Our Values, Our Anchor
Letter from Kathleen Allen, Executive Director | December 23, 2025
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Our Values
We are a strong defender of artistic independence so that artists can create without constraints.
We are committed to maintaining equity and accessibility to visual arts education.
We are committed to excellence in drawing, painting, and sculpting.
We are actively working to maintain a strong and vibrant arts community in Seattle.
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2025 has been a year in which many of us have renewed focus on our core values amid profound uncertainty and a rapidly evolving economic, political, and social landscape.
Our Values Remain Steadfast
At Gage, our values serve as an anchor, reminding us why this independent art school was founded over 35 years ago, and why a place like Gage was essential then—and remains essential now. The world of art and education has shifted dramatically, yet our commitments to 1) artistic independence, 2) equity and access, 3) high quality instruction, and 4) a strong and vibrant arts community endure with clarity and conviction.
It is that final value—a strong and vibrant arts community—that feels especially resonant as we conclude the year. This has been our first full year rooted in our new home in South Lake Union, along with an expanded footprint at the already vibrant creative hub of Equinox in Georgetown. We have welcomed more new students into the Gage community than ever before; individuals seeking challenge, camaraderie, skill-building, and the joy of making meaningful artwork.
Centering Student Experience
Embedded within our value of community is our dedication to centering the student experience. We endeavor to ensure that artists at every level feel supported and equipped with the tools necessary to achieve another of our guiding principles—artistic independence.
At this moment in history, safeguarding independent artistic voices, ensuring they cannot be muted, distorted, or co opted, is more critical than ever. Sustaining this principle will be central to Gage’s strategic plan, currently in development for 2026. Leading this work is Gage’s board vice president, Gayle Meyer. Nonprofit board members play a vital role in holding an organization accountable to its mission, values, and community. One meaningful way trustees embody this responsibility is by participating directly in the mission as learners themselves.
Gayle enrolled in her first class at Gage this fall, and she reflects on that journey in Geoff Flack’s Core Drawing course.
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Making Apples: What I Learned in Gage’s Core Drawing Class
This year, I decided to take Gage up on their promise that artists are made, not born. On the first day, I found myself among people who were equally excited and apprehensive, murmuring discomfort when we learned we’d be sharing our sketches with the class each week, awkwardly sharpening our graphite pencils, fumbling to clip our paper to the easel. Those uncomfortable weekly group feedback sessions quickly filled with encouragement and laughter as we shared our discoveries, struggles, and ideas.
Geoff encouraged us to pick something and draw it each week. I chose an apple. My first renderings felt circular and flat, but as each class taught me more skills, I began to capture the shape and depth of an apple, then a pear, and then a still life of a few objects. What I discovered is… I liked the feeling of drawing, the focus, and that when I really look closely at something, I can see more of it. Focus deepens my understanding; my mind fills with ideas, and it’s satisfying to practice shaping them into a drawing.
When I only see art curated through galleries, museums, or filtered through social media posts, I don’t experience the process, the discarded attempts, and the beautiful messiness of creativity. I don’t see the hours spent pursuing an idea or hear discussion from a range of perspectives. Seeing my classmates’ drawings improve each week inspired me to do more, try things that worked for them, and feel a lot better about my mistakes.
There’s something quite powerful in Gage’s promise to “make” an artist. From my volunteer work with the school, I’ve seen how thoughtful they are about forming an experience where truly anyone can learn the skills of an artist. Now that I have experienced it firsthand, I am beginning to understand what it means to become an artist. And I’ve discovered I love this path. Love learning to use the tools of an artist, the feeling of focus, and the conversations within this community.
The writer Maya Angelou said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” I love this quote; it frames creativity as optimistic. Not superficially, but in how one can believe that if we invest attention, time, and care into something, it might just become what we imagine. And this feels like a good idea to focus on as we close out one year and begin the next. Wishing you more opportunities to use, make, and experience creativity in the new year. ~ Gayle
Transformational not Transactional
We are delighted to have Gayle, and so many students like her, become part of the Gage community.
At a time when many communities have been threatened, fractured, or treated in purely transactional ways, it is more important than ever to reaffirm our commitment to nurturing community. Being part of Gage is transformational not transactional. It is not simply about purchasing a class (though we hope our updated registration system has made that easier); it is about joining others who choose to invest the time, attention, care, and focus that Gayle so eloquently describes.
And yet, artmaking requires real resources. Rising costs, an uncertain economy, decreased federal funding, the newly mandated sales tax on classes, and the profound loss of our Co founder and Artistic Director Emeritus Gary Faigin have all affected our ability to serve everyone. We remain determined to do so, and we need your support to ensure it.
Your gifts allow Gage to uphold our values of artistic independence, equity, quality, and community, preventing them from being compromised by financial constraints. This is a moment of extraordinary disruption, but also an opportunity for each of us to step forward and contribute in whatever way we can.
With deep appreciation for the Gage community,
Kathleen Allen
Executive Director, Gage Academy of Art
P.S. To learn more about what we accomplished in 2024–2025, explore our new Impact Report.
P.P.S. With tax laws changing in 2026, it may be advantageous to bundle your giving and make a gift before the end of the 2025 tax year. Please consult your financial advisor.