The Creative Student's Guide to Seattle Art Education and Careers

  ...for students of art, design, fashion design, photography, film/video, advertising, interior design and other creative fields.

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  by C.J. Gustafson
  ArtSchools.com Contributing Writer


art schools in Seattle

Arthur Denny and Doc Maynard sailed up the west coast separately, each looking to found a new town. Denny built on Elliot Bay and Maynard built just south of him. Competing street grids independently laid out in 1853 eventually overlapped into one city, which became Seattle, featuring a predictably unruly tangle of streets where the two plans intersect along Yesler Way. Today, Seattle's 563,374 residents are spread over 83.87 sq. miles and enjoy a moderate climate of 35-45F in winter and 56-76F in summer. The amenable weather affords pleasant visits to the many outdoor attractions including parks, gardens, and historical sites. As a port city with a rich ethnic base, there is also a broad range of performing and visual arts to be found. It is an artistic environment, actively supported by city initiatives to provide for the creation and purchase of public art.

Art in Public Places

Seattle has hundreds of pieces of public art located throughout the city. According to a city ordinance, one percent of the capital improvement project funds are set aside for the purchase and installation of artworks throughout Seattle. From the whimsical statues depicting everyday life in the city to the historic veterans monuments to the downright scary troll under the George Washington Bridge, these creations help define the city.

Seattle also has several notable art museums to complement the works of public art. The Seattle Art Museum has approximately 23,000 items in its collection, with a focus on Asian, African, Northwest Coast Native American, modern art, and European painting and decorative arts. The Frye Art Museum features 19th- and early 20th-century European and American paintings, along with works by Northwest regional artists and Alaskan painters. The Henry Art Museum is on the campus of the University of Washington-Seattle and features contemporary art.

design degrees in Seattle Art museums and pieces of public artwork aren't the only things to see in Seattle. Don't miss the Space Needle, the Seattle Aquarium, Emerald Downs horseracing track, Seattle Center (a large mall-type area), and Pike Place Fish Market -- the home of "low flying fish" and the popular "Fish Philosophy" incorporated by so many businesses and organizations across the country.

Unlike cities with noisy traffic jams and hazardous streets, getting around in Seattle can be half the fun. Options include the Washington State Ferries, the monorail -- the nation's first full-scale commercial monorail system -- and Northwest Trek, the tram system that allows riders to explore 600 acres of forests, meadows and wetlands.

The Art Scene

Seattle has long been known as the heart of the Punk/Grunge culture -- but according to Kimberly Brown, a writer for the American Express Travel Resources website, the city is growing up and becoming more sophisticated. "[Seattle] has undergone a remarkable cultural renaissance, transforming itself from a depressed-but-charming town into a mecca for food, shopping, and the arts," she wrote, citing the new symphony hall and improved performances, architectural facelifts for many of the city's buildings, and the opening of more high-end shops as evidence of this growth. Fortunately, much of the original edginess and grassroots accessibility to the arts are still present in Seattle. As Brown pointed out, it's still possible to listen to a band on the radio one minute and then be standing three feet away from them the next minute while they perform on the stage of some local venue.

Art Schools and Programs

art student in Seattle It's this blend of culture and creativity that draws artists and art students to Seattle. There are several schools and universities in Seattle where students can prepare for careers in the visual arts. Some possible options include Cornish College of the Arts, The Art Institute of Seattle, and universities such as Seattle Pacific University's Department of Visual Arts, Seattle University Fine Arts Department, and the University of Washington School of Art.

The city also offers a wide selection of art centers, studios, and schools with arts education programming. The Seattle Academy of Fine Art, School of Visual Concepts, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Sev Shoon Arts Center, Roaring Mouse Creative Arts, Neo Art School, Color Wheel Studio, and Artwerks By Nancy Fulton are organizations offering a variety of arts classes such as painting, sculpting, and design.

Those with a more specialized focus include the Photographic Center Northwest, Pilchuck Glass School, and the Monart Drawing School, which has two locations in Seattle. The Seattle Center Academy is an innovative arts school for teens interested in the field.

Students at these schools can obtain a wide variety of skills and training in the visual arts including Advertising degrees, Architecture degrees, Interior Design degrees and Graphic Design degrees. They can learn computer animation, sculpting, painting textiles and a wide range of other mediums, and they can receive the necessary technical training and preparation for architectural careers, photography careers, fashion careers, and a number of other employment fields in the visual arts.

Seattle has long been known as an artistic and cultural gem. As it continues to grow and adapt to changes in the world and in its population, the city stays true to the edgy, yet earthy attitude that underlies life in the "Emerald City." It is a perfect choice for visual art students who like the scenic beauty of the Pacific Northwest -- served with a twist. Click here to see the Top 10 Reasons to Go to School or College in Seattle.

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