The first 800 pound gorilla is the Seattle Art Museum, the premier venue for the visual arts in Seattle. "Seattle Art Museum (SAM) provides a welcoming place for people to connect with art and to consider its relationship to their lives. SAM is one museum in three locations: Seattle Art Museum downtown, Seattle Asian Art Museum at Volunteer Park, and the Olympic Sculpture Park. The Museum collects and exhibits objects from across time and across cultures, exploring the dynamic connections between past and present. SAM views art as a reflection of the human experience in all its forms. The collections of the Seattle Art Museum number approximately 23,000 objects, representing a wide range of art from ancient Egyptian reliefs to contemporary American installations using photography and video."SAM Mission Statement
Mimi Gardner Gates, Executive Director's annual salary is $180,863. The compensation for the CEO of this charity is equal to 1.10% of this organization's total functional expenses. Engaged in multiple expansions in all of SAM's facilities, the capital campaign has generated due to unprecedented early support for the Seattle Art Museum’s current capital projects, the museum’s capital campaign goal has increased to $180 million, up from $150 million, To be fair to SAM the funding for the expansion has not come at the expense of traditional sources for funding the Visual Arts.

The second 800 pound gorilla is The Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington. The Henry Art Gallery, the art museum of the University of Washington, is a nationally-recognized center for the exploration of visual culture and is the Pacific Northwest's premier modern and contemporary art museum. Founded in 1927, The Henry engages visitors in the powerful experience of artistic innovation and serves as a catalyst for the creation of new work in the visual arts. The museum presents exhibitions and programs that re-examine the art of the modern period through the lens of the present, bringing important works of art to Seattle from throughout the world and works of art from the Northwest into public view. Exhibitions at the Henry frequently present recent or newly commissioned work of visually and conceptually challenging artists.Henry Art Gallery Mission Statement
Richard Andrews, Museum Director's annual salary is $107,332 The compensation for the CEO of this charity is equal to 2.68% of this organization's total functional expenses.

The Frye Art Museum has an endowment which funds operations. Lately the Frye has been showcasing visual artists in the pop-surrealist vein. Because of the private nature of the funding of the Frye, no data is available. " Through its exhibitions, collections, and programs, the Frye Art Museum engages audiences, challenges perceptions, and encourages dialogue about representational art in all its complexities, past and present. Admission to the museum will always be free to the public."

The Funding of the Visual Arts
The major source for funding the visual artist is Artist Trust. The Grants to Artists program [GAP] Last year, Artist Trust's programs benefited an estimated 263,961 Washington citizens, including tens of thousands of Washington artists. To-date, over $2.2 million has been distributed in grants and fellowships to 1,112 Washington State artists. In 2004, there were 40 recipients out of 675 applicants. The number of Applicants by Discipline break down is; Literary Arts: 120, Media Arts: 49, Performing Arts: 121, Visual Arts: 344, Interdisciplinary Arts: 41. 51% of all applicants for GAP grant are Visual Artists.

Artsfund supports SAM, TAM & the Henry Gallery but does nothing to support local Visual Artists. ArtsFund expands support for non-profit arts organizations in King and Pierce Counties, Washington. Our annual campaign to businesses and individuals along with earnings on endowments, raises about $4 million which is allocated to over 60 non-profit arts groups. ArtsFund is also an effective advocate on a wide range of issues important to the arts.Artsfund Mission statement

PONCHO The funding available to arts and cultural groups in our region is severely limited. Government arts councils are victims of political vagaries and see their budgets reduced year after year. Few corporations and private foundations hold the arts as their highest priority; arts organizations are in the uncomfortable and rather hopeless position of competing with hospitals, food banks, and homeless shelters in an ever-growing pool of community need. In this scenario, rarely do the arts come out on top.PONCHO Mission Statement PONCHO Total Visual Art spending $145,782 out of a grand total $990,602 which makes for about % 14 of funds. Most of the funds went to SAM and the Henry Art Gallery.

Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has given $246,300,000.00. Of this total 20 % was spent on Arts & Culture grants of that $240,000 went to the visual arts less than 1/1000th percent of total. Out of 4,960,000.00 spent on Arts & Culture grants, 5% of the total went to Visual Arts Venues and none to individual Visual Artists.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been generous to the Seattle Art Museum pledging $15+ million to fund various projects but nothing to programs to help individual artists.

There are small programs which give awards to artists such as the annual Ned Benhke and Betty Bowen awards and the State of Washington artist grants administered by Artist Trust. These total 10-12 grants per year and are very competitive.

The conclusion of this overview is the need to establish a Visual Artist Creative Venture Fund. Culturally, Seattle will remain isolated vis-a-vis the Global Creative Community if our Visual artists are not given the time and the resources to experiment, create and think about the role of the Visual Arts in our society. Structurally at a disadvantage, the Visual Artist should not be competing for scarce Art's dollars with the Opera, Symphony, Univeristy, or Art Museum. It is time for us to support all the arts more vigorously.