Date Posted: 04.30.2026
The relationship between art and the built environment is deeply intertwined. Art inspires our work as designers and enriches our communities. By integrating art into our multidisciplinary design practice, we increase our capacity to create beautiful, culturally relevant and wonderful places to live, learn, work and connect. It’s also a lot of fun.
J DON BOWMAN SCHOLARSHIP
The J Don Bowman Scholarship at Mithun, established in 1995, promotes continuing education and exploration in design and the arts. Awards are granted annually to select team members to pursue artistic enrichment classes or activities, which have ranged from filmmaking to wood carving, furniture design to watercolor painting, and more.
The scholarship was inspired by J Don’s contributions as a design leader and mentor at Mithun (1961 – 1996). J Don was known as a special soul, highly creative, a great listener and sensitive to the emotional journey one goes through when searching for and struggling for design excellence. Every year we honor his legacy with creative explorations in a wide range of fields that serve to inspire and enrich individual and firm creativity.
Recipients have nine months to use the funds and share their experience with colleagues at a monthly staff meeting, or during a lunchtime or happy hour event.
COLAB DESIGN INITIATIVE
Introduced in 2024, this internal design installation call for entries aims to showcase the talent and creativity of Mithun’s team members. The initiative is run by the coLAB team and invites proposals that beautify or transform underutilized spaces within our three offices.
Interested participants in 2025 were tasked with the ideation and execution of a design that would creatively fill a blank wall on Pier 56. Jason Yan spearheaded a collaborative woodworking project that applies the Japanese technique of kumiko and is titled “Mithumiko.” The sculpture’s geometric framework is upheld purely through pressure-fitted joinery, without any nails or adhesive. Inspired by Mithun’s culture of collaborative, non-hierarchal design, the project relies on the collective strength of every piece to uphold its structural integrity. Every Mithun office location received jigs, tools and sections of the sculpture to maximize internal participation with sawing and assembly.
ART EXHIBITS
Mithun hosts two art galleries, within the Seattle and San Francisco offices, to provide a venue for emerging and established artists in our local communities.
Threshold Gallery was established by Mithun in 2008 to connect people with art, artists and the built environment, as well as to inspire and drive our work as designers. The gallery is located within our Seattle office at Pier 56, and is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Receptions for each exhibit are aligned with citywide First-Thursdays artwalks.
Bridge Gallery opened in 2026. The gallery is located within our San Francisco office, and welcomes the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The inaugural exhibit showcased the diversity of artistic mediums explored by employees and their family members.
