Rainier Valley now has a certified Creative District!
We are honored to announce the formation of a state designated ‘Creative District’ in Rainier Valley; the first of its kind in the City of Seattle. The formal Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Rainier Valley Creative District will be on November 20th at 3pm at the Rainier Arts Center (3515 S. Alaska St.)
Creative Districts are certified through the Washington State Arts Commission to help communities thrive and turn cultural activities into economic growth. This new Creative District, formally called the Rainier Valley Creative District (RVCD), will unite communities of Rainier Valley through arts and culture.
RVCD is centered along Rainier Ave S from Columbia City to Rainier Beach. The distinct and historic Rainier Valley, with its flourishing creative community, will be celebrated and formally recognized as a cultural and creative hub in Washington State.
At the heart of RVCD’s mission is to establish an active arts and culture coalition that advocates for Rainier Valley’s artistic and cultural community by fostering collaboration, boosting collective visibility, and addressing economic inequity.
As we face rapid development in Rainier Valley, we must take this window of opportunity to come together as a community and collaborate now to help ward off gentrification and displacement o the creative community.
RVCD’s planning has been in the works for the past year and spearheaded by ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop Executive Director, Afua Kouyate. A special thanks to our Founding Planners: SEEDArts, Wa N Wari, Seattle World Percussion Society, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, HONK! Fest West, and the Khmer Community of Seattle King County.
To build a strong cultural community, we need you! We are looking for volunteers, donors, sponsors, and artists. Monthly meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 6pm over Zoom. Visit rainiervalleycreativedistrict.com or email rvcdinfo@gmail.com.
Rainier Valley Creative District Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on November 20th
