-Well, good morning, everyone,
and thank you for joining us for the official Oath of Office
for our Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Gulgun Kayim.
There's a lot to say here, but unfortunately,
we're not going to be here all day to celebrate this,
I think, historical moment is how I'd describe it.
I say that because, you know,
we talk a lot about homelessness and public safety
and a lot of the issues. And I talked a lot about --
during the campaign trail about arts.
I heard many quotes about the arts and culture,
but I'll share one with you,
that "Art enables us to find ourselves
and lose ourselves at the same time."
And what I take from that is that
in some of the toughest moments in life as a leader,
as a follower, as a servant, I have to have art.
I have to have expression. I have to have music.
And I have to listen and appreciate it.
I think it's very appropriate that council member Tanya Woo
heads the Arts Committee
because of her own background in dance and expression.
These are some of the toughest times for our country, our city,
and I look at people that are hurting
and falling between the cracks in life
and I say we have to find that artistic spirit.
That hope.
We have to be able to express to them and listen to them.
Their music. This organization, this department,
is of critical importance to our success as a city.
And so as we went on a national competitive search process
and lured you away from the city of Minneapolis
where you served as the founding director of the Office of Arts,
Culture, and Creative Economy, our focus --
at least, my focus during the search
was to find sort of someone
that new that secret sauce to empower people,
to encourage people, and not to belittle them.
To find their brilliance.
There are many issues in our arts community
within our own department.
And quite frankly, I didn't see any room to fail.
And I own the decision that our administration made,
and it's one of our best decisions we've ever made.
There, I will just say, for those that do not know,
in your time as director in another life,
you oversaw the creation of several arts recovery funds
for organizations impacted by the pandemic
and for restorative art in underserved communities.
You rose to the moment when arts attendance was at historic lows.
And you continue to work with our team here,
much like the committed arts staff,
and I do see you,
to methodically chart a course for art recovery.
Here in Seattle, we sort of --
we have our own vibe here in Seattle.
We have our own rhythm and our own culture
and I'm very, very proud of it. It's very diverse.
We could brag about some of the artists that have done well,
but we also have to look at our soft underbelly
and realize that artists -- they struggle.
It's tough to live in Seattle. They are sometimes
underappreciated for the beauty that they bring.
You came here with your husband at exactly the right time.
We all know that last year the King County --
there was a countywide 90 million annual investment
for the arts and, of course, just one week later,
last year, the city council -- our last city council,
unanimously confirmed Gulgun as director.
One of the last great acts. You know, people want me
to fight with the council all the time,
and I say they do some good work sometimes.
This is a great example of it.
But with resources on the horizon,
and we all understand our budget challenges,
but I want to tell everyone that the arts world
and arts community is of critical strategic importance
to getting this city on the right track.
And so while I make no commitments
to any of our departments,
because we have some tough times ahead,
that I recognize that we need to be arts and culture leaders
in this city. I can tell you this now,
that you were my clear choice to lead our arts and culture.
Your experience as an artist, a bridgebuilder, a planner,
and advocate -- when you walked in the room,
you owned it. And when I tell -- yesterday,
I talked to small minority and women-owned businesses
and I said that you have to say you're an expert
in whatever it is you do or say. I'm an expert in this.
This is what I do. I sell sweet potato pies,
and I'm the best sweet potato pie maker in the country.
This is what I do. You want a taste of this?
And I say that facetiously to say
that you're a subject matter expert in this area.
I am not, I just play one at cocktail parties
once in a while.
But I try to find that kind of confidence,
that kind of excellence because the department --
you deserve it. You've deserved it.
So, you know, usually I'm a little funnier than this.
This seems like a real serious, serious room all of a sudden.
Maybe it's the red we're wearing here.
I don't know.
But in all seriousness, thank you for choosing Seattle.
I spent a little time in Minneapolis,
and I'll tell you that you took a chance --
you and your husband David Yanko,
if I'm saying it correctly. Okay.
You took a chance to come up here in this --
far away from home,
and we're all the beneficiaries of that chance.
I'm sort of a local boy.
I went to school here, college here.
Everything here. My kids joke about that.
I didn't take the chance you took for a corporate
relocation kind of deal. Thank you for taking the chance.
We believe in you and we hope
that you continue to believe in us.
And so with that, we're going to do the serious oath of office.
You cannot smile. Cannot joke.
No, I'm just kidding. We can have fun there.
And we'll hear from our city clerk,
Scheereen Dedman, who'll do that part,
and the ceremonial pin will be affixed by her
outstanding husband David Yanko. But wait a minute.
I do want to say this about you, David,
because I've been in a situation where, you know --
I've supported my wife in different things.
And that is admirable to be so comfortable in your skin
to where you can support and be a partner to someone.
And I know you have your own résumé,
I'm not belittling that at all, but just to see --
this was her choice to come here, I think.
Unless, did you kick her out and say you've got to go to
Seattle? I don't know. I don't know how that worked.
But to see that kind of support from a partner,
I just wanted the public to recognize
that kind of partner support. So, thank you.
And with that, we'll do the affixed --
the pin ceremony, please.
[ Applause ]
-I'll leave this pen here. Very exciting.
-Oh, I need my glasses. -Oh, you can put them --
if you want to wait until the signing.
-Oh, I need to read? -No, you don't have to read.
-Oh, okay.
-Yeah, you're going to repeat after me.
-Sorry.
-All right. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I, Gulgun Kayim --
-I, Gulgun Kayim...
-...affirm that I possess all of the qualifications...
-...prescribed in the Seattle City Charter...
-...and the Seattle Municipal Code...
-...for the position of Director of Arts & Culture.
-That I will support the Constitution
of the United States... -That I will support
the Constitution of the United States...
-...the Constitution of the State of Washington...
-...and the Charter and ordinances
of the City of Seattle.
-...and the Charter and the ordinances
of the City of Seattle.
-And that I will faithfully conduct myself...
-...as the Director of Arts & Culture.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Now I get to put these on.
-Okay. You'll sign here and you'll sign here.
-So now we get the pin.
Well, let me take a breath for a moment
because I'm pretty nervous. This is a big day.
And I'm seeing all these friendly faces,
and thank you for being here.
So I'm just going to take a moment.
Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to share some thoughts.
Like most creatives,
while, you know, I came from Minneapolis,
I actually looked to Seattle as a beacon.
The city is known nationally,
obviously because it's Seattle, it's a big city,
but also for its convergence of cultural diversity,
bold innovation, and artistic creativity.
And most importantly, the Office of Arts &
Culture is known nationally for its forward-thinking
public art programming, its equity-centered funding,
innovative creative education programs,
cultural space work, and thought leadership.
I know this because I studied this city and your programming
as a way to aspire to a beacon in Minneapolis.
So I knew of you all and I knew the work you were doing
and I admired it from afar. I have -- I come here --
so I come here having built a foundation
on creative economy work, as the mayor mentioned.
Arts-focused race and social justice initiatives,
and arts-based community development.
So while, yes, the arts can help us express ourselves,
amplify our identity, my vision of the arts and my passion
is for integrating it into other sectors.
To impact how we live our lives and solve our problems.
The arts should be a part of how we care for our elders,
educate our children, develop our policies,
work with vulnerable communities,
reuse our unused spaces, and activate our public places.
The arts must be integrated
into our transportation infrastructure,
how we conduct our planning processes,
address youth development, and engage communities
in solving civic problems, and much more.
This is the work that I'm passionate about.
I know this is an arena of opportunity
that we must explore,
especially in these times of budget constraints,
and together we'll do that.
And I'm excited to offer my experiences and skills
and knowledge to this community.
So I moved from Minneapolis, as you've heard,
to Seattle six months ago.
And since arriving here, I've spent time meeting
and getting to know this vibrant arts community.
I'm deeply impressed by the people that I've met
and the organizations I've found here.
Especially, the openness of spirit, collaboration,
and community that has welcomed me.
I've learned that while Seattle's creative sector
is struggling with many of the same issues
that other cities are, it is also resilient,
with smart, committed leadership that is up for the challenge.
And I'm excited with this great arts community
to collaborate in addressing those challenges.
However, I cannot do that without the foundational support
of the staff of the Office of Arts & Culture,
and I'm humbled to work with a phenomenal
and committed staff on whom I depend to help reimagine,
rebuild, and reignite a stronger,
more vibrant arts and culture community.
I know we have the passion
and the expertise to tackle any problem.
For example, 2023 was a transformative year
for the Arts Office.
And in the wake of leadership transitions,
staff forged ahead, establishing forward-thinking partnerships,
stewarding programs that championed
hundreds of artists, organizations, and youth,
and gathering feedback from the community.
That was extraordinary and describes the commitment
that the staff have to the work. So I'm excited to be here.
To be joining the city at this transformative time,
as the Seattle arts community
helps us enrich downtown activation
and showcases the values and cultures of this great city,
especially in front of the world.
And we know what we mean by that;
in two years in the future,
the eyes of the world will be on us,
and it is humbling to be chosen
to lead the Arts & Culture Office.
Thank you to the arts staff. Thank you, Mayor Harrell.
Thank you, Deputy Mayor Wong.
Thank you to my husband and my family.
I'm excited to be on this journey with you
and be in a relationship and collaboration.
And especially the amazing arts community in Seattle.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]