3:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Check-In, Pre-Show Mingling & Networking
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm – Featured Performances & Presentations
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Continued Mingling & Networking
Registration has closed. Thank you!
Join ArtsFund for the Celebration of the Arts! This accessible annual event convenes the arts and cultural community to celebrate Washington’s thriving arts scene. This year, we will gather in McCaw Hall showcasing an inspiring conversation with keynote speaker Jim LeBrecht, a vibrant range of performances from ArtsFund’s Cultural Partners that represent the wealth of talent in our region, and provide an opportunity to invest in ArtsFund’s mission. The event’s new early-evening timing will allow for networking opportunities and the space to connect and engage with arts patrons, and members of the cultural, philanthropic, and business communities in support of the arts.
If you have questions, please contact Chelsea Judd, Donor Relations Manager, at chelseajudd@artsfund.org or 206-788-3050. We look forward to celebrating Washington’s arts and cultural sector with you!
Jim LeBrecht co-directed and co-produced, with Nicole Newnham, the 2021 Oscar nominated documentary, Crip Camp. Crip Camp received the 2020 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for feature length documentary, the 2021 Independent Spirit award for Best Feature Documentary and a 2021 Peabody Award. He has over 40 years of experience as a film and theater sound designer and mixer, filmmaker, and disability rights activist. LeBrecht is a co-founder of FWD-Doc and the 1in4 Coalition, two organizations that support people with disabilities in the entertainment business. He has been a character consultant for Pixar Animation Studios for 2 of their films. Jim is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He is also a member of the Disability Futures Fellowship, an initiative of the Ford Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
ArtsFund is seeking an amazing group of volunteers to support Celebration of the Arts with setup, registration, information, directions, and more! Volunteer opportunities include a mix of standing and seated opportunities between 9AM – 5PM. Food and drinks will be provided to all volunteers and free seating for the program is included!
Please note that volunteers for this event must be minimum 18 years of age to register.
For information or questions on volunteering for this event, please contact ArtsFund Engagement Coordinator Genevieve Green at genevieve.green@artsfund.org or 206-203-2255.
*As of 6.24.2024
5th Avenue Theatre
ACT Theatre and Photographic Center Northwest
Andrew Recinos and Peg Cooper
Bill and Teresa Predmore
Campbell & Company
City Opera Ballet
Deloitte
Dianne Harris
Ginny Ruffner
Leonidas Consulting
LMN Architects
Loren and Daria Supp
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Path with Art
Rachel and Doug McCall
Seattle Children’s Theatre
Seattle Opera
Seattle Shakespeare
Sung Yang & SoYoung Kwon
Sunshine & Poppies
Town Hall Seattle
The Arboretum Foundation
Our goal is to provide a full complement of accessibility features so that all Celebration of the Arts attendees have a positive and inclusive experience. Listed below are our current accessibility features. If you have any questions about access or have a request for any other accommodation, please contact Kaitlin Hurley at kaitlinhurley@artsfund.org.
ASL Interpreters will be present for both the reception and during the program. To request to be seated near an ASL interpreter, please note your request in the Registration Form which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase.
Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are provided by McCaw Hall. They may be checked out at the coat check. Note that they work best when the user has a direct line of site to the stage. If you plan to use an ALD, please note this in your Registration Form.
Live Captions: The video shown during the program will have captions. We are exploring ways to offer captions for the rest of the program.
Braille Programs will be available. If you would like a braille program, please note your request in the RSVP Confirmation Form which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase.
Large Print Programs: All programs will be printed in 16+ point font size.
Assistive Listening Headsets are provided by McCaw Hall and there will be a describer for the program portion of the event. If you plan to use Assistive Listening, please note that in your Registration Form.
Wheelchair Seating: There are 29 wheelchair seats available throughout McCaw Hall. If you would like a wheelchair seat, please note that in your Registration Form which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase.
Transfer Seats have a movable arm for easy transfer from a wheelchair or walker. There are 29 of these available at McCaw Hall. If you would like to be seated in a transfer seat, please note that in your Registration Form.
Caregiver Entry: A complimentary ticket for a caregiver is available upon request. If you would like a complimentary caregiver ticket, please note that in your Registration Form.
Parking: Mercer Street Garage has 48 disabled parking stalls on levels B and C. A covered wheelchair accessible skybridge to McCaw Hall is on level C.
Drop Off: Guests can be dropped off on Mercer Street directly in front McCaw Hall. Use the wheelchair ramp in front of the Phelps Center to reach the building or select “Kreielsheimer Promenade” in the elevator located by the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall entrance on Mercer Street.
Accessible Routes: There will be signage to mark accessible routes from all entrances and from the reception areas to the auditorium.
Restrooms: All public restrooms in McCaw Hall are accessible.
To make this a sensory-friendly event, audience lights will remain at a low level during the performance. People are welcome to move about as needed. A guide to lighting and sound cues that may be overwhelming will be available. If you would like a guide, please visit the Information table at Registration.
Quiet Space: During the pre-networking event from 2-4:00 pm, there will be a quiet space available in the Norcliffe Room. The room is meant to be a place to take a break away from the busyness and crowdedness of the pre-networking event.
Sensory-friendly toys will also be available at the Information table at Registration.
Service and Therapy Animals are allowed and must be kept on a leash. If you will be bringing a service animal, please note that in your Registration Form, which will be sent to each guest after ticket purchase.
Dietary Restrictions: At the reception, a variety of small foods will be available, including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free options.
This year’s Celebration of the Arts will take place from 2:00 – 5:15 pm on Thursday, September 11th at McCaw Hall. Check-in will begin at 2:00 pm with a pre-event reception until 4:00 pm. The program will begin at 4:00 pm and conclude at 5:15 pm.
McCaw Hall is located 321 East Mercer Street on the north edge of the Seattle Center campus. Public transportation, driving, and parking directions can be found on the McCaw Hall website. The closest parking lot is the Mercer Street Garage directly across from McCaw Hall at 3rd Ave North and Mercer Street. This garage has 48 wheelchair accessible stalls.
This year there will be a “fund-the-need" paddle raise during the main program in the auditorium. Details regarding giving levels of the paddle raise will be shared as part of the Know Before You Go emails for the event that will be sent to each attendee.
To ensure that your registration process is quick when arriving day of the event, all attendees will be emailed and asked to individually register in advance with the option to opt into the paddle raise. If you do not register for the event in advance, you will be asked whether or not you would like to opt into the paddle raise at the Registration area.
Participation in the paddle raise is not mandatory but a gift at any level is greatly appreciated and makes a direct impact on arts in culture in Washington. All donations help ArtsFund’s mission to support the arts through leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking in order to build a healthy, equitable, and creative Washington.
Tickets are now available. The deadline to register is August 31st, 2025. You can get tickets here.
Institutional partners and individuals are welcome to sponsor Celebration of the Arts. To learn more about sponsorship levels and benefits, please view our sponsorship document or email Kaitlin Hurley, Annual Giving Manager, at kaitlinhurley@artsfund.org.
Yes, there will be networking during the pre-event reception from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.
Guests of Sponsors and guests as part of Group Seating for Ten will be seated together. Chairs for these groups will be marked with a group logo or name on the auditorium seats. Those who need specific seats for accessibility reasons, e.g. wheelchair access or ASL interpreter visibility, will be assigned seats with up to two seats for a caregiver or family or friend. Everyone else will have general seating where you can sit with whoever you like in any unmarked seats. The doors to the auditorium will open at 4:00 pm and the program will begin at 4:00 pm.
Please periodically check our website for updates. In addition, ArtsFund staff are happy to share more information or discuss ways to support the “Celebration of the Arts” event. To learn more, please contact Kaitlin Hurley, Annual Giving Manager (kaitlinhurley@artsfund.org).