants interested in applying for SVOG should register with the U.S. Small Business Administration via their application portal to receive an email when the electronic application process is available. To be eligible for SVOG, applicants must:

  • Have been in operation as of February 29, 2020;
  • Provide a DUNS number and a System for Award Management Account (SAM) number and,
  • Submit a plan for how they will spend the grant they receive.

The Office of Management and Budgets has published a document that shows what the SVOG application might look like.

Applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross 2019 earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. Additionally, grants must be used for expenses such as payroll costs, rent, utilities and/or personal protective equipment. Venues or promoters who received a Paycheck Protection Program loan after December 27, will have their SVOG award reduced by the PPP loan amount they previously received. All eligible applicants can apply for all SBA disaster relief products including SVOG, PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

“COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on our businesses that rely on large groups of people gathering such as nightclubs, movie theaters, and live music venues. Some businesses have pivoted their operations to respond to the public health crisis, however certain businesses — like those that would be eligible for SVOG — have not had that same opportunity given the nature of their work,” said Pamela Banks, Interim Director of OED. “Despite these challenges, I have been amazed at the resiliency these businesses have had, the ways in which the community has supported each other, and am so glad these resources designed for these type of businesses are finally available. As Seattle begins to recover, we must continue to push for additional assistance to ensure equitable economic opportunities for those individuals, businesses, and sectors that have suffered the greatest economic loss.”

“SVOG is the single most important instrument that could have happened for music venues, promoters, talent buyers, etc. after this brutal year and change. Without it 1000’s of venues would have closed across the country effecting millions and millions of people. There simply are not words to express how important this piece of legislation was for us,” says Steven Severin, member of the Washington Nightlife Music Association (WANMA) and co-owner of Neumos, a live music venue in Seattle. “99.9% of businesses can’t survive over a year with no income. This gives us a step into a new light and day to do what we do, and that’s playing a role in making live music happen. We’ve (WANMA) scoured every inch of our state to make sure that folks know it’s something that’s available to them so everybody that can get help does. We don’t want to leave anyone out.”

For more information on SVOG, visit SBA’s website where video tutorials and FAQs are available, or OED’s COVID-19 Small Business Grants page. OED is providing assistance for grant opportunities such as SVOG, PPP, and EIDL, continues to assist business owners understand what other resources may be available to them, and provides in-language supports to access city, state and federal resources. Businesses can access this assistance by calling 206-684-8090 or emailing oed@seattle.gov. Bilingual assistance is available in Amharic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Tigrinya and Vietnamese. To request in-language assistance, businesses can call 206-684-8090 and note the following information: your name, phone number, preferred language and the type of support you need.

The Seattle Office of Economic Development is committed to building an equitable and inclusive economy that benefits the whole city by promoting access to economic opportunities for all of Seattle’s diverse communities. For more information, visit seattle.gov/economicdevelopment.

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Celebrating Women’s History Month

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To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting creative women-led organizations and individuals who are making a difference in the creative industry and community.

Rain City Rock Camp

Rain City Rock Camp’s mission is to empower girls, women and gender non-conforming individuals to engage their creative potential through music, champion equity, and thrive in a community of allies and activists. We had the opportunity to talk with Natalie Walker, executive director and cofounder of RCRC, about their creativity, resiliency and impact in the community.

OFM: What are some successes in establishing or expanding RCRC?

Natalie Walker: Community building is an integral part of Rain City Rock Camp’s success and core to our values. One of the curricular focuses in our programming is the importance of becoming a leader and activist in all aspects of life. We do not measure the success of our programs by how well a camper plays their instrument or whether they go on to release a record, but rather by the positive impact they have in the lives of those they interact with outside of Rain City Rock Camp. It is through their actions we can achieve an equitable world where creativity is celebrated, authenticity embraced and all voices valued.

What are some challenges you faced in the industry or during the pandemic?

Access to cultural space has been an ongoing challenge. We constantly struggled with finding and securing locations for our programs since they require a lot of space and we also need room to make noise. Although space was not an issue during the pandemic, we had to reinvent how we administer our programs while remaining true to the core pillars of our mission. Instrument instruction, band practice, social justice workshops and assemblies all shifted to virtual platforms. We also had to balance the shifting needs of families regarding out of school time, technology access disparities, funding shifting away from the arts, constantly changing regulations, and dramatic losses in program and event income.

What type of support would you like to see from the community or organizations?

Continue relief and aid services specifically for musicians and music nonprofits. It is important to recognize that music and arts education are essential to the growth and development of youth, as well as the culture within this city. We need music and community now more than ever.

What are some ways to get involved?

Sign up for camp! We have an upcoming Adult Rock Camp and we would love to encourage all women, Black, Indigenous, people of color, trans and gender expansive individuals to apply. No music experience is required, and you do not have to live in Seattle or Washington State to be eligible.

Attend RCRC’s virtual gala! We are hosting a gala on April 17 at 6:30 p.m. with performances, speeches, an auction and the opportunity to mingle with members of the community.

Rain City Rock Camp is a community of loyal, engaged and passionate volunteers. Sign up to volunteer!

Crybaby Studios and Solarium Creative Works

  • Jessica Keener Photography

Crybaby Studios was established in 1999 and provides Seattle with an important creative space for musicians to develop their craft. Crybaby Studios is a vital institution keeping the city culturally diverse and making lives better and provides opportunities for musicians to develop their careers. Leigh Stone, owner and musician, notes that Crybaby is a community hub for collaboration and community, a sanctuary where artists can create and find independence. The space is in the urban core at 1514 11th Avenue and where musicians can be as loud as they want for 24 hours a day.

Leigh founded Solarium Creative Works to continue to envision long term equitable access to creative spaces in urban cores for every demographic. Solarium is the nonprofit that will be responsible for offering the Crybaby Studios Residency, a quarterly residency that provides an artist or group of artists with a rehearsal studio and resources. It gives creatives from underrepresented groups studio space without having to pay rent, which allows musicians to practice performances, record, celebrate and more. Musicians can also use this time to work on their solo album or independent work without worrying about rent. In addition to removing this rent barrier, having a Residency also helps artists apply for other grants or opportunities to grow their business.

During the pandemic, Leigh was able to relieve rent for a few months for musicians who lost employment or opportunities thanks to the Crybaby community who raised enough money to support each other. One of the challenges creatives are facing is that there are lots of restrictions to rent spaces, particularly with having to prove triple net rent or up to six months income in the bank, so there is practically no entry point for those without resources. Because of this, supporting organizations who are focused on expanding access to creative space for every demographic will be pivotal to the health of the creative industries in Seattle.

What are some ways to get involved?

The Crybaby Studios Residency hosts a show once a year to raise funds. This June, join Moon Palace, Bijoux and Matt Badger in a streaming virtual reality event hosted by Crybaby Studios to launch the Solarium-sponsored 2022 Residency. The hope is to raise $5,000 to fund the Residency for four recipients. If there are more funds raised, then more creatives can be accepted into the program. You can donate now and fund an artist’s dream!  

If you are interested in applying for the 2022 Residency, applications will open in October. Follow Crybaby Studios on Instagram for more updates.

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Paycheck Protection Program Updates Aim to Remove Barriers to Financial Support for Small Businesses

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Black woman using computer happily in a café.

On Monday, February 22, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the following changes to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) COVID-19 relief program to ensure equity:

  • From February 24-March 9, SBA will establish a 14-day Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application period exclusively for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees.
  • Sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals will receive more financial support.
  • Immigrant and refugee small business owners who have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) are eligible to apply for PPP.
  • Small business owners who were formerly incarcerated with prior non-fraud felony convictions are eligible to apply for PPP.
  • Small business owners who are impacted by federal student loan debt delinquency are eligible to apply for PPP.

PPP provides forgivable loans to help small businesses pay their employees and other expenses during the COVID-19 crisis. Applications are open for new and returning borrowers. Some highlights of the improved PPP program include:

  • First time borrowers can borrow up to 2.5 times the business’ average monthly payroll costs, up to a $10 million loan maximum.
  • Returning borrowers can borrow spent their previous PPP loan. The second loan can be up to 2.5 times the business’ average monthly payroll costs, up to a $2 million loan amount.
  • Hospitality and Food Businesses can borrow up to 3.5 times the business’ average monthly payroll costs, up to a $2 million loan maximum.
  • 100% of the loan will be forgiven based on a 60%/40% split.
    • At least 60% of loan is utilized for payroll, or paying yourself if you are sole proprietor or contractor.
    • Up to 40% is used for rent, mortgage, interest and/or utilities.
    • Expanded uses of the loan include operations expenses, property damage, supplier costs and worker health/protection expenditures.

The 14-day exclusive application period began on Wednesday, February 24, 2021; the other four changes will be implemented by the first week of March. All applications for PPP are due March 31, 2021.

Need help for applying for PPP or understanding what federal resources are available to you and your small business? Contact the Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) at 206-684-8090 or OED@seattle.gov for support. Bilingual assistance is available in Amharic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Tgrinya, and Vietnamese. For more information, click here. OED is committed to building an inclusive economy which benefits the whole city by promoting access to economic opportunities for all of Seattle’s diverse communities.

ኞ ፌብሩዌሪ 22 የባይድንና ሄሪስ አስተዳደር ፍትሃዊነትን ለማረጋገጥ በአሜሪካ አነስተኛ ንግድ አስተዳደር (SBA) COVID-19 የእርዳታ ፕሮግራም ላይ የሚከተሉትን ለውጦች አስታውቋል: 

  • ፌብሩዌሪ 24 እስከ ማርች 9 ቀን (SBA) ከ 20 ያነሱ ሠራተኞች ላላቸዉ የንግድ ድርጅቶች እና ለትርፍ ያልተቋቋሙ የ 14 ቀናት ደሞዝ ጥበቃ ፕሮግራም (PPP) የብድር ማመልከቻ ጊዜን ያቋቁማል። 
  • ብቸኛ ባለቤቶች ፣ ገለልተኛ ተቋራጮች እና በግል ሥራ ላይ የተሰማሩ ግለሰቦች የበለጠ የገንዘብ ድጋፍ ያገኛሉ። 
  • የግለሰብ ግብር ከፋይ መለያ ቁጥር (ITIN) ያላቸው የስደተኞች እና ሬፍዩጂዎች አነስተኛ ንግድ ባለቤቶች ለ PPP ማመልከት ብቁ ናቸው። 
  • ቀደም ሲል በእስር ላይ በማጭበርበር ያልሆነ የወንጀል ፍርዶች (non-fraud felony convictions) የነበሩ አነስተኛ የንግድ ባለቤቶች ለ PPP ማመልከት ይችላሉ። 
  • በፌዴራል የትምህርት ብድር ዕዳ ወንጀል ተጽዕኖ የተደረገባቸው አነስተኛ የንግድ ሥራ ባለቤቶች ለ PPP ማመልከት ይችላሉ። 

የ14ቀናትየማመልከቻጊዜረቡዕፌብሩዌሪ24ቀን2021ይጀምራል።ሌሎቹአራትለውጦችበማርችየመጀመሪያሳምንትይጀምራሉ።ለPPPሁሉምማመልከቻዎችእስከ ማርች31ቀን2021እንድገቡ ይጠየቃሉ። 

ለ PPP ለማመልከት ወይም ለእርስዎ እና ለአነስተኛ ንግድዎ ምን የፌደራል ድጋፍ ምንጮች  (ሪሶርስ) እንደሆኑ ለመረዳት እገዛ ይፈልጋሉ? ድጋፍ ለማግኘት የሲያትል የኢኮኖሚ ልማት ጽሕፈት ቤት (OED) በ 206-684-8090 ወይም OED@seattle.gov ያነጋግሩ።  የቋንቋ ትርጉም ድጋፍ አለ። ለበለጠ መረጃ እዚህ ጠቅ ያድርጉ። OED ለሁሉም የሲያትል የተለያዩ ማህበረሰቦች ኢኮኖሚያዊ ዕድሎችን ተደራሽነት በማስተዋወቅ መላውን ከተማ የሚጠቅም ኢኮኖሚ ለመገንባት ቁርጠኛ ነው ፡፡ 

更新的“工資保障計劃”( Paycheck Protection Program)旨在消除對小企業財務支持的障礙 

在2月22日星期一，拜登-哈里斯政府（Biden-Harris Administration）宣布了美國小企業管理局（SBA）有關COVID-19救濟計劃的以下變更，以確保公平性：  

  • 在2月24日至3月9日期間，SBA專為僱員少於20人的企業和非營利組織提供14天的“工資保障計劃”（PPP）貸款申請期。    
  • 獨資經營者、獨立承包商和自僱人士將獲得更多的財務支持。  
  • 持有個人納稅人識別碼（ITIN）的移民和難民小企業業主有資格申請PPP。  
  • 以前曾因非欺詐性重罪被定罪並監禁的小企業業主有資格申請PPP。  
  • 受拖欠聯邦學生貸款債務影響的小企業主有資格申請PPP。   

PPP提供貸款豁免政策，以幫助小型企業在COVID-19危機期間支付其僱員和其他費用。申請向首次和再次借款人開放。改進了的PPP計劃的一些重點包括：

  • 首次借款人可貸款相當於其企業平均每月工資成本的2.5倍，最高貸款額為1000萬美元。 
  • 已使用完上次PPP貸款的再次借款人可以貸款。第二筆貸款最高可達其企業平均月工資成本的2.5倍，最高貸款額為200萬美元。 
  • 住宿接待服務業和食品企業最多可貸款相當於其企業平均月工資成本的3.5倍，最高貸款額為200萬美元。 
  • 貸款需按照60％/ 40％的分配比例獲得全數豁免。   
    • 至少60％的貸款用於支付員工工資，或者支付您自己，如果您是獨資經營者或承包商。 
    • 最多40％用於租金、按揭、利息和/或水電費。 
    • 貸款的擴大用途包括運營支出、財產損失、供應商成本和維持員工健康/保護員工方面的支出。 

為期14天的專用申請期從2021年2月24日星期三開始；其他的四項變更將在三月份的第一周實行。 所有PPP申請將截止於2021年3月31日。  

您需要幫助申請PPP或想了解您和您的小型企業可以使用哪些聯邦資源嗎？請致電206-684-8090或發送電子郵件至OED@seattle.gov與西雅圖市政府經濟發展辦公室（OED）聯繫。會提供包括阿姆哈拉語、廣東話、普通話、韓語、索馬里語、西班牙語、泰語、特林尼亞語和越南語等雙語幫助。欲了解更多信息，請點擊這裡。OED致力於通過促進西雅圖所有多元化社區獲得經濟機會來建設全城都受益的包容性經濟。

更新的“工资保障计划”( Paycheck Protection Program)旨在消除对小企业财务支持的障碍 

在2月22日星期一，拜登-哈里斯政府（Biden-Harris Administration）宣布了美国小企业管理局（SBA）有关COVID-19救济计划的以下变更，以确保公平性：   

  • 在2月24日至3月9日期间，SBA专为雇员少于20人的企业和非营利组织提供14天的“工资保障计划”（PPP）贷款申请期。    
  • 独资经营者、独立承包商和自雇人士将获得更多的财务支持。  
  • 持有个人纳税人识别码（ITIN）的移民和难民小企业业主有资格申请PPP。  
  • 以前曾因非欺诈性重罪被定罪并监禁的小企业业主有资格申请PPP。  
  • 受拖欠联邦学生贷款债务影响的小企业主有资格申请PPP。   

PPP提供贷款豁免政策，以帮助小型企业在COVID-19危机期间支付其雇员和其他费用。申请向首次和再次借款人开放。改进了的PPP计划的一些重点包括：   

  • 首次借款人可贷款相当于其企业平均每月工资成本的2.5倍，最高贷款额为1000万美元。 
  • 已使用完上次PPP贷款的再次借款人可以贷款。第二笔贷款最高可达其企业平均月工资成本的2.5倍，最高贷款额为200万美元。 
  • 住宿接待服务业和食品企业最多可贷款相当于其企业平均月工资成本的3.5倍，最高贷款额为200万美元。 
  • 贷款需按照60％/ 40％的分配比例获得全数豁免。   
    • 至少60％的贷款用于支付员工工资，或者支付您自己，如果您是独资经营者或承包商。 
    • 最多40％用于租金、按揭、利息和/或水电费。 
    • 贷款的扩大用途包括运营支出、财产损失、供应商成本和维持员工健康/保护员工方面的支出。 

为期14天的专用申请期从2021年2月24日星期三开始；其他的四项变更将在三月份的第一周实行。所有PPP申请将截止于2021年3月31日。  

您需要帮助申请PPP或想了解您和您的小型企业可以使用哪些联邦资源吗？请致电206-684-8090或发送电子邮件至OED@seattle.gov与西雅图市政府经济发展办公室（OED）联系。会提供包括阿姆哈拉语、广东话、普通话、韩语、索马里语、西班牙语、泰语、特林尼亚语和越南语等双语帮助。欲了解更多信息，请点击这里。OED致力于通过促进西雅图所有多元化社区获得经济机会来建设全城都受益的包容性经济。

급여 보호 프로그램업데이트는 중소기업체를 위해재정적 지원의 장벽을 제거하는 것을 목표로 합니다 

 2월 22일 월요일, 바이든-해리스 행정부는 형평성을 보장하기 위해 U.S. Small Business Administration(SBA, 미 중소기업청)의 COVID-19 구제 프로그램에 관한 다음과 같은 변화를 발표했습니다: 

  • 2월 24일부터 3월 9일까지 SBA는 오로지 직원수가 20명 미만인 사업체 및 비영리단체만을 대상으로14일간 급여보호프로그램(PPP) 대출 신청 기간을 설정할것입니다. 
  • 개인영업 소유주, 독립 계약업자 및 자영업자는 더 많은 재정 지원을 받게 될 것입니다. 
  • 개인 납세자 식별 번호(ITIN)를 소지한 이민자 및 난민 중소기업주들은 PPP를 신청할 수 있습니다 
  • 이전에 사기죄가 아닌 중범죄 유죄판결을 받아 수감되었던 중소기업주들은 PPP를 신청할 수 있습니다.   
  • 연방 학자금 대출 연체 영향을 받은 중소기업주들은 PPP를 신청할 수 있습니다. 

PPP는 중소기업들이 COVID-19 위기 동안 직원들의 급여와 기타 운영비용을 지불할 수 있도록 탕감을 받을 수 있는 대출을 제공합니다. 신규 및 재 대출자들 모두 신청이 가능합니다. 개선된 PPP 프로그램의 주요 내용은 다음과 같습니다: 

  • 1차 대출자는 사업체 월평균 급여 비용의 최대 2.5 배, 최대 천만 달러까지 대출이 가능합니다.  
  • 이전에 PPP 대출을 받아 사용한, 추가 PPP를 신청하길 원하는 재 대출자도 대출이 가능합니다. 2차 대출은 사업체 월평균 급여 비용의 최대 2.5 배, 최대 이백만 달러까지 대출이 가능합니다 
  • 숙박 및 식품 사업체들은 사업체의 월평균 급여 비용의 최대 3.5 배까지, 최대 이백만 달러까지 대출 가능합니다. 
  • 60% 대 40%의 분할에 따라 대출금의 100%가 탕감될 것입니다. 
    • 대출금의 60% 이상이 급여 또는 귀하가 개인영업 소유주 또는 독립 계약업자인 경우, 자신에게 지불하는 급여에 사용됨. 
    • 임대료, 담보 대출, 이자 및/혹은 공과금에 최대 40%가 사용됨. 
    • 대출금의 확장된 사용처에는 운영 비용, 재산 피해, 공급 업체 비용 및 근로자 건강/보호 지출이 포함됨. 

14일간의 단독 신청기간은 2021년 2월 24일 수요일에 시작되며; 나머지네 개의 변경사항은 3월 첫째 주부터 시행될 예정입니다. 모든 PPP 신청은 2021년 3월 31일까지입니다. 

PPT를 신청하거나 귀하와 귀하의 중소기업체가 이용할 수 있는 어떤 연방 자원들이 있는지 이해하기 위해 도움이 필요하십니까? 지원을 받으려면 시애틀 Office of Economic Development(OED, 경제개발국), 206-684-8090 또는 OED@seattle.gov로 문의하십시오. 이중 언어 지원은 암하라어, 광둥어, 만다린어, 한국어, 소말리아어, 스페인어, 태국어, 티그리냐어 및 베트남어로 제공됩니다. 자세한 내용은, 여기를 클릭하십시오. OED는 시애틀의 다양한 지역사회 모두에게 경제적 기회에의 접근을 촉진함으로써 도시 전체에 혜택을 주는 포괄적 경제를 구축하기 위해 최선을 다하고 있습니다. 

Isniintii, Febraayo 22, Maamulka Biden-Harris wuxuu ku dhawaaqay isbeddelada soo socda ee barnaamijka ganacsiga yar yar ee Mareykanka (SBA) COVID-19 si loo hubiyo sinnaanta: 

  • Laga bilaabo Febraayo 24-Maarso 9, SBA waxay bilaabi doontaa 14 maalmood oo ah Barnaamijka DifaacaLacag-bixinta (PPP) muddada amaahda oo keliya oo loogu talagalay ganacsiyada iyo kuwa aan macaash doonka ahayn oo ay ka yaryihiin 20 shaqaalahe. 
  • Milkiileyaasha kaligaa, qandaraaslayaal madaxbanaan iyo shaqsiyaad iskood u shaqeysta ayaa heli doona taageero maaliyadeed oo dheeri ah. 
  • Soogalootiga iyo milkiileyaasha ganacsi ee yaryar ee haysta Lambarka Aqoonsiga Canshuur Bixiye Shakhsiyeed (ITIN) waxay xaq u leeyihiin inay codsadaan PPP. 
  • Milkiileyaasha ganacsiyada yar-yar oo horey loo xiray iyagoo aan dambiyo culus oo khiyaano ah lagu xukumin ayaa xaq u leh inay codsadaan PPP. 
  • Milkiileyaasha ganacsiyada yar-yar ee ay saamaysay deyn-bixinta amaahda ardayga ee federaalka waxay xaq u leeyihiin inay codsadaan PPP. 

Muddada codsiga gaarka ah ee 14-ka maalmood waxay bilaabmaysaa Arbacada, Febraayo 24, 2021; afarta isbedel ee kale waxaa la hirgelin doonaa usbuuca ugu horeeya ee bisha Maarso. Dhammaan codsiyada loogu talagalay PPP waxay dhacayaan 31-ka Maarso, 2021. 

Ma u baahan tahay caawimaad xagga codsashada PPP ama fahamka ilaha federaalka ee aad heli karto adiga iyo meheraddaada yaryar? La xiriir Xafiiska Seattle ee Horumarinta Dhaqaalaha (OED) 206-684-8090 ama OED@seattle.gov wixii taageero ah. Waxaad heli kata turjubaan kaa caawina luuqada. Wixii macluumaad dheeraad ah, guji halkan. Xafiiska Seattle ee Horumarinta Dhaqaalaha (OED) waxaa ka go’an inay sameyso dhaqaale loo wada dhan yahay kaasoo ay ka faa’iideysanayso magaalada oo dhan iyadoo horumarinaysa helitaanka fursadaha dhaqaale ee dhammaan bulshooyinka kala duwan ee Seattle. 

Las actualizaciones del Programa de protección de cheques de pago tienen como objetivo eliminar las barreras al apoyo financiero para las pequeñas empresas 

El lunes 22 de febrero, la administración Biden-Harris anunció los siguientes cambios en el programa de asistencia COVID-19 de la Administración de pequeñas empresas de EE. UU. (SBA) para asegurar la equidad: 

  • Del 24 de febrero al 9 de marzo, la SBA establecerá un período de 14 días para la solicitud de préstamos del Programa de protección de cheques de pago (PPP), exclusivamente para empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro con menos de 20 empleados. 
  • Los negocios de propietarios únicos, los contratistas independientes y los trabajadores autónomos recibirán más apoyo financiero. 
  • Inmigrantes y refugiados que son propietarios de negocios pequeños que tienen un Número de identificación personal del contribuyente (ITIN), cumplen con los requisitos para solicitar PPP. 
  • Los propietarios de negocios pequeños que estuvieron previamente encarcelados con condenas por delitos graves no fraudulentos tienen derecho a solicitar PPP. 
  • Los propietarios de pequeñas empresas que se ven afectados por la morosidad de la deuda de préstamos estudiantiles federales tienen derecho a solicitar PPP.  

El PPP ofrece préstamos condonables para ayudar a las pequeñas empresas a pagar a sus empleados y otros gastos durante la crisis del COVID-19. Las solicitudes están disponibles tanto para los prestatarios nuevos como los recurrentes. Algunos aspectos destacados de las mejoras al programa de PPP incluyen: 

  • Los prestatarios por primera vez pueden pedir prestado hasta 2.5 veces los costos de nómina mensual promedio de su empresa, hasta un préstamo máximo de $10 millones. 
  • Los prestatarios que regresan pueden pedir prestado una vez que hayan gastado su préstamo PPP anterior. El segundo préstamo puede ser hasta 2.5 veces el costo de nómina mensual promedio de su empresa, hasta un monto de préstamo de $2 millones.  
  • Los negocios de hostelería y alimentación pueden pedir prestado hasta 3.5 veces los costos de nómina mensuales promedio de su empresa, hasta un préstamo máximo de $2 millones de dólares. 
  • Se condonará el 100% del préstamo en base a la división 60% / 40%.  
    • Al menos el 60% del préstamo se utiliza para la nómina o para pagarse a usted mismo si es propietario único o contratista. 
    • Hasta el 40% se utiliza para alquiler, hipoteca, intereses y/o servicios públicos. 
    • Los usos ampliados del préstamo incluyen gastos operativos, daños a la propiedad, costos de proveedores y gastos de salud/protección de los trabajadores. 

El período de solicitud exclusiva de 14 días comienza el miércoles 24 de febrero del 2021; los otros cuatro cambios se implementarán en la primera semana de marzo. Todas las solicitudes para PPP vencen el 31 de marzo del 2021 

¿Necesita ayuda para solicitar el PPP o comprender qué recursos federales están disponibles para usted y su negocio pequeño? Comuníquese con la Oficina de desarrollo económico de Seattle (OED) al 206-684-8090 o escriba a OED@seattle.gov  para obtener ayuda. Se cuenta con asistencia bilingüe en amárico, cantonés, mandarín, coreano, somalí, español, tailandés, tigriña y vietnamita. Para obtener más información, haga clic aquí. La OED está comprometida con la construcción de una economía inclusiva que beneficie a toda la ciudad al promover el acceso a oportunidades económicas para todas las diversas comunidades de Seattle. 

Cập nhật mới nhất của Paycheck Protection Program (PPP, Chương Trình Bảo Vệ Tiền lương) nhằm mục đích xóa bỏ các rào cản để có thể hỗ trợ về tài chính cho các doanh nghiệp nhỏ 

Vào thứ Hai, ngày 22 tháng 2, Cơ Quan Quản Lý Biden-Harris đã công bố những thay đổi sau đây đối với chương trình cứu trợ COVID-19 của Small Business Administration (SBA, Cơ Quan Quản Lý Doanh Nghiệp Nhỏ) của Hoa Kỳ để đảm bảo sự công bằng:  

  • Từ ngày 24 tháng 2 đến ngày 9 tháng 3, SBA sẽ thiết lập thời gian đăng ký khoản vay của Chương Trình Bảo Vệ Tiền Lương (PPP) trong 14 ngày dành riêng cho các doanh nghiệp và tổ chức phi lợi nhuận có ít hơn 20 nhân viên.  
  • Các chủ sở hữu độc lập, các nhà thầu độc lập và các cá nhân tự kinh doanh sẽ nhận được nhiều hỗ trợ tài chính hơn. 
  • Các chủ doanh nghiệp nhỏ là người nhập cư và người tị nạn có Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN, Mã Số Nhận Dạng Người Nộp Thuế Cá Nhân) sẽ đủ điều kiện để đăng ký PPP. 
  • Các chủ doanh nghiệp nhỏ trước đây đã từng bị giam giữ với tiền án không gian lận đủ điều kiện để đăng ký PPP. 
  • Các chủ doanh nghiệp nhỏ bị ảnh hưởng bởi khoản nợ quá hạn cho tiền học của sinh viên của liên bang đủ điều kiện để đăng ký PPP.  

PPP cung cấp các khoản vay có thể xóa nợ để giúp các doanh nghiệp nhỏ trả lương cho nhân viên và các chi phí khác trong cuộc khủng hoảng COVID-19. Thời gian đăng ký được mở cho những người vay lần đầu và người vay lần hai. Một số điểm nổi bật của chương trình PPP cải tiến bao gồm:  

  • Người vay lần đầu có thể vay gấp 2,5 lần số tiền lương trung bình hàng tháng của doanh nghiệp, khoản vay tối đa là 10 triệu đô la. 
  • Những người vay lần hai có thể vay khoản vay PPP trước đó của họ. Khoản vay thứ hai có thể lên đến 2,5 lần số tiền lương trung bình hàng tháng của doanh nghiệp, khoản vay tối đa là 2 triệu đô la. 
  • Doanh Nghiệp Khách Sạn và Thực Phẩm có thể vay gấp 3,5 lần số tiền lương trung bình hàng tháng của doanh nghiệp, khoản vay tối đa là 2 triệu đô la.  
  • 100% khoản vay sẽ được xóa dựa trên mức chia 60%/40%.  
    • Ít nhất 60% khoản vay được sử dụng để trả lương cho nhân viên hoặc tự trả lương cho bản thân nếu quý vị là chủ sở hữu hoặc nhà thầu độc lập. 
    • Không quá 40% khoản vay được sử dụng để trả tiền thuê mặt bằng, thế chấp, lãi suất và/hoặc các tiện ích. 
    • Khoản vay được mở rộng để sử dụng cho các chi phí hoạt động, thiệt hại tài sản, chi phí hàng hóa và chi phí để bảo vệ sức khỏe nhân viên. 

Thời gian áp dụng độc quyền 14 ngày bắt đầu từ Thứ Tư, ngày 24 tháng 2 năm 2021; bốn thay đổi khác sẽ được thực hiện vào tuần đầu tiên của tháng Ba. Hạn chót nộp đơn cho tất cả các đơn đăng ký PPP là ngày 31 tháng 3 năm 2021. 

Quý vị có cần sự trợ giúp để đăng ký PPP hoặc để biết thêm những nguồn lực hỗ trợ của liên bang nào có sẵn cho quý vị và doanh nghiệp nhỏ của quý vị không? Hãy liên hệ với Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED, Văn Phòng Phát Triển Kinh Tế Seattle) theo số 206-684-8090 hoặc OED@seattle.gov để được hỗ trợ. Hỗ trợ song ngữ có sẵn bằng tiếng Amharic, tiếng Quảng Đông, tiếng Quan Thoại, tiếng Hàn, tiếng Somali, tiếng Tây Ban Nha, tiếng Thái, tiếng Tgrinya và tiếng Việt. Để biết thêm thông tin, bấm vào đây. OED cam kết xây dựng một nền kinh tế toàn diện mang lại lợi ích cho toàn thành phố bằng cách thúc đẩy khả năng tiếp cận  các cơ hội kinh tế cho tất cả các cộng đồng đa dạng của Seattle. 

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Creative Leaders that are Making a Difference in Seattle’s Creative Industry

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By Karissa Braxton

As part of our commitment to amplifying Black creative businesses, workers and their contributions to Seattle’s identity and economy during Black History Month and beyond, we are thrilled to share these interviews between local creatives and business owners Nathan Nzanga and Talaya Logan.

Nathan Nzanga is a first-generation Congolese American storyteller from Seattle. He describes himself as having “a whole lot of love to share” and not “just a rapper, but a Storyteller.” 

My name is Nathan Nzanga! I was born in Seattle and grew up in Shoreline. I’m a love advocate! When I was growing up I learned about the power of storytelling. Stories break down barriers and bring people together. Stories have the power to connect people in the midst trials and tribulations or the midst of triumphs and celebration. Being an artist is my opportunity to find myself and be there for someone else at the same time!

The pandemic really hit the performing arts community hard! I was just beginning to start traveling to perform before the lockdown. The virtual adjustment has been fun, but I definitely still miss sharing the music in the same physical space. I miss the eye contact and the universal connection made between everyone in the room! We’ve moved forward by trying to rock as many virtual shows as possible! I think The lockdown has helped me tighten up my own abilities too! I’ve been recording myself and sending vocals to my team back and forth all year. It’s now always an option to work whether I’m in the studio or not. 

We recently produced a short film called Enough: A Dream, A Nightmare, A Musical. It’s two part music video and documentary that captures interviews  of me growing up. It’s all about the pursuit of love and empathy while dealing with racial tensions and policing. Enough is the lead single to a project we’re releasing this year called Accountabilabuddy. The concept behind it is that I’m willing to have your back in hopes that you’ll be willing to have mine. 

I’m really looking forward to putting out our new music and one day being on stage again. I’m looking forward to all the new people our art may allow us to meet on the journey. Seattle’s got a great community of artists and creative business owners, so it’s amazing seeing more and more folk from the hometown shining and bringing a light on our city.

For more creativity from Nathan, visit his:  website, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram or Twitter. 

Nathan sat down with his friend, fellow creative and business owner, Talaya Logan to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on her business, her experiences within the industry, her growth and success, and hopes for the future and others in the industry!

Nathan: How has the pandemic affected you as a producer, engineer and recording artist?  

Talaya: Oddly enough, I’m one of the people that have benefited the most during the pandemic. People are coming to me saying that they realize how much they don’t really need their 9-5, and that they’re ready to make their passion for music a career. Most times that starts with recording their music. I’ve been blessed to share what I’ve learned and been able to help people actualize their music. It’s amazing to witness.  

Nathan: How have you had to adjust artistically and/or financially?  

Talaya: This is an area of life that I expected to take the hardest hit during the pandemic, but it’s taken the greatest rise because people are really focusing on their careers. I’m working with more clients and revaluing work by setting appropriate pricing for engineering, vocal production, songwriting and recently artist development. The past year has truly allowed to me grow my small business and pool of community resources.  

Nathan: What’s it like making connections in a male-dominated field?  

Talaya: It’s been somewhat of a challenge. I’ve had people tell me that I don’t need to mention that I’m Black or a woman and I completely disagree with that because there are about 7 million people in the state of Washington and about 318,000 of those people are Black (2018 census). When you factor in age (21) and gender, that leaves probably about 10 people in my field that look like me. I only know of two other Black femme identifying engineers in Washington, so I feel the need to make who I am known because people who look like me and do this work deserve representation. 

Nathan: Do you take pride in being a Black artist from Seattle and why?  

Talaya: I do take pride in being a Black artist from Seattle mainly for the reasons mentioned previously. There are so few of us and often it feels like crabs in a barrel, but there’s a Renaissance coming. In fact, I believe it’s already started. There are so many new artists on the scene with incredible talent and hunger. I think it’s going to build a great infrastructure for the future of Seattle music. 

Nathan: As the year goes on, what’s something you’re looking forward to? 

Talaya: Something I’m looking forward to is releasing my first album and financial stability. I’m really excited to have a space of my own and really step into adulthood. Sometimes I still feel imposter syndrome. Like, who I am to be grown and live off my passion? But I know that I’m completely capable and my hard work is going to pay off soon. I’m really looking forward to that moment where I can say I finally did it. I got to the next platform in which I will then decide what my next goal is and crush it. 

Talaya Logan is an engineer, vocal producer, songstress and beat maker from Seattle. She is inspired to “connect ears with hearts one song at a time.” One recent collaboration she produced is with creative Charles Zaid, who released his debut EP this week. Talaya did the recording, vocal production, mixing and mastering on the project.  

For more creativity from Talaya, visit her page, SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

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Meet the Seattle Film Task Force

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Thank you, film industry and community, for applying and submitting nominations to be a part of the Seattle Film Task Force!  The Film Task Force members began work in February, with introductions from Mayor Jenny Durkan.

Members of the Film Task Force with Mayor Jenny Durkan, Office of Economic Development Director Bobby Lee, and Office of Film and Music Acting Director Chris Swenson
Members of the Film Task Force with Mayor Jenny Durkan, Office of Economic Development Director Bobby Lee, and Office of Film and Music Acting Director Chris Swenson

The Film Task Force is an group developed to advise the Office of Film + Music in its advocacy for, and policy related to, the support and growth of the local film industry and community.  This work includes recommendations for the development of a Film Commission, the Office of Film + Music’s 2020 workplan, budget, and permitting priorities, and Office of Film + Music initiatives to retain film business and attract more film production in Seattle, as part of the City’s creative economy future of work vision. 

Over 160 applications and nominations were received through a public process in December and January.  A selection panel of film industry and community stakeholders reviewed the applications and nominations, and delivered recommendations to the OED and OFM directors, who seated the members.

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Need a late-night pick-me-up? New ride-hail pickup zone pilot program coming to Capitol Hill

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Did you know that Capitol Hill, between Pike and Pine Streets is one of the city’s busiest night life areas? Thousands of people visit the area on weekend nights.

We are working with our city partners including Uber and Lyft to add designated passenger loading zones for late-night pick-ups starting November 14!

As last call approaches and the bars, clubs, restaurants and theaters begin closing, large numbers of patrons start to head home. Many request ridehail services, such as Uber & Lyft.

Map of new ride-hail pickup areas in Capitol Hill for late night passenger load zones. Pickup zones can be found on E. Pine St. and E Union St. between Broadway and 12th Ave.
Map of the new ride hail pick-up zones on E. Pine St. and E. Union St. between Broadway and 12th Ave,

All hail the ride! You can catch yours Thursday – Saturday, Midnight – 3 AM!

Though these ride-hail services provide a safe option home for many, this late-night demand for high numbers of rides can contribute to area congestion, particularly along E Pike St. This can impact the ability of police patrol and emergency response vehicles to enter or access the area.

Working with the Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Office of Film Music, Uber, and Lyft, we have developed a new program to help distribute the high demand for rides, Thursday – Saturday between Midnight— 3 AM, to help keep people and drivers moving safely home.


  • E. Pine St. between 11th Ave and 12th Ave

  • E. Pine St. between Broadway and 10th Ave.

  • E. Union St. between Broadway and 10th Ave

Who does this affect?

Anyone requesting a ride-hail service within the geo-fence (see blue area in map) will be directed to the load zone closest to them, with the option of choosing another if it suits their needs better.

How does this work?

Simple! You request your ride and input your destination as normal. An in-app process will then display a map notifying you of the closest pickup point. You may choose that zone or another zone or leave the geo-fence area for a ride.

Once you arrive at the designated zone you will see a new orange sign below the regular passenger loading signs to make it clear that you are in the right place to catch your ride. As always, double-check the license plate, car make & model, and driver photo to make sure you are entering the right car.

“With this dedicated curb space pilot, riders out late in Capitol Hill can find a convenient ride home at the touch of a button, while helping to alleviate traffic congestion in the busy nightlife area. We’re proud to support this initiative with SDOT. It’s part of our commitment to collaborate with cities in developing innovative transportation options for the communities we serve.”
– Ben Kemp, Sr. Central Operations Manager, Uber

How long will this pilot last?

During the first 30 days, the City with Uber and Lyft will monitor the program closely. We will then review how this pilot is working and make adjustments accordingly.

For questions or comments, please contact us at latenightpickup@seattle.gov.

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