Cynthia Brothers

Cynthia Brothers (she/her) is the founder of Vanishing Seattle, a media movement that documents and celebrates the disappearing institutions, small businesses, and cultures of Seattle. Vanishing Seattle has received coverage in publications including the Seattle Times, New York Times, KUOW, Crosscut, and King 5 TV. The award-winning Vanishing Seattle film series – made in partnership with local filmmakers – has screened at Local Sightings Film Festival, Seattle Black Film Festival, Seattle Asian American Film Festival, Scope Screenings, Alaska Airlines in-flight, and more. Cynthia has written for publications including Real Change and The Seattle Globalist, spoken on panels hosted by organizations like MOHAI and Converge Media, and collaborated/performed with Collide-O-Scope, Joketellers Union, and My Comedian Teacher. She was the curator of the Vanishing Seattle exhibit for Forest For The Trees 2023 at RailSpur and of the “We Were Here” exhibit at The Here-After at The Crocodile. Cynthia released her first book, “Signs of Vanishing Seattle” in 2024, published by Tome Press. She was named one of “Seattle’s Most Influential” in Seattle Magazine in 2023 and 2018, and Seattle Met’s “Best of the City” in 2021. Cynthia is a founding member of the anti-displacement organizing group Chinatown-International District (CID) Coalition, aka #HumbowsNotHotels. She will readily admit to local clichés like playing in bands and once making espresso for a living – and is a proud alumna of the high school where Bruce Lee first demonstrated his famous “one-inch punch.”