Just
ahead of the fifth annual Mayor's Arts Awards ceremony, part of the
festivities kicking off the Bumbershoot Festival, Mayor Greg Nickels
sat down for an exclusive interview with Inside Encore. Here
are some of Mayor Nickels' thoughts on what powerhouse arts and culture
mean to Seattle.
Encore:
What are your early recollections of experiences with the arts?
Greg
Nickels: When I was kid I attended Junior Programs, which eventually
morphed into the Seattle Children's Theatre. Performances were where
the Intiman is now; back then it was the Seattle Rep. But my favorite
story comes from my wife's upbringing. She grew up in Ellensburg. In
junior high school the class came over to the Rep and saw Richard
II with Richard Chamberlain starring. As a result, she's had a life-long
crush on Richard Chamberlain. Shortly after I became mayor we were having
dinner with Peter Donnelly and she shared that story with him. Of course
Peter was the one who brought that production to the Rep and it really
was a watershed in many ways for Seattle theatre. It clearly was for
her as a young girl growing up in a small town in Eastern Washington;
that opportunity was great. But then to be able to complete the circle
and talk to the fellow who made it happen and thank him: that was pretty
special.
Encore:
How do you define creativity?
Nickels:
Creativity exhibits itself in many different ways. I think I have
sparks of it in the political realm, but I don't have it in terms of
artistic expression. So when I see someone who is able to really demonstrate
that kind of creativity, whether it's in the visual arts or performing
arts, it's really awe-inspiring. It makes me wonder: Where does that
come from? Seattle, in many ways, is a very creative place - not just
in the arts, but also in terms of the economy and the impact we've had
on the world - really far out of scale with our size. It's hard to define,
but creativity is one of the things that helps Seattle lead in so many
different areas.
Encore:
It's widely accepted that the arts are an important part of every great
city. But why is that so?
Nickels:
You need it all. One of the things about a great city is that it
has a diversity of people and activities - things to be engaged with
or involved in. The arts inspire and motivate and captivate the imagination
in a way that then allows you to go into your own field - whether it's
politics or building a great airplane or writing software - and to excel.
It's that kind of force.
Encore:
How have the arts had an impact on the way that Seattle is perceived
by outsiders?
Nickels:
It's interesting to track. We're one of the top five arts destinations
in the country, according to American Style Magazine. I'll be
interested to see how the Olympic Sculpture Park and the expanded SAM
affect that ranking. We're right up there with Chicago, San Francisco
and Boston as a center for arts and culture.
Encore:
How does this perception benefit the city?
Nickels:
In a number of ways. When you're trying to attract top talent,
one of the things people look for is a vibrant, dynamic city. That includes
the arts and cultural life of the city. The arts in Seattle make it
easier to get people to come here to contribute their talents to our
city. And it certainly helps in terms of the bottom line: tourists and
people who live here contributing dollars to our economy by participating
in the arts. That helps me to balance my budget and provide for the
arts - and for many other important services.
Encore:
How important are the arts to Seattle's economic prosperity?
Nickels:
We track that. Arts and culture add one-third of a billion dollars
a year to the Seattle economy. That's a lot of activity. We lead the
nation in the number of arts-related jobs per capita. It really is a
driving force in our economy.
Encore:
Why do you think that is? Why is this an arts center?
Nickels:
It has to do with the kind of people who choose to live here. Very
creative people, whether they're in the business of designing and building
the best airplanes in the world or writing the most powerful software
in the world or figuring out how to charge people three dollars for
a fifty-cent cup of coffee. They demand and support a very active and
dynamic artistic community.
Encore:
What can people do to support the arts and benefit from them in their
lives?
Nickels:
Seattle citizens do an amazing job of supporting the arts, whether
as voters in funding the building of Benaroya Hall and McCaw Hall; or
as private citizens contributing to various artistic organizations;
or by attending exhibitions and performances - coming to First Thursday
in Pioneer Square and enjoying that great community celebration. There
are many ways for people to become engaged with the arts. People do
and we flourish as a result.
Encore:
If you were to challenge people to do a little more, where would that
be?
Nickels:
I have a special fondness for smaller community arts organizations.
I would urge people to look for an arts organization near where they
live. They'll find opportunities to roll up their sleeves and make a
huge difference with their time and energy.
Encore:
Tell us about the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.
Nickels:
When I became mayor it was known as the Seattle Arts Commission.
We still have the commission, but I wanted to broaden the mission of
the office. There's so much to our cultural life - some of the heritage
activities, for example, that help us to remember why we got to where
we are. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is an advocate. It's a
bridge between arts organizations and my office. It helps me to be aware
of what's going on and how we can be most supportive of the arts.
Encore:
How do you work with the Arts Commission?
Nickels:
It's an advisory group. I've worked hard to appoint really outstanding
commissioners. We've done some very good outreach to broaden the representation
on the commission. I think that's been very successful. As citizens,
they're able to advocate in a way that staff can't. We have good internal
conversations, but there are times when I make a decision and staff's
got to fall in line. The commissioners can be a little more assertive
when they think that there is a policy or funding issue that needs to
be addressed.
Encore:
What's an example?
Nickels:
When I first came in as mayor, we were going through a recession.
Boeing was in the process of laying off 30,000 people in our region.
I was cutting the city budget every place I could, including for the
arts. I made a promise that when we recovered economically, I would
restore those dollars. The Arts Commission was very good at reminding
me of that promise, which was absolutely fair. And I kept my promise.
Encore:
This is the fifth year of the Mayor's Arts Awards. How did the program
start?
Nickels:
I'm a history buff. Bumbershoot originally was the Mayor's Arts
Festival. But over the years, the city stopped providing major financial
support to Bumbershoot. I wanted to reconnect the city and this premiere
festival that we have every Labor Day. So I challenged the office to
help find a way to do that and the Mayor's Arts Awards - as part of
the festivities kicking off Bumbershoot - was one of the recommendations.
There's real buzz about the program now. This year we had some 200 nominees
and they really represent the length and breadth of the artistic community
in our city.
Encore:
Why is it important to honor local artists in this way?
Nickels:
For one thing, it's an awful lot of fun. Over five years I've had
a chance to meet a wide variety of folks who have, often in very humble
and unsung ways, made a huge difference in the life of our community.
It's appropriate to recognize folks for excellence, particularly when
they otherwise might not be recognized. People might not know that they
exist, that they have done such wonderful things. It's a nice chance
to be able to highlight that and, as a city, to brag a little bit.
Encore:
In 2009, you become president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Will
you be an advocate for the arts?
Nickels:
Absolutely. The Conference already recognizes the arts and their
importance in the life of the city. We have arts awards that have been
made to a number of cities. I will continue that. And I'll find a "Seattle
way" to expand upon it as well.
Encore:
How important is arts education?
Nickels:
It's very important. Years ago, arts education kind of fell off the
table at the Seattle Public Schools and we've been working to try and
put it back front and center. During the selection process for the new
superintendent and during campaigns for school board members we try
and highlight the arts as an important part of the basic education mission
of the Seattle Public Schools.
Encore:
What's your thinking on public art?
Nickels:
Seattle has been a leader in public art. The 1% for Art program
that was developed here thirty or forty years ago has been picked up
in cities all across the country. It really enlivens civic life. When
you see a city facility that has artwork built right into it, which
was thought about from the very concept that led to the facility's design,
it just makes it a more special place for the people of Seattle to enjoy.
Encore:
Are you going to Bumbershoot?
Nickels:
Yes. My wife is from Ellensburg and the Ellensburg Rodeo is the same
weekend as Bumbershoot. So during the early years of our marriage, we'd
visit her parents and go to the rodeo. I didn't know that much about
Bumbershoot until my kids started to grow up. As soon as the insert
in the paper was available, they would grab it and mark what they wanted
to see. That's when I started to think about the idea that this was
the city's first arts festival - originally the Mayor's Arts Festival.
How do we take this energy and excitement I saw in my kids and share
it more broadly? So yes, we will be going to Bumbershoot. I'm about
to go online now and look at who's coming.
.
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