2026 Block Awards Celebration at Gage Academy
On May 15th AAF celebrates 52 Seattle public high school students: the 2026 recipients of the Robert J. Block Awards for Excellence in the Arts!
All of the arts community is welcome, but we extend an extra-special invite to these remarkable young artists, their art teachers, parents, and friends.
Free access to this event is made possible, in part, by a generous gift from the Kalman and Ida Wolens Foundation and grants from 4Culture, ArtsWA, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
May 15, 2026 | 6pm - 8pm
Gage Academy in South Lake Union (2107 Westlake Ave.)
Founded in 1998, the Block Awards recognize exceptional artists in Seattle's public high schools whose dedication to the arts distinguishes them within their school communities. Selected by teachers and counselors, these students represent a breadth of creative practices – from performance and writing to music and visual art – and reflect the vitality of arts education in Seattle.
Through this program, Allied Arts Foundation continues its commitment to elevating youth voices, supporting arts education, and recognizing that artistic expression and exploration are major contributors to student happiness and success. To date, more than 1,250 awards have helped launch the next generation of creative thinkers and leaders.
We look forward to gathering with you to celebrate this year’s honorees and the community that makes their work possible! This awards ceremony is free and open to the public, with live music and small bites.
Thank you also to the local arts champions who made in-kind donations to this award – Northwest Film Forum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and TeenTix – and to Gage Academy, our gracious hosts for the evening!