When Art and Tech Align
Xispa brings artists and technologists together in South Lake Union for residencies, experiments, and unexpected collaborations.
By Seattle Mag August 17, 2026
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2026 issue of Seattle magazine.
In June, the space that formerly housed MadArt Studio welcomed a new resident. Xispa (pronounced CHEE-spa), which means “spark” in Catalan, is an art innovation lab, residency, and exhibition space. Founded by curator Lele Barnett and technologist Doug Carmean, xispa is interested in the intersection of technology and art, and what happens when practitioners from each sector connect—and ignite that creative spark.
“When you look inside, it’ll feel like an artist studio, but also a tech innovation lab, maybe even a chemistry lab,” says Barnett, who is the space’s program director. “We operate at the intersection of two communities that don’t often cross paths: the Pacific Northwest arts community and Seattle’s tech workforce.” She and Carmean see the location in the heart of South Lake Union as uniquely positioned to encourage that cross-industry pollination. In addition to long-term artist residencies, xispa plans to support the development of artist-led technology and the formulation of tools to more broadly support artists and arts institutions, such as an AI-generated pocket critic.
“We want people to stop at our windows, look in with curiosity, and walk through the door,” Barnett says. “Inside, we want them to find something unexpected: a space that feels like it was waiting for them. A space where they can participate.”
Conversation Starter
What We Leave Behind by Samantha Yun Wall, Xispa’s first artist in residence.
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