(Crossposted announcement from 4Culture, the cultural funding agency of King County.)
We are thrilled to announce that renowned artist, activist, and urbanist Matthew Mazzotta has been selected as the first-ever King County Metro Artist in Residence.
Mazzotta’s award-winning public projects explore the power of the built environment to shape relationships and experiences. Throughout his career, Mazzotta has been dedicated to developing site-specific artworks that forge a strong sense of place and foster connection, earning him numerous national and international accolades, such as recognition from Americans for the Arts, the “Architecture Project of the Year” distinction by the Dezeen Awards at the Tate Modern in London, and features in various media outlets including CNN, BBC, NPR, The Huffington Post, Discovery Channel, and Science Magazine. His work has also been presented at the Cooper Hewitt-Smithsonian Design Museum in NYC.
The two-year residency, which runs from mid-May 2023 to the end of May 2025, aims to expand the collaborative potential of Metro and 4Culture and identify opportunities for public art programming that will reflect and elevate the future of regional transit in line with agency commitments to increase equity by prioritizing underserved communities.
During the first year of the residency, Mazzotta will focus on getting to know Metro and connecting with stakeholders. He will listen, learn, and lay the groundwork for successful relationships going forward.
In year two, Mazzotta will produce a dynamic and strategic arts plan that describes how the 1% for Art legislation and commissioning process works, embraces the diversity of King County’s histories and cultures, and incorporates project recommendations that provide a compelling conceptual framework for artwork development. The plan will also dovetail with established Metro initiatives such as Poetry in Public and SODO Track, and the RapidRide-specific art plan written by Johnson|Ramirez.
Mazzotta believes that public art can reveal how the spaces we travel through have the potential to become distinct sites for intimate, radical, and meaningful exchanges. “We need artists who integrate new opportunities for discovery and social engagement into the built environment,” said Mazzotta. “I look forward to developing a public art plan with the multiple communities who depend on Metro.”
As Metro’s Artist in Residence, Mazzotta will employ his talents as a visionary and a change-maker, pushing boundaries, inspiring fresh perspectives, and creating new possibilities. Please join us in welcoming him to the community and stay tuned for updates on this groundbreaking initiative!
