by jasminemahmoud

Stephen Brown, Seattle City Council District 1 Candidate — 2023 Primary Election

CANDIDATE: Stephen Brown, Seattle City Council District 1 Candidate

ARTS PLATFORM

What is your arts platform?

Arts are the heart of any community, and especially cities. Art has the power to bring dispersed people together. Therefore, the means by which art is cultivated must be sustained. I think my understanding of the importance of the arts comes from my love for food which, similarly, is something that brings people together. As the founder and president of Eltana Bagels I understand the power of bagels to foster community and furthermore joy. My platform is therefore a listening ear to all facets of the vibrant art community of Seattle, to your concerns and needs in maintaining this vital aspect of our city. I look towards organizations such as 4 Culutre with admiration. This is critical work and I intend to support it at the city level in ways that are strategic and affecting.

How do the arts reflect the voices, perspectives, and communities in your district? What are challenges and opportunities?

I am in awe of the work of small galleries, theaters, and music venues in District 1. I think some of the best programs in D1 that preserve these vibrant galleries are the Art Walks in West Seattle and Georgetown. I think art fairs in D1 such as Alki Art Fair and Seattle Art Fair have done incredible work to bring art to Seattlities. Some galleries, especially small galleries run out of a home, are struggling. I intend to bolster efforts to guide art lovers–and everyone–towards these hidden gems. Additionally, I think we can do more to coordinate microgrants to these galleries where applicable.

How do you envision the arts as part of Seattle, especially as part of critical issues including access, affordability, displacement, education, and racial equity? Do you have any policy ideas around addressing these issues?

I have an urban vision of Seattle where the balance of live, work, and play will need to change significantly, especially downtown. Currently, downtown is unsafe and uninviting. We need to repurpose many buildings and lots to meet the needs of our city, to accommodate affordable housing, dignified shelters, small businesses, and the arts. To make Seattle a more joyful, exciting, and vibrant place to live, I know that the arts will lead the way. I am excited to work more closely with art organizations to find ways to make downtown more inviting. A major part of this will be making the arts more affordable and accessible in general. I commend the work of teentix to this end and think we can do far, far more. Anyone and everyone should be able to experience the arts without feeling a financial constraint. In terms of racial equity, I humbly look towards the fantastic organizations of our city like the Wing Luke Museum and NAAM. They are doing phenomenal work to bring the voices, experiences, and art of people of color and marginalized communities to the forefront of the art world. I would be happy to find ways to support an expansion of this type of work at a city level.

The aftershocks of Covid are still being felt by artists and cultural organizations. Please share policy ideas you may have that aim to stabilize the cultural industry and increase cultural engagement to increase quality of life for communities across Seattle? If you don’t have policy ideas right now, what process would you initiate to determine new opportunities in these areas?

Galleries and theaters in District 1 and their commitment and perseverance in sharing art with our community–outlasting even COVID–is highly commendable.

As a small business owner who kept my stores open during COVID, this is a personal struggle I shared. I believe that many of my ideas to help small businesses will transfer to the situation of arts, but I will also focus my attention on the specific problems and concerns of the art community.

Some ideas I have include more substantial funding for repairing vandalism and further progress on preventing crime affecting small business owners and art organizations. The work of art is critical–we need to protect the people and spaces that keep it going. We need to get our call-response times to public safety emergencies down and have specialized teams of safety personnel–be it a police officer, a social worker, or both–to efficently deescalate the situation. We need to expand the efforts of the find-it-fix-it app. I will work more closely with the Department of Economic development and be on the Economic Development committee.

How do you plan to work with governmental agencies including the Office of Arts and Culture and the Seattle Arts Commission?

I plan to advocate for the arts in District 1 in particular, especially art galleries, music venues, and theaters located in our lower-income neighborhoods and marginalized communities. I will be a voice and listening ear for the D1 arts.

Describe a meaningful arts experience that has stayed with you over time. How have the arts affected your life?

As an undergraduate student at McGill University, I lived in a home where everyone was involved in the school theater in one way or another. In my sophomore year, I was a stage manager for Rosenkranz and Guildenstern are dead. It was exciting to be able to put on a play that made an impact on campus and across Montreal. I am an art collector. When I travel, I research the up and coming artists in the region I will visit. Often, I visit them in their homes or studios. Many do not have gallery representation. Art and travel are linked for me that way.