WS culture/arts 2650 results

CANOE JOURNEY: Paddle to Muckleshoot this week, landing next weekend on Alki

(WSB photo, July 2019)

That was the scene at Alki Beach in July 2019, the last year that tribes from around the region participated in a Canoe Journey. This year, the tradition has resumed, and the journey is ending on West Seattle shores because the Muckleshoot Tribe is this year’s host tribe. Canoe families are scheduled to arrive at Alki one week from today (Sunday, July 30th), according to the Paddle to Muckleshoot website. Participants will proceed from here by land to the Muckleshoot Community Center for a weeklong event. The Muckleshoot has a canoe family participating as well, with their journey starting today, as noted here. In all, 60 canoe families – including the Duwamish – are listed as participating.

CONTINUING ALL WEEKEND: Alki Art Fair showcases coastal creativity

July 21, 2023 8:41 pm
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 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

The first day of this year’s Alki Art Fair has just wrapped up. We made it there in time to wander the booths in brilliant evening sunshine. Not only is the AAF located right on the shore of Puget Sound – along the Alki Beach promenade – it’s also full of sea-inspired creators, like Maq Martin, who we found in the Emerging Artists tent between the Bathhouse and Statue of Liberty Plaza:

Also there is Stacey Sterling, the artist who led the sea-life community mural-painting at West Seattle Summer Fest last weekend:

She said she worked with 125 people during her two days at Summer Fest! … Continuing the sea-life theme, Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network volunteers are there to talk with you about what you might see on- and offshore;

Another local nonprofit, the Alki-based Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is there to talk with you about their work;

Lots of creative play opportunities for the youngest visitors, in the free play zone presented by Outer Space Seattle:

Music starts tomorrow (see the lineup here) but main-stage sponsor Canna West Culture Shop was there today, ready to talk with you about CBD:

You can also browse jewelry, apparel, handbag, many types and styles of creations. (See the full artist/creator/vendor list here.) Saturday’s hours are 10 am-6 pm for booths, music noon-7 pm: Sunday, 10 am-6 pm for booths, music 11 am-5 pm. (WSB is a community co-sponsor of the Alki Art Fair.)

VIDEO: Double bill at season’s second Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented Summer Concert @ Hiawatha

July 20, 2023 10:20 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(WSB photos, video)

Another idyllic night on the east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center, as the comeback season continues for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s summer concert series. Tonight, a double bill – Midpak:

And the School of Rock:

So many student musicians on that part of the bill, we got a group pic too:

Next Thursday night (July 27th) at 6:30 pm, the ANA presents this year’s third and final concert, with Ranger and the Re-Arrangers. Free, everyone welcome, bring your own chair/blanket!

THURSDAY: Here’s what you’ll see and hear at second of three Admiral Neighborhood Association-presented concerts

July 19, 2023 4:38 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

This Thursday (July 20th), you’re invited back to the east lawn at ” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Hiawatha Community Center for the second of this year’s three free Summer Concerts presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. Above is this week’s headline band, Midpak, who’ll be joined by musicians from the School of Rock. Bring a blanket or chair, picnic dinner if you feel like it, and grab a spot on the lawn (Walnut south of Lander) in time for the 6:30 pm start. (WSB is a community co-sponsor of this year’s revived series, which is curated by Stephanie Jordan for the ANA.)

PRE-PARADE: West Seattle Big Band’s annual Concert in the Park

For many years, on the Tuesday before the West Seattle Grand Parade, the West Seattle Big Band has performed its free Concert in the Park. Tonight was the night!

The concert has several connections to Saturday’s parade – for one, the parade sponsors the concert (which was long part of the now-defunct summer-long Hi-Yu Festival). For two, WS Big Band director Jim Edwards (above left) is a longtime parade coordinator – these days with more of an emeritus role, while coordination is led by his daughter Michelle Edwards, a WSBB musician too:

Post-pandemic, the concert has had a new venue, High Point Commons Park, where the WSBB presented its program tonight.

The organization is more than a quarter-century old, with a mission of supporting students – donating its time and earnings to support school-music programs.

P.S. As for the parade – our previews of what and who you’ll see start tomorrow!

COUNTDOWN: Three days until Alki Art Fair 2023!

July 18, 2023 2:19 pm
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 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Again this year, the Alki Art Fair will run for three days – art and music along the promenade and around the Bathhouse – and it all starts Friday (July 21). Here’s the latest official overview:

FRIDAY 2-8 pm
SATURDAY 10 am-6 pm
SUNDAY 10 am-6 pm

Now in its 27th year, this FREE, family-friendly, annual arts and music festival brings Alki to life with over 100 professional artists, craftspeople and emerging artists. There will be live music, children’s activities, live demonstrations and local artisan food vendors for everyone to enjoy.

Visitors can take in the colorful views while strolling the promenade, as they eat and shop among the expansive lineup of artists, makers, and performers. It’s a great opportunity to engage with the local creative community and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our local arts and culture.

The Alki Art Fair still needs volunteers to help with this year’s festival.

Volunteers can assist and mingle with the artists, help with the silent auction, staff the information booth, assist musicians, and more. Visit bit.ly/volunteerAAF23 for a full list of volunteer opportunities and to sign up today!

Event Highlights:

-100+ local artists & crafters selling works in a variety of media including painting, pottery, glass, textiles, metal, jewelry & more. See the full lineup of participating vendors at alkiartfair.org

-Live music and performances throughout the weekend on the Bathhouse Stage sponsored by Canna West Culture Shop and open mic stage on the promenade. This year we’re featuring a variety of genres including Latin, Soul, Funk, Pop, Rock and more. See the full lineup and schedule at alkiartfair.org/music

-Interactive Kid Zone hosted by OuterSpace Seattle (the galactic indoor playspace for kids of all abilities).

-Silent auction in the historic Alki Bathhouse featuring unique items from local artists and businesses.

-Local food lineup features a range of sweet, savory, spicy and delicious options including Caribbean Cuisine, Dippy’s Ice Cream, Lbees Filipino Deli, Pop’s Sausage Grill, Simply Kettle, Road Dawg, Sap Sap Deli, Moe’s Falafel, and Little Jamie’s Mini Donuts.

Sponsors:

Canna West Culture Shop, Outer Space Seattle, 4Culture, Office of Arts & Culture, West Seattle Blog, Aegis Living, Nucor Steel, PNW Marketing, Smith Brothers, Live Oak Audio Visual, BAM Performing Arts Studio, Seal Sitters, Lake Washington Windows

See you at the beach!

YOU CAN HELP: Kenyon Hall’s first-ever orientation event for volunteers

(WSB file photo)

Historic Kenyon Hall, the nonprofit-operated event venue at 7904 35th SW, could use your help. An orientation session is coming up for prospective volunteers. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:

Kenyon Hall will be hosting our first-ever Volunteer Orientation session at the end of the month, welcoming in as many people as we can who are interested in getting more involved at the hall.

Kenyon Hall Volunteer Orientation
For all those interested in learning more about and getting more involved in their local arts!
Sunday, July 30th, 2023
Session runs from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Volunteer Session sign-up

This will be the inaugural volunteer orientation session and because so the event might run shorter or a little longer. If interested plan to show up by 2:00 pm to receive some literature and a quick meet and greet before we get into the heftier details.

We hope to see many familiar and even some unfamiliar faces at this event and begin inviting the public to participate in hall activities on a deeper level that we’ve been previously able to do.

The hall’s history dates back more than a century. If you can’t volunteer, you can also help it thrive by attending shows – check the Kenyon Hall website to see what’s coming up!

_______________

VIDEO: Summer Concerts at Hiawatha 2023 open with West Seattle Big Band

July 13, 2023 9:29 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Tonight the West Seattle Big Band, led by Jim Edwards, headlined the comeback for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s concert series, which has been on hiatus since 2019. Just like the pre-pandemic years, concertgoers of all ages filled the lawn on the east side of Hiawatha Community Center:

The WSBB was formed more than 25 years ago. If you missed them tonight – or saw them and want to see and hear more – they’ve got a concert at High Point Commons Park next Tuesday (July 18th), 7 pm, also free:

The ANA’s concert series, coordinated by Stephanie Jordan with community sponsors including WSB, continues next week too – Thursday (July 20th), 7 pm, with Mid Pak and The School of Rock.

THURSDAY: Admiral Neighborhood Association’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha return!

July 11, 2023 1:13 pm
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 |   Fun stuff to do | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Just two days away …

Thursday’s the night, the east side of Hiawatha Community Center (along Walnut south of Lander) is the place, 6:30 pm is the time, and West Seattle Big Band is who you will see and hear – it’s the first of three Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association for the first time since 2019! That’s also West Seattle Art Walk night, so, the ANA tells us, “The Admiral Art Walk participating businesses have passports – those who get theirs stamped (6) and drop them at the ANA booth at the concert will be entered into a drawing for an Admiral Business Prize Pack.” Meantime, as shown on the poster above, the concert series will continue for three consecutive Thursdays – July 13th, 20th, and 27th. Bring a chair and/or blanket to sit on, picnic dinner if you want, and get ready to enjoy outdoor music.

All-Star art and more, transforming walls south of The Junction

While Seattle basks in the Major League Baseball spotlight, we found Mariners All-Stars Julio Rodriguez and Luis Castillo on a wall south of The Junction – part of a mural in progress alongside the Rite-Aid parking lot’s north side on SW Dawson. You probably won’t be surprised to hear this is the work of prolific West Seattle muralist Desmond Hansen. But the reader tip that led us there wasn’t about that mural – it was about the art on the block-long wall along the alley on the lot/store’s west side.

Multiple artists are contributing to this one – we happened onto two of them when we walked into the alley to check it out. They told us Desmond Hansen is leading this project too and brought in other artists because there’s so much space to fill. Some of the work includes cartoon characters:

Some of it’s complete, and some is not.

We have an inquiry out to try to find out more about the genesis of the multi-artist alley project.

COUNTDOWN: Six days to West Seattle Summer Fest 2023. This year, more music!

July 8, 2023 11:56 pm
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 |   West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

By this time next Saturday night, we’ll be two-thirds of the way through West Seattle’s biggest party of the year – Summer Fest! The three-day festival takes over the heart of The Junction next Friday through Sunday (July 14th through 16th), and the streets start closing Thursday pm (California from Oregon to Edmunds and for part of the block north of Oregon, Alaska between 44th and 42nd). You’ve already seen the main-stage music lineup for Friday and Saturday. But even though the main stage will be gone by Sunday (that’s where the Farmers’ Market happens, north of Oregon, on July 16th), it won’t be a music-free day: This year, the West Side Stage has been added, in Junction Plaza Park – that’s actually the east side of the festival grounds; the name is for West Side Music Academy, which is leading the programming, 11 am-7 pm Saturday and 11 am-4 pm Sunday. You can see that lineup on the same page as the main-stage schedule. See you in The Junction! (WSB is a West Seattle Summer Fest community co-sponsor.)

Going to ‘ODESZA Presents: The Last Goodbye’? Look for your neighbors in the credits!

That’s the trailer for “ODESZA Presents: The Last Goodbye,” a music documentary playing in theaters worldwide tonight and next Wednesday. It’s not playing in West Seattle but we’re telling you about it because the filmmakers include three locals who sent this to let us – and you – know:

A feature film made by two West Seattleites – Kyle Seago & Andrew Franks – and one White Centerian – Kusanagi – will be playing in theaters all over Seattle (and worldwide in 700 theaters) on Friday, July 7 and Wednesday, July 12.

The film is a concert film/documentary on ODESZA, the Grammy Award-nominated and festival-headlining artist who got their start in Bellingham. The film was primarily shot over three sold-out shows at Climate Pledge Arena in 2022 and features footage from over the past decade telling the story of how ODESZA got their start and rose to international acclaim.

Andrew Franks worked as co-director and editor and is a Riverview resident, Kyle Seago was co-director/producer and also calls Riverview home. Kusanagi was the main director/editor and resides in White Center.

We’ll all be at AMC Southcenter for the 7 pm screening (tonight), but the film is also playing all over town at the SIFF Egyptian, Regal Meridian, AMC Thornton Place, etc.

Tickets can be found at: www.thelastgoodbye.film

WEST SEATTLE MUSIC: Concerts in the park – featuring you!

(File photo, courtesy West Seattle Community Orchestras)

The West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ series of weekly concerts in Lincoln Park – open to community musicians – starts soon. They’re happening on four consecutive Tuesday nights, July 11th, 18th, 25th, and August 1st, with two open play-along sessions – “easy music” at 6 pm, “intermediate music” at 7 pm. You’re also welcome to just go listen, too. If you’re interested in playing, register in advance by going here so you can get the music a few days before you play in the park. WSCO plays in the meadow near the south end of the north parking lot (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW).

WEST SEATTLE MUSIC: New album from Will Rainier, with local-scenery videos

July 2, 2023 9:14 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

One of your creative West Seattle neighbors wants you to know about his new album – here’s the announcement we received to share with you:

Wobble in the Moon is the new album from West Seattle singer-songwriter Will Rainier, released June 30. The album combines indie rock, folk, and Americana influences and features two singles with accompanying videos. The videos were filmed mostly in West Seattle, White Center, Georgetown, and South Park, with additional footage filmed on Lopez Island and in Singapore.

The album was written and recorded by Rainier in his West Seattle home studio with friends adding parts remotely. Wife and longtime collaborator Jen Garrett added vocals and cello, Christine Hager piano, Chad Yenney bass guitar and synth, Kevin Suggs pedal steel and baritone guitar, and Raymond Richards added pedal steel. The album was mixed by Raymond Richards and mastered by Rachel Field at Resonant Mastering. Album artwork and design by Vlad Verano at VertVolta Press.

You can stream and download the album and other Will Rainier music on his website here.

Check out the videos for songs Are You Waving Goodbye and To Supreme here.

CONTINUING MONDAY-TUESDAY: ‘Art on the Corner’ in Gatewood

If you walk or run in Gatewood, you’ve probably seen the chalked messages now and then, inviting you to “Art on the Corner” at 39th/Holden. Today Megan sent photos, including the chalkboard above with the schedule. Here’s the artist, Bonnie Bennedsen:

Megan explains: “All of the paintings are watercolors made by Bonnie herself. Ships, flowers, birds, ferries, Seattle landscapes and cityscapes and more. She also sells hand-painted greeting cards. Every penny goes to the West Seattle Food Bank.” Look for the chalkboard and banner to find Bonnie’s house “on the corner.”

WEST SEATTLE SUNDAY: 13 notes!

(Sweet-pea flowers – photo sent by Waikikigirl)

It’s the second Sunday of summer, and the second day of a four-day holiday weekend. Here’s what’s on the list for today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm; the market offers summer produce as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, plant starts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)

LOW-LOW TIDE: Out to -3.2 feet at 10:38 am. Find Seattle Aquarium volunteer beach naturalists 9:30 am-12:30 pm at Constellation Park (63rd/Alki) and Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW).

MOUNTAIN TO SOUND OUTFITTERS SALE: Today’s the final day – take 15 percent off your purchase of one in-stock item at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor)

HIGHLAND PARK SPRAYPARK OPEN: 11 am-8 pm daily through Labor Day, shine or rain. (1100 SW Cloverdale)

E.C. HUGHES WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm. (2805 SW Holden)

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day, except for chilly/cloudy days. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

COLMAN POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, this outdoor salt-water pool is open noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day. See the session schedule here.

FREE KIDS’ BOUNCY HOUSES: 11:30 am-2 pm at Junction Church (4157 California SW), all families welcome.

(added) CONCERT TRUCK AT ALKI: Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s Concert Truck will be by Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki) at noon.

NO ALKI POINT LIGHTHOUSE TOURS TODAY: But they’ll be back next Sunday (July 9th).

HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH: 3 pm matinee at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor). Our calendar listing includes the ticket link.

SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.

(Saturday night sunset – photo by Jan Pendergrass)

WATCH THE SUNSET: It’s starting to get earlier – tonight it’s at 9:10 pm. (The sun actually vanishes behind the Olympics 10 minutes before “official” sunset time, so you’ll see that around 9.)

Planning an event – one-time or recurring – that can be on West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar? Please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

SCHOOL’S OUT: Genesee Hill Elementary’s final art project of the year

Whether they’re coming back next year or moving up, Genesee Hill Elementary School students finished their school year with a gift for next year and beyond. The mural you see above, painted by students led by Urban ArtWorks, has replaced this drab wall:

The costs were covered by Genesee Hill PTA fundraising; Urban ArtWorks was chosen from four local artists who bid on the project. The planning process began in March, in art workshops with all 530+ GHES students. Their ideas were consolidated into a design in April. Teaching artist Lis Rafailedes, below with GHES principal Liz Dunn, was there working with the young artists when we visited on Monday:

The students painted the mural over multiple days this month, concluding with kindergarteners:

You can see the mural from SW Genesee, on the south side of the campus.

A similar project resulted in a mural at Lafayette Elementary four years ago.

WEST SEATTLE FRIDAY: The list for the rest of the day

(Today’s sunrise – photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Quieter Friday than usual, with holiday-weekend getaways beginning, but if you’re not leaving town, here’s the list!

GARDEN CENTER OPEN: Need more plants for your garden, containers, etc.? You can shop at the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Garden Center, open with a wide variety of student-grown plants, until 2 pm. (North end of campus, 6000 16th SW)

MOUNTAIN TO SOUND OUTFITTERS SALE: Through Sunday, take 15 percent off your purchase of one in-store item at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor)

SPRAYPARK OPEN: 11 am-8 pm, Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale) is open daily.

FREE LUNCH: The Junction Church (4157 California SW) invites you to a free sit-down lunch, 11:30 am-12:30 pm.

DELRIDGE AND HIAWATHA WADING POOLS OPEN: Noon-5:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW and 2700 California SW)

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

COLMAN POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, the outdoor salt-water pool is open noon-7 pm daily through Labor Day. See the session schedule here.

SCRABBLE CLUB: You’re invited to play 12:30-1:30 pm at Margie’s Café inside the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

NORTHWEST WINE ACADEMY: 1-6 pm on the north side of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), student-produced wine by the glass or bottle.

VISCON CELLARS: Tonight, stop by Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) for wine by the glass or bottle, 5-9 pm (5910 California SW).

LIVE AT THE SKYLARK: Mia Day, Mirabai Kukathas, Brenna Bruce, live at The Skylark , doors at 7, music at 8, $10. (3803 Delridge Way SW).

HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH: The musical continues at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor). Our calendar listing includes the ticket link.

FIREWORKS SHOW DOWNTOWN: In case you hear fireworks in the distance – tonight there’s a show following the Mariners game.

Something to add to our calendar? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

VIDEO: From milling to moviemaking – ‘remarkable transformation’ showcased at Harbor Island Studios

Two years ago, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the former Fisher Flour Mill on Harbor Island – county-owned for 20 years – was transforming into a video/film-production facility. Tonight, he jubilantly hailed its “remarkable transformation,” as Harbor Island Studios celebrated its grand opening, calling it a facility that was “willed into existence”:

Also speaking was King County’s creative-economy director Kate Becker:

The event was part grand opening, part trade fair, part film festival. Part of its 117,000 square feet held tables from partners and vendors serving the video/film industry, showing off everything from camera-boom-equipped vehicles ..

to props …

to drones.

Hundreds of people mingled and wandered through the building’s separate spaces …

One included easels with scenes from a series that had shot there (and elsewhere in West Seattle), “Three Busy Debras,” which ran through 2022:

The point of the spaces is to give creative crews plenty of room to realize their productions’ vision. Harbor Island Studios got a test run on that over a weekend in April, when three teams shot three short films as part of the Seattle 48-Hour Film Project. Those films, and a documentary about making them, were screened for tonight’s attendees.

If Harbor Island Studios fulfills its promise – and if the state beefs up incentives for film production – Vancouver, B.C., could stop “passing as Seattle,” as Constantine put it.

But first, as Becker mentioned, there’s more interior work ahead at Harbor Island Studios, to maximize its 117,000 square feet of space.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: In case you’re interested, here’s the official news release the county posted today.

THEATER: ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ about to open at ArtsWest

June 27, 2023 7:48 pm
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 |   West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Photo courtesy ArtsWest, 2018 production of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’)

Starting tomorrow night, ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) is “revisiting” a musical that rocked the playhouse in 2018 – “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Here’s how ArtsWest symmarizes “Hedwig”:

The off-Broadway smash-hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the electrifying story of Hedwig, a German emigrant who suffered a botched sex-change operation, as she travels the country in hopeless romantic pursuit of her former lover. First a hit on stage and again on screen, John Cameron Mitchell’s hard-rock tale of transformation has earned critical acclaim and a legion of fans across the world.

Nicholas Japaul Bernard again portrays Hedwig, with Kataka Corn as Yitzhak and Michael B. Maine as the Angry Inch; Eddie DeHais directs, and Aaron M.D. Norman is music director. Tomorrow (Wednesday) night is a 7:30 pm “preview,” with Thursday the official opening night; after that, “Hedwig” runs Wednesdays through Sundays through July 23rd. You can get tickets by going here; the playhouse is located at 4711 California SW in The Junction.

SUMMER CONCERTS: Hiawatha’s back on – here’s the lineup

(WSB file photo)

Just in from the Admiral Neighborhood Association – the park east of Hiawatha Community Center will be available for their Summer Concerts series after all! ANA’s Dan Jacobs tells WSB they were able to get the park for three Thursday evenings in July, and the lineup is set:

July 13 – West Seattle Big Band 
July 20 – School of Rock and Mid Pak
July 27 – Ranger and the Re-Arrangers

You’re probably familiar with WSBB and School of Rock; Ranger (et al) was part of the last Hiawatha slate in 2019 – they play “gypsy jazz.” These are free, all-ages, bring-your-own-chair-or-blanket concerts – ANA promises other details soon.

West Seattle among six regional sites for ‘giant trolls’ that will turn ‘trash into treasure’

You’ve likely heard of the Fremont Troll. Now get ready for the West Seattle Troll.

(Photos courtesy Scan Design Foundation. Above, Dambo troll installed in Dayton, Ohio)

As first reported by GeekWire, a Danish artist is going to install “six giant hand-built Nordic troll characters” around the Northwest later this summer – at sites in West Seattle, Ballard, Issaquah, Bainbridge and Vashon Islands, and Portland.

Artist Thomas Dambo has already installed ~100 trolls, made from recycled materials, around the world. (Currently he’s in New Jersey.) His Northwest project is being overseen by the Scan Design Foundation, whose announcement says Dambo’s work carries a “message of turning trash into treasure and building community through art” and will be “amplifying the network of cultural heritage between Coast Salish tribal communities and Danish and Scandinavian traditions (to reinforce) the shared values of environmental stewardship for watershed protection, restoration, and preservation of riparian habitats.” The artist is quoted as saying, “I want people to know that trash has value. My trolls do that, and also help me tell stories, like the legends I grew up with. In nature, there is no landfill. Nature is circular – everything has a meaning and everything is recycled.”

(Dambo troll installed in Breckenridge, Colorado)

So, you’re wondering, where will the West Seattle troll be? They’re not announcing specific locations yet but Seattle Parks is a “site partner” so it’ll be in a park; when the concept was circulated among neighborhood groups many months ago, Lincoln Park was mentioned as a possibility. The reveals are scheduled to happen between early August and mid-September – one per week, per the early concept discussion – and once complete, the trolls will remain in place “for at least three years.” As for “how big” is meant by “giant,” the early discussions suggested at least 20′ high. (The photos accompanying this story are three trolls installed at other sites in the U.S.)

(Dambo troll installed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming)

The regional project is titled “Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King” and has a website, including a list of who’s funding and sponsoring the project.

GOT MEMORABILIA? Vanishing Seattle might want to borrow it

If you have memorabilia – particularly signage – from a past business, Vanishing Seattle wants to hear from you. The temporary exhibit they’re planning isn’t in West Seattle, but it’s not far, and they’re hoping to draw items from all over the city. Here’s what we were asked to share with you:

Vanishing Seattle is seeking remnants of our city to display at Forest For The Trees, a satellite event to Seattle Art Fair. The “Vanishing Seattle” exhibition will offer a poignant reflection on the changing face of our city, a reminder of the impermanence of urban spaces and the profound impact of “progress.” We hope to bring together a collection of sign works, artifacts & memorabilia that have shaped the city’s visual and cultural landscape over the decades, as an ode to the artisans and spaces that brought life to the city streets, and as a celebration of the ephemeral beauty that continues to shape our collective memories. As we bear witness to the disappearance of these art forms and gathering places from our streets, we invite you to contribute to a visual dialogue that pays tribute to this legacy.

The exhibition will take place in an open 12,000 sq ft brick and timber space at historic RailSpur building in Pioneer Square from July 27 – 30, 2023 and First Thursday Art Walk August 3, 2023. Entry is free to the public.

The exhibition will take place on an upper floor of the building, so the sizing of the items will be restricted to the capacity of the elevator and stairwell (roughly 8ft X 4ft, but don’t hesitate to contact us if you have an awesome item that’s bigger).

Items will be credited as on loan from the owner unless you wish to remain anonymous.

Please contact us if you are interested in sharing signs and other local artifacts from your collection!

vanishingseattle@gmail.com