To build and preserve our deeply-rooted creative culture for generations to come through lifelong learning, community engagement, and the spirit of true collaboration.

A vibrant arts and culture community and inspiring economic and creative vitality.

Collaboration

We create and communicate common goals with consensus and transparency.

Connectivity

We bring people together to share passion and purpose.

Collective Wisdom

We seek greater insights, build diversity, and invite new thinking.

Creativity

We strive to inspire imagination and innovation in everything we do.

Eight organizations at Fort Worden State Park have come together to form the Fort Worden Creative Alliance and, in so doing, the group will undertake significant investments securing a future for many of Fort Worden’s most beloved buildings.

For many years these organizations have collaborated on programming and other initiatives at Fort Worden. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, they launched efforts with the Public Development Authority (PDA), which manages the 90-acre “lower campus” with Washington State Parks, to improve operations and shore up the Lifelong Learning Center concept of Fort Worden. That work continued throughout the pandemic as the PDA’s financial situation became more precarious.

In March 2021, Creative Alliance partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding endorsing the formation of a formal “arts and culture corridor” at the park, providing relief to the PDA which estimates its deferred maintenance needs to be more than $100 million. The PDA board voted unanimously in favor of the agreement on April 12. Each of the local arts organizations will need to ratify the final lease terms from the PDA.

The Alliance will relieve the PDA of capital maintenance obligations of between $13.8 million to $23.7 million over the next 25 years. Through 25-year leases to participating organizations, the Alliance will rehabilitate, repair and maintain 14 structures in the Arts and Culture corridor so they can serve the community and the region for another 100 years, at minimal to no cost to the PDA.

At the heart of the creative corridor is Makers Square. In addition to the 14 WWI and WWII-era buildings, beginning in 2017, the PDA spent $13 million of public and private funds to restore three buildings in the Square, which are now complete. KPTZ also invested nearly $1 million in Building 305 to become Makers Square anchor tenant. Current plans call for Centrum to share Building 305 with KPTZ, and for the other two recently restored buildings to support new fiber arts and ceramics programs at Northwind Arts in the future.

“Makers Square is surrounded by vibrant programmers, all of whom are growing and in need of more exhibition and classroom space,” said Teresa Verraes, executive director of Northwind Art. “We were all involved in establishing the founding vision for Makers Square. The Creative Alliance partners are best suited to deliver 100% of that vision and so much more.”

”Located at the heart of the creative corridor, KPTZ is excited to grow its media arts mission in collaboration with all the Creative Alliance organizations,” says Kate Ingram, KPTZ General Manager.

“The programs of the Creative Alliance at Fort Worden embody the public benefit of the Park by fulfilling its vision and mission to serve as a center of lifelong learning for citizens of this region and beyond,” said Centrum executive director, Robert Birman. “We’re excited to bring significant and collective resources to bear, to not only solidify the Partners’ continual presence at the Fort for many years to come, but to expand our programs, revitalize and restore the historic programming facilities at the Park, and significantly reduce the deferred maintenance burden on the PDA. We all depend on one another for our mutual success, and we intend for this visionary public-private partnership to flourish.”

In 2021, Centrum commissioned an independent analysis (from Seattle-based MENG Analysis) of the true costs to maintain and restore the buildings proposed for the Corridor, which substantiated between $8.88 million and $13 million in immediate maintenance deficiencies and $4.8 million to $10.4 million in “predicted renewals” throughout the corridor. (Predicted renewals take into account the life expectancy of the internal systems and structures that support each building—as an example, HVAC, Fire Alarms, etc.) Birman notes that the report is presented in 2021 dollars and does not yet account for prevailing wage adjustments. “These are conservative estimates,” says Birman, “meaning they are likely to be lower than what will be realized. The Alliance’s investments over 25 years will nearly certainly be much greater.”

This puts Creative Alliance commitments at $13.68 million to $23.4 million over 25 years in addition to costs for ongoing annual maintenance for the three newly renovated buildings in Makers Square.

“The scale of the need for the remaining buildings from the early 1900s, currently in use by the programming partners, is acute,” says Birman. “They will always remain the State’s assets, not ours. As we restore the “Class D” facilities to modern standards, we’ll be guaranteeing that they are here for the community’s benefit 100 years from now.”

“We’re all ready to work for the common good,” says Heron Scott, executive director of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. “We believe the opportunity to leverage the collective scale and impact of our reach, influence, and public and private support will open new avenues for long-term capital investment in the campus and newfound philanthropy. We trust the PDA, State Parks, and our entire community will see the long-lasting benefits in allowing us to share in sustaining Fort Worden for the public’s use. By working in true partnership, everyone wins.”