Katherine Nyborg, known as Kath to her friends and colleagues, met her future husband for a dance at Seattle Center when they were in college at Seattle Pacific University. On-campus dances were forbidden, and so the college students organized so-called “functions” at the Center instead. They met in the Snoqualmie Room, now the home of […]

I Am Seattle Center JEFFREY COOK is a local designer and theatrical artisan.  He can often be found working at Seattle Children’s Theatre, but this time of year, you’ll see his mastery at Seattle Center Winterfest, our seasonal celebration kicking off this week. Jeffrey designed all the décor. “Design should be something that influences people […]

LAURIE METZINGER started working at Seattle Center as a scenic artist for Pacific Northwest Ballet. From there, she began working on Winterfest Train & Village, where she has served as installation lead and decorator since 1988. “I’m turning the reins over this coming year to a woman named Colleen Gwen, who’s been working with me […]

ANDREW STEEN, Technical Coordinator at Seattle Center Productions.  Andrew is most often seen working behind the scenes to make sure events like Concerts at the Mural, Winterfest, and Festál cultural festivals happen smoothly and successfully from an operations and technical standpoint. “One of the things that attracted me to this position was a way to […]

PETE RUSH, Arts Programs Manager, Seattle Center Productions.  Pete coordinates many signature programs like KConcerts and Movies at the Mural, Best Damn Happy Hour, and Seattle Center Winterfest.  A favorite part of his job involves booking artists. “I am an artist in my own right. I freelance as a designer—I design costumes and scenery for […]

JEFFREY PARRISH, DDS, serves as the Dental Director for Seattle/King County Clinic, a 4-day free health clinic at KeyArena for those who need help accessing care.  Here he speaks about the value of the clinic in this region. “Haiti is a very poor country; it doesn’t have a lot of infrastructure, so in terms of […]

I Am Seattle Center MARIKA YAPLEE, is a student at Seattle University and is heavily involved in their athletics department, including the SU men’s basketball team, which plays in KeyArena at Seattle Center. Here, Marika speaks about the balance of school and sports “In almost every class, in every major, there’s going to be an athlete. And they […]

TOM HENNING worked in broadcasting and advertising, before retiring and becoming an usher at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall ten years ago. When he was a boy, he took the train with his grandmother to see operas at the Met. “The everyday job is working at an aisle, and helping people find their seats, […]

ELLEN NORTON, Seattle Center Armory Manager.  Ellen oversees the operations, maintenance and daily use of the historical Armory building. “I walked into the building one day, and I was walking next to a woman who looked like a tourist. She came in through the doors, and right when she got into the open area of […]

MARVIN WALKER is a “resident” at Seattle Center.  He spends much of his day inside the Armory, where he is recognized by staff and patrons alike. “There was at particular time when I first started coming here where you could do what you needed to do and be by yourself for the most part. So […]