The Culminating Dinner at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute served as the capstone celebration for Langston’s "Create and Thrive" program, an essential initiative developed in partnership with the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas. This specialized program was designed to go beyond the artistic act, focusing on giving local artists the real-world tools required to sustain their careers mentally, financially, and professionally. The dinner itself offered a moment of recognition, highlighting the successful work, significant growth, and unique journeys of the participating creatives.

Guests and participants gathered to honor a model that is actively turning artistic passion into purpose and entrepreneurship. :Create and Thrive” works to fill structural gaps in the industry, providing support for the often-overwhelming mental load and necessary business side of a long-term creative career. It demonstrates the impact of community investment, showing what can be achieved when raw talent and artistic vision are met with tangible, behind-the-scenes support.

By providing comprehensive support in one location, the Langston and CD Forum collaboration was actively empowering a new generation of creatives to not only produce art but to sustain a life through it. It ultimately reinforces the Institute’s role as a vital epicenter for Black culture, creativity, and career development within Seattle’s Central District.

Learn more about Langston and “Create and Thrive” here.