(From left, Katherine Schlick-Noe and students Katherine “Kit” Hall, Taylor Chapman, Andres Acevedo)
On any given day, you never know who you will see at a local school. Special-education teacher Paula Tortorice‘s Language Arts class at West Seattle High School hosted a local author today. Dr. Katherine Schlick Noe is the author of “Something to Hold,” which does a turnabout on the topic of discrimination. Tortorice explains that the book is written from the perspective of “Kitty,” a white girl who with her family moves to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in central Oregon, and that the book also explores topics including bullying. She says Dr. Schlick Noe showed a PowerPoint presentation featuring many of the places in the story, answered students’ questions, and listened to their opinions about “Something to Hold.” During their study of the book, they wrote about it and drew posters depicting “what they thought their favorite scenes in the book might look like,” Tortorice says. (In addition to being a writer, Dr. Schlick Noe is a professor at Seattle University.)

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center is a hotbed of dance these days. Before too much more time elapses, we wanted to make mention of a big event from last weekend that still has people talking – young local dancers filling the center during a two-day visit by the Manhattan Dance Project, a touring program with professional dancers coming to town to work with youth. Youngstown’s Margaret Way reported, “My rough estimates, there must have been 75 – 100 youth taking classes in everything from ballet to jazz, tap to hip hop. The youth were from all around the area and were mainly connected with various local schools of dance.” One of them was the legendary Kathy’s Studio of Dance in The Junction, whose Miss Kathy shared photos with us (thank you!) – the senior company, above, and a group shot here:

Margaret says the Manhattan Dance Project has “fallen in love with our venue and have already penciled in their dates for their Seattle tour in 2013 right here at Youngstown!”

The Vietnamese Cultural Center in West Seattle welcomes visitors every Saturday afternoon (noon-3 pm), but this afternoon was special – a New Year celebration, with lion dance and firecrackers, as you can see (and hear!) in our video, welcoming the Year of the Dragon. Before their fiery performance, members of the Au Lac Vovinam Lion Dance Team – based in High Point, not far from the Vietnamese Cultural Center – gathered to prepare:

This was a busy day for the team; they also performed at a shop in White Center (as reported on our partner site White Center Now). Awaiting their appearance in West Seattle were spectators including veterans who fought for Vietnam’s freedom and are fixtures at the center’s events:

Two weeks ago, the Cultural Center dedicated a new monument to fallen heroes. And in the background of this photo taken during the dance, you can see both the statue of 13th-century hero General Tran Hung Dao, and the new structure built nearby to complement the statue.

It was under construction when we covered last year’s New Year celebration. You’re invited to visit the center next (or any) Saturday, noon-3 pm, 2236 SW Orchard.

Come celebrate young musicians and the artists who have been mentoring them! Next Saturday is Super String Saturday in south West Seattle – here’s the official announcement:

On Saturday January 28 from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. young violin, viola, cello and bass players from South West Seattle schools will fill the Chief Sealth High School auditorium with the sound of their hard work and dedication. The second annual South West Seattle Super String Saturday showcases elementary and middle school string players who have been working with professional string musicians hired by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras in their instrumental music classes. These musician “coaches” lead small group and individualized instruction to deepen the quality of the students’ musical skills. Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras (SYSO) provides the coaches free to the following schools: Concord, Roxhill, Sanislo, Arbor Heights, Gatewood, and Highland Park elementary schools and Denny International Middle School.

SYSO has supported public school music education through its SYSO in the Schools program for over 20 years. SYSO has been able to deepen its partnership with public schools by focusing on schools in South West Seattle where students have historically had lower participation rates in instrumental music due to economic barriers. Through the generous support of a Wallace Foundation Excellence Award, SYSO provides music coaches to collaboratively teach with Seattle Public Schools instrumental music instructors during the school day. In the elementary schools, SYSO coaches also provide a free before school lesson each week as well as coaching through the West Seattle Community Orchestra, essentially tripling the lesson time available to students and supplying private lessons that most of these students would not be able to afford.

The music heard at South West Seattle Super String Saturday is evidence that this partnership has increased quality of and access to music education. Denny International Middle School Orchestra Director Heather Shaffer testifies to the value of the program: “I can’t say enough about this program or the coaches! It enables students to receive the results of private and semi-private lessons, regardless of family finances or work schedules. It helps kids past the significant initial hurdles of learning a stringed instrument and then provides them with the tools to play the music that’s inside them. For these students, it opens the door that was closed to a lifetime and even a livelihood of music.”

South West Seattle Super String Saturday is also an opportunity for these young musicians to engage in peer-to-peer learning as they play alongside the top-level Youth Symphony Orchestra, SYSO’s flagship orchestra and one of the premier youth orchestras in the United States. Imagine a fourth grader who has only begun to study the violin, taking part in a full symphony orchestra for the first time. Immersed in that wonderful, massive sound, the beginning student could be sitting next to an accomplished high school musician on their way to a professional career. The excitement generated by these side-by-side concerts is palpable, causing the younger students to aspire to the level of performance and dedication demonstrated by their older peers.

“The benefits of nurturing young musicians have been demonstrated by numerous studies and research. These evaluations reveal that students gain in both musicianship and in life skills such as focus, self-discipline, collaboration, and self-confidence – skills needed to prepare for college and a career in any field. We are delighted to be playing a part in the growth of these young people as well as in the creation of a strong instrumental music program in South West Seattle,” says SYSO Music Director Stephen Rogers Radcliffe.

As the musicians play on the stage in the Chief Sealth auditorium they will also discover that they are part of the historic redevelopment of a robust orchestra program at, what in a few years, will be their high school. String orchestra enrollment at Denny International Middle School has more than doubled since the program began. By putting time and resources into the early years of music education in order to create skilled high school orchestra musicians, SYSO is also supporting Seattle Public Schools’ goal of ensuring every school has quality programs under its New Student Assignment Plan.

All are welcome to join this free community event — whether participants have a student musician, a younger child, or are interested in learning more about playing an instrument. In addition to side-by-side concerts, activities will include parent information sessions, scholarship information, chamber ensembles, instrument master classes, resources and refreshments. For more information about South West Seattle Super String Saturday or the SYSO in the Schools program, please contact Kathleen Allen at 206.362.2300.

That’s Providence Mount St. Vincent in the background (4800 block). P.S. We e-mailed Nick back to ask if he’s an artist: “Well, I did go to art school, but I am not an artist; I just like making things.”

Word is just getting out about an achievement by a young poet at West Seattle High School. Freshman Charli Elliott read one of her poems at a Seattle Arts and Lectures poetry event at Benaroya Hall in December. The headliner was award-winning poet Terrance Hayes, in the next photo with Charli, who read a poem inspired by his work.

WSHS shared it with us, to share with you:

Freedom of Speech
by Charli Elliott

I want to always rise to the
Challenge. I want to never sit alone.
I want to learn to talk and be heard.

I want to watch as the grass grows
Old and dies. Month after month. Year after year.

I want to see. If the moon can rise
Every night, I want the taste
Of freedom on the tip of my tongue

I want to touch you, dance with you on
A cloud made of light. I want to lose myself

In the labyrinth and rolling waves
Of your eyes. I want to free myself
Of hate. I want to be free from the shackles of freedom.

I want to be free, and free of freedom,
With its cold irons clasped on your wrists. Its

Frenzied thoughts, its open plains, and definition
Tied neatly with a bow. I want to be free of
Words without meaning and listlessness. My anger,

My loss and apologies, my doubt.
If the rain can cleanse the earth

I want a fresh soul. I want the stones wisdom
And the earth’s flexibility. I want the lights
Ubiquity, but not its invisible touch

I want the reliance of the sun, but not its fury.
I want the strength of the universe. I want to search

The rolling hills of elsewhere and find
You there. I want the tips of your fingers

In the small of my back. I want to be the tree
But not the leaves. I do not want to be the grass
I do not want to be the dew covered spider web,

Or the spider. When I leave this body
I want to be sheer power. I want to have a voice.

(Charli’s proud mom, by the way, is Sonya Elliott, who coaches her and other athletes on the WSHS girls’ basketball team, and is also a writer.)

Tomorrow night is West Seattle Art Walk (6-9 pm, all over WS). That’s not the only time you can enjoy art around the peninsula; new work is put up in local businesses all the time. Like images by young photographer Audrey Strevey, at Red Cup Espresso in The Junction, with part of the proceeds from any sales going to charity. Her proud mom Beth Bakeman sent us news of the show – as well as the photo above, and this bio that Audrey wrote:

Audrey Strevey is 9 years old. Taking photos has been her passion her whole life, and she recently acquired a Nikon D70.

Her new dog, Stirling, pushed her to go to the Westcrest dog park and discover her true talent, animal photography.

Audrey is pleased Red Cup Espresso is displaying her photos and hopes there will be more opportunities in the future.

She is donating 50% of her profit to PAWS, the animal shelter where her two 4-year old cats came from, to give thanks and show her appreciation.

PAWS is a champion for animals—rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals and people.

Story and event photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

“Toys and food — everybody gets that,” says longtime WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli of his photographic series featuring food and tiny human figurines. It’s making a splash worldwide and here at home, as an exhibition titled “Big Appetites” opened at a downtown gallery.

Christopher’s show at Winston Wachter Fine Art began with an artist reception last night. Inspired by media depictions of tiny people, from “Gulliver’s Travels” to “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” he’s been playing with the imagery concept for the past few years, but it’s only in the past few months that their popularity has “exploded” — especially internationally, since a first wave of European interest last spring.

“The ‘tiny things’ fascination crosses cultures,” says Christopher. “There’s a God-like feeling that comes from playing with small toys. The size disparity draws people into a different world.” Christopher’s photos will soon be showing in galleries in London, Brazil, and Monaco.

Despite the international appeal, the theme of many of the images is all-American. The over-scale food items are meant to represent the over-consumption prevalent in American culture, and the figurines reflect the tradition of labor that built our society’s infrastructure. To convey the image’s message, each piece has a title and a caption. The title conveys the humor naturally expressed by the whimsical pairing of oversized food and tiny figures, while the caption reinforces and creates a story around the theme of the image.

The two photos Christopher is standing next to in the top photo in this story are his latest creations, including this one:

It shows a crawfish being wrangled by the tiny figures and is titled: “Exotic Pet.” Its caption reads: “Once again, ownership of an exotic pet was proving to be nothing but trouble.” The lower photo shows figures of workers seated on the top edges of upright rigatoni pasta noodles and is titled, “Pasta Pipefitters.” “They were the tightest clique in the factory,” the caption explains, “and Harvey was the equivalent of the most popular cheerleader.”

Many of the images result directly from West Seattle influences: A particularly appealing piece of produce from the West Seattle Farmers Market or a batch of colorful macaroons from Bakery Nouveau have given Christopher both the props and the ideas for some of the creations. All of the backgrounds are from Christopher’s home, and as much as possible, he uses available natural light to create the image’s atmosphere.

As for the figurines: “Most people ask about the figurines,” he says; those come from an undisclosed European source, arriving in their standing, crouched or seated positions. Christopher occasionally repaints them to fit the color scheme, but they are otherwise generally unchanged.

The hardest part about creating these compositions – besides not eating the macarons? “Spending hours getting everything set up, and while I’m working on the camera focus, a figure falls over.”

Christopher’s photographs will be showing at Winston Wachter (203 Dexter Avenue N.) through February 23 and are being sold through the Gallery. Note-card-sized reproductions are also available in packs of 10 here in West Seattle at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) or (in case you’re reading this from off-peninsula) at the Seattle Art Museum store downtown and at Velocity in South Lake Union.
P.S. If you can’t make it downtown to see the exhibition, keep an eye out for word of a West Seattle spotlight later this year.

(Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs at 2011 Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha finale)
We’re proud to have been a sponsor of the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha each year since the series began – and tonight, we have word that ANA is tuning up for the fourth season of free outdoor performances on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center! ANA president Katy Walum has just put out the call for interested bands:

The Admiral Neighborhood Association is putting out the call for bands to apply to perform for our 2012 Summer Concert Series at Hiawatha Park! The series will again run Thursday evenings, 6:30-8pm, on the park’s east lawn. This summer’s dates will be July 26th, August 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th.

Interested bands may e-mail us at info@admiralneighborhood.org. Please include with your message (1) a website or other means by which we may listen to samples of your music, (2) dates you are available, (3) your band’s price for a 90-minute set (please take into consideration that we are a community organization with a fairly limited budget, and that there is value in the great exposure your band could receive as a part of our series – last year’s series drew crowds of up to 1500 people per show), and (4) stage size and/or sound requirements for your group.

Our series last year included performances from The Gothard Sisters, Massy Ferguson, Caspar Babypants, LeRoy Bell, Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs, and Yogoman Burning Band. Highlights of prior seasons included Pearl Django with Greta Matassa, Camille Bloom, Swamp Soul (zydeco), and Alma Villegas (Latin jazz). We strive in our series to provide a range of musical genres that can appeal to all members of our community.

We welcome band recommendations from WS Blog readers, though it is helpful if readers can include as much of the above requested information as possible with their notes.

We also invite local businesses and others to sponsor our 2012 Summer Concert Series. This is an opportunity for folks to support a fantastic community event and to gain substantial exposure for their business! Please e-mail us (again at info@admiralneighborhood.org) to find out more about sponsorship levels and benefits available this year.

Thanks so much, and we look forward to bringing more fabulous music to Admiral/West Seattle in 2012!

Katy Walum
President, Admiral Neighborhood Association

(The association does a lot more than sponsor concerts, of course, and if you’re an Admiral resident/businessperson interested in seeing what ANA is up to, check out its next monthly meeting this Tuesday, 7 pm, lower-level meeting room at Admiral Church, California/Hill.)

West Seattle’s Vietnamese Cultural Center has paid tribute before to both the American and South Vietnamese troops lost in the Vietnam War – here is a ceremony we covered there three years ago – and now the center has a new memorial in place to honor them, with a dedication ceremony next Saturday. Center director Lee Bui is extending a specific invitation to Vietnam veterans to come to the ceremony, and asked us to share this invitation:

You and your family are invited to the ceremony of the black granite Fallen Soldiers Memorial :

Time: 1 PM, Saturday, January 14th, 2012
Place : Vietnamese Cultural Center
2236 SW Orchard
Contact phone : 206-779 6875
Chairperson : Dr. Nguyen Xuan Dung, MD

Fallen Soldiers Memorial to honor the heroes of armed forces from South Vietnam and 58,000 U.S servicemen who were fighting for freedom and democracy of Vietnam

The new memorial shares an outdoor space that also includes the center’s landmark statue paying tribute to the 13th-century hero, General Tran Hung Dao. The center is open to visitors every Saturday, noon-3 pm, not just on special occasions; you may also recall its community volunteers’ recent visits to Nickelsville on Thanksgiving and on New Year’s Day.

West Seattle Community Orchestras (WSCO) launch their Spring 2012 season next Tuesday, January 10 at Chief Sealth International High School with exciting changes in store for musicians and concertgoers. Registration is free to all students; $65 per season for adults. The season will culminate in concerts for all three orchestras in May 2012.

The mission of WSCO is to provide community musicians of all ages and abilities with opportunities for performance and growth and our vision is to inspire an enjoyment of music-making through instruction and mentoring in mixed age ensembles culminating in quality group performances. WSCO is open to all that love playing music -from beginners to experienced players, from elementary students to seniors. All orchestral instruments welcome: violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, oboe, flute, bassoon, percussion, French horn, trombone and trumpet.

Our 2012 Orchestras include the West Seattle Debut Orchestra (formerly Beginning Strings) led by conductor and local music teacher Daniel Hershman-Rossi. This orchestra will include both ensemble and sectional rehearsals in addition to coaching for strings and winds with rehearsals Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. The West Seattle Intermediate Orchestra (formerly the Symphonette), led by founding conductor, Toni Reineke, Ph.D., works on a range of pieces while enjoying an intergenerational music-making experience; this group is ideally suited for advancing students or adults returning to playing after an absence. Rehearsals take place Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. The West Seattle Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Rob Duisberg, Ph.D., tackles more difficult pieces from Beethoven to Liszt and beyond. Rehearsals for the Symphony take place Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:45 pm.

To register: wscorchestras.org

Earlier this month, Skylark Café and Club hosted an afternoon-long reading event featuring that quartet of writers – from left, Dave O’Leary, Cherry Tigris, Pam Summa, and Roberto Carlos Ascalon. O’Leary’s book is “Horse Bite,” a novel published this fall telling “the story of Dave and his efforts to find a bit of permanence in the balance of the things we create and the things we do to sustain ourselves” – read more, and excerpts, on his website (where you also can order the book). Tigris is a child-abuse survivor who has written a collection of short stories. Summa’s book is “Groping for Luna,” subtitled “Guerrilla Girl Meets Guitar God: A Comedy of Manners.” Ascalon is a poet you can find in various anthologies.

Also this month, The Beer Junction hosted a booksigning session for two photography books focused on West Seattle history – one titled “West Seattle,” the other “Luna Park,” both published by Arcadia Publishing. Reps of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society signed “West Seattle,” while AJ Naff signed “Luna Park”:

You can get the books through the links on each title.

Last but by no means least, here’s something you can get absolutely free – today, anyway (afterward, it’ll cost you 99 cents). Local author Jason Kirk has written a mini-e-book called “The Other Whites in South Africa” – which he describes as “an extended essay about sharks and race relations.” You can find it on Amazon by going here; Jason says, “It can be read on pretty much any screen you’ve got, including computers, iPods, phones, tablets, and Amazon’s Kindle e-reader.” Specific links:
For iphones and iPod touch
For Blackberry
For Android
For Windows 7 phone
For iPad
Jason adds, “If you happen to have a Kindle, you can order and read the essay directly from it. Just search for ‘jason kirk’.”

If you’ve already heard “Jingle Bells,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” and “Little Drummer Boy” so many times you are afraid you won’t get them out of your head before Valentine’s Day … here’s something a little different. Two weeks ago, Fauntleroy Church music director Bronwyn Edwards‘ cantata “Wonder” premiered at the church. We didn’t get a chance to check out the performance – but someone recorded much of it on video and published clips to YouTube. One clip is above; if you click on the lower right to get to its page on YouTube, you’ll find a few others. (As noted on her website, Edwards has spent the holiday season playing piano at Sea-Tac Airport!)

We were headed north to The Junction to check out a caroling group’s pre-announced appearance at California/Alaska … when suddenly, at the Fauntleroy/California stoplight, we caught sight of these unannounced carolers. They were in front of Zeeks Pizza while we waited for the light to change, then moved south, but we managed to catch them for a photo on the other side of the intersection. They’re from nearby Seaview United Methodist Church (which also had performers at last summer’s Morgan Junction Community Festival). After resuming our northbound journey, we found the Junction carolers:

That’s We3Carolers – and friends from South Seattle Community College‘s choir. They are collecting donations for West Seattle Food Bank and West Seattle Helpline, so if you drop a dollar in the kitty, that’s where it goes to. They were planning to perform till 3 today, and again next Saturday (Christmas Eve). Meantime, Helen Fenigsohn shares a photo of the roaming carolers she encountered today:

Helen says, “I was enjoying a cup at the Westwood Village Starbucks at noon and in walked these carolers. It was a very pleasant surprise!”