Seattle Culture

Cornish Students Plan Sit-In to Protest Kerry Hall Sale

Organizers say the protest will be ‘peaceful’

By Rob Smith April 23, 2024

Spanish colonial style building with archways and tiled pillars, bright sunny day, site of a recent sit-in protest, residential area in background.

Students at Cornish College of the Arts are planning a sit-in in to “bring awareness” to the pending sale of historic Kerry Hall.

The event is set from noon to 3 p.m. Monday, April 29. Organizers say it will be “peaceful,” and it is open to the public.

Two weeks ago, officials at Seattle-based Cornish announced that they would sell the building, at 710 E. Roy St. In the Capitol Hill neighborhood, as they finish their decades-long unification of their campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Most Cornish classes are now held in the college’s Main Campus Center and other buildings in the Denny Way and Boren Avenue areas.

The 31,900-square-foot building includes classrooms, studios, rehearsal space, and a large performance venue. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The 103-year-old building was the home of Cornish founder Nellie Cornish, who launched the college in 1914 and ran it for 25 years. Kerry Hall is named after Nellie Cornish’s mother.

Sit-in organizers say, at the very least, that they would prefer that the building continue as a creative hub for up-and-coming artists.

“If the building cannot continue under Cornish, students hope it can continue as a creative space for emerging artists under the direction of someone who shares the same vision,” according to a press release. They say their biggest fear is “that the building will be sold for commercial use, wiping out the entire history and legacy of where Cornish began.”

Follow Us

Adrian Diaz Out As Seattle Police Chief

Adrian Diaz Out As Seattle Police Chief

Twenty-seven-year SPD veteran held the post for almost four years

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has reassigned Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. The move comes as the department faces several legal challenges. Diaz was officially named chief of police by Mayor Bruce Harrell in September 2022 after he had served as interim chief since the summer of 2020, replacing Carmen Best. Harrell said former King County…

The Scourge of Tipflation

The Scourge of Tipflation

When to tip, and how much is too much?

What do vape shops, self-serve frozen yogurt outlets, ticket counters at movie theaters, and merch tents at concerts have in common?

No Cap: This is Really Bussin

No Cap: This is Really Bussin

Confused by Gen Z slang? This handy guide can help.

Gen Z has cooked up a dialect that's practically foreign to the rest of the world, and you can thank TikTok for that. Since its debut...

Editor's Note: Persistence and Progress

Editor’s Note: Persistence and Progress

Women share their perspective on equity and equality

During a recent appearance on entrepreneur Rachel Horgan’s new podcast, The Weekly, she jokingly told me something that caught me completely off-guard...