18th & Union

We are an art space for artists by artists where community nourishment meets creative risk-taking.

18th & Union is a performance space in Seattle's Central District that hosts portable performance and visual art. Our mission is to sustain an affordable, inclusive, intimate space that nurtures art and community. Our vision is a city where everyone has equitable art and community collaboration access.

Where we're coming from:

• As of 1/1/22, we've successfully transitioned from volunteer to paid staff, paying a modest wage for part-time work. Our staff are all working artists, and we want to increase our wages and staff numbers in the coming years.
• We continue to be one of the most affordable spaces in Seattle for artists to produce in and for audiences to attend.
  • For audience: All 18th & Union tickets are available on a sliding scale, including pro bono tickets, to ensure everyone has equal access to the art we offer.
  • For artists: 18th & Union is unique in working with indie artists on a profit-share model. We partner with them as a co-producer and offer a rare thing: A fully-appointed performance venue to showcase their work without requiring any upfront deposit; in fact, we don’t require a rental fee. Instead, we share the risk of producing and split net box office income with them. We also offer them robust production and marketing support, especially for nascent producers who can learn “the ropes” alongside us and advance their producing skills.
• We have secured residence in our venue for the foreseeable future and rebuilt our Board to help us strengthen.

Where we're going:

18th & Union celebrates and honors the many stories put on hold during the past several years. Inviting a new batch of creators to share their fresh “portable” work with new and returning audiences, we hope to make 18th & Union:

• An ADA Accessible Space, welcoming a larger community to enjoy these stories! 
• A space to experiment and to "fail" without failure! We're strategizing a robust expansion of our co-production model to decrease risk for indie artists and increase access to representation in our performance space.
• Curating a series of community events, including (for example):
  • Solstice & Equinox gatherings
  • Film nights
  • Poetry/short fiction nights
  • Artistic wellness workshops
  • Professional development workshops for artists