Our residencies provide 24/7 studio keycodes, equipment, and a network of support to a diverse, intergenerational BIPOC cohort of over 50 Resident Artists and Apprentices.

• Reciprocity, Not Rent: Residency is not based on financial entitlement but on relationship and trust. Artists receive access to space and materials without paying rent. In return, they contribute back through labor, care, or programming—based on the mutual aid principle of “giving according to ability and receiving according to need.”

• Stewardship: These agreements are about clarity, not control. Residents commit to the stewardship of shared tools, resources, and cultural accountability, ensuring that the spaces remain a "village" rather than an extractive commodity.

OTB is a free, monthly creative marketplace and street fair that centers BIPOC creatives and small businesses. It uplifts Capitol Hill’s legacy as the small business mecca of Seattle by activating outdoor, public, and underutilized spaces.

• Economic Impact: OTB significantly increases local small business visibility and foot traffic by an estimated 70% on event days. It also provides commercial access to economic benefits of the area to hundreds of BIPOC-owned small and micro businesses who cannot afford the retail rents.  

• Mitigation of Displacement: By creating free-to-the-public activations, we mitigate the negative impact of surrounding construction and ticketed annual events that historically limit access to brick-and-mortar establishments.

• Public Safety: When we activate the streets and underutilized spaces through all-day markets and evening artwalks, occurrences of crime drop significantly and directly results in safer streets and greater sense of community.

The heartbeat of our Reciprocity Model, our residents facilitate over 12 different free, low-barrier workshops and drop-ins a month. In 2025, this effort produced a massive calendar of offerings:

• Sound & Music (320+ Events): Free Recording Sessions; DJ/Mixing sessions; Open Jams; Music Showcases.

• Visual Arts & Craft (120+ Events): Open Studios; Ceramics Workshops; Woodworking; Collage/Mixed Mediums; Figure Drawing sessions.

• Textiles, Fashion & Heritage (40+ Events): Textile Teas for sustainable design; Tinctures and Tunes sessions; 2-day PNW Fashion Week runway.

• Literary & Professional Development (33+ Events): Writing events; OpportuniTEA grant-writing workshops; Manga Monday and drawing workshops.

• Civic & Family Engagement (35+ Events): Free Art Supply distributions; Kreative Kids drop-ins; yoga sessions; Voting Parties.

We have hosted 6 rounds of paid apprenticeships as a founding site of NW Folklife’s Creative and Cultural Workforce Development Program.

• 100% Success Rate: Every youth apprentice who has entered our ecosystem has successfully completed their program.

• Full-Circle Leadership: Our retention is absolute. Unlike programs where youth disappear after the contract ends, our former apprentices have stayed on as residents, or CommuniTEA hosts. Notably, two of our graduates from the first round of workforce development are now vital members of our Steering Core, guiding the high-level operations and future of the entire coalition.