Temporary Outdoor Art Exhibition FLOW 2020: temporary and site-specific artworks

July 14, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has commissioned local emerging artists to develop new temporary art installations for four locations in north Seattle. The project features four site locations in Wallingford, Fremont and Ballard that make use of temporary construction walls and fences as part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

Beginning this summer, artwork by a variety of artists will begin to appear. Grab your bike or walking shoes and visit all four locations to see some artwork that inspires. The artworks can be viewed from sidewalks and streets near the Ship Canal, and especially from the Burke-Gilman trail.

*Chaac* by Angie Hinojos Yusuf and Carlos Jimenez

Ballard – 24^th Ave NW & Shilshole Ave NW Angie Hinojos Yusuf and Carlos Jimenez (on view)
Hinojos & Jimenez Art
Angie Hinojos Yusuf & Carlos Jimenez
Chaac

Chaac is the Maya god of rain. This piece emulates the great carved stone masks that can be found on the pyramids in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The masks were made of stone carved into intricate shapes which were assembled together to form the powerful visage of the god. Chaac had both human and animal characteristics, showing the interdependence of all living things and their relationship to life-giving water. It illustrates the natural cycle of the flow of water, as it originates in the clouds, where Chaac strikes his jade axe and causes thunder and rain, to where it falls on the land, is crucial. Water infrastructure will safeguard our environment for future generations.

Wallingford – N 35^th St & Interlake Ave N (July 2020)
Kalee Nelson and Crystal Christopherson
MMIW

Elevating awareness of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is the key goal of this temporary installation that includes a large scale mural featuring traditional formline design of Killer Whales. Kalee Nelson is an Alaskan Native from the Tsimshian Tribe and Crystal Christopherson is Alaskan native from the Tlingit tribe.

East Ballard – NW 45^th St. & 11^th Ave NW Katie Miller (August 2020)
Katie Miller
Crossing

Crossing is inspired by Seattle’s maritime industry, the nearby ship canal, and our relationship to water. Crossing alludes to a journey moving through or along water and serves as a metaphor for our individual experiences, personal connections to, and reflections on water.

Fremont – NW 36^th St. & Leary Way NW Minh Carrico (August 2020)
Minh Carrico
TATTARRATTAT

Honoring the waterway connecting Lake Union and the Puget Sound, the phrase “TATTARRATTAT” is spelled out using the International Code of Signals for water vessels moving in either direction of the canal. The repetition of the palindrome serves as a visual interpretation of the “knock, knock” emanating from a construction site for months to come.

These temporary works will be on view for six-months and then be changed to feature new artwork by artists including Barry Johnson, Hugo Moro, Shawn Parks , Whitney Lynn and Janelle Abbott

FLOW: Art Along the Ship Canal is an annual program that will use the construction fences along the project as a backdrop to allow artists to showcase their unique voice and provide a changing gallery of experiences for those who walk, bike, drive along the Burke-Gilman Trail and throughout the area.

Artists were selected by a panel of artists, community members, and city staff. The project is commissioned with SPU 1% for Art funds.

CHOP art preservation supported by the City

July 8, 2020 by Erika Lindsay 2 Comments

The Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation and Parks and Recreation are working with artists and community members from the CHOP to store, document and preserve artworks that captured the hope, imagination and inspiration for a more racially equitable society. The immediate goal was to get the artwork out of the right of way so businesses can resume their operations and people can move through the area.

The City is supporting artists and CHOP community leaders by assisting in the safe removal of the artwork, providing safe temporary storage, and working in partnership with CHOP artists and stakeholders to document the preserved artwork and assist the artists in making the work publicly accessible where possible.

“The CHOP is not just a physical location, it is a movement that is vibrant, passionate, and here to stay. We’re working with the city to preserve and catalog the artwork created in the CHOP and in the area. Our goal, much like the movement is to keep and continue creating and displaying art together. The CHOP Art Council is committed to the best interest of the artists and the movement that these works represent.” If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter please feel free to contact us at insidechop@gmail.com.
CHOP Art Council

Artworks include numerous plywood panels originally used as traffic control barricades. Protesters used these surfaces as canvases for protest art centering a Black Lives Matter message.

The City has also been striving not to remove artwork which could potentially be permitted under SDOT’s painted street mural program, including the Black Lives Matter street mural on Pine St. SDOT remains committed to the long-term preservation of this piece.

In addition, Seattle Parks and Recreation will be working with a range of stakeholders to memorialize aspects of the community protests at Cal Anderson park, such as a garden, art and/ or speaker’s corner.

Drive-Up COVID Testing Sites

June 19, 2020 by Otts Bolisay 1 Comment

The City of Seattle, King County, and the UW Medicine are now offering free COVID-19 testing, regardless of your immigration or insurance status, at two drive-up sites in Seattle:

North Seattle: Aurora site – 12040 Aurora Ave N, Seattle WA 98133, Mon – Sat, 9:30am-4pm
South Seattle: SODO site – 3820 6th Ave South, Seattle WA 98108, Mon – Sat, 9:30am-4pm

If you live, work, or regularly visit Seattle, the City is urging anyone with symptoms or with 15 minutes or longer exposure to someone with COVID-19 within the past two weeks to get tested.

COVID-19 symptoms include:

Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath
Difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Loss of smell
Chills
Body aches
Headache
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Runny nose
Congestion

If you want to be tested, please register online. If you need help with registration, call (206) 684-2489. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 5:00PM and Saturday, 10:00AM to 3:00PM. If you need in-language assistance, please tell us in English the language you need, we will then connect you with an interpreter.

After registration, you will be able to drive-thru the testing site at your scheduled time. With preregistration the process can take less than 10 minutes. Wear your face covering when visiting the site.

If you have medical questions related to COVID-19, contact your medical provider or the King County COVID-19 call center between 8 AM to 7 PM PST at 206-477-3977. Learn more about COVID-19 testing.

In-Language Resources

Artist Kalina Chung selected for new park in Little Saigon neighborhood

June 18, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation (PARKS), has commissioned artist Kalina Chung to develop and install an artwork in a new park in the Little Saigon neighborhood, in the Chinatown International District. Chung will work closely with ARTS, the PARKS, Murase Associates (landscape architects), the Little Saigon Park Advisory Committee, and other community representatives to develop a site-specific art installation that will be integrated with the park design. The artwork will honor the history, cultures, and current experience of the communities that live nearby and hopes to inspire and inform residents and visitors about the history and future of the site as well as enhance the experience of park-goers and passers-by. The artwork and the park are expected to be completed in 2021.

Passing By, 2017, Wood, Paint, 19’ x 8’ x 12’
Delridge Playfield Park, Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy of the artist

Chung is a second-generation Asian-American woman, of both Chinese and Vietnamese descent. Her parents immigrated as teenagers from Vietnam to Seattle, where they met and started a family. They frequented Little Saigon nearly every day for a banh mi at Saigon Deli, pho at the OG Pho Bac, and groceries from Lam’s Seafood. She was a student of the Hengda Dance Academy, where she found a sense of belonging and a deeper understanding of her heritage. Little Saigon truly shaped her identity and she hopes to connect her family’s story to the stories of other members of the community through her artwork.

Chung received her BFA from the 3D4M (3-Dimensional Forum) Program at the University of Washington, and was a recipient of an Artist Trust GAP Grant in 2018. She was commissioned for a bamboo and metal installation in Occidental Park in 2020.

The Little Saigon Park site was purchased in 2013 after several years of community engagement led by PARKS’s property unit and conversations with several stakeholders interested in providing a park for Little Saigon. The park is located immediately adjacent to the Nisei Veteran’s Memorial Hall and the historic Victoria condominiums. As of January 2018, the park is now located within the International Special Review District.

Chung was selected by a panel of artists, community stakeholders, city staff and consultants. The project is commissioned with Seattle Parks and Recreation 1% for Arts funds.

Seattle Public Library Reading Lists: Black Lives Matter and Always Available: Reading About Race

June 16, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

In June of 2020 there were national uprisings after the police and vigilante killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and others. These lists shared from Seattle Public Libraries may help those who are interested in larger conversations about the movement for Black Lives and racial justice.

Black Lives Matter.
Explore African American history, current events, and tools to challenge racism and dismantle white supremacy.

Always Available: Reading About Race
Explore these books that explore the history and legacy of white supremacy and institutional racism.

Julia Harrison selected for Miller Community Center/Solar Microgrid Art Project

June 10, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

Reflecting ideas of solar energy, sustainability, and emergency preparedness while embracing and reflecting community is the new challenge facing artist Julia Harrison. The Miller Community Center in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood will be outfitted later this year with solar panels and an innovative Microgrid System in a joint effort between Seattle City Light and Seattle Parks and Recreation. The new public art project in tandem with this effort will feature an interior artwork that both reflects the communities in and around Miller Community Center. It also speaks deeply to the project goals of the Solar Microgrid Project and the overall mission of Seattle City Light.

Spring, recycled steel, aluminum. 45″ x 25″ x .75″

A selection panel, including members of the community and professional and emerging artists spent two full days reviewing 27 applications and interviewing four finalists. Harrison was ultimately selected based upon her vast repertoire of media that illustrates her concept driven practice that informs form and media. Additionally, her past work and experience as an ethnographic anthropologist provides a unique opportunity for outreach and engagement through interviews with the Miller Community Center patrons during this unique time of isolation.

Samara (installation), bronze. 4′ x 6′ x .5″

The Miller Community Center is currently serving members of the community as an emergency homeless shelter as part of Seattle’s COVID-19 emergency response. The Solar Microgrid project provides emergency power supply to this neighborhood community center. The artwork will provide a space for reflection on resiliency as Harrison develops her concept, which is scheduled to install in 2021.

Julia Harrison is a Seattle-based artist, anthropologist, and educator. As an anthropologist, she specializes in conducting research and interviews on food; She gives regular presentations through Humanities Washington. As an artist, she specializes in carving, working in a variety of materials and at a range of scales. Her work has appeared in magazines, books, and in exhibitions around the country, most recently the “Face First” exhibition at the Bainbridge Island.

Seven Artists Selected for Art Interruptions 2020 along North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway

June 10, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

2018 Art Interruptions, *Black Teen Wearing Hoodie* by Jasmine Brown, photo by Minh Carrico

The Office of Arts & Culture in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has commissioned seven emerging public artists to create temporary art installations along the North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway in Licton Springs for Art Interruptions 2020. The artworks will inhabit city sidewalks and parks and offer passers-by a brief interruption in their day, eliciting a moment of surprise, beauty, contemplation, or humor. The artists selected are:

Eva Funderburgh

Hinojos & Jimenez Art, LLC

Artists were selected by a panel of artists, community members, and city staff. Art Interruptions is funded by the SDOT 1% for Arts Funds.

Image: 2018 Art Interruptions, Black Teen Wearing Hoodie by Jasmine Brown, photo by Minh Carrico.

Statement from ARTS on Recent Events regarding Black Lives

June 3, 2020 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment

To our arts and cultural community,

We are committed to centering racial justice in our everyday practices, and we believe art is a powerful agent for change in our culture.

As a city department whose values of anti-racism and transformation guide us, we work with many of you in community and share a common belief that art is a powerful agent for change in our culture.

In this moment, we as an arts and cultural community cannot afford to operate at a surface level. We cannot be silent. A social media post is not enough. A racial equity training is not enough. We are living under two crises right now: first the pandemic and most recently, the continuation of racial warfare that has climaxed after 400+ years of hate inflicted on our Black community. We must act now.

There is so much work to be done to break down systems of oppression that are built specifically targeting the Black community. What is your commitment towards dismantling these structures? For non-Black and BIPOC orgs, what is your organization doing to support BIPOC staff during this time and beyond? What is your action plan for moving forward and staying accountable? How can we support you in your commitment, and what do you need from our agency to move this work forward?”

Our office is committed to continuing to address these questions through our daily practices, which are through a racial equity lens. We invite the entire arts and cultural community to think strategically and ethically about how they might do the same. Stand with our Office in solidarity for all Black lives, not only in the greater Seattle community, but nationally as we continue to fight for justice.

In solidarity,

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Statement from the Seattle Arts Commission on Recent Events regarding Black Lives

June 2, 2020 by Otts Bolisay 1 Comment

In light of the recent protests that were sparked over the heinous murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and the countless other Black lives across the United States; and the anti-Blackness act to weaponize Christian Cooper are all the result of racism, police brutality and white supremacy. We are wounded, angry and outraged that the Black community continues to be victims and targets of this violence.

In the Arts Commission, diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism are always in the front of our minds and play a large component in our policies, decision making and service that we provide to both the arts and cultural communities. We see and acknowledge the hurt and pain and stand in solidarity with our Black artists, Black leaders of organizations and Black arts and cultural administrators during this painful and egregious period.

We recognize that these acts of injustice will continue to surface unless we, the arts and cultural communities collectively unite to dismantle the systemic racism that continues to cripple the Black community. We must work together to find a legislative process that legalizes Blackness and is fair and equitable to all Black artists, organizations, cultural centers, and the Black community at large. We invite everyone to stand with us as we continue to battle these issues so that the Black community does not have to continue to be impacted by these repeated, painful experiences. Only then will we be able to stand united together once we have attacked and abandoned these unhealthy ways continue to hurt our Black community.

Standing in solidarity,
Priya Frank and Dr. Quinton Morris, co-chairs Seattle Arts Commission

Statewide Cultural & Creative Economic Survey

June 1, 2020 by Otts Bolisay Leave a Comment

Statewide Cultural & Creative Economic Recovery Survey

We know there have been many other economic impact surveys in our sectors, and that this is yet another one.

The difference now is that twelve local, regional, and statewide agencies including City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, 4Culture, King County Creative, ArtsFund, Artist Trust, ArtsWA, Humanities Washington, InspireWA, Washington Filmworks, Whip Smart, and Spokane Arts have collectively decided to combine efforts by designing together and using one survey that will go out to everyone.

Moving forward, this consortium will be working in a coordinated fashion to collect and share impact data for the arts and cultural sectors and creative industries, relevant to individual artists as well as organizations/businesses.

Timeline

There will be three surveys at different times throughout the year (June, August, October) to measure impact.

Purpose

We intend to use your feedback to design and fund relief programs and recovery/re-opening plans, inform elected officials and advocates, and to amplify your stories about the devastating impacts due to COVID-19. All questions asked are voluntary.

Guided by and honoring Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative and the King County Vision for Equity and Social Justice, we are using demographic questions towards the end of our survey to identify disparities in how our communities are experiencing this pandemic differently. The data will be reported in aggregate, to protect individual confidentiality.

Who should fill out this survey:

Artists
Creatives
Cultural workers
Creative small businesses
Large arts institutions
Everybody in-between and within the arts and cultures sectors.

The survey takes approximately ten minutes to complete and will remain open until June 15, 2020, 11:59pm, Pacific.

Outcomes

The data from each survey will be shared out to the agencies, who will communicate findings relevant to their jurisdictions. We have agreed to a 2- week window after each survey closes for sharing out high-level information, with more buffer time for comprehensive reporting and data analysis of qualitative feedback.

Past COVID-19 Related Data Results

Arts sector survey results/press releases from data collected during the early months of COVID-19 can be found here:

Data is forthcoming from the Office of Economic Development, City of Seattle and ArtsWA. Expect it this summer.

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