“The project team found inspiration in the building’s original design. Demolition of the interior walls, bulky column wraps, and suspended plaster ceiling gave way to an open space with high wood plank ceilings, allowing ample natural light deep into the interior. Newly revealed raw structures merge with refined elements, like the building’s original floors and marble wainscot, to create a unique backdrop for classrooms, galleries, art studios, and community spaces that celebrate the building's history and bright future,” noted Ray Johnston, Founding Partner of Johnston Architects.
The City of Auburn is pleased to have the opportunity to work with members of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe on several aspects of the Auburn Arts & Culture Center project and the adjacent Auburn Arts Alley. Inspiration for the tile mosaics on the seating wall along the alley adjoining the Arts & Culture Center is a product of the collaborative work of Kathleen Fruge Brown and Gail White Eagle, a talented textile artist and weaver with The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. White Eagle provided input on many of the contemporary and traditional weaving designs, along with other Coast Salish weaving and basketry designs that the mosaics are based upon. Fruge Brown designed the base of the bench to proclaim the text of the Muckleshoot motto, “I am alive and strong” in bəqəlšuɫucid and translated into ten other languages most commonly spoken in the Auburn community. Visitors to Auburn Arts & Culture Center will eventually be greeted by a one-of-a-kind carved welcome figure created by Muckleshoot artists and traditional carvers Keith Stevenson and Tyson Simmons. This work with the Muckleshoot Tribal Culture Division will bring an iconic symbol of Muckleshoot culture into the heart of downtown Auburn and will be marked with a land acknowledgement plaque. This is an important and essential way to honor Auburn’s rich cultural diversity and history of the area.
Auburn’s original Post Office was built in 1937 as a WPA project. The building was converted into a King County Public Health facility in 1964. Vacant since 2009, the City of Auburn purchased the building in 2016 and has been working since that time to restore the architectural and historic treasure and redefine it as a central hub where cultural communities come together to learn, create and share. The 8,000 square foot building is listed on the King County Landmarks Register, the Washington State Heritage Register and the National Register of Historic Places and all exterior renovations must receive approval from King County Landmarks Commission.
Project supported by:
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Work on the building has been tackled in phases as fundraising efforts have allowed. Historic window restoration was completed in Spring 2019; abatement and main floor interior demolition was completed in spring of 2021; and all needed funding was secured in fall of 2021 to move forward with construction. In all, the City of Auburn has secured $928,000 in grant funds for Phase One main floor renovations which will cost nearly $2.5M. 4Culture, the arts and cultural funding agency for King County, has generously provided multiple grants from their funding programs including: Building for Culture; Preservation Special Projects; Arts Facilities; Landmarks Capital; Preservation Emergency and Unforeseen; and Building for Equity Arts Facilities grants. MultiCare has generously supported the project through its Community Partnership Fund. Additionally, direct appropriation of funds from the State of Washington Department of Commerce were awarded thanks to efforts by Representative Pat Sullivan, who championed the application. It is with immense thanks to these funders, and the unwavering support of the Auburn community and City of Auburn, that the initial renovations for Auburn’s Arts & Culture Center are finally underway.
Grant Funding Secured
| 4Culture (2016-2019 Building for Culture) |
$200,000 |
| 4Culture (2017-2018 Preservation Special Projects) |
$10,000 |
| 4Culture (2017 Arts Facilities Grant) |
$90,000 |
| 4Culture (2017 Landmarks Capital) |
$10,000 |
| Multicare Grant |
$15,000 |
| 4Culture Building for Equity (2019 Arts Facilities Grant) |
$50,000 |
| State of Washington Dept. of Commerce - 2019 |
$500,000 |
4Culture (2019 Landmarks Capital)
funding toward wood and terrazzo floor rehabilitation |
$23,000 |
4Culture (2020 Preservation Emergency and Unforeseen)
funding toward cupola restoration |
$10,000 |
4Culture (2021 Landmarks Capital)
funding toward roof |
$30,000 |
The Phase One transformation is expected to be finished in late 2022. The Arts & Culture Center will provide increased access to the arts and cultural education for the local and regional community and drive economic activities in Auburn’s downtown core. The newly renovated lobby space and multipurpose rooms will offer new public programs like music and dance performances, visual arts exhibitions, literary arts events, and other cultural gatherings. Programming will also include arts education for all ages, including after-school programs that aim to engage underserved youth and other school age students. The goal is to make the economic, educational, cultural, and civic benefits of the arts available to all communities by broadening public access to the arts.