James Donaldson

Team Donaldson
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The arts sector includes literature, theatre, music venues, museums, public displays of art, arts education in and out of the school building, design, and more. What role do you see the arts playing in the pandemic recovery? What is your experience with creatives, creative organizations, and the arts in Seattle?

I see the arts playing a massive role in the pandemic recovery, particularly in the form of public art beings spaces where people can gather. The art sector is the great unifier within our society, and can truly create a culture for our city, as it has throughout the history of Seattle. The full re-opening of our arts sector is vital because it is one of the only spaces where we have the opportunity to convey a united front within our culture post-covid.

Total personnel expenses budgeted for 2020/2021 are nearly 30% lower than in the pre-pandemic fiscal year 2018/2019. Artistic and production personnel budgets are those most dramatically affected, seeing 44% and 37% drops, respectively, since prior to the pandemic. Given this statistic from ArtsFund’s economic survey, how will you work to grow the creative workforce sector?

Seattle is one of the most attractive markets for the arts worldwide. We must take advantage of this and make sure we are booking world-class artists for our music venues, the most intriguing exhibits for our museums, and attracting world-class talent from within our own city for public displays of art. I will work to grow the creative workforce sector by making sure these public spaces are thriving. To do this, we must engage youth within these spaces, as they are truly driving the future of the arts. We must make sure that not only will people within our city and beyond come to experience our art, but that we create momentum within the arts sector during the pandemic recovery by booking acts and musicians and other artists or authors that are truly popular within our city to engage our youth. This will create a sustainable model that will make young people want to continue to live in our city as they get older, which in turn will increase attendance at artistic events and drive up revenue.

Growth in creative occupations has outpaced overall job growth (23% vs. 15%, 2012-2017). 2019 saw 4,373 more creative jobs than would be expected if Seattle had followed national trends. At $30.76, the Seattle metro has the second highest cost of living-adjusted, median hourly earnings for creative workers among large and medium metros. Creative industries contribute 18% of Seattle’s gross regional product, compared to 4% of the U.S. gross domestic product. Seattle is a world-class city for the arts and is a thriving hub for creatives with regional, national and international renown. How would you ensure that artists, and arts and cultural organizations, have the support and resources to maintain that status as a thriving hub? What are your plans to help grow the creative class that makes Seattle so vibrant?

I truly think that we need more artistic spaces to maintain our status as a thriving hub. I propose working with our private tech sector to help put on workshops in their own spaces for the arts, as well as in our schools and universities. We can also work with private sector money to create more venues so that their workers, along with the rest of our city, want to continue to live here with a thriving world-class art sector. We also need to move more money from the general fund towards art apprenticeship and resource programs so that we can continue to support artists that currently live here, to stay here and continue to make the art that gives us international renown.

Washington state ranks 45th in funding for the arts, while having the second highest absenteeism rate in the USA. Knowing that the arts increase engagement for children in school, what are your plans for arts education, and what role do you see arts education playing in our school system?

As a Seattle resident for over 40 years, and as a youth mentor in our city, I have seen first hand the positive effects after-school programs, and specifically art extracurriculars, have had on our youth. I believe every school in our city should have the resources to maintain professional art instructors to create environments for after school programs that foster community, excitement, and retention in school. Putting money into art in schools should be a priority, not an afterthought, because these programs will create the artists of today and tomorrow that will have an extremely positive impact on Seattle's culture and economy.

The arts sector was left out of early recovery dollars, and the impact was a 65% decrease in earned income projected for 2020/2021 as compared to 2018/2019. We know the arts have historically solved problems for our city, as each new job in a creative industry creates a total of three local jobs, according to 2019’s Creative Economy Report. What is your vision for the arts in community recovery, and how will you work with the sector to achieve your goals?

I will work with the sector to make sure all of our arts venues that were thriving pre-covid, have the resources to open their doors back up and have the capabilities of running at full strength in terms of capacity. For example, pre-covid there were venues that were hosting Seattle grown musical talents every single night of the week. This must happen again, and fast in order for the arts community to truly recover. The city must do a better, professional job at advertising these events to our citizens. In order for this to happen, the city must ensure that more of our public spaces and restrooms and transportation, are more accessible for our nightlife and are open late. Now that we can gather, we as leaders in the city need to ensure that the people and artists that want to collaborate, can do so in a way that is accessible to all areas of our city.

Historically, the funds dedicated to the arts have gone to predominantly white institutions serving predominantly white audiences. How will you ensure that available funds are distributed in a more equitable manner and that we invest in diverse communities?

As mayor, my office will seek out diverse artists and venues in areas that have traditionally been underserved in terms of receiving art funding. To do this, I will listen to important voices from organizations like yours that truly know where the art diversity is more than any other faction in the city. We do not need voices from other industries telling us where to spend money going to the arts. I will listen to you, and artists, from the most diverse areas of our city.