West Seattle, Washington
08 Tuesday
(Another aerial angle of West Seattle photographed this past week by Long Bach Nguyen)
If you can communicate your love for West Seattle through art, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is looking for you. The announcement from executive director Clay Eals explains:
Calling local artists for our first annual design to celebrate West Seattle!
Are you a local artist with a passion for the Duwamish peninsula? The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is planning a project right up your alley.
The historical society is looking for a design that will celebrate West Seattle in all its glory in 2013. The theme could be history, nature, wildlife, individuality or attitude. The only limitation is that somehow it must “say” West Seattle.
“However you see this unique corner of the world in which we have the good fortune to spend time, we would love to see your version of that and perhaps select it to use on a limited-edition piece – a poster, bag, whatever – that would be offered for sale through our Log House Museum,” says volunteer Amanda Gilbert.
The vision is for this to become an annual undertaking, with a different design featured each year.
Interested? Here’s where to start.
(Side note: The SWSHS’s Log House Museum is hosting one of the 280+ sales that’ll be on the map for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day on May 11th!)
(Trailer for “Clutch”)
West Seattle’s historic Admiral Theater (whose future plans were reported here earlier this week) hosts special events from time to time – like this: On June 29th, a movie titled “Clutch” will have its official public premiere at The Admiral – of special significance because its writer/director/star, Jay Rowlands, grew up in West Seattle and still lives here.
“Clutch” is billed as a “dramatic action film that tells the story of a struggling small-town racer who finds out there are no shortcuts to victory lane.” The filmmaker knows firsthand about the lack of shortcuts; he’s been working on the film for more than a decade. Along with a “100 percent Northwest cast and crew,” the film includes a lineup likely to rev classic-car lovers’ motors, as described in media materials:
Over 150 vehicles were selected for filming in CLUTCH. More than half were highly coveted muscle cars, including “car stars” a 1967 Camaro Z/28 SCCA road race car, a 1969 Camaro RS/ Z/28 and a 1972 Oldsmobille Cutlass, driven by Rowlands’ co-star. A 1969 Charger, a 1966 Ford GT40, Shelby Cobras, Mustangs and many others made appearances. The vehicles, ranging from a $750,000 1969 Penske Camaro road-race car to an $8,000 1968 Camaro stunt car, total more than $5.5 million.
Tickets for the premiere are already on sale on the movie’s official website – clutchthemovie.com. And next weekend, 9 am Saturday and Sunday (May 4-5), watch for Jay on the SPIKE (channel 57 on Comcast cable) network show PowerBlock TV next Friday and Saturday (May 4-5), talking about “Clutch.”
Thanks to Emily for sharing the photo from Friday night’s “Jumpin’ Jive” fundraiser: “It was a fun evening filled with LOTS of jazz music, swing dancing, and good food and fun ….all at West Seattle’s Madison Middle School!” Musicians included the West Seattle Big Band (onstage in the photo) as well as Madison’s Senior Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Bands.
Madison Middle School‘s Music Boosters are raising money tomorrow night with a big-band swing dance for the whole family – 6-9 pm, featuring the West Seattle Big Band as well as Madison’s own student musicians. Swing-dance lessons too! Suggested donation is $10 adults at the door, students/other kids free – go here to RSVP. Concessions will be sold, from Vietnamese sandwiches to snow cones.
Coast to coast, it’s Record Store Day. Above, we found Seamus Dolan at West Seattle’s Easy Street Records, explaining that while its Queen Anne sister store is gone, it’s not forgotten – he is making and selling record crates made from its old fixtures (as explained on the official ESR Record Store Day preview). Inside Easy Street, lots of music fans:
While we were there, people weren’t just lined up for the only-on-RSD specials, they also were lined up for autographs during a one-hour Mad Season signing session this morning with Mike McCready and Barrett Martin:
Find more of what’s happening now – and has happened already today – on Easy Street’s Twitter feed.
(Clip from last year’s edition of ‘The Mama-logues’)
It’s a good time and a good deed – your ticket to “The Mama-logues: A Comedy about Motherhood,” next Friday and Saturday (April 26-27), 7 pm each night, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge. Here’s what it’s all about:
Now in its second raucous year, The Mama-logues: A comedy about motherhood, is two hours of spit-your-beer-out-funny in celebration of motherhood! Local actors will be doing staged readings from mom-tastic blogs, books and articles
including Ellen Degeneres, Moms Who Drink and Swear, The Bloggess, Samantha Bee, Rants from Mommyland, Haiku Mama and many others! And oh yes, the dance pieces! Stand aside, Lady GaGa! Here comes ‘Bad Mom Pants.’ Oldies Queen fans may also be treated to a reprise of ‘Mommy Rhapsody.’
Beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks and a wide array of desserts and swag will be offered for sale at the event. Bring your girlfriends, be they mamas or not! Heck, you can bring your man-friends! There is a little something for everyone to laugh at in this show.
New for 2013: The SHOUT-OUT!
Want to give a ‘Shout-Out’ to a mom you know and love? For $50, we will include a photo of your mom pal and a message to her in the video portion of the show. For $100, we’ll include her photo and message in the video and strategically insert her name as a character in the performance! Send an electronic photo of the mom (or moms – you can include yourself!), the message exactly as you would like it to appear in the show, and the evening your ‘Shout Out’ Mom will be attending, to Laurie Levy at laurie@laurielevy.net.
All proceeds benefit WestSide Baby and Open Arms Perinatal Services; get your $15 tickets online right now by going here.
P.S. While it’s about motherhood, it’s not for the littlest members of your family – it’s recommended for ages 13 and up.
From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
‘OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES’: The monthly storytelling event sponsored by Trusted Advocates features Mohamed Ali from the Somali community. It’s at the White Center Community Cultural Center in South Delridge (9421 18th SW), starting with a light meal at 6 pm, storytelling at 6:30 pm, details here.
HIGHLAND PARK MOVIE NIGHT: See “The Sound of Music” for free at Highland Park Improvement Club (12th/Holden); doors open at 6:30 pm, movie at 7, no admission charge but concessions will be sold.
‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN’: Second and final weekend for the Twelfth Night Productions presentation starts with a 7:30 pm show tonight at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).
LIVE MUSIC: Venues on the calendar for tonight include C & P Coffee Company, Feedback Lounge (both WSB sponsors), Kenyon Hall, The Cask, Skylark Café and Club, OutWest Bar, and The Benbow Room – individual listings are all here.
Photo by Nick Adams
By Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Artistic Director Christopher Zinovitch (above) introduced ArtsWest‘s Splash of Color season to a rapt audience last night – a suspenseful unveiling of each production’s poster followed by live songs and scenes by cast members.
The season lineup includes the rolling world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s The Taming, a new comedy based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew; Little Women the Musical, a poignant and timeless classic perfect for the holiday season; Douglas Carter Beane’s scathingly hilarious look at celebrity, The Little Dog Laughed; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s final play, Third; and the legendary story about the search for truth, peace and love in Vietnam War-era America, HAIR.
1:26 PM: We’re at Sanislo Elementary with a variety of other media crews, as Caroline Kennedy‘s visit as a poetry advocate has drawn quite the crowd. That’s Sanislo librarian Craig Seasholes with her in our cameraphone photo. The students have recited poems for her, as some Sanislo students will be doing during an event she is headlining downtown tonight.
She asked them why they like the library; one boy replied enthusiastically, “Reading makes me happy, and makes my brain work better!” She was asked how she became involved with poetry, and she mentioned her mom shared poetry with her when she was very little.
1:42 PM UPDATE: The visit is wrapping up, but some of the children are crowding around Kennedy to talk with her for a few more minutes. Sitting quietly, smiling, in the back of the library is Sanislo’s principal Ernie Seevers, who is retiring after his school year (he says this is the first celebrity visit they’ve had during his tenure, aside from a pro-football player!). Also here, West Seattle’s school-board rep, Marty McLaren. More to come, including video.
ADDED MONDAY EVENING: The video includes Q/A with students and their visitor, as well as a song.
That’s a bit of Mudhoney‘s in-store show tonight at Easy Street Records in The Junction (if you want to jump ahead, the music starts around 1:40 in) – marking the release of the band’s new album Vanishing Point, along with the 25th anniversaries of Easy Street, Sub Pop Records, and Mudhoney itself. Fans lined up in the early-evening sunshine along SW Alaska …
… filled the California SW sidewalk (and then some) by showtime –
… as well as every bit of spare space inside too:
Just steps away from Easy Street, Mudhoney played West Seattle Summer Fest back in 2009.
ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery in The Junction will soon start a search for a new managing director, confirms spokesperson Laura Lee. Previous MD Line Sandsmark left recently after less than one year in the role. According to Lee, “Christopher Zinovitch continues as the artistic director and to co-manage the theater. The board has been assisting with the Managing Director position and a search will begin in due course. ArtsWest looks forward to its Season Announcement on April 15th and has a wonderful season to present.” That event will be at 7:30 pm, two weeks from Monday. Sandsmark had succeeded 5 1/2-year AW leader Alan Harrison, who left seven months before she was hired.
That’s an award-winning photo titled “Withered Lotus,” the work of West Seattle High School photography student Hao Cheng. WSHS Art Department head Michelle Sloan shares the news that Hao received an Outstanding Achievement in Photography award at the Puget Sound Educational Service District’s Regional High School Art Show:
Hao accepted the award at a reception on Sunday. Congratulations!
P.S. You can see the entire art show online – photographs representing 96 entries – just go here.
(WSB video of Mudhoney at WS Summer Fest, July 2009)
Were you at Mudhoney‘s legendary West Seattle Summer Fest performance in 2009? The band is coming back to the West Seattle Junction for an in-store performance at Easy Street Records on April 1st, according to an announcement on the Easy Street website, dated Saturday and shared late last night by the Junction Association via Facebook. Almost looked like an April Fool’s joke if you check the ESR Twitter stream – but it’s also on the Mudhoney website, scheduled at 8 pm one week from tonight. (And the poster’s on Mudhoney’s Twitter feed.) We hope to find out more from ESR today.
8:28 AM UPDATE: Easy Street’s Rod Moody tells WSB it really is true – and they’ll have even more information on their social-media channels today (Facebook here, Twitter here).
Big competition at the Denny/Sealth campus today, in an academic/cultural area in which both schools take great pride. Denny principal Jeff Clark shares the photos and this report:
Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School were proud to host today the 4th annual Chinese Exploration Scholastic Competition 2013 华盛顿州中文学艺竞赛.
This event, which was sponsored by the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington, was a venue for students from around the region to come together to share their knowledge of Chinese language. More than 110 schools with students in grades K-12 were represented today, competing in multiple events. Randy Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, congratulated all the student participants and thanked the 93 volunteers who helped to organize it all:
I would like to extend a special thank you and congratulations to Denny and Sealth Chinese teachers Ms. Lin, Ms. Wang, and Ms. Li, and the 83 scholars from Denny and Sealth who participated today!
This page on the Confucius Institute website shows the categories in which the students competed.
WSB reader Marcia sent us the link to that poem video recently, with no explanation other than saying poet Austin Mansell‘s parents are friends of hers from West Seattle and she thought it was a “wonderful poem” worth sharing with WSB-land. After watching it, we knew she was right. There’s a twist, so we’re not including “spoilers”; after watching it, if you are interested in finding out more about the author/reader and why he wrote it, click here to read what he told us when we contacted him to find out more. (Turns out he too is a West Seattle native.)
Meander’s Kitchen in White Center says it is canceling the plan to host a show by singer Michelle Shocked next month, because of Shocked’s reported homophobic remarks in San Francisco last night. Via Facebook, Meander’s proprietor Miranda Krone made the announcement about an hour ago. The concert had been set for April 26th. The online reports about Shocked’s show at a San Francisco club include this one reporting that she used a phrase best known as the slogan of an anti-gay fundamentalist church, “God hates f-gs” and that she said same-sex marriage puts the world at risk of Biblical-scale destruction. This report says venues elsewhere in the country have canceled her shows as a result. We have not, however, seen any day-after quotes from Shocked herself, so far.
TUESDAY NIGHT NOTE: Update from Miranda – she says Meander’s will host a cabaret benefit for queer youth that night, instead.
Sunday night’s not usually the most bustling time at a coffeehouse – particularly on a St. Patrick’s Day when it seemed everyone was out drinking green beer and/or marking the end of an era – but Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) was crawling with people last night.
The occasion: A shoot for the in-production time-travel online series “Causality,” which just debuted this trailer at Emerald City Comicon downtown earlier this month:
They’ll be filming at another West Seattle location later today, we’re told.
Since Legacy Partners announced a year and a half ago that it was taking over an approved-but-dormant development site in North Delridge, the ~200-apartment project renamed Youngstown Flats has had art in the plan – ultimately, works by 14 local artists. What we believe to be the biggest piece was delivered today: A corten-steel sculpture titled Continuity II, by Whidbey Island artist Jan Hoy. It’s a centerpiece at the courtyard fronting 26th SW. The building itself is weeks from completion.
The West Seattle High School PTSA has just announced that tickets are on sale for the annual “Taste of the Arts” on April 5th. Here’s the announcement sent by Lisa Clark from the WSHS PTSA:
This annual event celebrates the art programs at WSHS; culinary, visual and performing. The evening starts with the culinary art students preparing and serving delicious appetizers as attendees view the visual art (Student photography, ceramics, painting, drawing, and wood shop) on display that has been judged by 4 local artists. The musicians and cast of the spring musical, “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” are present for a short time to mingle before the attendees are escorted to the high school theater for the evening’s 8:00 pm performance. Tickets are $20 advance, $25 at the door, and include appetizers, 2 beverages, and entrance to the spring musical.
The night starts with the tasting and arts viewing, 6-7 pm at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church Hall next to WSHS, and then moves on to the school theater for the spring musical at 8 pm. You can buy tickets right now online – just go here.
P.S. The students’ art will be judged by four well-known local artists: Twilight Artist Collective‘s new owners Tracy Cilona and Christine Heidel; RobRoy Chalmers; and Stephanie Hargrave.
If you are, or know, a sculpture artist interested in the following project, Seal Sitters is looking for you:
Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network is seeking a sculpture artist for our educational outreach project, The Year of the Seal. The project will culminate with the installation of a largely realistic bronze work depicting a harbor seal mom and pup. Harbor seals are considered by biologists to be an indicator species for the health of our waters. The sculpture will raise awareness of our fragile marine ecosystem and all marine life that calls Puget Sound home. The artwork, which will reside at West Seattle’s high-visibility Alki Beach, is funded by a grant from Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods.
Artists from the Pacific Northwest are invited to submit a Statement of Qualifications. Submission deadline is March 22, 2013, and selected artist will be notified on March 26, 2013. The target date for installation is late August with a dedication ceremony on September 7th. Artists must have a proven track record of public art installations.
Download the RFQ (by going here).
And you’ll find more information about the Year of the Seal project here.
When promotional e-mail comes in from West Seattle’s Kenyon Hall, it’s usually an enticing bit of information about upcoming performer(s) and what showgoers can expect. But the story told by today’s e-mail from Kenyon Hall’s Lou Magor caught our attention – not just because the performer is someone you’ll likely recognize. With permission, we republish the announcement:
A few weeks ago I received a call from Seattle songwriter and Kenyon Hall patron Lainey Ballew, who needed a favor. It seems that, while on a trip to Los Angeles, she attended a show featuring Ronny Cox, and was so enchanted by his performance that she asked him if he’d ever consider bringing his act to Seattle. His positive reaction led to his being booked by Lainey in a Seattle area venue for March 9, this Saturday.
Unfortunately, the venue had a scheduling problem that caused them to cancel the performance. And since the date was already set, and the flights from Los Angeles had already been booked, Lainey asked me if Kenyon Hall would be available to Mr. Cox and his band. I watched the YouTube video produced to introduce his show, and immediately called Lainey to offer the hall for this Saturday at 7:30. (Above is) that video, titled Songs, Stories, and Out & Out Lies.
I hope you’ll consider coming to this unique, very entertaining evening. Ronny Cox has been in countless movies and television shows. Remembered best as the moral-minded and ill-fated Drew who instigates the legendary “Dueling Banjos” sequence with a mountain boy in Deliverance, he was Captain Edward Jellico in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the bad guy in Robocop. As a matter of fact, if you visit his biography on the Internet Movie Database, you’ll find yourself wondering just which movies and TV shows he hasn’t been in!
When he’s not in front of the cameras, Ronny Cox can be found touring and demonstrating his musical talents at various music festivals and theatre shows and, to date, he has released five CDs—an eclectic mixture of jazz, folk, and western tunes.
You can make a reservation by e-mailing kenyonhall@earthlink.net. Lou writes that tickets are $20/$18 (seniors/students), “a little more” than usual, but concessions are included, “including our renowned free-range Root Beer Floats.”
The popular “Chinese Corner” program is coming back to the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge, starting one week from today! There’s still space, so the garden’s getting the word out today:
你好! Learn basic Mandarin Chinese conversation and culture in a fun, relaxed environment with our experienced Chinese teachers and student assistants. All ages and abilities levels are welcome. Participate in activities like playing mah jong, painting, and talking about food! 7 sessions are every other Wednesday from 4-6 pm on 3/13, 3/27, 4/10, 4/24, 5/8. 5/22, and 6/5. Free, but donations to the Seattle Chinese Garden are welcome.
For more information, e-mail Jennifer at ciwa@uw.edu – to register, go here.
That’s the trailer for what West Seattle writer Michael Stusser calls the “digital-detox documentary” he made with fellow West Seattleite Marty Riemer – a short film that’s about to make rounds on the film-festival circuit. It’s part of the work Stusser did for his much-discussed Seattle Weekly story “Sleeping With Siri,” about the tech takeover of our lives. As described on the YouTube page for the trailer you can watch above:
Inspired by a high school’s “Digital Blackout” campaign, where students went without Facebook, e-mail or texting for an entire week, journalist Michael Stusser explores both sides of the technological divide in “Sleeping with Siri.” Jumping first into the digital madness with a Techno-Gorge, Stusser explores every single technological opportunity available, 24 hours a day, Foursquaring at every location, Skyping in the car and Tweeting, Pinning and “Liking” everything in sight. He then dropped out entirely for a second week, with no computer, e-mail or social networks, availing himself of the now lost icons of a by-gone era, including phone booths, land-lines, libraries, paper maps and letter writing.
So far, Stusser says, they’ve made it into festivals including the Big Easy International Film and Music Festival March 22-24 in New Orleans and the American Documentary Film Festival in April in Palm Springs. Will we see it on a big screen in Seattle? Stusser says they’ve applied to SIFF.
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