Dear friends, 

I’ve been keeping a sweet secret from you. On a sunny day last August, my long-time partner and I got married in the Great Hall. We stood on stage surrounded by family and close friends. It’s a room I spend a lot of time in — introducing speakers, answering emails from one of the pews, sometimes sitting as a patron myself, and always finding something new in the stained glass. 

Town Hall is magical in so many ways. It’s where we find each other. It’s where we learn something new. It’s where we ask questions that can change a trajectory. And for me, it’s where I got married. 

Shortly after our ceremony, I was talking with our trusted wedding planner (who is also Town Hall’s gala planner!), and we asked: why not have weddings at Town Hall?  

So, we’re starting with Cake & Punch, micro-wedding days where couples can get married and host a small reception. 

Jake Taylor, owner and lead designer at Functions and Gatherings, is launching Cake & Punch at Town Hall this August, and we'll be partnering with Jake and team to bring this to life. It’s an exciting step forward — one that aligns directly with our strategic plan: building new revenue streams, activating the building during historically quieter times, and supporting long-term financial sustainability. 

Jake Taylor, pictured above on the right, brings a festive flourish to every function. He's been instrumental to planning Town Hall's annual Gala for several years!

I’m so excited to welcome more people onto the stage — to stand where so many meaningful moments have happened, and to add their own story to our building’s history. 

You’ll hear more about Cake & Punch in the coming weeks, but for now: if you know someone getting married, thinking about a smaller summer wedding, or has always wanted to get married at Town Hall, keep us in mind!

To love, 
Kate  

Kate Nagle-Caraluzzo, Executive Director

The post Announcing Cake & Punch: Micro Weddings at Town Hall! appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

Hi Friends,

Civics is already a cornerstone of our programming, and now we’re testing the theory that all politics is local. What happens at City Hall, in Olympia, in our neighborhoods — the stuff that you see every day with your own eyes. Speaking of Seattle is a place to listen, ask questions, hear different views…without it turning into a shouting match. We want to model civic discourse, civil dialogue, and remember that we can share space even if we disagree. 

We’ll host four events during the 2025-26 season, and we’re aiming to hit some of the topics that keep coming up when you talk to people around Seattle. We’re hopeful that these conversations bring clarity and inspiration to your own communities, wherever they might be.

First up: The November elections. On November 12 at 7:30PM, Marcus will be joined by political strategist Crystal Fincher, The Stranger’s news editor Vivian McCall, and the South Seattle Emerald’s political columnist Tobias Coughlin-Bogue. Together they’ll cut through the noise to unpack what the results really mean — from City Hall to Olympia — and connect it all to the turbulent political currents in Washington, D.C. It’s about what happens next in Seattle. Grab your ticket and get civic with us.

This is new for us, AND it’s also what Town Hall has always tried to do — make space for civic life to feel alive and meaningful.

Kate Nagle-Caraluzzo, Executive Director

The post Speaking of Seattle appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

Town Hall Seattle is thrilled to announce that Kate Nagle-Caraluzzo has been named Executive Director, effective June 3, 2024.  

Kate has served as Acting Executive Director since February and previously held the Director of Development role at Town Hall for over six years. During this time, Kate was instrumental in stewarding Town Hall’s development program and completing a capital campaign alongside former executive director Wier Harman. 

Kate joined the Town Hall Seattle team after a four-year tenure with Tilth Alliance in roles ranging from operations to development. She spent her early career in sustainable agriculture working for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York and received an MA in Food Systems from Chatham University. With over a decade living in Seattle, her journey to Town Hall comes from being a longtime member and fellow Seattleite looking for engaged community connection. Kate also serves on the capital campaign steering committee for the Rainier Valley Food Bank and has served on the Washington State Farmers Market Association and Seattle Works boards.   

“I’m so honored to be part of the Town Hall story and I’m grateful to step into this leadership role with an amazing staff and board beside me,” Kate says. “I’ve seen first-hand how meaningful Town Hall is to patrons who walk through the doors each day – it's an organization that prioritizes accessibility, unique programming, and first-class production. Town Hall is vital to Seattle’s civic and artistic life.” 

“Kate’s star rose quickly within our development team by helping to complete the capital campaign and putting in place the annual Gala. It’s no surprise that on the heels of the most successful Gala in our history, and after watching the deftness with which she stepped into the Acting Executive Director role, the board recognized that our next leader was right in our midst,” notes Yazmin Mehdi, Town Hall board member. “Kate not only has the leadership savvy to helm our stalwart team, she has a keen sense for where Town Hall should go next and how to get us there,” said Mehdi.

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Questions or press inquiries? Contact jess.eskelsen [AT] townhallseattle.org or use our online contact form here.

The post A Leadership Update from Town Hall appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

A dedicated city block in honor of our former executive director

Wier loved Town Hall, but what he loved even more was our community. His innate belief that we’re better together is something to hold close. We know that many people will continue honoring Wier as they walk through Town Hall’s doors and to serve as an even more meaningful reminder of Wier’s impact on Seattle, we’re proud to announce that the city block where Town Hall stands has been dedicated as Wier Harman Way by the City of Seattle — a small token of appreciation for a man who meant so much to so many.  

The proclamation read at City Hall on April 9 will hang proudly in the Town Hall building as a constant reminder of Wier’s legacy and dedication to the mission of Town Hall. He’s in every corner of the Town Hall building, and now his legacy will extend onto our street.

Read on below for the full proclamation — or click the video to watch Wier’s wife, Barbara Sauermann and Town Hall Board Member, Yazmin Mehdi, at City Hall when the proclamation was passed.

WHEREAS, Wier Harman moved to Seattle twice, once as a company member of Annex Theater and once as the executive director of Town Hall. "I came back to Seattle because I always had it — even after I left — I always had it still in my heart," he said; and 

WHEREAS, under Wier's stewardship Town Hall grew into a key organization in the regional arts and culture ecosystem, merging civic engagement, community building, and cultural  activity, presenting artists and organizers from around the world, and drawing the Seattle cultural community closer together; and

WHEREAS, Wier brought a deep generosity of spirit and an excitement for possible futures to all of his personal friendships and all of his professional dealings; and

WHEREAS, Wier led Town Hall through a $35.5 million capital project, he co-founded the Downtown Historic Theater District, he co-produced over 400 events a year, and he presided over the radical expansion of access and inclusiveness at Town Hall; and

WHEREAS, Governor Jay Inslee remembered Wier, saying "Wier was a particular kind of  genius. His genius was one of mutuality, of harmony, of provoking and inspiring genius in others. In getting people to see it in others. He brought us together"; and

WHEREAS, Wier leaves behind a beautiful young family and an extended family of friends and  colleagues who loved him and will carry his legacy forward; NOW, THEREFORE:

A RESOLUTION providing an honorary designation of 8th Avenue between Seneca Street and Spring Street as "Wier Harman Way."

Our sincere thanks to a close friend and Town Hall supporter who helped underwrite the street signage.

Read more about the resolution and Wier's impact on the city HERE.

The post Announcing Wier Harman Way! appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

We’ve taken a lot of pride in the structural inclusivity of our model, always insisting on the result of a more genuinely welcoming community for all. Town Hall will fulfill its true potential when people who have long felt at home here continue to feel a sense of belonging, while we work to be more deeply meaningful and relevant to even more people across this community. That said, as we work to embrace a richer understanding of accessibility, we want to be clear: our commitment to affordability for all remains critical to the heart of Town Hall.

This season, we’re rolling out a new “Sliding Scale” approach to ticket prices for Town Hall-produced lectures. What does that mean for us? People will always be able to choose a $5 ticket for these programs (and tickets will remain free for youth 22 and Under). But the Sliding Scale pricing option is an approach founded on lots of existing data. Over time, we’ve seen that many patrons choose to make an extra contribution to Town Hall when they purchase tickets, and now we’re giving the people the option to pay what they’re comfortable with for Town Hall programming. No matter where you place the sliding scale ticket price, your ticket purchase helps support our programming and our operations.

Town Hall was founded in 1999 and we’re moving into a new era, finally installed in our newly-renovated building and full of the optimism and possibility of new leadership, all while serving a society in flux. As we begin to imagine the next Town Hall, we need to ensure it can thrive for another 23 years and beyond. In a time of deep vulnerability for cultural presenters like us — financial uncertainty and shifting audience behavior — our goal is to protect our mission-driven commitment to broad community access while securing modest extra revenue that will support our operations and create a solid foundation for the Town Hall to come.

In the end, we hope the new pricing approach is simply an invitation to pay what is comfortable for you. I know you know this, but $5 tickets have never reflected the value of our programs (priceless!) or the true cost of operating Town Hall (pricey-but-worth-it!) We’ve always said that membership here is an act of generosity toward the community at large, assuring affordability for all — and that’s still true. But for some, it’s simply easier to add an extra contribution into the value of their ticket when they can. We believe that in asking those who are inclined to consider paying more, we will create an even deeper sense of belonging and pride within Town Hall’s extraordinary community of supporters.

I can write at this kind of length, with this kind of candor, and all my, let’s call it eccentric punctuation because the Town Hall community is thoughtful and generous. You’re in it for what it means to you, but you’re ALSO in it for each other and for what it means to the city. We are sincerely grateful to all of you, for making Town Hall a uniquely compassionate and collegial place, defined by a thoughtful, caring, and honest community. You can prove it by telling us honestly what you feel about this pricing approach (or anything else) at membership@townhallseattle.org.

With gratitude and affection,

Wier

The post A Big Change: Or Is It? appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

And so — from my place here in the very middle of the road, as I consider where we’ve been and where we’re headed, inspiration and gratitude as far as I can see — I'm writing to announce my departure from Town Hall Seattle at the end of 2022.

My time at Town Hall (over 17 years!) has been the gift of a lifetime, and I am deeply proud of our accomplishments. Our audience has grown steadily over the past several years, and we’ve welcomed over 100,000 patrons annually for a broad, diverse calendar that embraces an impossible range of issues and ideas. We kept our tickets and rental rates affordable and supported other nonprofits with skilled production and promotional services. We completed an ambitious $35.5 million renovation of our building, spending almost two seasons Inside/Out in dozens of venues and neighborhoods across our region.

But I am most proud of what Town Hall has modeled for our city, and for each other. Town Hall is a place devoted to the pursuit of equity; it’s a place to investigate ideas and share new experiences, where differing and unexpected perspectives are not just tolerated but celebrated; and it is a place of curiosity, creativity, and empathy. Above all, I’m proud of how we model the simple act of showing up with and for each other — learning, tangling with new ideas, and sitting side by side with strangers, neighbors, and friends.

I don’t know anywhere else quite like Town Hall — and believe me, I've looked. We have created something entirely unique to Seattle and I am overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity to shape this place in real time with each of you — as members, donors, patrons, renters, presenters, and community partners. This has been a joyful experiment in the idea of creating a welcoming community — and YOU have made this work beyond joyful.

I get the platform of writing a note like this, but YOU are the reason for all the good we have done over Town Hall’s 23 years, and you will continue to be the reason for the community we build here in the decades to come. I trust that this place will continue to be the vessel for the experience of community that we all need so much right now. Our role is simple and profound: to remind us that some things must be experienced together, and that “coming together” is often its own reward.

And that’s the core of my gratitude — I don’t know how another job could have possibly offered me so much energy and purpose. I am humbled to have been entrusted with leading Town Hall, and I'm excited to welcome our next leader alongside you all. My family and I are staying in Seattle; my children grew up here — as in, at this building, at our events — so I’m thrilled by the prospect of joining you in the pews as an enthusiastic member and passionate advocate (my predecessor, founder David Brewster, has modeled that for me).

Thank you for being my friends, collaborators, and co-conspirators on the road behind us, and thank you for being my inspiration on the road ahead.

With gratitude,

Wier Harman
Executive Director

P.S. We’ll have more to share about our transition timeline and the new Executive Director search process at the end of June. In the meantime, please direct any questions to our team at search@townhallseattle.org.

The post The Road Ahead, The Road Behind appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

The AiR will be expected to attend TH events and contribute to audience engagement and the life of our community through activities that might include blogging about events after they take place, serving as an on-stage interlocutor or podcast correspondent, or curating an evening of programming. The AiR will produce two programs 1) an evening of work-in-progress; and 2) a final public event in which the artist shares what they worked on during the residency.

If you are a writer based in Seattle, or King County, we welcome you to apply.

- Individuals must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Seattle/King County when you apply through completion of your project.
- NOT be a high school, undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral student enrolled in any degree program related to your artistic work or career
- Individuals should not be a former artist in residence nor have had your work commissioned by Town Hall
- Current consultant, advisor, staff, board members, and their family members are not eligible to apply

Applicants are encouraged to check out Town Hall's calendar of events: https://townhallseattle.org/event-listings/

Town Hall Seattle is prioritizing applicants that come from historically under-represented communities. Creators of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Apply below. Applications due by Tuesday, February 1, 2022. Applications will close at 5 p.m.

A 3-month period between March to May 2022.
Stipend: $3,000 + up to $1,000 in production support.
Additional benefits: access to Town Hall’s facilities and events.

Apply Here

The post Apply Now to be Town Hall’s Winter/Spring 2022 Artist-in-Residence appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

The post A Letter from Joshua Roman to the Town Music Community appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

Over the years, Shin Yu’s presence at Town Hall has brought intention and community focus to our programming; it only seems natural that she became our Program Director earlier this year. Town Hall is thrilled to have Shin Yu onboard— read on to learn about what she looks forward to the most this season.

The post Program Director Shin Yu Pai on Highlights from our Fall Calendar appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.

Underneath our busy calendar is an essential passivity. Town Hall was founded as a collective resource to support other non-profits. While we program some of our own events, we are at heart a tool, waiting to be picked up by other people, and other organizations. This makes us different from most cultural producers; even the events we program ourselves are designed to complement the work of our community partners.

To be maximally useful Town Hall has long prided itself on what we’ve called “an architecture of inclusivity”, designed to encourage participation and help people feel at home. Low ticket prices would mean low barriers to attendance in the pews. Low rental rates would mean low barriers to presenting from our stages. A program philosophy of saying “yes to the good ideas of others” would mean the community itself determines the defining events of the Town Hall calendar. An intentional informality would help us feel welcoming, even while high production standards elevate professional and community-based presenters alike.

It’s a great system and we’ve been justifiably proud of what we’ve created. But a system is only as good as its inputs—and if those inputs are limited, the output is inherently limited. (This is officially the end of the tech metaphors.)

Our system hasn’t created a deeply inclusive place—owing to that passivity at our heart. Town Hall itself is the product of a network of people and institutions who call it home, and that network is overwhelmingly white. Despite our desire to be welcoming, historically not enough BIPOC artists or BIPOC-led non-profits have seen Town Hall as the right place to express their ideas or creativity. Many people don’t know about Town Hall (we’ve been around for 22 years, but we’re still pretty small). Still others know about it, but don’t see themselves or their concerns represented in our calendar. Whatever the reason, if we embrace the goal of a calendar that truly reflects the full breadth and diversity of our community we have a long way to travel. And that journey begins by rejecting our passivity and embracing a more active approach to the community we want to support beyond our walls, and foster within them.

And so our four years of equity work—four years and still just beginning—is a declaration that a mere architecture of inclusion is no longer good enough. And though it might have felt sufficient, it never was. If you read the Equity Commitments accompanying this post, you can understand the concrete steps we plan to take in the coming year, and you can even hold us to account.

Town Hall isn’t a social justice organization, but we are vested in modeling a more just society; our equity journey is toward a “more perfect version of ourselves.” Becoming a place where as many as possible feel truly welcome is essential to delivering our mission; it’s essential to our vision of a story of this city told through many voices; and it’s essential to any meaningful discussion—looooong or short—about the kind of city we want to share.

-Wier

The post A More Perfect Version of Ourselves appeared first on Town Hall Seattle.