Bothell Arts Commission approves 2025–26 creative grant selections, directs staff to finalize details

The Bothell Arts Commission on Sept. 18 approved a slate of grant applicants for the 2025–26 Creative Arts Grant program, awarding funding from a $52,000 state/cultural grant and directing staff to finalize locations, contracts and award amounts.

Danae McGee, the city’s arts liaison and tourism manager, reviewed the grant program guidelines and said the commission received $52,000 in funding and that jurors scored the top 15 applications: "There were 8 applicants that scored a perfect score and 7 applicants scored just below that," McGee said. The commission heard short presentations and budget summaries for the top-ranked proposals and then prioritized projects for funding.

Why it matters: The commission’s awards determine which individual artists and small cultural projects receive municipal support and where temporary public art will be placed in downtown Bothell as portions of lots E, F and G are activated for community use. Commissioners emphasized balancing funding across visual arts, music, literature and community-based programs while preserving staff flexibility to confirm site availability and contract terms.

Most important decisions - The commission agreed to advance the top-tier applicants for funding and to pursue several near-top projects that required clarification or negotiation with artists. Projects discussed explicitly as advancing included Alexander Reinhardt’s tabletop role‑playing game project (requested $3,855), Kate McKenzie’s Peter and the Wolf children’s concerts (requested $2,500), Lana Zacks’ Sound Worlds violin/electronics program (requested $2,500), a temporary salmon sculpture proposed by Reed (requested funding discussed at $5,000), Jill Rulvic’s Blades of Change public-art project (requested $8,000 for four painted turbine blades; commissioners directed staff to negotiate for three blades), Andrea Wecke’s collage/community workshop series (requested $5,200) and a recurring community art program by a group described as Queer COVID Conscious Creatives (requested $600, pending confirmation of a Bothell location).

- The commission voted to exclude or not fund two out-of-state presenters in this cycle: a New York photographer (Julia Forrest, requested $4,500) and a Las Vegas artist (David Lampell, requested $6,650). Commissioners cited concerns about travel costs and the applicants’ local ties and familiarity with Bothell when making that determination.

- Commissioners identified three pedestals that the city can supply for temporary public art in downtown (lots E, F and G). Because five pedestal‑sized public pieces were proposed (the salmon and four turbine blades), the commission directed staff to negotiate: the commission favored placing three painted turbine blades at lot E/F/G and to seek funding or alternative siting for the salmon sculpture, potentially at a park site such as Bothell Landing.

Staff directions and next steps - Danae McGee and staff were directed to contact applicants to confirm budgets, clarify proposed locations and, where needed, request more detailed cost breakdowns (for example, clarifying “other artistic expenses” or promotion line items). McGee said she would seek flexibility to adjust amounts when a project requires a different venue or higher rental but indicated she would return with proposed contract terms.

- For temporary public art on lot E/F/G the commission asked staff to negotiate a contract term shorter than the site remediation timeline (commissioners discussed typical contracts of roughly three years rather than multi‑year land‑remediation horizons) and to confirm pedestal counts and physical spacing before finalizing awards.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the meeting agenda — outcome: approved (motion and second recorded; vote by raised hands reported unanimous). - Motion to approve July meeting minutes — outcome: approved; one abstention by Commissioner Hillary Long. - Motion to approve the selection of grant applicants and staff direction to finalize contracts and amounts — outcome: approved (motion by Commissioner Hillary Long; second by Commissioner Kylie Chang; vote recorded in favor; commissioners instructed staff to negotiate final budgets and locations).

What commissioners emphasized Commissioners repeatedly asked staff to confirm where projects would be staged, whether applicants had local partnerships, and to verify budget line items before finalizing awards. Several commissioners said they wanted to prioritize locally based artists and projects that could produce public-facing events in Bothell, and they asked staff to seek local venue options rather than relying on out-of-state presenters.

Meeting context and logistics The commission’s meeting included roll call and staff reports and spent the bulk of its new-business time reviewing the Creative Arts Grant top applicants and near‑top applicants. Commissioners also discussed a November 5 meet-and-mingle event at the Bothell Library and brief staff updates on Lot E/F/G activation and recent public-art installations in the city.

A note on data and timing: Where the transcript included a dollar request from an applicant, that requested amount is reported above. Commission members agreed to advance projects for contracting and to allow staff flexibility to negotiate final award amounts, durations and locations; several award amounts remained subject to staff‑level adjustments and final contract terms.