by jasminemahmoud

Kenneth Wilson, District 8 Candidate — 2021 Primary Election

CANDIDATE: Kenneth Wilson, City Council District 8 Candidate:

ARTS PLATFORM

I think arts are extremely important in creating life for a community.  Arts have been an integral part of my own life; playing an instrument and piano as a youth, continuing with my wife a near concert level pianist having won local amateur competition, my oldest daughter a violinist her whole life and teaching herself the shamisen, and my youngest daughter a lifelong cellist continuing in high school symphony.   In addition to music, our family has always invested time in the arts for drawing, painting, and dance including at Dance Fremont! from the late 1990’s through 2016 and also as a season ticket holders to the Seattle Pacific Ballet and patron of Seattle Symphony when possible.  I have supported the arts in my professional life and bridge projects by working with individual artists to include there specific work and also intended vision to enhance bridge aesthetics.  In this work with professional artist, they have always impressed me with their important additions to increase function for transportation users.  Specifically, I have worked on artist selection committees and directly with artists to support and include their important work within my projects and through 4Culture on the Meadowbrook Bridge Historic Rehabilitation, Mount Si Bridge, Northgate Pedestrian Bridge, and the recent work by Leo Berk on the Overlake Village Station Pedestrian Bridge walkway opening shortly. 

In our family life it has always been important to stay involved with arts and even during recent COVID we continued cello lessons with our local professional artist, outside on our porch and socially-distanced.  We learned from her first hand the extreme challenges for Seattle’s artists and culture being shut down.  Seattle arts and music have been a key to recognition for our area with so many amazing musicians making their names here, restoring the City’s quality of life will only be possible with the return to performance of arts and opening of our local cultural scene.   I am a supporter of the arts and will continue to advocate strongly for arts if elected.