Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee Meeting – April 8, 2026: Amy Nguyen Appointment Discussed
Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee Meeting – April 8, 2026
On April 8, 2026, the Seattle City Council's Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee met to consider the appointment of Amy Nguyen as Director of the Office of Arts and Culture. The meeting included public testimony and committee discussion. A vote on the appointment is scheduled for April 22, 2026. Note: The agenda and minutes list the nominee as "Amy Nguyen," but the transcript consistently refers to her as "Amy Wynne" (and at one point "Amy Wins"). This summary uses the name from the source material as presented, but notes the inconsistency.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Malcolm Hines (self-described performing artist) advocated for more affordable rehearsal and performance spaces, citing the lack of such spaces at the Seattle Public Library and high costs at Theater Puget Sound. He urged the new director to prioritize space for performance artists.
- Yoon Kang O'Higgins (Senior Director of Committee Impact and Programs, Friends of Waterfront Park; co-chair of the Arts Commission) expressed strong support for Amy's confirmation, highlighting her relationships and experience within city government and alignment with community priorities.
- Timothy Firth (Executive Director, Common Area Maintenance) voiced strong support for Amy's directorship, citing her advocacy and work in Seattle's arts community.
- Christina Shimizu (Incoming Executive Director, Wing Luke Museum) expressed strong support for Amy, emphasizing her ability to navigate city government, build trust with BIPOC communities, and resource community needs.
Discussion Items
- Appointment of Amy Nguyen (Amy Wynne) as Director of the Office of Arts and Culture
- Chair Foster opened the discussion, noting that the appointment packet had been circulated and that a vote would occur at the next committee meeting on April 22, 2026. She highlighted the Office's role in managing public art, grants, education, and facilities.
- Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt introduced Amy Wynne on behalf of the Mayor, praising her creative vision, public sector leadership, and community connections. He cited her quote: "Creativity is how a city honors its past, heals its present, and imagines its future."
- Amy Wynne (Interim Director, Office of Arts and Culture) presented her background, including roles at Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Department of Transportation, Office of Planning and Community Development, and as executive director of Watershed in Georgetown. She emphasized the importance of integrating arts and culture into city planning and investing in cultural space. She noted that Washington State invests only 97 cents per capita in the arts, compared to a national average of $2.29.
- Councilmember Hollingsworth asked about the intersection of arts and the creative economy. Wynne responded that arts and culture are often treated separately from economic development, and she plans to partner with the Office of Economic Development, advance cultural district legislation, and examine funding mechanisms and regulatory barriers.
- Councilmember Rinck asked how the cultural ecosystem shaped Wynne and how the Office can support the next generation of artists. Wynne credited youth arts programming and mentors, and stressed the need for investments to prevent displacement of Black communities and to ensure cultural permanence. She also discussed the Cultural Action Plan, stating the need to move from studying to operationalizing and implementing existing community feedback, and to improve cross-department coordination on permits and cultural space.
- Chair Foster asked about strategies to prevent displacement of artists and cultural organizations. Wynne advocated for including artists early in real estate development, investing in affordable studio space and housing, and expanding programs like the Cultural Facilities Fund (which granted $400,000 against $90 million in capital needs). She also highlighted the opportunity to leverage the Seattle Transportation Levy for activation of cultural spaces.
- Chair Foster asked about leadership of the office staff. Wynne emphasized creating stability, trusting staff expertise, and advocating for the office at tables where arts and culture have been missing.
Key Outcomes
- The committee discussed the appointment but did not vote. A vote is scheduled for the next committee meeting on April 22, 2026.
- Councilmembers will submit written questions to Amy Wynne before the vote.
- The meeting adjourned at 2:52 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. All right, everyone. The April 8th, 2026 meeting of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee will come to order. It is 2.04 p.m. I'm Dion Foster, Chair of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee. Thank you. Will the committee clerk please call the role? Council President Hollingsworth. Present. Councilmember Juarez. Councilmember Rink. Present. Councilmember Chester or Councilmember Foster. Here. Chair, there are three members present and uh excused Adams from Vice Chair Lynn. Thank you so much, Clerk. And I know that um Councilmember Warz will be joining us shortly. If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted. We will now open the hybrid public comment period. Public comments should relate to items on today's agenda or within the purview of this committee. Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today? Four in-person speakers and no remote speakers. Fantastic. Each speaker, each speaker will have two minutes, and we will start with our in-person speakers. Clerk, can you please read the public comment instructions? The public comment period is up to 60 minutes. Speakers will begin, will be called in the order in which they are registered. We will begin with in-person speakers. Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left. Speakers' mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call in the next speaker. The public comment period is now open. We'll begin with our first speaker on the list. First person is Malcolm Hines, and the second speaker after will be Yoon Kang O'Higgins. Great. Yeah, any mic, whichever mic works for you. Welcome. Thank you for being here. How are you doing? Uh on behalf of uh Thesbian um performing arts person. I'm just here to advocate and also uh to the new director of arts and culture. Um I just want to let you know that you know this city weeps and bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to its wounds, and those wounds are the lack of uh space for performance artists such as film, theater, uh performance artists, even at the central library, they don't have enough rehearsal space. Um, even as an actor, there's no place for me to rehearse the same way people play basketball at Green Lake in the gym. Uh the equivalency to that, if you can get that metaphor. If you champion for the marginalized uh for the people that have, you know, fight for anti-establishment and fight for justice through the arts and Seattle's number one in sports. They could also be number one in arts and film and performance arts if they have the space to hone that craft. Uh so I've did the research at Seattle Library. They only have two rehearsal spaces that are always full. Uh I've been rehearsing at basketball courts because that's the only place I can rehearse my monologues and stuff because as a member of Theater Puget Sound, it costs too much to rent a room there in a space. But they have open spaces just like there's open gyms for people that play sports here.
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