Media Contact:

Michael Wallenfels

Communications Manager

ArtsWA/The Washington State Arts Commission

PO Box 42675 Olympia, WA 98504

michael.wallenfels@arts.wa.gov

360-252-9831

Downtown Soap Lake, Washington. Photo courtesy of the Soap Lake Creative District.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 20, 2025

Washington Certifies Soap Lake as

State’s Newest Creative District

Central Washington city joins Moses Lake, Edmonds, and other Creative Districts statewide

OLYMPIA, WA – Following a unanimous vote by the ArtsWA Board of Commissioners on February 4, Soap Lake is now Washington’s newest Certified Creative District. It becomes the twentieth community statewide to earn this coveted designation, which spotlights and supports Washington’s hubs of innovation and creativity.

Celebrated for the mineral-rich waters that give the town its name, Soap Lake is home to over 1,700 residents. Masquers Theater, one of the oldest community theaters in Washington State, is located in the center of the newly certified Creative District.

The Soap Lake Creative District planning team shared a statement about their certification:

Creative District certification presents a significant opportunity for Soap Lake and will provide a structured framework for enhancing this community’s reputation while strengthening our best attributes. This region is a geological wonder with an exceptional ability to surprise and inspire, and its unique history and reputation as a healing destination has long attracted creative, theatrical, and distinctive individuals to explore and settle within this "Cure for the Ordinary." The quirky coalition of artists, community organizations, and business owners who have been collaboratively planning for this certification are thrilled to start the development of our Creative District.

Soap Lake Centennial celebration, Summer 2019. Photo courtesy of the Soap Lake Creative District.

Soap Lake joins a diverse roster of Washington cities that includes Seattle’s bustling Rainier Valley neighborhood and the growing eastside town of Chewelah. The Creative Districts program received the Innovation in Economic Development Award from the Washington Economic Development Association (WEDA) in 2019.

ArtsWA sees Creative Districts as integral to the larger creative economy, which includes professions as far-ranging as software developers and tattoo artists. Together, these industries are one of the state’s most powerful economic engines—the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the creative sector generated over ten percent of Washington’s GDP in 2020.

“The creative economy is one of Washington’s largest economic sectors, and it continues to grow each year,” said Annette Roth, who managed the Creative Districts program at the time of Soap Lake's application. “The Creative Districts program helps ensure that all regions of Washington State can participate in this sector and have access to the culture and prosperity it brings.”

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About ArtsWA

ArtsWA is the Washington State Arts Commission, a state government agency established in 1961. ArtsWA works to be a catalyst for the arts, advancing the role of the arts in the lives of individuals and communities throughout the state. Programs include Art in Public Places, Arts in Education, Grants to Organizations, and other special projects. For more information, visit arts.wa.gov.

About Creative Districts

The award-winning Creative Districts program works to grow the creative sector by helping communities turn cultural activities into economic growth. In March 2019, ArtsWA received the Innovation in Economic Development Award from WEDA. The award is for programs that significantly improve a community’s ability to attract and keep investment. For more information, visit arts.wa.gov/creative-districts

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