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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Cannonball Arts Opening Keeps Momentum For Revitalized Downtown Seattle Rolling
UNITED STATES - 2025/04/21: View of the Seattle Waterfront from the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington State, USA. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images) LightRocket via Getty Images Greg Lundgren, creative director at New Rising Sun, the Seattle-based events production company behind the city's annual Bumbershoot arts and music festival, was confident when pitching the local Muckleshoot Indian Tribe on a festival sponsorship. The Tribe already has a major presence in Seattle with its logo on the National Hockey League's Seattle Kraken's jersey. Convincing the Tribe to extend its branding to the festival launched in 1972 now attracting tens of thousands of people downtown every Labor Day Weekend should be a breeze. Not interested. 'What else you got' Lundgren remembers tribal officials asking him. He improvised. 'There's a 66,000-square-foot concrete building in the heart of downtown Seattle and we want to turn Bumbershoot into a year round brand that isn't just celebrating our community for a weekend, but all year round, and we are going to help revitalize downtown Seattle, and we are going to help retain our creative community,' Lundgren told about his pitch pivot. 'They looked at me, 'That's what we want.'' Lundgren was pitching Cannonball Arts, more idea than reality at that point. The idea, converting an enormous former Bed, Bath & Beyond store that had sat vacant for nearly a decade into a playful, eccentric, contemporary art center. Exhibits, concerts, fashion shows, art markets, pop-up events. Smack dab downtown–1930 3rd Ave–two blocks west of Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market and its 10 million annual visitors. 'Going into their office, I was like, 'We want a couple hundred thousand dollars to put your name on a banner at a music festival,' and it ended up turning into a much bigger gesture and a much larger, longer-term commitment,' Lundgren said. 'I was caught off guard that they were receptive to hearing other opportunities to collaborate, and shocked that they rose their hand to doing the largest art center that Seattle has ever seen in a part of downtown which some people think is full of drug addicts and crazy people.' Lundgren went to the Tribe looking for a sponsorship and ended up with the Muckleshoot as part owner of the company. The partnership allowed Cannonball Arts to move from idea to reality with a full grand opening to the public coming August 20, 2025. 'We've got a five-ton cedar log in our lobby which (members of the Muckleshoot Tribe) will be carving out as a dugout canoe. We have a virtual reality dark ride made out of a repurposed 1980s monster truck that came from a state fair. We have a mechanical bull with a felted wool sea slug that people can ride. We have one of the best sound systems on the West Coast for doing live events,' Lundgren explains about Cannonball Arts opening attractions. Cannonball Arts is not a Native American arts center. It will include Native American art, but it's a contemporary art center–and a great deal more. Why would a Native American tribe be interested in partnering on such a project? 'Muckleshoot sees downtown Seattle as their home, where they fished and where their cabins were,' Lundgren explained. 'There's a version where they stay out of downtown, contemporary downtown Seattle. There's a version where they just present this 5,000-year-old version of Native American culture, but I don't think that that's a story that really suits anybody.' Aligning itself with contemporary art reminds non-Natives that the Muckleshoot–all Indigenous people–are contemporary. That they don't exist solely in textbooks and sepia photographs. That Muckleshoot people, and culture, and art are every bit as contemporary as anything or anyone else. The Question The Leviathan exhibit – A large-scale kinetic sculpture by Casey Curran. Jim Bennett Photo Bakery for Cannonball Arts Lundgren was born and raised in Seattle in the 1970s. He's been an arts curator and producer in town for 30 years. He's consumed by a nagging question. 'In the 90s, we had 13 art critics and a lot less money. In 2025, we have maybe two art critics and a lot more money,' Lundgren said. 'How did Seattle get so much bigger, so much richer, and our art community is diminishing? There's got to be a way that you can grow your creative class alongside the growth of a city.' That's the question Lundgren dedicates his professional life to solving. That's the hope for Cannonball Arts. For Seattle. 'The story that the world doesn't hear that often is that we have an incredibly rich pool of creativity, some of it is well employed and some of it unemployed, but our greatest resource are the people that live here,' he said. 'I don't think the artists and the creatives that are here are getting the attention or the opportunity or the resources to fully see their ideas realized.' Cannonball Art's mission is serving local artists as well as the public. The same artists whose talents it will rely on for success. 'It'd be an idiotic thing to do if there wasn't a tremendous amount of creative talent here,' Lundgren said of opening a gigantic, multi-media, public, contemporary arts center. 'Between the tech sector–everyone gives people that work at Microsoft or Amazon or Meta this hard time for destroying the city or stealing jobs or making it more expensive–that talent pool, just by itself, is enormous.' While the Muckleshoot are Cannonball Arts primary funder, financial support has also come from Amazon and the big philanthropic foundations set up by the area's tech billionaires, like Ballmer Group (Microsoft). And Starbucks. Global Seattle-based companies New Rising Sun had existing relationships with through Bumbershoot. 'How many artists work in tech, and when it comes to new media, when it comes to virtual reality, when it comes to artificial intelligence, when it comes to just about any kind of cutting-edge technology that's happening in the world, Seattle and the East Side is a world leader,' Lundgren continued. 'We have thousands and thousands of technologists in our backyard doing brilliant work.' Perhaps not artists in the traditional painting, sculpting, drawing, photography, sense, but creatives to be sure. And Makers. The exodus of Boeing from Seattle over the last decade left more skilled residents. 'Talk about metal workers and woodworkers, there is a craft population here that is, I think, unparalleled anywhere in the world,' Lundgren said. Despite all the recent tech wealth and tech jobs and development growth, Seattle's creative community has shrunken, a trend long predating COVID. Why haven't arts and culture and creatives benefited from the city's massive infusion of tech cash now dating back 20-plus years? 'The reason I haven't moved to Europe or left Seattle is because I feel like we have this great concentration of wealth. There's this great concentration of talent. We live in a beautiful city that's surrounded by nature and eagles and salmon. We have the technology, we're still a pretty new city. If we can't figure out how to make it work in Seattle, I don't know what other city has a better chance,' Lundgren said. Downtown Seattle UNITED STATES - 2025/04/21: View of the Seattle Waterfront with the Aquarium, Seattle, Washington State, USA. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images) LightRocket via Getty Images Seattle suffers from the same phony accusations hurled at many big cities in America: dangerous, derelict, drugged out. Kernels of reality and anecdote spun into gospel and motif by media and politicians rooting for the failure of cities. Rooting for the failure of urbanism and liberalism and diversity. 'My mom lives in Bellevue, across the lake from Seattle, and in Bellevue, (the belief is) downtown Seattle is filled with drug addicts, and you're going to get shot or robbed, or step over somebody that's on the nod, that the downtown core is hollowed out because of the pandemic, and that there's no nightlife, there's no energy,' Lundgren explains. 'The narrative of downtown Seattle is that it's shitty, the same narrative that San Francisco and parts of Los Angeles and parts of Portland have.' Lies. Not that the truth matters anymore to huge sections of the country. The truth is, Seattle's downtown is gorgeous. And safe. Full of world class attractions like the Space Needle, the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Pop Culture, the Wing Luke Museum–America's only pan-Asian art and history museum–Olympic Sculpture Park with its magnificent Alexander Calder Eagle, Chihuly Garden and Glass. Alexander Calder's 'The Eagle' sculpture with Space Needle in background. Chadd Scott An $806 million renovation of Seattle's central waterfront begun in 2010 wraps up this year. A $100-plus million expansion of Seattle Aquarium served as centerpiece. 'The (roof) of the new aquarium became this deck with panoramic views of the Olympics (Mountains) and of Elliot Bay that connects the front end of Pike Place Market to the waterfront,' Lundgren explained. 'Everything feels so well considered and well built. I walk down to the waterfront now and I'm like, 'This is fantastic!' I'm such a critical person when it comes to urban design and architecture, and it is just spectacular.' Field Architecture, the firm responsible for New York's High Line, arguably the most influential urban redevelopment project in America over the last 50 years, handled the waterfront's new design. 'The pandemic was rough for everybody, and fentanyl was rough on a lot of American cities, but I have fallen in love with downtown Seattle all over again from being down here,' Lundgren said. Cannonball Arts will offer more to love, with a location right downtown by the new waterfront. That location, with its ability to siphon off a small percentage of the 40 million tourists who visit Seattle and King County each year, along with the center's scope, makes the idea just crazy enough to work. If kooky Meow Wolf can become a global sensation in Santa Fe, NM drawing off a small portion of Santa Fe's tourist pool and local residents, a far smaller number than Seattle has, why can't Cannonball Arts similarly excel? 'I would never have opened a 2,000 square foot art gallery in downtown Seattle because it doesn't have the critical mass and the momentum,' Lundgren said. 'You have to go in big and make a destination that will draw people out, (where) they can spend a couple hours. If we're truly successful, we've changed people's relationship to art, both from a corporate level and from a visitor level. I want people to see Cannonball as a place they can come once a week and hang out, not once a year, or every couple of years. I want it to be more like a YMCA that people have memberships to and meet their friends at and socialize in.' Cannonball Arts feels like the answer to Lundgren's question. Visit The Toxic Beauty exhibit – A rideable mechanical soft-form sculpture of a 9-foot nudibranch by Stephanie Metz. Jim Bennett Photo Bakery for Cannonball Arts Cannonball Arts operating hours will be 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday. Ticket prices are as follows: Adults: $25 ($28.46 with taxes and fees) Seniors (65+): $20 ($22.94 with taxes and fees) Students w/ ID: $20 ($22.94 with taxes and fees) Children under 10: Free Cannonball event rentals are available for groups of up to 2,500 guests. For tickets and more information, visit More From Forbes Forbes Seattle Art Museum Becomes the Alexander Calder Destination with Shirley Family Collection By Chadd Scott Forbes Initial Public Art Commissions Announced For Pittsburgh's New Arts Landing By Chadd Scott
The Diplomat
08-08-2025
- Health
- The Diplomat
The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe: Upholding Sovereignty in the Digital Era
From Indian settlements between the Cascade Mountains and the Salish Seas in Washington state to cultures across the Asia-Pacific, Indigenous nations are facing modern global challenges. For Nichole Bascue, Chief Operating Officer of The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the convergence of ancient tradition and technology is not just possible – it's a necessity. Like her people's Duwamish ancestors, the original caretakers of the land in and around Seattle, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is a model of sovereign innovation that balances deep cultural roots with future planning. 'I'm proudest of our systems-level work: aligning our tribal governance operations with both strategic foresight and ancestral knowledge, building fiscal and operational infrastructures that empower – not erode – sovereignty,' says Bascue. 'Our accomplishments aren't just policy wins. They represent healing, trust and pathways forward for future generations.' The Indigenous nation leader is referring to the Tribe's pioneering initiatives that include launching what Bascue claims is the first AI-powered healthcare access platform within a tribal nation. She also led the creation of what she highlights as the first-ever Tribal Disability Program in the United States, designed from the ground up to reflect cultural context and dignity. Photo credit: Nichole Bascue Bridging Innovation and Tradition The Tribe's embrace of AI-driven healthcare stems from an urgent need to address real human challenges. Bascue recalls that Muckleshoot citizens used to struggle accessing the right providers in time, leading to delays and disconnected care. Since the AI platform's launch, she claims clinic traffic has increased and youth vaccination rates have jumped by 60 percent. More than just metrics, Bascue notes that these outcomes signal a return to care that is both swift and soulful, one that understands the human and cultural context behind every need. 'I define impact not by scale, but by alignment: Do our initiatives build long-term resilience without compromising identity? When AI is deployed in ways that restore care, or when a disability program feels like an extension of family rather than bureaucracy – that's impact. For me, innovation isn't about velocity. It's about sovereignty,' explains Bascue, who recalls growing up unhoused and invisible to the very structures she is now helping redesign. 'I believe that systems – when rooted in cultural values and ethical design – can heal rather than harm.' Sovereignty in Code and Culture Rather than adapting to technology, the Muckleshoot Tribe requires technology to adapt to them. This approach has created infrastructures that blend ancestral wisdom with long-term strategic foresight. This emphasis on cultural-first design has also influenced other areas of governance. From economic development to education and environmental stewardship, Bascue doesn't believe in sacrificing culture for progress. Instead, she insists that the Tribe's values must shape every innovation. 'Know your cultural foundation deeply. Let it inform your decisions, your partnerships, your strategy,' she shares. 'Build coalitions, learn the language of power, but never abandon your own.' A Global Vision Rooted in Identity Though based in the Pacific Northwest, the Muckleshoot Tribe has taken its leadership to the global stage. Through engagements with the World Health Organization and trade dialogues in Eastern Asia, Bascue and her team are helping shape international conversations on sovereignty and ethics. The Tribe's values resonate deeply across the Asia-Pacific, where Indigenous communities and small sovereign nations also navigate the tension between preservation and progress. Whether through data ethics or cross-cultural trade, the Muckleshoot Tribe isn't just part of the conversation – they're reshaping how the world thinks about Indigenous rights and ethical innovation. At the WHO, the Tribe has contributed to conversations on tribal health sovereignty and data ethics, ensuring Indigenous people are not just subjects of research but partners in designing ethical standards. In Eastern Asia, its dialogues have been rooted in mutual respect and shared values around tradition and trade. Bascue sees these as not only a validation of their work but an opportunity to build shared knowledge and solidarity. 'Indigenous leadership is essential to the global stage – not just as a moral imperative, but as a strategic one,' Bascue emphasizes. 'We offer governance models built on interdependence, long-term thinking, and ecological respect – qualities the world urgently needs today.' Photo credit: Nichole Bascue Preserving Culture while Leading Change The tension between modernization and cultural preservation is a false binary, according to Bascue. Instead, the two can and must be intertwined. 'Every policy I help craft, every system we build, begins with the question: Does this align with who we are?' says Bascue, who sees her role as a translator between worlds, bringing the rigor of data and strategy into conversation with teachings that span generations. 'Growth without preservation is just erasure. But when we honor our culture while innovating from within it, we create a future that is not only functional—but sacred.' This belief drives every initiative the Tribe undertakes. Whether designing a healthcare algorithm or structuring a fiscal policy, the Muckleshoot Tribe's approach begins with cultural alignment. It means viewing data and strategy not as foreign tools, but as instruments that can be harmonized with spiritual and community teachings. As a result, the Tribe has positioned itself as both a guardian of heritage and a pioneer of policy. It is a dual identity that many aspire to manage so gracefully. Wisdom for the Next Generation To those emerging as Indigenous leaders, Bascue's message is clear: 'Your lived experience is not a detour – it is the way forward. Don't shrink your perspective to fit the room – expand the room. You'll be told to assimilate, to 'modernize,' to compromise – but remember: sovereignty is not negotiable,' she says. 'And every time you lead with integrity, you're widening the path for others behind you. That's legacy work, and the world needs more and more people to adopt that philosophy.' In a world rapidly reshaped by artificial intelligence, climate crises and globalized economies, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe offers something rare: a model of leadership that is both visionary and deeply rooted. Their story is one of resilience – where technology serves tradition, not the other way around. Every algorithm, every policy reflects the Tribe's unbreakable sovereignty. This is a sponsored article produced by PangeaGlobe.
