In 2006, The Seattle Public Library received an Excellance Award of $1.5 million from the Wallace Foundation in New York to create an endowment for multicultural programming at the Library.
The Wallace Foundation Excellence Awards were created to recognize organizations that have effectively built participation in the arts with imaginative efforts to broaden, deepen or diversify their audiences.
The Endowment allows the Library to collaborate with other cultural organizations in the city to present high-quality programs, exhibits and discussions; include more presenters and works from various cultures and ethnicities in programming; and integrate more multicultural programs in the Library’s ongoing arts programming.
The Wallace Foundation is an independent, national foundation dedicated to supporting and sharing effective ideas and practices that expand learning and enrichment opportunities for all people. Its objectives at the time of the grant were to strengthen education leadership to improve student achievement, enhance out-of-school learning opportunities, and expand participation in arts and culture.