Art Beat » Events

Reminder: Cultural Space Brown Bag, May 3

Tamara Childress — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:38:09 +0000

Get updates on the city’s arts and cultural space initiatives at a brown-bag session, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes Room, 601 Fifth Ave. The event is hosted by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Seattle Arts Commission and is free and open to the public. Mayor Mike McGinn and Councilmember Nick Licata will give brief remarks. Click here to RSVP.

Hear findings and recommendations from last December’s two-day event Cultural Space Seattle, which focused on shaping policies to keep and create affordable space for artists and arts organizations in Seattle. Get updates on the Artist Space Assistance Program, a pilot program coordinated by Shunpike to provide relocation and placement services for artists and arts organizations; and Storefronts Seattle, a program for artists to create artwork for vacant storefronts.

The Office will also provide information on the new Cultural Facilities Program, awarding one-time funding for renovations and repairs of arts and cultural facilities. Applications will open in mid-May and are due June 20.

Performances celebrate water for Seattle Center’s ‘The Next Fifty,’ begin May 4

Tamara Childress — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:06:38 +0000

From rainwater traveling through Seattle’s sewer system to water’s healing power, we presents three performance artworks that illustrate how local artists are contributing to the discussion about our local waterways. The performances are part of several temporary artworks commissioned by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs that address environmental sustainability for The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair.

The performances run May 4 through May 27 at Seattle Center. See artwork descriptions below for details. All performances are free.

Stokley Towles, Stormwater: Life in the Gutter

Stokley Towles’ one-man performance Stormwater: Life in the Gutter reveals the world of urban rainfall and traces its travels from the clouds to the city’s streets, homes and businesses and the sewer lines below. Towles weaves interviews, observations and historical research together with images, props and humor to talk about runoff, offering a gutter’s eye view of Seattle’s drainage system and the people who
manage it.

The nearly one-hour performance will be at 7 p.m., Fridays, May 4, 11 and 18; and 1 p.m., Saturdays, May 5, 12 and 19 at the construction trailer at the north end of The Next Fifty Plaza, between Center House and the Experience Music Project. Performances will also be 6 p.m., Friday, May 25 and 1 p.m., Saturday, May 26 at SIFF Cinema.

Mandy Greer, Mater Matrix Mother and Medium Performance
Mandy Greer, choreographer Jessica Jobaris, performance artist Saskia Delores, harpist/composer Monica Schley, dancer Andrea Ives and video artist Rodrigo Valenzuela will create a multi-media performance by Greer’s artwork Mater Matrix Mother and Medium.

Beginning just before dusk, 7 p.m., May 5 and 6, the 45-minute performance will be a luminous exploration of the three states of water. Attendees should meet at Kobe Bell, south of Intiman Theatre; Key Arena, northwest corner, street level; or the Poetry Garden on the east side of Fisher Pavilion and look for a performer in a blue costume to join a procession to DuPen Fountain.

Greer’s crocheted artwork Mater Matrix Mother and Medium will be attached to trees and columns, creating a 250-foot “river” that sits seven to 15 feet off the ground. The evolving artwork will be on view through May 31 at DuPen Fountain and Alki Courtyard. Help create the artwork at one of several crochet workshops.

SJ Chiro, Britta Johnson, Susan Robb, Luke Sieczek and Rick Stevenson, Water Calling Short Films
In the Water Calling short films, five filmmakers tap into the flow of water and invite viewers to reflect on the preservation of our water resources—from drinking water through drainage. The short films vary in length and format—from a fairy-tale approach to sci-fi-like images to stop animation to a portrayal of water as a healing force.

The 70-minute presentation will run at 4 p.m., Saturday, May 5 and 4 p.m., Sunday, May 6 at Intiman Theatre; and at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 27 at SIFF Cinema.

Stormwater: Life in the Gutter is commissioned with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) 1% for Art funds and administered in partnership with 4Culture. Mater Matrix Mother and Medium is commissioned with SPU 1% for Art funds. The Water Calling short films are part of a series of temporary public artworks commissioned in 2009 with SPU 1% for Art funds.

Artworks for Seattle Center’s ‘The Next Fifty’ open tomorrow, Earth Day artists panel Sunday

Tamara Childress — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:34:19 +0000

Artists Adam Frank, Mandy Greer and Stacy Levy each will present temporary artworks that address environmental sustainability for The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1962 World’s Fair, opening tomorrow, April 21. Read more about their artworks here.

Hear the artists talk about their artworks at a panel discussion for The Next Fifty’s Earth Day Celebration, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, April 22, Seattle Center’s Center House, Conference Room H. Julie Parrett, landscape architect, Seattle Design Commissioner and member of the Seattle Arts Commission’s Public Art Advisory Committee, will moderate the panel.

RESCHEDULED: Artwork to open at King Street Station plaza May 3

Tamara Childress — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:40:01 +0000

The artist group Rebar has rescheduled the unveiling of their temporary installation Seattlight at King Street Station’s Jackson Plaza for First Thursday Art Walk, May 3. Stop by the station at 303 South Jackson St. and meet the artists as they light up the plaza, 8 to 9 p.m. (The artwork was originally scheduled to open April 20.)

Rebar’s Seattlight is a nighttime, interactive artwork designed to highlight the unseen pathways of pedestrian traffic through the plaza. The artwork lights up in response to the movements of people as they walk past and through the space.

Seattlight was commissioned to celebrate the new Jackson Plaza, created as part of the King Street Station restoration. The artwork will remain on view throughout 2012.

Parking is limited. The site is accessible by bus, light rail or bike.

For more information, contact Vaughn Bell, public art project manager, (206) 733-9960.

Cultural Space Brown Bag, May 3

Tamara Childress — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:10:45 +0000

The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Seattle Arts Commission present a brown-bag session to update the community on the city’s arts and cultural space initiatives, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, May 3. The event is at City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes Room, 601 Fifth Ave. and is free and open to the public. Mayor Mike McGinn and Councilmember Nick Licata will give brief remarks.

Hear findings and recommendations from last December’s two-day event Cultural Space Seattle, which focused on shaping policies to keep and create affordable space for artists and arts organizations in Seattle. Get updates on the Artist Space Assistance Program, a pilot program coordinated by Shunpike to provide relocation and placement services for artists and arts organizations; Storefronts Seattle, a program for artists to create artwork for vacant storefronts; and Square Feet Seattle, an online guide to acquiring cultural space.

Click here to RSVP.

Limited parking is available. The site is accessible by bus or bike.

For more information, contact Tamara Gill, (206) 733-9591.

Artist panel on sustainability at Seattle Center’s The Next Fifty, April 22

Tamara Childress — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:17:53 +0000

Artists Adam Frank, Mandy Greer and Stacy Levy will each present temporary artworks that address environmental sustainability for The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1962 World’s Fair. Hear the artists talk about their artworks at a panel discussion for The Next Fifty’s Earth Day Celebration, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, April 22, Seattle Center’s Center House, Conference Room H.

Julie Parret, landscape architect, Seattle Design Commissioner and member of the Seattle Arts Commission’s Public Art Advisory Committee, will moderate the panel.

Frank’s CURRENT is a real-time map of Seattle’s hydroelectric generation and energy use. The approximately 45-foot-wide by 30-foot-tall mural will be projected directly on the interior north face of Seattle Center’s Center House, April 21 through June 4.

Greer will create the 250-foot crocheted artwork Mater Matrix Mother and Medium and attach it to trees and columns, creating a “river” that sits seven to 15 feet off the ground. The evolving artwork will be on view April 21 through May 31 at Seattle Center’s DuPen Fountain and Alki Courtyard.

Levy’s Straw Garden: from Wattle to Watershed will be composed of wattles—tightly wrapped straw and coir cylinders and mats that aid in re-vegetation and erosion control—arranged in formal garden formations. The sculpture will morph into patterns that resemble water as it moves across the landscape. The artwork will change throughout The Next Fifty, April 21 through Oct. 21, at Seattle Center’s Broad Street Green.

Read more about these artworks and other artworks/performances at The Next Fifty here.

Limited parking is available in Seattle Center area pay lots. The site is accessible by bus or bike.

Frank’s Current is commissioned with Seattle City Light 1% for Art funds. Greer’s Mater Matrix Mother and Medium and Levy’s Straw Garden: from Wattle to Watershed are commissioned with Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art funds.

Image: Mandy Greer, Mater Matrix Mother and Medium, 2009, fiber. Located at Camp Long in West Seattle. Photo by the artist.

Check out our April eNews

Tamara Childress — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:09:46 +0000

Our director Vincent Kitch celebrates 50 years of arts in Seattle and The Next Fifty. We’re seeking artists to create temporary art installations along Greenwood Avenue North and the Central Waterfront. We’re also seeking an artist to develop artwork for the Lower Mapes Creek Restoration Project in Rainier Beach. We’re opening a new Cultural Facilities Program to award one-time funding for urgent-need capital projects. We present six temporary artworks that illustrate environmental sustainability for the 50th anniversary of the World’s Fair. The artist group Rebar lights up King Street Station’s new Jackson Plaza. Get an update on the city’s arts and cultural space development initiatives at a brown-bag session. And learn about potential risks in the art studio at a free workshop.

Read these stories and more here.

Image: Adam Frank’s CURRENT is a living map of Seattle’s hydro-electric generation and electricity use. One of six temporary artworks and performances that celebrate The Next Fifty, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair at Seattle Center. Photo by the artist.

Nominations for 2012 Mayor’s Arts Awards due April 17

Tamara Childress — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:18:07 +0000

Know an individual or organization making a difference in Seattle through arts and culture? Nominate them for a 2012 Mayor’s Arts Award. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 17.

This year we will celebrate the 10th annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. The awards recognize the accomplishments of artists, arts and cultural organizations and community members committed to enriching their communities through the arts.

The Seattle Arts Commission will review public nominations and recommend recipients to the mayor for final selection. The awards, which are non-monetary, are presented annually.

McGinn will honor recipients of the 2012 Mayor’s Arts Awards at a public ceremony at Seattle Center, noon, Friday, Aug. 31. He will also open the Bumbershoot Visual Arts Exhibits for a free public preview that day.

The awards are presented in partnership with Bumbershoot®: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival and media sponsor City Arts magazine.

Go here for a list of previous recipients of the Mayor’s Arts Award.

SAM hosts talk on the future of public space, March 15

Tamara Childress — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:54:21 +0000

Who is the “public” in public space? How can public spaces become more sustainable? Do public spaces need to accommodate protest? Seattle Art Museum (SAM) will host a panel discussion on the future of public space, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Thursday, March 15, at Olympic Sculpture Park’s PACCAR Pavilion.

The panel will discuss the recent article “The Future of Public Space: Evolution and Revolution“, featured on the American Society of Landscape Architects’ blog The Dirt, and an international design ideas competition about public space launched by Seattle Center and AIA Seattle.

Panelists are Margaret O’Mara, historian with the Department of History, University of Washington; Julie Parrett, landscape architect; and Michael Seiwerath, executive director of Capitol Hill Housing Foundation and a Seattle Arts Commissioner. Marcie Sillman of KUOW 94.9 FM will moderate the panel.

The discussion is part of SAM’s Art and Environment series. The event is presented in close collaboration with AIA Seattle, Seattle Center, and the University of Washington College of Built Environments, and is sponsored by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.

Light refreshments will be served. The event is free but registration is required. RSVP here.

Help shape K-12 arts plan at community meetings beginning March 13

Tamara Childress — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:45:26 +0000

Help shape a K-12 visual and performing arts plan for Seattle Public Schools! The school district, the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and community arts organizations are partnering to create an arts plan focused on increasing quality arts education access for all K-12 students. To get input from the community, the city and district are hosting a series of five community meetings in March.

Families, students, teachers, artists, arts administrators and supporters of an equitable and well-rounded education for all are encouraged to attend. Join in the discussion about arts education, creative learning and student success. Provide input and help create the arts plan.

The first meeting is 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 13 at Ballard High School, 1418 N.W. 65th St. For the complete schedule, go here.

Children are welcome. Free supervised arts activities and snacks for school-aged children will be provided at the first four meetings. Space is limited; RSVP is required.

RSVP for a community meeting here: arts-ed.eventbright.com

We are also seeking people to help facilitate discussions and take notes at the first four meetings. If interested, please contact Irene Gomez, (206) 684-7310, by March 15.