Art Up!
A communty-based arts incubator program
Art Up is a community-building incubator for artists and arts organizations — designed to give creative people the business knowledge, peer relationships, and real-world experience they need to sustain their work and contribute to the communities they call home. Think of it as an MBA cohort, built specifically for the arts world and rooted in the specific needs of the host community. The format is a combination of custom designed group workshops and 1:1 implementation support on individual projects and goals.
The program is co-designed with each host community, so it flexes around local goals — whether that's economic development, nonprofit formation, performance, or something else entirely. It's taught by professional artists who also run small businesses and nonprofits, and it consistently delivers something that generic business training can't: relevance. Artists trust it because the instructors have lived what they're teaching.
If you’d like to bring the Art Up program to your community, send us a note!
Art Up Issaquah: A program of the Issaquah Creative District
Presented in partnership between the City of Issaquah and Happy Time Studio
Meet the 2026 cohort of artists, entrepreneurs, and community builders working to bring a wide variety of creative experiences to the Issaquah community!
From April through June, we’ll be working through custom designed business development workshops run by Ali Marcus, Divya Rajan, and Katie Miller.
What can you expect from this cohort once it wraps up? Some excitement is coming to Issaquah this summer and it includes a showcase of Art Up projects! Stay tuned…
Blayne Fox
Project: Landmarks & Legacies: Issaquah is a hybrid illustrated history and coloring book by author, illustrator, teaching artist, and community organizer Blayne Fox that reconnects multi-generational residents to the vibrant people, places, and eras that formed our town while acknowledging the original stewards of the land, the Snoqualmie People.
Miki Hau
Project: Elevating our local textile scene by fostering curiosity, experimentation, and self-expression through the art of sewing and garment design.
Katie McPhail
Project: I'm an event professional, drawn to inviting spaces and aspiring to learn, practice and experiment with mural techniques.
Kelly Kim & Amlata Persaud
Project: Story Before Art is a comprehensive platform blending storytelling and art to nurture children’s creativity, social-emotional development, and curiosity, offering engaging resources and courses that empower both parents and educators to enrich children’s learning journeys.
Laura Garzon Chica
Project: I'm a multimedia artist and anthropologist working to bring people together around crafting and conservation.
Sarah Miller
Project: Show Your Art PNW expands access to the PNW art scene by connecting new and emerging artists directly with venues and exhibition opportunities, reducing barriers, and building a more engaged arts community.
Shyama Acharya
Project: I am building a community-driven storytelling studio that turns personal narratives into published chapbooks and zines, making authorship accessible to anyone with a story to tell.
Sonali Bhasin
Project: I am Sonali Bhasin, an artist and art educator passionate about spreading happiness through art creation and workshops where people feel a sense of belonging, use art as expression, and heal through creativity. Art gives me purpose and sharing it with others is my greatest joy.