Last year, Created Commons—the community-curated celebrations held in Westwood, Delridge, Chinatown-International District, and Downtown Seattle—coordinated with the Welcome Back Initiatives, creating some highlights of 2021. In 2022, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) seeks to continue the celebration of community and safe outdoor gatherings through another series of community-driven Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition events that will be held in three neighborhoods, Lake City, Pioneer Square, and Chinatown-International District throughout the summer.
Chinatown-International District
The first Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition event will take place in Chinatown-International District from May 21 through June 4. Curated by Lourdez Velasco, Jaeeun Kim, Monyee Chau, So’le Celestial, and Roldy Aguero Ablao, CHinalek Festival is a two-week festival that was inspired by the Fino’ CHamoru word CHinalek (tee-now-lick), which means “flower” and also translates to “laughter.”
“We have collectively been through something we have never been through before with COVID-19. This festival will be a space where we can come together joyously to celebrate our communities, the Chinatown-International District neighborhood, and be immersed in an artistic curated space of workshops, performances, mural art and more.”
CHinalek
Community Workshops – 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at 619 S Jackson St, Seattle WA 98104:
- 5/21 – Nina Vichayapai: Felt flower flags/banners making workshop
- 5/22 – Guma Gela lei and flower garland making workshop
- 5/28 – Jourdan Imani Keith: PoeTREE, writing workshop
- 5/29 – Canoe Journey Herbalists’ medicine-making workshop
Community Festival – 6/4, 12 – 6 p.m. at Hing Hay Park:
- Workshop
- Temporary Art Installations
- Live Poetry and Poetry Takeaways
- Qi Gong and Movement Activities
- Resource Tabling
- Vendors
- Zine and Map Takeaway
Lake City
The second Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition event will be held in Lake City with Lake City Arts and Culture events, curated by Build Lake City Together and community curators Mark Mendez and Chris Leverson, who will be coordinating music and events within Lake City Parks. They will commission a new community mural and celebrate the opening of a new community arts and culture space.
The Lake City mural projects will address some areas and transform plain concrete into vibrant art that will deter graffiti, beautify the neighborhood, promote public safety, and highlight local businesses and nonprofit organizations. Community and neighborhood youth will be involved in the design and the painting of the murals to make it truly a community effort. The anticipated unveiling of the finished mural projects is at the end of July with a celebratory event to recognize the achievement. The music and events that are being planned will take the form of weekly live music and dance events with a strong emphasis on cultural sharing to reflect Lake City’s cultural diversity. These “Arts in the Parks’’ events will be held weekly throughout the summer starting in mid-July.
“The goal of these projects is to safely come together and celebrate arts and the community that make Lake City a unique and vibrant neighborhood.
Mark Mendez
Throughout the summer, Lake City’s parks will be invigorated through live music and dance while bringing the community together for fun and to celebrate the neighborhood’s cultural diversity.
Save the date for the following events:
- 7/14: Gansango African Music and Dance
- Lake City Farmers Market (12546 – 28th Ave NE)
- 7 – 8 p.m.
- 7/22: Panama Folklore Seattle
- Lake City Mini Park (12359 Lake City Way NE)
- 7 – 8 p.m.
- 7/28: Trío Guadalevín
- Lake City Farmers Market (12546 – 28th Ave NE)
- 7 – 8 p.m.
- 8/12: David Arteaga and The Paul Miranda Trio
- Lake City Mini Park (12359 Lake City Way NE)
- 7 – 8 p.m.
- 8/26: Indian Classical Dance with Mrs. Ekta Sandbhor Patil
- Lake City Mini Park (12359 Lake City Way NE)
- 7 – 8 p.m.
Pioneer Square
The third and final event will take place in Pioneer Square on August 6. Styled as MS PAM’S Block Party and curated by Tariqa Waters, it will be an 80s-themed event that will be held in Nord Alley, Occidental Mall, and surrounding areas. The event will feature DJs, musical acts, interactive art activities, and performances.
The event will be coordinated with the release of Thank you, MS PAM, a television show that explores and celebrates local food, fashion, arts, and entertainment with a focus on BIPOC business owners in Seattle neighborhoods.
Thank you, MS PAM is playing a bit of ‘connect the dots’ with Martyr Sauce’s connections to various community partnerships over the years. Bringing Pioneer Square to other hoods around Seattle.
Tariqa Waters, artist and Pioneer Square Created Commons Curator
Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition returns in 2022 with a block party in Pioneer Square, curated and programmed by Martyr Sauce!
Join us as we celebrate the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood with an 80s-themed block party featuring:
- Music and dance performances by Liv Warfield, Kisha Vaughan, Khari Cabral Simmons, Ryan Waters, and DJ9
- Interactive art activities and more!
Stay tuned for additional details and dates for each of these exciting Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition events!
About Created Commons:
Created Commons is an expansive multi-agency initiative that centers, engages, and employs artists, communities, and cultural workers to activate public space for community connections, interpersonal resonance, and resiliency. The program leverages multi-agency collaboration and the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s inclusive programming and activation models to support economic and community recovery. Created Commons builds on the momentum of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Stay Healthy Streets and Stay Healthy Blocks and the success of our Viaduct Arts Festival and ALL RISE programs to activate our City’s space in vibrant and creative ways in the Summer months of 2021 and 2022.
Created Commons: Neighborhood Edition is a program created by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. For more information, please contact us at arts.culture@seattle.gov.
