The Northwest Art Project Expands Impact in 2026
For over 65 years, The Northwest Art Project has helped bring art education directly into classrooms throughout King County. Founded in 1960 by Dee Dickinson in response to declining arts education in public schools, the program was created to help students engage with original works of art while fostering creativity, critical thinking, communication skills, and a lifelong appreciation for visual art.
Today, The Northwest Art Project remains the Junior League of Seattle’s longest-running community program and continues to expand its impact throughout the region.
This year, the program welcomed Julie Trout as Art Educator, strengthening educational programming, community outreach, and student engagement efforts. Julie is a visual arts educator with Seattle Public Schools in a culturally rich Title 1 school setting, as well as an adjunct professor at Highline Community College to explore implementing arts integration for classroom teachers. In 2012, she was awarded Regional Teacher of the Year for Washington State.
Over many years of experience, she has created, coordinated, and facilitated many arts showcases and professional development programs. “One of my all-time-favorite annual collaborations was with Franklin High School. My youngest students drew and painted creatures, which were transformed into clay sculptures by the advanced ceramic students at Franklin, who then gifted them back to the kindergarteners. “
Julie Trout is the new Art Educator for The Northwest Art Project.
The Northwest Art Project also continued expanding access to art education through new partnerships, refreshed curriculum materials, and increased school participation.
Recent accomplishments include:
• Increasing school registrations from 23 to 28 schools, representing a 21.74% increase in participation
• Expanding outreach to Title I schools with the addition of three new schools, increasing participation by 47%
• Hosting four in-school visits since January
• Refreshing curriculum materials and lesson plans
• Enhancing awareness campaigns and community outreach efforts
• Hosting member engagement opportunities, including First Thursday Art Walk events
• Supporting artist engagement initiatives and cultural partnerships
The collection specializes in original Northwest artwork and includes works from renowned artists such as Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, William Cumming, Jacob Lawrence, Dale Chihuly, Sherry Markovitz, Barbara Earl Thomas, and Fay Jones. Originally selected by a jury of art professionals in 1960, the collection has grown to include more than 80 original works of art across 10 curated collections, allowing students and teachers to experience an art museum within their own schools.
Since its founding, The Northwest Art Project has reached more than 300,000 students and served over 600 schools throughout the region. Additional collaborations and engagement opportunities this year included partnerships with the Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Art Fair, as well as artist engagement events featuring Catherine Eaton Skinner, Brasseth Gallery, and Barbara Earl Thomas.
As the program continues collecting artist releases and expanding community partnerships, The Northwest Art Project remains committed to preserving access to art education while celebrating the rich artistic legacy of the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about The Northwest Art Project here.
