
pioneer square >>> belltown
// september 20, 2025 // 12:00
>>> 6:00 pm
// september 20, 2025 // 12:00 >>> 6:00 pm
meet the team
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kira burge (she/her)
Kira is an art consultant and event producer with a 20-year history creating iconic art experiences for local and global audiences. She led the Seattle Art Fair for Paul Allen from 2014 to 2020, establishing 50+ community partnerships, producing 75+ art projects, and 50+ artist talks. Kira works with Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits, including Starbucks, Microsoft, The Museum of Flight, and Shunpike, to plan and grow art initiatives that reach millions.
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steven severin (he/him)
Steven wears many hats. He is co-owner of Neumos, Barboza, The Runaway, and Life On Mars, all on Capitol Hill. For the past thirty-some years, he has produced and promoted live shows, from small 100-person rooms to taking the helm to bring back a re-imagined Bumbershoot that gathered 40,000 of his closest friends at Seattle Center.
Another hat he has worn intertwines politics and art. Steven was a member of the Mayor’s original Music Advisory Board and was a founding member of the Seattle Nightlife and Music Association. Since the pandemic started, he founded WA Nightlife and Music Association and began raising $ to help venues keep their doors open through Keep Music Live. At the same time, Steven started working with NIVA as a Precinct Captain, helping pass the Save Our Stages ACT in Congress, which raised 16 billion dollars to help keep independent venues, festivals, museums, and movie theaters open.
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alice gosti (she/her)
Alice is an Italian-American immigrant choreographer, hybrid performance artist, and curator based in Seattle. Her multidisciplinary approach combines dance, installation art, wearable art, sound, poetry, and digital platforms to craft experiences that invite audience interaction. Alice has received numerous accolades, including the Princess Grace Choreography Honoraria Award in 2021 for her commitment to dance and centering immigrant narratives. She has also been honored with the Vilcek Creative Promise in Dance Award (2012), the ImPulsTanz danceWEB scholarship (2012), Italian Council (2018) and the National Dance Project (2017). She often works under the name MALACARNE.
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philippe hyojung kim (he/they)
Philippe is a Seattle-based artist and curator who grew up in Nashville. He is a co-founder/curator of Specialist, an experimental art gallery in downtown Seattle, and a current member of SOIL Artist-Run Gallery. He exhibits his own work widely, and he is an Associate Professor of Art at Cornish and teaches art and design courses at Seattle Central along with IVA program at University of Washington. He currently serves as one of the curators for Washington State Arts Commission (ARTSWA) and as a board member of King County Public Art Advisory Board at 4Culture.
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meli darby (she/her)
Meli is a Seattle-born event producer and talent buyer with over two decades of experience in the entertainment and events industry. Meli founded ReignCity Presents, promoting concerts for national acts like Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang, Ella Mai, Kehlani, and Little Dragon. She played a key role as lead programming curator for Paul Allen's Upstream Music Festival & Summit in 2017-18. Currently, she serves as the Treasurer on the board of The Residency, a non-profit organization supporting young aspiring musicians and industry professionals, and produces executive programs and events at Slalom.
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olivia neal howell (she/her)
Olivia is a Seattle-based entrepreneur and creative professional with a rich background in art, design, and community building. After a two-decade career in corporate apparel design, she founded The Olivia Neal Experience, Inc. (T.O.N.E.), a design studio and talent agency that offers services in design, marketing, production, sourcing, and experiential events. Her mission is to "CONNECT + CREATE," bringing together talent, creatives, and art enthusiasts to craft unique and memorable experiences.
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jennie kovalcik (she/her)
jennie has a decade of experience in placemaking and community development. Dedicated to amplifying arts and culture in urban contexts, she specializes in community-driven connections, focusing on the relationship between the creative sector and civic leadership. With her extensive experience working with business improvement districts nationwide, she has successfully implemented innovative program strategies that drive long-lasting change in the public realm.