Happily, the Open Studio Newsletter is back with another jam-packed issue for unique arts opportunities across King County. Find your people, check out a new venue, and enjoy the stories below about other inspiring, hardworking artists in our shared community.

Today, we want to thank our sponsor Formula Brewing, a genuine community space that also happens to be one of the best spots for beer and a group hang. We can guarantee you will find an amazing beer here to suit any kind of taste. You can also enjoy an easy space for gathering, you can bring the kids and dogs, and just relax. This month they are doing something called Mario Kart Mondays, you might want to see what that is all about. Thank you, Formula Brewing, for your support of local arts & culture!

Tip: We’re working on making this newsletter short enough to not be clipped in your email. Thanks for your patience. In the meantime, try clicking the “Read Online” link in the top right corner to make sure you don’t miss the good stuff towards the end.

Artist Feature: Lucia Flores-Wiseman!

In 2025, I came across a local songwriter on instagram and invited her to perform at Happy Time’s signature live music event - Songwriters In the Round. First she said yes, and then later, she had to cancel because - no joke - she won a spot as a contestant on “The Voice,” and wasn’t able to make it.

Well, it turns out she became something of a sensation. Lucia Flores-Wiseman is a singular musician, building something special. Read on below for more about her and her work.

Audio Interview: Sandy Vo, Executive Director, BelRed Arts District

Here’s a short clip about this month’s audio interview:

To hear the full interview, become a paid subscriber for $5-6/month.

General FAQ:

A CONVERSATION WITH LUCIA FLORES-WISEMAN

Love, Pain, Betrayal, Happiness, Pride

By Katie Clary

When Lucia Flores-Wiseman was 16 years old, she joined her musical hero on stage. There was Brandi Carlile, the 11 Grammy-award-winning folk-rock singer, listening intently as the high school sophomore stepped up to the microphone.

Later she would ask Flores-Wiseman, “How’d you learn to harmonize?”

“I think I said, ‘The choir.’ But the truth is I learned from her.”

Both women attended Maple Valley’s Tahoma High School, though only Flores-Wiseman graduated. They had the same choir director.

From that pivotal moment in 2018, Flores-Wiseman’s musical career bounded forward with a combination of luck and grit. She likes to share her dad’s advice: “You don’t know if you don’t ask, so at least try.”

By the time she landed on national television last year, Flores-Wiseman had already auditioned for NBC’s The Voice once in Salt Lake City (“I remember waiting hours and hours in a room with ten other people. We had 20 seconds to sing, and none of us made it through”). She auditioned for American Idol twice with feedback from Katy Perry that left her feeling bruised.

So when The Voice reached out to her over Instagram in late 2024, encouraging her to submit a portfolio, at first, she thought it was a scam.

Last spring, she rose above 160,000 other singers to join Season 27. When she performed in the first round of televised auditions, she chose a song that connected to her story and her family—La Llorona.

“I’m the daughter of an immigrant. My dad is from Mexico and my mom is from North Bend,” she says. “I listened to so many different types of music growing up that expressed this human emotion—love, pain, betrayal, happiness, pride.”

The result was nearly instant. Adam Levine, of Maroon 5, was the first judge to welcome her to the show, in what soon became a four-chair turn—the best result you can hope for on The Voice.

“What is your name, you magical human being?” asked singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini. “That made me weirdly emotional. Did you guys feel that?”

“If it didn’t, you don’t have a soul,” replied Levine, as John Legend stood on his feet clapping and Michael Bublé, whose wife is from Argentina, proceeded to relay his praises first in Spanish, then in English.

From that moment forward, the music producers encouraged Flores-Wiseman to choose songs that were vocally forward and had a message. “I need something that has a story,” she says. “I may not have an exact genre, but I am a storyteller when it comes to my music.”

A year later, after placing fourth on The Voice, Flores-Wiseman’s life looks like the juggle you might expect from a working musician. On the best days, she’s singing the National Anthem at Lumen Field for a Seahawks game and performing at Town Hall Seattle’s annual gala. Other nights, she’s waitressing at Red Robin to save up for her band’s forthcoming EP. The group already raised $15,000 through a fundraising concert back in the Tahoma High School Performing Arts Center.

She has learned how to craft a stage presence without a TV studio’s wardrobe department (hello, clothing rental) and makes good use of her University of Washington journalism degree to curate a steady stream of social media.

On a recent evening at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, she introduces her bandmates, friends from her high school years and the UW School of Jazz, in an evening billed as three bands led by powerful women vocalists.

Flores-Wiseman headlines the show, and when she takes the stage with her acoustic guitar, the opening song reflects her adherence to no genre. Between driving rhythm, funky sax, and the standout voice that she is beginning to flex, you can hear the sound emerge.

Flores-Wiseman’s voice is full of her ancestral past and her hopes for tomorrow. John Legend described her “like Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse were singing in Spanish.”

Her newest original single, “Woman in Madrid,” muses on the multifaceted emotional palette she is keen on exploring:

Already looking ahead, she says, “The Voice was such an amazing moment—and I’m not going to let that define me as a peak.”

Explore Lucia Flores-Wiseman’s work online! Her website is the best source for links to social media, videos, and original music. Here she is singing with Brandi Carlile. Sign up for her mailing list to get the latest news and information on how to support her!

Lucia’s next show: April 9 at Barboza, with Joint Souls and Daughters of Venus.

ATTEND A LOCAL EVENT

WORTH A ROAD TRIP

For many of you, I know Olympia has been on your mind lately. Our state legislature has recently wrapped the 2026 Regular Session, in which many important topics that affect all of our lives were discussed. I am lucky to know lots of people who were able to make the trip down there to advocate to our representatives over the past few months. Thank you to all of you who put in that kind of effort on behalf of our entire community!

But Olympia is more than just a government center. It is a vibrant, historic port city with exactly the kind of dynamism that brings out the edges of creativity in unique ways.

Coming up in a few weeks (April 24/25) is the Olympia Arts Walk, a biannual celebration that brings people across the arts landscape together in community. Arts organizations will be mounting exhibits and staging performances for all to enjoy. Anyone who is inspired by a thriving local art scene will enjoy being a part of this gathering and the serendipity that comes with it.

While you’re there, see what’s on at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, or the Olympia Film Society. The Olympia Farmers Market is one of my personal favorite spots, with a wide variety of local goods (artistic and culinary), a food court, and a lovely stage with local performers and plenty of seating to enjoy the show.

It’s easy to visit Olympia, explore the very walkable Creative District, catch a show, and find a local eatery (ideally something involving fresh, locally grown oysters).

While you’re there, take a minute to remind yourself about the seat of government power, and your annual role in it. Are you registered to vote?

LOCAL SPONSOR HIGHLIGHT

ASK A GRANT EXPERT

Dear Grant Expert,

When is grant season? I’d like to set aside time for grant proposals and am wondering what time of year grant cycles in the arts world are usually open?

-Time Is On My Side (Yes It Is)

There’s an awesome Lauryn Hill song called “Ex-Factor” from her 1998 magnum opus "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” that starts with the ever-so-relatable line: “It could all be so simple, but you’d rather make it hard.”

I think of this line a lot in grantwriting, and it’s the first thing that I hear when reading your question. Wouldn’t it be nice, if you could just look at your calendar and block off a month out of each year for grant proposals? Imagine that! Then the other months you could focus on YOUR ART and YOUR WORK.

But alas, this is not how philanthropy works. I always say that foundations and other grantmakers are just groups of people who have decided to make up arbitrary rules about how they want to give away their money. And about every 18 months, they change the rules.

It isn’t like college applications, which are for the most part arranged around the school year. And this isn’t like tax season, which is arranged around the calendar year.

This is, in all honesty, total randomness. So how do we make order out of the chaos?

Firstly, a spreadsheet comes in handy. Just a simple list, in chronological order, of grant opportunities and their deadlines. But don’t stop there. Set a fake deadline that is 30 days earlier than the real deadline, and then stick to it.

Because, things come up!

Power outages, illnesses, computer viruses, and so much more. I’ve seen this more than a few times. For the proposals that have a set timeline, you want to get them completed and off your desk so that you have space there for when the unpredictable, unforeseen opportunities show up.

Because, they will!

Secondly, it’s best to accept fundraising as a year-round activity. You always want to be a little bit on the lookout. This is how you’ll build your awareness and skills in grantseeking. Unless you plan on hiring an outside expert, it’s going to come down to your own gumption.

You may want to think about a weekly grants planning session, in which you reserve two hours every Monday to search for grant opportunities, plan their timelines, update your spreadsheet, and schedule separate work time for whichever ones you want to plan to go for. You may only need to do this bi-weekly or even monthly.

What it comes down to is this: if you truly want Time to be on your side, you have to wrangle Time a little bit and show Time who is really in charge of your destiny!

In Solidarity,

Ali

Have a question about fundraising? Submit it here.

ARTIST LISTINGS:

Did you know?

There are hard-working artists and makers all over the place who are trying to get your attention. We’re going to show you some.

Please visit our website to learn more about how to be included in this section!

MAKE MORE ART!

THERE ARE A LOT OF PUBLIC GRANTS OUT THERE

WANT TO SHOW YOUR ART?

Show Your Art is a unique and amazing resource for emerging artists. You won’t regret taking the time to explore their offerings, which now includes 200 artist-friendly venues in the second edition and also a brand new interactive map!

GET DISCOUNTS TO ART AND MUSIC CLASSES

We can now offer a 20% discount off of up to three classes per year at Happy Time Studio!

To be eligible, all you need to do is become a paid subscriber to the Open Studio Newsletter. The discount can be used at any in-house art class, and for the deposit for the 12-week music classes.

You may use this perk once per calendar year, or, if you subscribe for a full year, you can use it up to three times in a calendar year.

Upcoming classes where you could use the discount:

LOOKING FOR MORE EVENT CALENDARS?

BelRed Arts District - The ONLY arts-focused calendar for the Eastside! Take a look and add your events!

Visit Issaquah - Issaquah’s most comprehensive collection of goings-ons, arts and otherwise.

King County Libraries - So many types of free arts events all around the county! Our libraries are amazing.

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?

Upasana Dance Academy - Seeking visual artists, set designers, and prop builders for “Bhishma, The Eternal Vow,” a large-scale multicultural theatre production based on the Mahabharata.

The Original Theatre Black Dog - A professional quality nonprofit theatre company, performing on the Eastside and in Seattle for 40 years, the Original Theatre Black Dog is seeking volunteer Board members with skills in fundraising, marketing, accounting, bookkeeping, grant managing, writing and operations.

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