Overview
Bumbershoot '83
Official Poster Artwork by Lucinda Parker
By 1983, Bumbershoot had become more than a cultural celebration; it was an economic engine.
What began in 1971 as a mayoral morale boost during the Boeing Depression had, by the early 1980s, evolved into one of Seattle Center’s most reliable revenue generators. The paid-admission model introduced in 1980 had stabilized the festival financially, and city officials began to openly acknowledge its success.
The festival demonstrated something significant: large-scale, arts-forward programming could be both experimental and economically viable.
Under the continued production of One Reel, Bumbershoot maintained its cross-disciplinary identity, music, dance, theater, film, literary arts, and participatory spectacles filling the campus over Labor Day weekend. But behind the scenes, its financial performance was increasingly important to Seattle Center and the City.
Bumbershoot 1983's line up included: Anli Sugano, Betty Carter, Bo Diddley, Bobbe Bare, Busboys, Charles Lloyd, Danny O’Keefe, Don Novello, “Father Guido Sarducci”, Ken Kesey, King Sunny Ade, Oingo Boingo, Ray Charles, Shadowfax, The Animals, Three Dog Night, Will Ackerman, Willie Dixon
