by Jennie Kovalcik, Art Curator
In the heart of Pioneer Square—where murals, galleries, and the monthly Art Walk keep Seattle’s oldest neighborhood alive with creativity—The Metropole carries that tradition forward with the art displayed throughout the building. From street art and public sculptures to the buzz of First Thursday, art has always been central to life here. When curating The Metropole, we wanted our collection to feel like it belongs—to reflect the neighborhood’s pulse and be part of its ongoing story.
Rooted in place
Every piece in the collection was created by a Seattle-based artist with real ties to the neighborhood and the city’s larger arts community. These works come from the same streets, lofts, galleries, and studios that surround the building, and they help remind everyone that Pioneer Square has always been a place for artists, creativity, and connection.
Art as community character
The Metropole is a gathering spot, a workspace, a place for nonprofits, childcare, events, and cultural exchange, sustainability, and cultural expression. And the art inside amplifies all of that. Each piece reflects the belief that art is a vital expression of identity and possibility, a way to honor ancestral ecological knowledge, and a tool to imagine regenerative futures. The collection celebrates Pioneer Square’s layered history, resilience, and creativity while drawing on Afrofuturism, queer ecology, Indigenous traditions, and other frameworks that point toward more sustainable ways of being.
To make sure the collection was meaningful and intentional, we convened a community panel of local artists, advocates, and cultural leaders. Their perspectives helped shape a collection that’s grounded in equity and reflective of The Metropole’s role as a nonprofit hub for communities of color. The result is a collection that resonates with the neighborhood, uplifts local voices, and reminds us why art matters to a place and its people.
A living legacy
Just as the events in our parks and public spaces, event venues, galleries, and restored waterfront invite residents and visitors to explore the neighborhood through art, The Metropole offers a space where art and community meet. The collection doesn’t simply decorate the building—it embeds The Metropole in the cultural fabric of the neighborhood, letting the stories on our walls echo the streets outside. Every exhibition and installation is meant to spark conversation, reflect our communities’ complexity, and highlight the connections between cultural and ecological well-being.
Check out the art that we have on display in the Metropole and learn about the artists who created them.
