Washington’s King County Arts & Culture Organizations to Receive $165 Million 

The new funding will be distributed to over 700 local arts, science, history, and heritage nonprofits over the course of three years 

Announced by the county’s cultural agency, 4Culture, more than 700 local arts, science, history, and heritage nonprofits in Washington state’s King County, will benefit from over $165 million in grants and funding across the next three years. 

Drawn primarily from a 0.1% sales tax increase that began accruing in April 2024, the funding is part of a new program expected to bring in $700 million to the cultural sector in the coming seven years, The Seattle Times reported. 

The increased funding is made possible through 4Culture’s new access program, Doors Open, which operates as a semi-public county organization providing public funds to arts and culture projects. The program has now enabled 4Culture’s grants to increase to $70.1 million in 2025 alone. 

Among the grant-recipient organizations include A Contemporary Theatre, American Asian Performing Arts Theatre, Black and Tan Hall, Emerald Theatre, Federal Way Symphony Orchestra, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, among many others. 

The new funding will help support organizations’ day-to-day operational costs, such as rent assistance, utilities, and payroll, as well as funding to build, buy, or remodel properties.

“Our Cultural Sector is so vibrant, diverse, and expansive. It provides us with ways to uplift and support each other,” said 4Culture’s Executive Director, Brian J. Carter in the press release. “It has the ability to reflect back to us our humanity, so we can find joy, face difficult truths, or have a few precious moments of reflection — the possibilities are endless. For me, the success of Doors Open will mean that everyone in King County has increased access to meaningful experiences through a plethora of cultural activities and spaces.”

“Arts and culture aren’t a ‘nice-to-have,’ they are an essential part of healthy individuals and healthy communities,” added King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci. Here in King County, we are blessed to have a vibrant science, heritage, and arts sector, full of talented and passionate individuals, innovative and enthusiastic nonprofits, and world-class cultural institutions. This levy is the key that will open the doors to renewed vibrancy in our centers and communities, welcome audiences of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds, and bring joy, connection, and self-discovery to the lives of King County residents.”

“We know the power of arts and culture in bringing people together and, in a time when many people and neighborhoods are struggling, the arts provide hope and beauty that can facilitate community and civic healing,”  noted fellow King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay. “I’m proud to support Doors Open, and I’m excited to see the possibilities that this funding will bring throughout our county.”