Electric SEA

Please join us for Electric SEA 2026, an arts-oriented hackathon—part creative retreat, part pop-up lab, part public art salon—bringing together artists, technologists, designers, makers, and creative researchers from across the Pacific Northwest.

Thursday is dedicated to preliminary lab and project installation.

Friday and Saturday, the hackathon includes workshops, meetups, an open pop-up lab with specialized resources, and breakout sessions optimized for deep collaboration, experimentation, and community-building.

Saturday evening, the hackathon culminates in a free, public showcase and celebratory reception that gives hackathon participants the opportunity to share their work and creative process with a larger audience, while offering the broader community visibility into this vibrant art and technology ecosystem.

Sunday will include a wrap-up debriefing session and takedown.

More About the Arts and Tech Theme

Hackathon participants are invited to bring interdisciplinary, art- and design-driven projects that engage a wide range of creative technologies and practices, including creative code, interactive installation, data visualization, light-based projection, sound art, light art, wearables, performance-based and kinetic works, physical computing, generative systems, vibe coding, mixed reality, Internet of Things, ethical AI tools, and other emerging hybrid practices. In the spirit of hackathons, the emphasis is on experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, shared problem-solving, and learning by doing.

Location at 110 Union St, downtown Seattle

Electric SEA will take over multiple floors of the PublicDisplay.Art and ArtLove Salon downtown Seattle event space, creating a fluid, open environment for experimentation, collaboration, and public engagement. Electric SEA will utilize PublicDisplay.Art’s offices as a pop-up maker lab, with the ArtLove Salon event space—located one floor above—hosting breakout sessions, the exhibition, and closing celebration.

Event details, including the schedule, workshops, microgrants, and how to participate, are available at .

Event Schedule Overview:

• Thursday, March 26: lab setup and preliminary project installation
• Friday–Saturday, March 27–28: Hackathon, workshops, and collaborative sprints
• Saturday evening, March 28: Public showcase exhibition and reception
• Sunday, March 29: Debrief and takedown

Registration

Thanks to the support of 4Culture, ArtsFund, the Conru Foundation, Passable Art, and generous contributions of time and expertise from organizers and volunteers, Electric SEA will be free to attend. However, space is limited so registration is required.

This event is designed primarily for adults, but avid youth under 18 may join if accompanied by a parent or guardian. The reception on Saturday includes an under 21 preview 6:30pm to 7:30pm, but is 21+ after 7:30pm when the bar opens.

Third Place Technologies is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with the mission to support the interdisciplinary community in the PNW at the intersection of arts and technology through collaborative spaces, exhibition opportunities, networking events, and life-long learning opportunities.

PublicDisplay.Art is also a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a thriving creative community in the Northwest through arts journalism, exhibitions, and civic engagement.

Third Place Technologies and PublicDisplay.Art previously collaborated on Seattle: City of the Future (2023), and share a commitment to art as a public good.

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Host or Publisher Shelly Farnham