The Urban Residency Program
Clarion West is developing a residency program in the heart of Seattle.
We’ve partnered with Common Area Maintenance (CAM) on the recovery of the El Rey Building in Belltown and will be renovating the second floor to establish a residency program open to arts & culture organizations, individual artists and writers, and act as the permanent home for the Six-Week Workshop. Follow our progress here and learn more about how you can help!
A New Partnership & Building Opportunity for the Workshop
With the official transfer of the historic El Rey Building in downtown Seattle to CAM, the next step is rehabilitation and renovations toward a community art hub with low-income housing for creatives, event and classroom space, and a residency floor!
Together, CAM and CW are developing a network of arts organizations and stakeholders in the Greater Seattle Area to launch this first-of-its kind urban residency program with on-site housing for organizations to host up to 18 artists and writers for extended residencies with overnight accommodations. The design of the program is meant to be sliding scale, with a focus on place-based, inclusive, and accessible residencies for artists and writers.
Experience a fully-contained residency floor, including:
18 Rooms!
offering individuals and arts organizations a unique residency experience in the heart of a major US City. The El Rey is a fully ADA accessible building with an on-site elevator and every floor has accessible bathrooms.
Common Kitchen, Classroom, and Common Areas
giving all visiting artists and writers a place for shared meals as well as instructional space for classes, workshops, and meetings
Year-round, affordable availability to artists and writers
A sliding scale model gives organizations the ability to invite guest creatives, build residency programs and grow workshops, classes, readings and performances.
Opportunities to build stronger arts networks
A steady flow of visiting artists from around the country and around the globe creates lasting relationships and new collaborations across creative communities.
The El Rey is the future home of the Six-Week Workshop.
In 2023, Clarion West set out to identify and work with partners toward making a full return to the in-person Workshop financially sustainable. With CAM’s purchase of the El Rey Building, this dream has become a reality. The agreement between the two organizations allows Clarion West to utilize the Residency Floor every summer, indefinitely, at a rate that is fair and affordable. There will be 18 individual rooms for overnight stay, creative work, common areas, classrooms, shared kitchen space, community resources, and events.
To date, Clarion West has dedicated $100,000 of the bequest funds from Vonda N. McIntyre to launch this project.
Latest Updates
Volunteer Work Parties have been going on all summer to help clean and prepare the building for renovations and ground-floor occupancy.
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Urban Residency Advisory Committee
Now taking applicants for the Seattle Urban Residency Advisory Committee! What is the Advisory Committee? The advisory committee is a new collaboration of King County arts organizations, funders, and individuals that have a vested interest in supporting an affordable, shared residency space in Seattle. What is the time commitment? The committee will meet once each…
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Clarion West & Common AREA Maintenance Residency Program Announcement
Two Seattle Arts Organizations Join Forces to Announce A One-of-a-Kind Urban Residency Program for Artists & Writers
Facing Today’s Challenges
Arts & Culture organizations are facing increasing expenses that affect their ability to hold in-person workshops for writers of any length. Speculative Fiction workshops are especially struggling with affordable locations.
And Counting!
What We Need Now
We’re inviting you to take part in a one-of-a-kind residency opportunity in the heart of Seattle. Individuals can make a big difference!
We need volunteers, donors, and folks willing to share and talk about the project. Here’s how you can help:
Share the Vision
This project is going to need the help of many individuals and organizations and we want people to know about the residency opportunities! Please share this page and other updates on your socials and tell your friends!
Questions?
We want to hear from you.
Whether you are interested in supporting the residency program as a donor, development partner, or service provider, or you’re the administrator of a program that could benefit from the project once it’s launched, Clarion West believes that we go further together. Get in touch today to learn more about what’s possible by signing up for newsletter updates or email your inquiry to .
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Meet Our Advisory Committee
Residency Program Development Partners
The urban residency program
You can make a huge impact today!
The residency program is a community effort. We’ll need your help to get it launched.