Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO) Executive Director, Kathleen Allen, accepts the position of Executive Director at Gage.
Gage introduces a new Teen Art Studio location at South Park.
Bellevue Arts Museum Curator, Stefano Catalani, accepts the position of Executive Director at Gage.
Gage launches new one year, portfolio-building program, Studio Arts Intensive.
Gage student, Anne Steele, pledges $1M in support of school’s educational programs.
Gage opens new Annex in Georgetown with 2 ateliers, and adds sculpture atelier to Capitol Hill campus.
Gage introduces a new Teen Art Studio location at Bellevue Art Museum.
Co-founder & ED, Pamela Belyea, steps down after 24 years. New Executive Director, Sheila Hughes, takes the administrative reins.
Hughes leads the school for 2-1/2 years and leaves to become Director of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
Gage hosts Jim Woodring for his inaugural “Nibbus Maximus” demonstration to hundreds of curious spectators. The event is mentioned in “The Economist” and other media.
End-of-summer Drawing Jam @ Bumbershoot draws 10,000 visitors each year. Gage repeats the popular program the following year.
Gage receives “Governor’s Art Award” for youth education programs.
School changes name to Gage Academy of Art.
Gage instructors exhibit their work at WA State Convention Center.
SAFA opens in St. Nicholas Building with 10,000 square foot facility including Library, Gallery, Student Lounge, 2 Ateliers (Faigin & Aristides), 2 Artist Studios, 7 Studio Classrooms and expanded Offices. In the Fall, KangO’Higgins Atelier opens.
Inception of the Gage Academy of Art Teen Art Studio program. Gage introduces TAS at our Capitol Hill location - a free, year-round, youth arts program that increases access to arts education for 1,500 King County youth, ages 13-18, who face barriers or limited access to creative outlets and who are experiencing homelessness, or are at-risk, LGBTQIA, underserved, or speak English as a second language.
SAFA board negotiates with St. Mark’s Cathedral for space in St. Nicholas Building Capitol Hill. Fundraising & renovations begin in Fall.
SAFA launches first Teen Art Studios, a FREE program that attracts young artists from across the city and has run continuously with satellite sites in Rainier Valley, Bellevue Art Museum & South Seattle.
Transformation! On January 1, Arts Education Northwest trustees “adopt” Academy of Realist Art & Young Artists Academy. Board files to change name of nonprofit to Seattle Academy of Fine Art (SAFA). SAFA receives its 501(c)(3) status in March.
SAFA presents first Family Art Tour to Paris with future tours to London & Paris II. SAFA hosts first Drawing Jam which becomes the school’s major annual public event.
Juliette Aristides founded the Gage Atelier programs, serving as director of the Aristides Atelier until 2022.
Philanthropist Ida Cole makes major donation to ensure successful launch of Seattle’s new visual arts non-profit.
ARA wins “Mayor’s Small Business Award.” Implementing a long-term plan to go non-profit. ARA opens “Studio Gallery” in Faigin’s Ballard studio and exhibits works of national artist-instructors during their Seattle programs. The Gallery closes after 18 months.
ARA launches “Young Artists Academy” offering summer teen workshops, soon followed by afterschool kid classes in NE & NW Seattle. Expanded youth programs continue the following summer and continue to present.
ARA presents first international Academy Art Tour to Paris; tour is sold out and 2nd is offered. Future art tour destinations include Florence, Venice, Rome, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Prague, Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam in Europe, plus Vancouver BC and Mexico City.
ARA presents first domestic Academy Art Tour to NYC. Future tours include Los Angeles, Portland, Detroit, & San Francisco.
ARA presents drawing & painting workshops in Manhattan, California, and Washington State over the next 3 years. ARA rents part-time studios at University Heights Center in Seattle.
ARA continues to offer summer programs in Santa Fe at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary untill 1995, and expands to NM sites in Taos, Grost Ranch, & Cimarron. ARA co-founders move to Seattle.
ARA opens in Santa Fe at St. John’s College art studio with 2 workshops taught by Faigin. The workshops sold-out with students from across the country.
Artist-instructor, Gary Faigin, and New York based architect, Pamela Belyea, conceive of a new art school, Academy of Realist Art (ARA), and begin prep.
Gage Academy of Art acknowledges the Coast Salish Peoples as the original inhabitants of this area and connecting waterways. We understand the land that Gage occupies is unceded territory and that today many Indigenous peoples live here and without their stewardship, we would not have access to this space. We honor the Coast Salish Peoples’ sovereignty, rights to self-determination, culture and ways of life. Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have called this territory their sacred land. We commit to learning, educating others and repairing the legacy of historically harmful relationships between non-Native and Native peoples in King County. In doing so, we will be honest, and recognize the experiences of Native peoples to include genocide, forced relocation, forced assimilation, and land theft. We also acknowledge Native peoples are survivors, present in today’s world, thriving. We encourage everyone here today to ask themselves: what can I do to support Indigenous communities?
In an effort to be transparent, Gage is contemplating this call to action and re-working how to best support Indigenous communities.