Arts & Culture

The Artist-in-Residence program stimulates cultural vibrancy in the parks of Downtown Redmond and challenges residents to become an active participant in civic life and cultural advocacy.

Meet our 2020-2021 Artist-In-Residence

Xaviera Vandermay

Our new Artist-in-Residence Xaviera Vandermay is Director and Principal Choreographer of 3rd Shift Dance, a professional contemporary jazz dance company based in Seattle, WA and currently in residence at YAW Theater with summer projects including a music video project with Whitney Mongé  and back-up dancing for a reunited Flymoon Royalty. 

More information about her work can be found on the 3rd Shift Dance Facebook page.

 Opens a New Window. Meet Our Poet Laureate

Raul Sánchez

The City of Redmond is proud to announce the 2019-2021 Poet Laureate, Raul Sánchez. 

Established in 2008, the Poet Laureate program produces a variety of programming and community engagement opportunities offered to Redmond residents and visitors. The Redmond Poet Laureate Program builds a more literate and understanding community through poetry and the literary arts by broadening awareness of poetry and expressing the spirit of Redmond culture through poetry. 

Our new Poet Laureate, Raul Sánchez immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1979 and has been living in the region since the mid-1990’s. His poems have been published in many print and on-line publications and his first book was nominated for the 2013 Washington State Book Award for Poetry. In addition, he teaches poetry through Seattle Arts & Lectures Writers in the Schools program, PONGO Teen Writing, and Yakima Community College. 

Mr. Sánchez penned this special poem as a gift to the City of Redmond, enjoy reading it here. 

The Poet Laureate program was established by ordinance 2444 to produce a variety or programming and community engagement opportunities for Redmond residents and visitors.

Past Poet Laureates

Learn about Past Poet Laureate

City of Redmond Poet Laureate Reunion   

Raul Sanchez, current City of Redmond Poet Laureate, will bring together for the first time all of our former City of Redmond Poet Laureates whose work and presence in the city have left a lasting impression. They are: Rebecca Woods Meredith, Michael Dylan Welch, Jeannine Hall Gailey, Shin Yu Pai, and Melanie Noel. We will share a variety of poetic styles on the webinar event scheduled for Thursday March 25 ^th from 3pm-4:30pm. Register here..

City of Redmond offers a collection of fine art classes, dedicated to providing high-quality, fine art instruction, through our Redmond Arts Studio program. Please visit our activities page for more information.