The State Board of Education sets general requirements of public school curricula, which are administered by an elected superintendent of public instruction and more than 300 district school boards. Attendance is required for children aged 8 through 16. Higher education is predominantly a state function, the largest institution being the University of Washington in Seattle (1861), with branch campuses at Bothell and Tacoma. Washington State University at Pullman was founded in 1890 as a land-grant college for agricultural and mechanical arts; it has branch campuses at Spokane, Vancouver, and Richland. Three state colleges—at Bellingham (1893), Ellensburg (1890), and Cheney (1889)—evolved from small teacher-training institutions to university status, becoming Western Washington University, Central Washington University, and Eastern Washington University, respectively, in 1977. Evergreen State College at Olympia was added to the state system in 1971. A system of community colleges was combined under state administration in 1967 and now numbers more than 30 institutions. The state is also home to many private institutions, several of which are denominational. They include Whitman College (1882) in Walla Walla, the University of Puget Sound (1888) in Tacoma, Gonzaga University (1887) in Spokane, and Seattle University (1891).
Cultural life
Washington combines elements of Native American cultures, the Old West heritage, and technological sophistication to create a unique culture of its own. For decades Native Americans from Washington have been the subjects of considerable ethnographic study (not least the work in the 1940s of the then-teenaged Harry Smith, who would become better known as an experimental filmmaker and the compiler of the Anthology of American Folk Music [1952]). Native American artists, writers, and filmmakers from the state have gained international recognition. Archaeologists and historians have documented the Native American past by preserving numerous archaeological sites.
The arrival of European settlers in the 19th century not only transformed the cultural landscape of Washington but also introduced new social patterns. Contemporary outdoor events usually are based on local history or economic pursuits. Rodeos (mainly in eastern Washington) and small festivals honouring the pioneer past help keep the sense of local history alive. Agricultural fairs, ethnic festivals, blossom festivals, and parades exhibit products and skills. The annual Seafair, held in Seattle each July, features parades, hydroplane races, and air shows. Contributions to the cultural scene are celebrated in such annual fairs as Seattle’s Bumbershoot art and music fair (held during Labor Day weekend) and the Sasquatch! Music Festival (held during Memorial Day weekend at an outdoor amphitheatre alongside the Columbia River in eastern Washington).
The arts
Among the notable local visual artists native to or associated with the state are sculptor Dale Chihuly and painters Jacob Lawrence and Chuck Close. Chihuly’s glass sculptures are featured at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. Writers who have been part of Washington’s literary culture include Tom Robbins, Frank Herbert, Raymond Carver, Sherman Alexie, Dan Savage, Robert Sund, Charles R. Johnson, Ivan Doig, Richard Hugo, Ursula Hegi, and comic artist Lynda Barry.
Washington’s contributions to popular music are extensive. Tacoma native Bing Crosby, who set the bar for American crooners, began his musical career while a college student in Spokane. Rhythm-and-blues great Ray Charles, though originally from Georgia, came into his own as a performer while living in Seattle during the early 1950s, when his collaborators included Washingtonian Quincy Jones. The seminal rock-instrumental group the Ventures formed in 1958 in Seattle, which was also the birthplace of iconic rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix. In the 1970s and ’80s Seattle hard rockers Heart had a string of hits, and blues-rock guitarist Robert Cray, from Tacoma, began forging his considerable reputation. The state’s biggest musical claim to fame, however, may well be the grunge scene that thrived in Seattle in the 1990s, at the pinnacle of which were the bands Nirvana (originally from Aberdeen, Washington), Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, most of whom, at least initially, recorded for the pioneering local independent label Sub Pop. Another important musical movement with roots in punk rock, the aggressively feminist riot grrrl movement, took shape in Olympia in the 1990s, springing up around the Kill Rock Stars label and led by groups such as Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, and Bratmobile. In the 21st century, Washington has continued to produce popular and influential artists such as Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. The legacy of these and other Washington musicians was celebrated in the Experience Music Project (2000), the architecturally innovative Seattle museum designed by Frank Gehry. (The focus of the museum subsequently expanded, and it was renamed the Museum of Pop Culture in 2016.)