Paul G. Allen Gives $50,000 to the SODO Track
50 artists • 32 buildings • 3 summers • 2 miles • 1 epic street art corridor
4Culture is pleased to announce that Paul G. Allen has made a generous contribution of $50,000 to support The SODO Track, a street art project that is transforming two miles of building backs in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. This contribution is a critical first step in raising the money needed to implement the project’s vision to establish a creative gateway to downtown Seattle and a destination for international visitors and local residents alike.
More than 50 artists will paint large-scale murals on 32 buildings along the SODO Busway between now and 2018 to create one epic street art experience. 50,000 transit riders use the corridor every weekday, including light rail passengers. For those traveling from SeaTac Airport, The SODO Track will be a first impression of downtown Seattle.
$40,000 supports the recent completion of Phase 1 of the project. A team of 11 local, national and international artists collaborated to paint four building backs during late July and early August to align with Seattle Art Fair activities and additional summer visitors. Youth from Urban Artworks, an organization working to transform the lives of youth through public art, painted one of the murals as part of Phase 1 efforts. The remaining $10,000 will kick start Phase 2, which begins next summer as more artists from Seattle and around the world continue to re-imagine the busway and more buildings are painted.
SODO Track artists are addressing the theme of motion, speed and progression, responding to the in-motion viewing experience of the transit riders. The project curator and the artist teams are also responding to the unique configuration of the transit corridor, where each mural is part of a continuous line of sight enabling the busway to transform into an imaginative raceway of art in motion.
4Culture seeks strategic headline sponsors to join Paul G. Allen and the project partners to financially support The SODO Track. An estimated $300,000 is needed to commission murals for the targeted 32 buildings along the busway. In addition to funding, The SODO Track team is looking for airline and hotel sponsors and in-kind donations of paint and equipment. Inquiries should be directed to Tamar Benzikry, tamar.benzikry@4culture.org, 206 263.1617.
The SODO Track is a project seeded by 4Culture, working with artist Gage Hamilton in collaboration with Urban Artworks, the SODO BIA, and Sound Transit.
The SODO Track is an initiative of 4Culture Public Art, which provides opportunities for King County’s artists, residents, and visitors to experience, discover, and re-imagine public space through creative conversations and community action.
More information available at:
www.4culture.org
www.sodotrack.com
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