EDITOR’S NOTE: South King Media Founder/Publisher Scott Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce. and was involved with the creation of the Burien Creative District.
New signage identifying the Burien Creative District (BCD) were recently installed on local freeways by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), marking a milestone for the local arts and culture community.
There are three BCD signs located along westbound SR 518 and on the SR 509 off-ramps. A fourth and final sign planned for southbound SR 509 will require new concrete bases and steel posts before it can be installed. WSDOT is working to schedule that portion of the project and will provide a timeline once it becomes available.
This installation of signage is the culmination of several years of collaborative efforts by the Burien Creative District Committee, which is composed of Burien residents, businesses, nonprofits, and representatives from city government. Additional strategic work was done by a broader coalition of Burien stakeholders comprising the Steering Committee through the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce.
“Thank you to Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce, City of Burien Government, Washington State Arts Commission, and all of the dedicated volunteers working with the Burien Creative District,” organizers said.
The new signage formally identifies the area as the Burien Creative District and highlights the city’s role in promoting arts, culture and creative enterprise.
“The Burien Creative District (BCD) was created to foster collaboration and strategic partnership with Arts organizations as well as businesses and the community,” ArtsWA said. “Their mission is to develop and support the growth of Burien’s artistic and creative industries, creating a destination that serves the local community as well as the region.”
About the Burien Creative District
The idea of creating a Creative District in Burien had been discussed for more than a decade before becoming a reality. Formal efforts began in May 2019, when the Burien Creative District Planning Committee was formed under the Southside Chamber of Commerce to explore establishing a state designated Cultural District in partnership with local arts groups, businesses and community stakeholders.
The committee met monthly and hosted community outreach efforts including an open house at the Highline Heritage Museum, a Farmers Market booth and a virtual visioning session. Members also conducted surveys, created a website and social media presence and held one on one meetings with community members and organizations. Subcommittees focused on civic projects, outreach and long term vision planning.
A broader Steering Committee was formed in 2021 to expand community engagement and help finalize the district plan. Organizers estimate that staff and volunteers contributed more than 3,000 hours of work before submitting a formal application to the Washington State Arts Commission in July 2022. After review and revisions, Burien received official Creative District designation in August 2022.
Learn more here: https://www.buriencreativedistrict.org or on Facebook.
Photo courtesy Burien Creative District.
How truly wonderful!
In my early years, our family, my parents… were actively involved in Burien and Seahurst.
Hello B-Town Blog Staff, Scott Schaefer and all the others who are involved in getting the signs approved and installed. Thanks for all your efforts and for the wonderful story. Hopefully it will bring recognition to Burien’s “…role in promoting arts, culture and creative enterprise…” as well as to other cities and towns who promote creativity.
It’s important that everyone’s creativity be encouraged. Art is merely self-expression and no one should feel that “I’m no artist” and be left out of expressing themselves. Everyone is an artist. Art classes and serendipitous happenings should be widely available, affordable and promoted, not just to professional artists but to everyone. It wouild be great to see folk art displayed around town.
Thanks so much for the kind words, but please note that the real credit belongs to the many people who worked for years to make the BCD a reality, including Shelli Park, Virginia Wright, Andrew McMasters, along with Samantha Le, Andrea Reay, Annie McGrath of the Seattle Southside Chamber, the City of Burien, ArtsWA and numerous volunteers. I agree completely that arts and creativity should be accessible to everyone, and that spirit of inclusion is at the heart of what the district represents.