See artwork by members of the Columbia City Gallery in the exhibition Columbia City Gallery Artists Step Out, on view at City Hall through July 2.

The Columbia City Gallery is an artists’ cooperative in Southeast Seattle that brings together emerging and professional artists working in diverse media. The exhibition features 70 artworks by 22 artists working in a wide range of media and styles, including representational and abstract painting, mixed media, sculpture, glass, ceramics and enamel.

See Lori Duckstein’s Simple (2010), an acrylic rendering of a bird seemingly longing for its nest. Enjoy Cha Davis’ whimsical royally crowned rooster Easter Snow Queen (2011) in acrylic, beads, embroidery and silk on paper.

Artists included in the exhibition are Jacqui Beck, Dianne Bradley, Cha Davis, Mark Ditzler, Lori Duckstein, Eric Edgerton, Drew Forsell, Kate Harkins, Carol Hershman, Ellen Hochberg, Lin Holley, Lita Kenyon, Shari Kaufman, Michael Lowe, Jim Madara, Elinor Maroney, Annie Moorehouse, Matt Murray, Sarah Parent, Joan Robbins, Hannah Voss and Olivia Zapata.

In 1999, a group of 20 artists founded the Columbia City Gallery, the first art gallery and the only nonprofit artists’ cooperative in Southeast Seattle. The gallery showcases the work of its members as well as that of local guest artists who present themed exhibitions with social and cultural relevance to the community.

Columbia City Gallery Artists Step Out is on view in the City Hall Lobby Gallery and Anne Focke Gallery (located on the L-2 level of City Hall), 600 Fourth Ave. Gallery hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.             

Image: Jacqui Beck, The Birds & Me, 2011, acrylic & mixed media, 24″ x 18″. Photo courtesy of the artist.

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Image: Film still from Waterway by Britta Johnson, a stop-animation film about naturally filtering and cleaning water. The film is part of several temporary artworks 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.

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, 7 p.m., May 5 and 6, at Seattle Center’s DuPen Fountain and Alki Courtyard.The 45-minute performance, beginning just before dusk, 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. Watch this video on the project.

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 begins 4 p.m., May 5, at Intiman Theatre. Go here for the complete schedule and locations.

The installation is part of The Next Fifty Sustainable Futures celebration and will be found near The Next Fifty Plaza and Harrison Street entrance. So hop on your bike, check out the great events at the Seattle Center and take advantage of The Parking Squid.

Images: Susan Robb, The Parking Squid concept illustration; The Parking Squid under construction.

Learn about harmful chemicals, including toxic solvents and heavy metals, found in many art disciplines. Get an overview of toxicology and learn preventative steps to keep chemicals out of your body. Find out how to dispose of hazardous art supplies safely and inexpensively. Dave Waddell, Art Chemical Hazards Project coordinator with the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, will lead the workshop.

The workshop will include a Q&A session. Light refreshments will be provided.

The workshop is free and open to the public, but space is limited. To attend, RSVP to Tiffany Hedrick, public art conservation technician, (206) 615-1879.

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.

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.