Lance Randall

Lance Randall for Seattle Mayor
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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?

COVID-19 decimated the amount of spending going towards the arts and our artists, and our recovery from the pandemic requires that we rebuild our artistic scene. A thriving arts scene makes Seattle both a destination for tourists and new residents, and our future growth requires a well-funded and supported arts sector. As such, providing that support will be central to our economic recovery, and I detail some of my actions in later questions.

My experience with creatives began at the age of 9 years old when I learned how to play the piano. For more than 46 years I have been a musician expressing my art and performing with fellow musicians in churches and music venues across the country. In Seattle, I am the head musician for First African Methodist Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill. I provide music for all the church choirs, and I compose original songs for the Angel and Men’s Choirs. I have a jazz band that performs at venues and festivals around the region. I also have an audio sound company that supports musicians and artist with affordable and quality sound reinforcement. Creative organizations I support are The Rainier Arts Center, The Columbia City Gallery, The Columbia Theatre, The Hillman City Arts Studios and Urban Artworks. I have also assisted well-known artist, Moses Sun, gain work as muralist around Seattle. I recently worked with Cameron Lavi-Jones who is the lead artist for the group “King Youngblood” by arranging a video to be shot at my church and playing the organ for the production.

Without a doubt, of all the candidates running for Mayor, I am the most connected and actively involved with the arts sector and clearly understand what the sector needs to thrive in Seattle.

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?

While Seattle has rightly earned a reputation as a creative city, the combination of the recent economic boom followed by Covid-19 comes at the expense of its creative culture and economy. Seattle is losing its creative edge as a result. I will turn this trend around by working with arts and entertainment leaders to make Seattle the most creative city in the world where people can make a living making music, film, art, and theater. My actions include:

• Establish a rent recovery fund for live music and art performance venues to stay afloat through the Covid pandemic.
• Create a city-wide film partnership incentive program with the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau to attract out-of-state film productions that pay living wages, pour money into communities, and advertises our region to the world.
• Develop workforce programs that connect Seattle’s youth to career opportunities across creative sectors.
• Incentivize large scale music scoring productions to be done in Seattle by local musicians.
• Encourage philanthropic foundations to create and expand giving programs that support artists and arts institutions.

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?

The benefits of investing in our artists and cultural organizations extend far beyond artists, because the more creative Seattle is, the better equipped its culture will be in attracting talent and coming up with innovative ways to address societal challenges like homelessness, addiction, mobility, public safety, sustainability or simply enhancing the visual environment. support artists and arts institutions. As such, I plan to protect our venues, invest in more creative spaces, and partner with our cultural institutions. My actions include:

• Expand the Sea-Tac Airport City of Music busker program across the region to attract people back to public spaces and increase revenue opportunities for musicians.
• Incentivize developers to incorporate live music and arts venues into their redevelopment efforts.
• Work with the Seattle Film Commission to identify ways the City can prioritize film permitting needs and encourage private investment from local corporations.
• Create "agent of change" laws to protect the business of live music venues in development.

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?

I believe that all Seattle residents, regardless of background, identity, and income, deserve the opportunity to receive a high quality education that prepares them for the 21st century workforce, including an education in the arts. That requires that the City of Seattle expands its support of the Department of Education and Early Learning as well as partner with our public arts institutions to redevelop and arts curriculum. Moreover, I will create a music instrument lending library with Seattle public libraries where our students and citizens can check-out musical instruments and take lessons.

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?

My actions outlined in answers 2 and 3 outlines ways that I will protect and invest in our arts venues and support the incomes of our artists. Beyond these partnerships, I will launch a campaign with local artists to encourage workers to return to downtown. We will work with community organizations to create city-sponsored events and experiences which will restore the value of togetherness in the heart of downtown. From live music shows to food festivals and sports rallies, the city core will become a destination, not an obligation, of daily life in Seattle.

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?

I believe that community input early leads to policies responsive to the diverse needs of our residents. As such, I plan to build relationships with our neighborhoods by regularly engaging with our community and soliciting their input on committees and working groups. This practice will span across policy areas such as public safety, affordable housing, and small business development. For example, my public safety will involve Police Chiefs, Commanders, and I will engage in regular Town Hall Meetings to develop a community policing philosophy in conjunction with our residents. For the arts, I will use this model to solicit input on the type of programs and funding needed to create equitable access to the arts and creative spaces.