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Arts and Cultural Programs

This page provides information on options for local governments in Washington State to promote arts and cultural programs, including arts commissions, public art policies and documents, 1% for the arts programs, creative districts, and cultural access programs.

Overview

Local governments establish arts and cultural programs for a variety of reasons:

  • To create jobs, produce tax revenue, and stimulate economic activities.
  • To help with education and public outreach.
  • To build public engagement and sense of local pride.
  • To beautify a local setting.
  • To celebrate local heritage and culture.

Many Washington communities have developed local arts and cultural programs, such as public art installations, art funds, or cultural districts, and oversight of such programs may be located in the parks and recreation department, the planning and community development department, a separate department dedicated to the arts, or an administrator's office. Far fewer localities, such as King County, have developed a tax-exempt public development authority to manage such programs.

Arts and Culture Programs and Policies

Local governments may decide to support the arts in a variety of ways, from having an art collection (such as the Port of Seattle’s public art collection), to hosting events that showcase local artists (such as the Downtown Redmond Art Walk), to supporting local institutions (see the 2022 Cultural Funding Agreement between the city of Bainbridge Island and Bainbridge Performing Arts), to establishing an artist-in-residence program (See, for example, the poet laureate programs in Bremerton, Olympia, Ellensburg, Seattle). Some agencies will also partner with others to support the arts (see the joint partnership in Kennewick between the city, port, and area Tribal organizations to bring public art to the city’s historic riverfront).

In all such endeavors, agencies should develop strong policies and procedures to assist in transparency and reporting and to avoid violating the state’s Gift of Public Funds doctrine.

Examples of Documentation Related to Arts Programs, Policies, and Codes

This section includes examples of local arts and culture programs, code provisions, and policies.

Arts and Culture Commissions

Key to a successful arts and culture program is a transparent and inclusive process via advisory bodies like arts commissions. Many local governments have developed such commissions to oversee public art projects, provide guidance on community interests, advocate for the needs of local artists, and, if applicable, make funding recommendations for arts-related grant programs or art acquisitions.

Examples of Commissions and Related Material

Dedicated Arts and Cultural Districts

Some communities have developed dedicated arts and cultural districts, with features like fine arts galleries and museums and events like art walks. This includes:

Note that such districts differ from Creative Districts in that they don’t require certification from the state. Developing such a district can help to spur local interest in the arts, promote economic development, and revitalize communities.

Creative Districts

Any county, city, or town (or a coalition of entities, including non-governmental) may apply to have a geographic area designated as a "creative district" under RCW 43.46.100-.115. The Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) oversees the application and certification process.  Districts are certified for a five-year term and must reapply once a term is up.

If approved, designation as a creative district can help the jurisdiction access state resources and assistance to encourage business development, access additional funding, enhance the area's visibility, and foster a supportive climate for arts and culture.

Examples of Creative District Documentation

ArtsWA’s Washington State’s Creative Districts webpage lists all designated creative districts across the state. Below is additional documentation related to a few of these districts.

Funding for Arts and Culture Programs

Local governments can find some grant opportunities for arts and cultural programs through the following sources:

Through Washington State law, cities and counties can also put into place more formal mechanisms for funding arts/cultural programs, such as a 1% for the Arts program or the Cultural Access Program levy or sales tax, all of which are detailed below.

1% for the Arts Programs

Some jurisdictions require that capital improvement projects meeting certain criteria set aside a percentage of the construction cost — typically 0.5% to 1% — for public art. This is not required by state law, and there are no statutory provisions for such a program.

Some state agencies have statutory requirements for arts funding. If a local government has received federal, state, or grant funding that requires a percentage for the arts, the jurisdiction must comply with those requirements.

Mandatory art requirements probably cannot be applied to private developments, as that would likely violate RCW 82.02.020, which prohibits local governments from imposing fees on development that are not otherwise authorized by state law.

Examples of 1% for the Arts Program Code Provisions and Related Materials

Cultural Access Programs/ Funding Mechanisms

Any county, city, or town (or multiple entities via interlocal agreement) may establish a cultural access program under chapter 36.160 RCW to benefit or expand access to nonprofit cultural organizations. However, if a county has established a cultural access program, no city within the county may do so.

While most of the provisions in the statutes refer specifically to counties, RCW 36.160.030 states that if a city has created a cultural access program, all references to the county must also include the city unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

A "cultural organization" is defined in RCW 36.160.020 to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with the primary purpose of advancing and preserving science or technology, the visual or performing arts, zoology (national accreditation required), botany, anthropology, heritage, or natural history. State-related cultural organizations are also eligible, subject to certain restrictions.

A cultural access program may generally be funded by either:

  • A sales tax up to seven years and 0.1% (RCW 82.15.525); or
  • A property tax up to seven years (RCW 84.52.821). The total levy dollar amount for the first year may not exceed an amount equal to 0.1% of the total taxable retail sales and uses within the jurisdiction for the most recent calendar year for which data is available.

The sales tax may be imposed by the legislative body (see King County as an example), but a levy requires voter approval. The revenues must be used in accordance with RCW 36.160.110, a very detailed code section that requires careful review. The revenues may not be used to replace or supplant existing funding (RCW 36.160.050), and a jurisdiction may not impose both the property tax and sales tax at the same time.

For more details on cultural access program levies and sales taxes, refer to MRSC's City Revenue Guide and County Revenue Guide.

Examples of Documentation Related to Cultural Access Programs

  • Olympia
    • Inspire Olympia — A voter-approved cultural access program.
    • Res. No. M-2280 (2021) — Submitting cultural access program sales tax to voters and establishing advisory board.
  • King County
    • 4Culture — Funding agency for the county; uses proceeds from DoorsOpen sales tax, lodging tax, and the county’s 1% for the arts program.
    • King County Code Ch. 2.49 — Cultural Development Authority. Creates a tax-exempt public development authority governed by a 15-member board of directors who are nominated by the county executive and confirmed by the county council; established in 2002 via Ord. 2002-0365.
    • Ordinance No. 19710 (2023) — Creates the DoorsOpen cultural access program and imposes a 0.1% sales tax to fund it; later amended by Ord. 19867 (2024) to make slight adjustments to fund allocations.
  • Tacoma
    • Resolution No. 40046 (2018) — Submitting cultural access program sales tax to voters and establishing advisory board
    • Tacoma Creates — Voter-approved cultural access program; page includes funding opportunities and annual reports.
    • Arts & Cultural Vitality Division  — Oversees Tacoma Creates and works with an advisory board to implement additional programs; includes information on funding sources, partners, and the annual arts and culture plan.

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Last Modified: January 17, 2025