4Culture Will Not Go Down Quietly

Following through on our promise/threat to do whatever it takes to ensure that 4Culture ends up being funded by the end of the special legislative session happening as we speak, we bring you word on the latest bill making the rounds in Olympia: SB 5961. This is a new bill created by State Senators in the wake of SB 5958's failure to pass by one vote.

With this move, State Senators are responding to the huge outcry of disappointment that met last Thursday's failure. Now it is our turn, thankfully, the folks at Advocate4Culture make it pretty easy to do. If you have a spare five minutes, and can do something as complex as cut and paste a document onto an email, you could do your part toward ensuring that our culture in and around the Emerald City remains vibrant and alive with possibilities.

Perhaps you believe that 4Culture plays no part in your life, and this could be true if you don't ever step foot outside your home. Even if it is true, are you for All Ages venues where kids under the age of 21 could hang and do things in a safe environment? 4Culture supports the Vera Project and various other similar efforts. Do you believe the artists currently located in the 619 Western building be able to find a home for when they are vacated from the premises? 4Culture has been helping them out. Do you think the amount of rich maritime history that is associated with Seattle should be preserved and remembered? 4Culture even helps with that.

4Culture is a keystone in this community, one that has been operating quietly for over two decades, such that when it comes time to support it with our voices, people don't realize just how important it is. Just like the 619 Western has proven to be the heart of Seattle's visual arts world, 4Culture is the structure that supports the cultural coral reef that exists in Seattle. Take it away, and the entire ecosystem falls apart.

The bill will be coming up for a vote before the special legislative session comes to an end on Wednesday, act now.