Background
Inkfish Foundation was founded with the vision of fostering community and creativity in South Seattle, an area where access to arts programming and collaborative spaces has been limited. Recognizing this gap, our founders sought to create a hub where artists, makers, and community members could connect, share resources, and engage in meaningful artistic expression. Inkfish Foundation emerged as a response to the need for inclusive, accessible arts opportunities, ensuring that creativity thrives as a vital part of the neighborhood’s cultural and social fabric. Through workshops, events, and collaborative projects, we are dedicated to building a stronger, more vibrant community through the power of the arts.
Vision
Our community partnership model demonstrates the power of the arts to transform communities. We support a rich ecosystem of artists, youth, and entrepreneurs who are the cornerstones of our thriving neighborhoods and catalysts for a vibrant South King County.
Mission
Inkfish Community Arts Hub is a dynamic center of exploration, expression, and exchange that centers people of varying backgrounds and fosters neighborhood vibrancy through the arts in King County, Washington.
We are intentional
We prioritize thoughtful, in-depth partnership and programming, and reject the pressure of mass production. That means we take it slow to get it right, acknowledge hard conversations when we need to, and prioritize making meaningful work for both our team and our communities.
We are good neighbors
We believe that coming together and sharing space, skill, and time forges bonds and builds community. We describe ourselves as a hub because we see ourselves as a space to gather, to connect people, to share ideas, resources, and knowledge, and, above all, to support each other. We are part of a broad, rich network of exchange that makes up our neighborhood, and our city.
We co-create
Equity is based in exchange and authentic relationships. We are a part of the communities we serve, and our work is done in ongoing conversation. We are indebted to Seattle's cultural legacy, and honor the aspirations of our neighbors. Our programs are designed to be relevant to our Des Moines home, and our work is a celebration of the richness of cultural production already happening around us.
We build access + break ground
At Inkfish, we build access, both literally and figuratively, when we redevelop unused or underutilized space and construct new venues for public gathering. With bricks and mortar, and with programs and relationships, we build spaces as a process of building connection. Our spaces are multi-generational gathering spots, platforms for connecting people, access points to hubs for conversation, creativity, and exchange.
We believe artists are catalysts for change
We believe in the transformative power of the arts to shape and nourish our communities, neighborhoods, and city.