Message From Our President

Happy 100 years, JLS!

It is truly an incredible milestone that few organizations reach, and I thank all the generations of members who have contributed to this legacy. It is my great honor to continue service to the Junior League of Seattle alongside our Executive Vice President, Latrice Lee, during our Centennial year.

This is a celebratory year, and the Centennial task force has worked hard to showcase how JLS has remained a catalyst for change in the Seattle community over the past 100 years. Please mark your calendars for the following events:

Select pieces from the Northwest Art collection will be on view at Cascadia Art Museum from July 27 through September 24.
On September 14, we are hosting a member night at Cascadia to celebrate the illustrious legacy of Northwest Art.
September 19 is our September General Meeting.
The Centennial Gala will take place on November 4 at the Fairmont Olympic.
Member favorite, December General Meeting, will be announced soon.
The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) will feature an exhibit celebrating 100 years of JLS from February through April 2024.

This is such an incredible line-up, and those are just our large events! We hope to share many opportunities for connection and service throughout the year.

In partnership with HistoryIT, we are also currently working on a digital museum that will show the incredible history of our League through film reels from the 1940s, oral histories, and photographs dating all the way back to the 1920s. Look for that to launch in the fall.

I’m so excited for all of us to come together during this time. While this is a time for us to be joyful and to connect, we need to reflect on and be inspired by our history so that we can chart our course for the next century.

To that end, I am elated that our outgoing Board of Directors, in conjunction with incoming leaders, made the decision to change our focus area from Early Childhood Literacy to Arts Education. The renewed focus on the League’s Northwest Art program is an intentional expansion. Our members will have the opportunity to bring art and community to long-time partners such as Mary’s Place as well as new partnerships with Path with Art and local senior centers.

Additionally, this is a chance for us to refine our League’s advocacy strategy, as only 60% of high school students in Washington State receive arts education despite it being a graduation requirement. As part of our Centennial fundraising goals, we are looking to secure art for an unfinished 11th crate. The crate is tentatively titled, Art as a Catalyst for Change, and could be a great fit for traveling to underserved high schools.

When JLS members see a need in the community, they rise to the occasion. I cannot wait to see the creative ideas we as the JLS community come up with around our new focus.

Whether you’re a brand new member or you’ve been a Sustainer for many years, we want to see you! You are a valued member of this organization and always welcome at all events. Please come to our General Meetings. Come to our service shifts. Come to our trainings. And please bring your friends and family! JLS is nothing without our community.

This is going to be a year to remember, and I thank you for your continued membership.

Yours in service,

Jen Siems
President, 2023-2024
President@jrleagueseattle.org