The Port of Seattle Maritime Division housed an existing collection of objects and fine art accumulated over a period of decades in their vast headquarters at Pier 69 and other publicly accessible locations. The Lumiere Group was tasked with creating an informed and actionable strategic plan to bring the Maritime Division Art Collection into a new era of growth marked by intentionality and accountability, with work to be funded by the innovative 1% for Art Program. 

The Lumiere Group’s first task was to assess the existing collection from the individual object level aligning with the program structure, organizing the minutiae of data to create a clear and communicable picture of the collection’s status. In creating an exhaustive inventory, our team determined which objects could be categorized as gifts, historic objects, ephemera, and fine art. Once this work was completed, we used it as the foundation for a Strategic Plan, the first document of its kind in the Maritime Division’s history. 

Among many recommendations, the Strategic Plan highlighted issues with artwork locations and proposed potential movement to protect assets, identified ways to engage community through art at high-traffic Seattle waterfront locations, and proposed minimum art program staffing. We advised Maritime and Aviation divisions to share funds to promote the unification of a Port-wide Collection, building on the aspiration to eventually merge the Maritime and Aviation divisions’ disparate art programs. The Maritime Division’s Strategic Plan lays the groundwork for a comprehensive framework and unified governance, allowing for continuity and ensuring common quality standards. 

Our final action was to present this plan to the Port Commissioners and to the Art Board, handing off information and recommendations and empowering the stakeholders to enact this transformative document.