Honesty and Racial Equity: 4Culture's Commitment to the Future of King County Arts

On a recent episode of The Day With Trae, host Trae Holiday sat down with Brian J. Carter, the Executive Director of 4Culture, to discuss how the grant-making agency ensures that arts and culture stay thriving in Seattle and King County. 

Carter, who grew up in Yakima, Washington, shared his personal journey in the arts, crediting his parents for fostering his curiosity and civic responsibility. This budding interest led him to work in museums for 15 years before moving to the funding side of the arts to support his intentions for concrete change.  

Growing up in the public library system, Carter’s father taught him how to use the library as a resource to find information missing from school curricula. This tool drove home the mentality that if he wanted to solve a problem or take on a challenge, the resources to execute successfully were at his fingertips. 

This philosophy aligns with the work of 4Culture, a grant-making agency funded by tax dollars, which supports the ecosystem of arts, culture, and science throughout King County. The organization supports a broad range of entities, including cultural organizations, individual artists, heritage professionals, and historic preservation projects.

4Culture is committed to being a relational, rather than transactional, funder, according to Carter. He noted that this ethos was inherited from the organization's founders and is maintained by staff who have "been in the trenches of the cultural field." He explained that the goal is to better understand the human element behind art and culture, and make funding decisions with that aspect front-of-mind. 

When addressing the cultural nonprofit industrial complex and the increasing competition for resources, Carter stressed the need for acknowledgment and honesty. Looking toward the future, he is focusing on making racial equity central to the organization's mission while also exploring new models for sustainability and collaboration. 

Learn more about Carter and 4Culture at 4culture.org.

#TDWT #WWConverge #BlackMediaMatters #KingCounty #4Culture #CulturalPreservation #SeattleArt

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