West Seattle Art Walk 355 results

West Seattle Art Walk tonight! See the map, and a few previews

Just a bit more than three hours till the April edition of the West Seattle Art Walk, a free showcase at dozens of venues all over the peninsula. Some of the venues change quarterly, and this is the first Art Walk this quarter, so be sure to check the walking map/venue list before deciding where to go 6-9 pm tonight. This quarter, the northernmost stop on the Art Walk is at the beach, Alki Arts (2820 Alki Avenue SW), and the southernmost stop is The Building (which you’ll find on SW Othello just west of California SW, past the Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation church). Many of the participating venues have previews on the official Art Walk website, with artist information/imagery and we have a few previews for you here too:

TWILIGHT ARTIST COLLECTIVE: We stopped in this Junction venue at midday for a sneak peek at the exhibition opening tonight, “The Birds,” curated by John Osgood – the photo above shows one of the myriad bird-themed/featured works in the Twilight display “loft.”

TALK ABOUT VIDEO AT ARTSWEST: A short ways south of Twilight, tonight’s Art Walk includes a special presentation – after the 6-7:30 pm reception for “Domestic Patterns,” ArtsWest presents a special OnStage discussion, “How to Make It as a Video Artist in Seattle” in the theater at 7:30 pm – free, with guest speakers Tess Martin (a video artist), 4Culture‘s Heather Dwyer, and Reel Grrls’ Maile Martinez. Legal, tech, marketing, and creative issues are all on the agenda.

SEATTLE REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATES (WSB sponsor): Meet artist Igor Kashinskiy, classically trained in St. Petersburg, Russia, and displaying his work at SREA (4535 44th SW) right now, including the work shown above.

BIN 41 WINE SHOP: West Seattle artist Frances Hinson will be on hand as she shares “an array of photography from her travel and botanical portfolio,” as bin 41 co-owner T. Frick McNamara puts it. “You’ll be amazed when you see what photos came from her camera and which ones she crafted using the iPhone!” Also on display, a few pieces from T. Frick’s encaustic-painting portfolio. And the bin will feature “the brand new releases from Owen Roe’s second label Corvidae along with two wines from a top new Washington winery, Maison Bleue.”

MORE WINE: Art Walk night is also Wine Club night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW, and it’s tasting night at West Seattle Cellars (6026 California SW), which is featuring Oregon wines, as well as the art of Batya Friedman, mixed-media artist/sculptor.

SODA AND ART AT CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS (WSB sponsor): Click! (4540 California SW) will have free Dry Soda on hand while also showcasing the art of Junko Yamamoto.

WINDERMERE FAUNTLEROY: Toward the south end of the West Seattle Art Walk map, you’ll find not only art but live music here (6505 California SW) – “musical stylings of the Five Buck Band” as they tweeted at @wrefauntleroy, along with artist Scott Ward, plus sangria and hors d’oeuvres.

THE KENNEY: At 7125 Fauntleroy Way SW, The Kenney’s offerings tonight include music by the Boeing Employee Choir!

M3 BODYWORKS (WSB sponsor): Not on the official Art Walk map, but art and treats are there for you to stop in and enjoy at 5236 California SW. Their announcement:

M3 Bodyworks Massage Clinic is proud to have renowned artist Susanna Bluhm display her art here at the clinic this quarter. Susanna had shown in Dublin, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Washington DC. She’s worked on many art projects here in Seattle as well. “An individual painting can become a new place in itself, with sensations of things that might happen in a place, such as weather, touch, landscape, temperature, sex, or noise.”

As in the tradition of M3, we will be having an open house with Susanna from 6 – 9 PM tonight. Our caterer this evening is Evey the Caterer, creating creole delights in the traditional Southern style.

Again, lots more previews at wsartwalk.com; the map/list is here; and you can “like” the West Seattle Art Walk on Facebook by going here.

West Seattle Art Walk, March edition: Superheroes of art!

(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Life imitates art? Leading off our set of scenes from last night’s West Seattle Art Walk: First, at Keller Williams Realty, Los Angeles-based artist PJ Andrews showed off his character-themed art, including Underdog (above) – several more of his works, and other stops along the Art Walk way, after the jump:
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West Seattle Art Walk tonight, 6-9 pm: The map, and highlights

Just two hours till the monthly West Seattle Art Walk (the latest walking map and venue list is page 2 of this PDF). Among the dozens of talented artists showing their work and meeting art-lovers all around West Seattle tonight for the monthly WS Art Walk, you’ll find Machel Spence, whose photography has won raves here recently (as well as elsewhere) – she’s showing her fungi photography at Alki Arts this time around (next to Cactus at 2820 Alki SW), and you can say hi 6-9 pm. (Her photo above is “a photograph of a photograph” that’s part of the show.)

Two photographers are showing their work at Seattle Real Estate Associates (WSB sponsor). – The photo above is a sample of David A. Barnes‘ work (a wall in Paris, one of the many places he’s photographed during more than 40 years of work); the other photographer is Rosanne Olson. Come see their work and also meet the folks at Seattle Real Estate Associatesonline at westseattleforsale.com – who have recently moved their office to West Seattle (you’ll find it in The Junction at 4535 44th Avenue SW).

Also from The Junction:

At Blue Willow, 4310 SW Oregon, you’ll find Theresa McCormick, who’s showing new work there this month, including watercolors, mixed media, and acrylics painted on location in Arizona, Samish Island, Cape Disappointment, and Orcas Island in Washington, as well as other abstract and imaginary paintings of “locations” she created – the work above is called “Shimmering Field of Yellow.”

And about a block north of Blue Willow, at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor; 4410 California SW) – it’s a mother-and-daughter display! Cari Jones and Jessica Jones are showing their work. You can read more about them here.

Lots more previews if you scroll along the official West Seattle Art Walk website – venue by venue, artist by artist – all over the peninsula; you’ll also find the Art Walk on Facebook, here. Again, the list and “walking map” can be found on the second page of this PDF.

Who we met at the West Seattle Art Walk, February 2011

(Photos and video by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
Tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk highlighted imagination and whimsy as well as boldness and brightness in the wide range of art on display around the peninsula. Laura Castellanos was at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) – you might recognize her “bummerbunny.” Bright night overall at Click!

Also in The Junction, more imagination and whimsy courtesy of Kate Endle, at CAPERS:

Kate is an accomplished illustrator and also works in collage, using decorative and hand-painted paper. You’ll find some of her children’s books on sale at CAPERS, too. Next Junction stop – ArtsWest:

Encaustic abstract artist Kate Fluckinger is one of the artists who are “Spinning Straw Into Gold” in the ArtsWest Gallery‘s current exhibition. A bit off the beaten Junction track, Joya Marie was the featured artist at the Nature Consortium offices, showing her linocuts:

Live music there, too, from Bando-Rio:

Finally, two stops outside The Junction – Art Walk night is always busy at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), with Wine Club and a featured artist – this time, Chris Hunter:

His “day job” is at Alki Beach Tattoo, but he’s been painting longer than he’s been tattooing, and that’s what C&P is showcasing – watercolor and ink paintings and drawings. Last but by no means least, a stop at Stephanie Hargrave‘s South Admiral studio to say hi to Jean Lovejoy, who drew a full house of fans for her retrospective:

Last night we featured Stephanie’s story about Jean, who’s going strong at 91. Remember, most venues display their artists’ work all month long, so even if you couldn’t get out tonight, you’ve got time to wander around and enjoy it in the weeks ahead. Next West Seattle Art Walk: March 10.

West Seattle Art Walk tomorrow – and a 91-year-old’s retrospective

(Photo of Jean Lovejoy, courtesy Stephanie Hargrave)
Tomorrow night, all around West Seattle, it’s the February Art Walk, 6-9 pm, with a stop or two off the official map. One that’s come to our attention is Jean Lovejoy‘s retrospective, presented by Stephanie Hargrave in South Admiral (3234 California SW). Stephanie notes that Jean is 91 years old and still going strong. She hopes you’ll come by to meet her and enjoy her art. Here’s what Stephanie has to say about Jean:

I met Jean Lovejoy a year ago at an art sale/fundraising event I was having at my studio. She came with one of her daughters, Madeline, who mentioned she was an artist. I was immediately intrigued. She embodied something. As it turned out, that ‘something’ was a lifetime of art making – the type of dedicated, focused art making that can keep a person curious, creating and constantly learning for years. I just adored her. To me, she was a presence not unlike what Georgia O’Keefe must have been – petite, solid, bright and imaginative.

Madeline mentioned that Jean was looking for a gallery to show her work, and that she wanted to do a retrospective show. I told her she was welcome to have a show at my studio if she liked, and to my delight, she accepted.

We spoke the other day over tea, and I asked some questions about her life and art. At the age of 30, she told her husband she’d really like to take some art classes, and began with printmaking. She absolutely loved it and was good at it. Her teachers noticed her, often commenting on how talented she was. She continued taking classes and workshops – drawing and design classes at the UW, three years at The Factory of Visual Arts, three years of collagraph classes with Barbara Bruch, three years of painting under Jacob Elshin, six years of painting under Allen Wolf, more drawing and printmaking workshops and classes at Pratt Fine Arts Center as well as the Seattle Parks Department. She has also taught art to seniors over the years.

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Artful night, report #1: West Seattle Art Walk scenes

(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen and Patrick Sand for WSB)
A night to celebrate, for many along the path of last night’s West Seattle Art Walk: Above, the trio behind Twilight Artist Collective, Mary, Cheryl, and Erin, celebrating Twilight’s sixth anniversary (did you read the story of how they began?). Also along the way, many marking new beginnings now, or soon, like Miranda Krone, whose culinary-art achievements were part of the fare as C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor) hosted not only an Art Walk stop but also its monthly Wine Club:

Miranda is the chef who will soon open Meander’s in the former Jade West Café space north of Morgan Junction (here’s our December report). Another brand-new entrepreneur marked a milestone last night:

That’s Monica Skov, hosting her first Art Walk night at month-old West Seattle Fabric Company in the Admiral District, showcasing fabric art, and getting ready for classes to start – possibly as soon as mid-February. Meantime, the shop that preceded WSFC at 2210 California SW celebrated its first January Art Walk in The Junction:

Those are some of the wire birds by Shelli Markee on display now at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor). Flying up to Alki, Seal Sitters‘ Robin Lindsey was one of the featured artists at Alki Arts:

Robin’s wonderful wildlife photos were at centerstage, along with Carol Braden‘s whimsically covered guitars – here’s Carol with Alki Arts’ Diane Venti:

And they had a surprise musical guest, rustled up at the last moment – the renowned Carrie Akre:

On to the other end of the Art Walk route, The Kenney had music too – with barbershop quartet The Country Squires:

One of The Kenney’s featured artists was resident Mona Elliott, who posed with her painting of Mount Rainier:

Back to The Junction – photographer Machel Spence‘s mushroom magic graced the wall at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar:

She posts new work on Flickr just about every day. One block south at ArtsWest, photojournalist Roger Ressmeyer, whose work is highlighted in the “Beginning of Totality” show:

And we made one more stop, back up in Admiral – Shanti Salon and Spa (WSB sponsor), displaying the paintings of Brian Forrest, whose work is expressionist in influence; this one is titled “Minstrel“:

Remember, most of these displays will be up all month – so you can enjoy art any time – between now and the next West Seattle Art Walk, which is on February 10th, 6-9 pm as always. Watch wsartwalk.com for information.

Tonight: First West Seattle Art Walk of the year!

January 13, 2011 4:58 pm
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

It’s the second Thursday of the month, which means it’s West Seattle Art Walk night, 6-9 pm all over the peninsula. A new list of venues, since it’s a new quarter – and that means a new walking map (the second page of this PDF). Photography has a special spotlight this time around – at Alki Arts, on the north end of the Art Walk, you will find photographer Robin Lindsey, whose beautiful photographs grace the website of Seal Sitters, for whom she is a first responder (and much more). In The Junction, you will find photographer Machel Spence at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar – we mentioned her show here recently; she takes ethereal photographs of fungi in forests, and shares some of them via the WSB group on Flickr. At ArtsWest, the photojournalist whose work is now on display, Roger Ressmeyer, will be at centerstage for a special edition of ArtsWest’s popular “OnStage” discussion series at 7:30 pm. And at Wallflower Custom Framing, photojournalist Anton Moentenich is the featured artist.

Other special features tonight: Want to meet Miranda Krone, who is opening Meander’s in the former Jade West Café? She’s the appetizer chef tonight at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor), which is hosting its Wine Club tonight and is also an Art Walk stop. And some of West Seattle’s newest businesses are part of the lineup – West Seattle Fabric Company in Admiral, Locöl, Tuscan Tea Room, the Admiral branch of Bird on a Wire Espresso. Then there’s the big sixth anniversary bash at Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction. Lots of venues previewed at the official Art Walk website!

P.S. Not officially part of the Art Walk, but in its spirit – the West Seattle High School Winter Art Expo is under way at the school library till 8. Here’s our preview from last week.

Seen Machel’s mushroom photos? On display starting today

If you have looked at – and/or participated in – the WSB photo pool on Flickr, you have likely admired the work of Machel Spence, whose favored subject is mushrooms, and other fungi. She e-mailed us today to share the news that her photos are now on display at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar in The Junction, today through the end of the month, and she’ll be there on January 13 to meet anyone interested in talking about them. She also says her photos are under consideration for a book, too! By the way, January 13 happens to be the first West Seattle Art Walk of the year – 6-9 pm; we’ll have the full list of venues (which changes quarter-by-quarter, and this WSAW starts a new quarter) as soon as it’s available.

West Seattle Art Walk report #2: More holiday cheer, & a farewell

December 10, 2010 6:52 am
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

(WSB photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
More holiday cheer in our second and final report from Thursday night’s West Seattle Art Walk (our first one is here) – these are the venues visited by WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen. Above, we hear a certain CEO stood in for Santa Claus at The Kenney. At Seattle Yarn (5633 California SW), Mrs. Claus held court:

That’s Seattle Yarn’s Ruth Bowen with Mrs. Claus – also in the photo, Snooter-doots, which Mrs. Claus says each come with a name and a birthdate and are available for “adoption.” Meantime, holiday photos were the order of the night at West Side Yoga/Doga (6417 Fauntleroy Way) in Morgan Junction – but look closely at who’s under the lights:

WSYD was the site of the Yappy Howlidays Muttmixer for dogs and their people; photo proceeds benefited Dogs Deserve Better. The party was sponsored by West Seattle-headquartered CityDog Magazine, whose founder Brandie Ahlgren was there too:

Brandie’s sitting next to a computer because she was showing off the new look that you’ll see within a week or so on the CityDog website, with more ways for dog owners to connect with each other. Heading north, while most of our Junction photos are in Art Walk report #1, Ellen dropped by the Neo-Kitsch show reception at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), a juried show with more than 50 participating artists:

That’s West Seattle artist Kelly Lyles showing off her “Black Velvet” (painted on velvet, of course). Kelly said her idea inspirations included Google. Last but not least, on the northernmost end of the current Art Walk map, the last WSAW (for now) at the Alki Bathhouse, because of city budget cuts (whose other effects on Alki Community Center/Bathhouse operations are explained here).

College student Logan Mohr, shown talking with a potential customer, showed a variety of work at the Bathhouse show; in addition to etchings and work in other media, he also designs and sells skateboards. One of the other artists showing at Alki Bathhouse was Su Harrington:

She told Ellen she’ll miss showing at Alki Bathhouse, since she lives nearby; this was her second show there. Next West Seattle Art Walk is the second Thursday in January (the 14th). As noted in our first report from last night, many Art Walk-highlighted works will be up at the venues (mapped here) throughout the month, and right now, that also means lots of art available for holiday shopping, even if you didn’t make it out last night.

‘Tis the season for creativity: West Seattle Art Walk, report #1

Winning the Holiday Spirit Award tonight in The Junction during West Seattle Art Walk/Shop Late Thursday – the gleefully goofy Tacky Sweater Party at Twilight Artist Collective. (Compare to last year’s “tacky sweaters” here.) Even if you missed the party, you can stop in (4306 SW Alaska) and see the “12 Days of Christmas,” by 12 artists including members of the Twilight owner team. Smiles abounded along tonight’s Art Walk route for many reasons:

Posing with a few of her “Backyard Beauty and Beyond” photos at the Senior Center of West Seattle, that’s Trileigh, whose scenes of wild West Seattle have appeared many a time here on WSB – tonight was her first public (offline) exhibition! Kitty corner at Clementine (4447 California SW), West Seattle entrepreneur Cari Jones showed her new paintings:

We have to admit, though WSB is among her client firms, we didn’t know Cari was an artist too, along with everything else she’s up to (as detailed on the Clementine website)! Around the corner at Brunette Mix (4306 SW Oregon), tonight was a two-part event:

Brunette Mix proprietor BJ Prokopof is celebrating her third anniversary in The Junction – and hosting the art of Tony Taj. From there, scooting over to Ginomai artist studios on the north edge of The Junction, we peeked in on the silent auction we told you about this morning, raising money for the next Central America well-building trip on the West Seattle Christian Church schedule:

That gorgeous purse was donated by Funky Jane’s Consignment; we’ll be checking with WSCC to see how the auction went. Last but by no means least, over to Wallflower Custom Framing and Shooting Gallery:

Mark Morgan is one of 16 artists whose work is included in the “Puny Picture Show,” 2nd year in a row for Wallflower to feature small-size work by big-size talent. Remember, much of what is on display Art Walk night also remains on display for all or part of the following month at the participating venues, so every day/night can be an Art Walk day/night. We had a second crew out tonight, meantime, and that second round of December Art Walk scenes are coming up in a separate report! (Disclosure: Brunette Mix and Wallflower are WSB sponsors; Clementine, Twilight, and Funky Jane’s are featured advertisers in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Shopping Guide.)

1 more preview: West Seattle Art Walk, Shop Late Thursday, MORE

December 9, 2010 4:46 pm
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

(Photo added 7:37 pm, courtesy Tim – crowd at Wallflower Custom Framing‘s ‘Puny Pictures’ show)
Less than two hours till West Seattle Art Walk – all over the peninsula – and Shop Late Thursday in The Junction. In addition to our previous Art Walk previews here (several other interesting stops) and here (Ginomai auction for well-building), plus all the artist spotlights you can find on the official WSAW website, here are a few more mentions:

ARTSWEST (WSB sponsor): In addition to continuing “A Tuna Christmas” in the theater tonight, the gallery features “Neo-Kitsch,” a juried exhibition, and you’ll recognize some local artists – including Highland Park’s Dina Lydia Johnson and Kelly Lyles of art-car (among other things) fame.

LIBERTY BELL PRINTING: Days after announcing its imminent departure from The Junction, Liberty Bell has an open house tonight AND charity gift-wrapping by Furry Faces Foundation – 6-9 pm. Details in this WSB Forums post.

BRUNETTE MIX (WSB sponsor): Celebrating its third anniversary during tonight’s Art Walk!

BIN 41 WINE (WSB sponsor): Music, wine, and art!

NOT in The Junction —

CLICK! DESIGN THAT FITS – Offering special discount on locally originated merchandise, like what’s spotlighted here.

SEATTLE YARN COMPANY: We’re told their open house tonight will include a visit from Mrs. Claus.

LOG HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN HOUSE: Want a copy of the new “Images of West Seattle” as a stocking stuffer? The Log House Museum is selling it at its holiday open house under way right now, till 8 pm. (61st/Stevens)

SANISLO ELEMENTARY BOOK FAIR AT BARNES AND NOBLE: Need to buy books for somebody? Sanislo Elementary benefits if you buy tonight at Barnes & Noble, Westwood Village, where their Bookfair is under way, 6:30-8:30 pm.

In The Junction AND elsewhere:

WSB WEST SEATTLE HOLIDAY SHOPPING/BUSINESS GUIDE: 20 businesses offering deals and special holiday-shopping info. We’ve also upgraded it so you can e-mail/FB/tweet each individual business’s listing, if you want a reminder, or to share. Find it here (with more additions later tonight, in time for weekend shopping).

Silent auction during WS Art Walk to bring a village clean water

December 9, 2010 2:08 am
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 |   How to help | West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

(Photos by Aaron Hernandez, courtesy WSCC)
Tonight (Thursday), during the December edition of the West Seattle Art Walk, stop by Ginomai artist studios and put in a bid for art that will do double duty: A gift for someone (maybe even yourself?), and a gift for hundreds of people thousands of miles away. Local artists have donated pieces for a silent auction raising money for the next well-building trip by a delegation from West Seattle Christian Church. Dan Jacobs, the WSCC pastor who spoke at last weekend’s Junction Tree Lighting, was part of the group that helped build a well for a Guatemalan village this past summer and is making plans now to go to Honduras next summer. (Exactly where, they don’t know yet, because the demand is so great, the exact community isn’t designated till the last moment.) It’s in connection with a group called Living Water, and as Dan says, it’s a matter of living or dying, in many cases – until these new wells are dug, deep below the area where the ground might be contaminated by farming runoff or other pollutants, water-borne illnesses are common, and deadly, especially to children, who also lose countless school hours to frequent sickness.

West Seattle Christian has been supporting well-building projects for some years – but until recently, that just involved fundraising. However, Dan says the value of going to help out in person not only entails more help, but also more awareness: “There were 10 of us who went, and 300 involved in sending us.” The drive to raise money for the project always starts at Christmastime, and that’s on purpose: “Three years ago, I heard a statistic that the U.S. will spend $450 billion on Christmas. The estimated cost to address the need for clean water in the world is $10 billion. We thought we could do Christmas better than just spending money on stuff.” (Thus, the involvement with Advent Conspiracy.)

One individual well about 100 feet deep might cost about $5,000, he notes, not much of a cost for 300 people to “have clean water for the first time ever.” The wells are drilled only in common public areas like schools, so there’s little chance of a “water war” breaking out over access. Dan says his group this past summer only had to dig to about 80 feet to get clean water, and they’ve gotten reports, since their departure, that it’s yielding even more water than expected.

Paintings and photos comprise most of the work you’ll see at the silent auction during the Art Walk. Included is some photography by WSCC’s Aaron Hernandez, who also is part of the well-building delegation. Even for those who couldn’t go, the pastor explains, “our whole church felt they were part of (the journey) – including some older couples who were so proud to be part of it, we felt as if we were taking them there with us.”

Bid for some art at Ginomai tonight, and you can be part of it too. The silent auction is in the community room down the hall – enter from 42nd, on the SW corner of Genesee (parking is on the south side of the building, also entered from 42nd).

Thursday’s WS Art Walk: Park photos, ‘puny’ art, Muttmixer…

December 8, 2010 10:41 am
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Just yesterday, we were talking about owls. This one is not likely to have been part of THAT story, but it’ll figure into the next West Seattle Art Walk. Remember Wollet, the Lincoln Park owlet, shown here last year in photos shared by Trileigh? This photo is part of her first-ever photography show, “Backyard Beauty and Beyond,” which you can see at the Senior Center of West Seattle during tomorrow night’s Art Walk, 6-9 pm, along with other photos she took, mostly in Lincoln Park. “It’ll be wonderful to share some of these glimpses of our local beauty with my wonderful WS community!” Trileigh tells WSB.

Other December Art Walk highlights – with venues from Alki to Highland Park! (here’s the map) – include The Puny Picture Show, “tiny original masterpieces” – from 16 artists! – at Wallflower Custom Framing and Shooting Gallery (WSB sponsor). You’ll find live music, “puny snacks,” and eggnog as part of the Art Walk party accompanying the show at Wallflower (which also is offering a deal on the WSB Coupons page right now).

Also in The Junction, Twilight Artist Collective – one of the 20 participants in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Shopping Guide – is not only showing new art, it’s having a Tacky Sweater Party; wear your tacky sweater and bring an unwrapped toy for the Treehouse toy drive that’s continuing at Twilight (SW Alaska just west of California) … Be sure to find your way up to California/42nd/Genesee, not only to see Justin Hillgrove at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor), but also to check out the Silent Auction at Ginomai artist studios – local artists have donated work to raise money for West Seattle Christian Church‘s next wellbuilding trip to Central America (we’ll have a separate story with more on that later today) … Brunette Mix (WSB sponsor) is celebrating its third anniversary and featuring the work of Tony Taj … The Junction also will be in the midst of its second Shop Late Thursday tomorrow night.

Art Walk highlights outside The Junction: If you and your dog stop by West Side Yoga/Doga in Morgan Junction, you’ll find yourself in the Yappy Howlidays Muttmixer party, presented in conjunction with West Seattle-headquartered City Dog MagazineThe Kenney (7125 Fauntleroy Way) will have a visit from Santa Claus in the FIRST hour, 6-7 pm … Bird on a Wire Espresso will welcome Art Walk visitors to its new location at 2604 California SW tomorrow night instead of its Westwood store … A long list of previews can be found at wsartwalk.com (see the map here) and we’ll have at least 2 more previews before tomorrow night.

November’s West Seattle Art Walk: From kale chips to ironwork

West Seattle-based food writer Kim O’Donnel not only autographed her new “Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook” at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) during the November West Seattle Art Walk last night – she made snacks, too, and shows/explains them all in our video clip. Among them: Kale chips. From Click!’s new Junction location, we headed over to see the guest artists featured by two more WSB sponsors, who are both along 42nd SW just north of SW Edmunds:

Filmmaker Leah Warshawski guested at Mural; the photo’s from her work in Rwanda, subject of a documentary-in-progress; steps away at Wallflower Custom Framing and The Shooting Gallery, you’ll find the photos of Sara Tro (at right, with Wallflower proprietor Courtney Sievertson):

From there, it was across the peninsula to Westwood’s Barton Street Lofts. This is artist and author David Bloomfield (aka Starheadboy) posing with his art:

(This photo, and those that follow unless otherwise credited, by Ellen Cedergreen)
Bloomfield told WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen that his work is a mixture of realism and characters; he’s working on a children’s book in that style (available soon at Blurb.com) to help young children with their self-esteem. Speaking of kids, they came out to the Barton Street Lofts show too: Artist and illustrator Brandon Baker poses with young patron Zoe, who shows off her newest purchase (one of Brandon’s).

Hopping back to The Junction, Twilight opened Northwest Anvil 2, Survey of Contemporary NW Ironwork.: Its curators are Lisa Geertsen and Andy Blakney. The Caveman pictured between the two belongs to Andy:

The West Seattle-based wife and husband team teach, too, and their work is hanging alongside their students’ through 12/4 at Twilight – here’s “Peacock” by student Kayla Blincow:

The forged pieces drew attention from all ages:

Some of the artists explained to Ellen that the metal-smithing community readily shares craft and techniques, creating a strong sense of camaraderie.

One more Junction note – we found West Seattle Hi-Yu‘s Carol Winston with Hi-Yu fundraising ornaments on sale during the West Seattle Family Zone-sponsored show upstairs at the Senior Center of West Seattle:

Next West Seattle Art Walk, December 9th – keep an eye on wsartwalk.com for previews.

West Seattle Art Walk tonight: Get your holiday shopping going

Second-to-last West Seattle Art Walk before Christmas – tonight, 6-9 pm, all around the peninsula. More than 40 venues are participating again this month – they’re all listed on the official Art Walk map, and many of the artists/events are highlighted on the official Art Walk website. Among them: Tonight’s the night that West Seattle-based, nationally renowned food writer Kim O’Donnel signs her new book The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in The Junction (here’s our September story about Kim’s book) … Also in The Junction, it’s opening night for Northwest Anvil 2, an ironwork exhibit at Twilight Artist CollectiveWallflower Custom Framing and Shooting Gallery (WSB sponsor – with a coupon on the WSB Coupons page) is presenting Sara Tro‘s exhibit, “strange, beautiful things” … Hotwire Online Coffeehouse presents “outsider”-style art by Kim McCarthy … Not only can you buy many participating artists’ work if you plan to do “early” holiday shopping, there are at least two special shopping events – Bird on a Wire Espresso in Westwood has a “Bazarre” and the Senior Center of West Seattle is the site of a shopping bazaar sponsored by West Seattle Family Zone … On the north side of the route, Alki Arts is participating (with live jazz tonight!) as is ActivSpace (more info here) … Leonardo Lanzolla is this month’s artist at new WSB sponsor C & P Coffee … Again, here’s the map – 6-9 pm’s the time. (P.S. We also have word from the new Tuscan Tea Room that they’ll be open late for Art Walk-ers – their menus are now online, too.)

ADDED 3:19 PM: Mural Apartments (WSB sponsor) shares news of 2 unique displays they’ll have tonight: Photojournalist Tony Blazejack is showing “Skies Over Mural,” a series of photographs he took from the roof of Mural last month, and Leah Warshawski, executive producer of a documentary-in-the-works on Rwanda, will show photos and footage from 3 years of production there, as well as selling prints that will raise money to complete her work.

October’s West Seattle Art Walk: Driftwood, zombies, candy …

(First 6 photos in this story are by Ellen Cedergreen [Alki, ArtsWest, The Kenney])
Steps from the beach, Alki Bathhouse celebrated the exhibit “Beach Structures” last night during the October edition of the West Seattle Art Walk, 41 venues this time around, and we made it to eight of them last night. At the Bathhouse, David W. Simpson is the artist:

He’s also known for cyanotype prints (the image behind him is a print of the same structure), and he’s teaching a class in that medium at the Bathhouse Studio on October 30th, 10:30 am, call 206-684-7430 to register. Another of last night’s most unusual shows, WTF?! Guys and Dolls and Zombies at ArtsWest – here’s artist Kate Vrijmoet attacked by her zombie children tonight in front of her giant zombie paintings:

Click ahead for another unusual sight at ArtsWest – plus more stops around the Art Walk map:

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2 walks this week: West Seattle Art Walk tomorrow, NC hike Friday

October 13, 2010 3:14 pm
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 |   Environment | West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Two quick notes about spotlighted walking opportunities in the next two days:

Tomorrow night is the monthly West Seattle Art Walk, and since it’s the start of a new quarter, that means some new venues join the roster – the full list is on the walking map; you can also sample some of the participating artists by checking out the official West Seattle Art Walk website. Among the WSB sponsors who will be showing art tomorrow night are two with new locations – Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW in The Junction) and M3 Bodyworks (5236 California SW). Official Art Walk hours tomorrow (Thursday) night – in 41 venues from Alki Bathhouse in the north to Barton Street Lofts (WSB sponsor) in the south – are 6-9 pm.

On Friday afternoon, the Nature Consortium would love to have you join them on their monthly eco-hike (more like a walk – it’s not terribly challenging, so no worries if you’re not a full-fledged hiker) through the West Duwamish Greenbelt. 1 pm Friday, meet at 14th SW and SW Holly. It’s free but they ask that you RSVP – lisac@naturec.org.

West Seattle Art Walk: From Barton Street Lofts to The Junction

Outside Windermere Real Estate in The Junction, a young West Seattle Art Walk-goer pondered the sign. Much to see on a cool near-autumn night – not far away, Kristina Griffith painted on the sidewalk in front of the Junction boutique Carmilia’s:

Further south at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor), Eric Montoya was on hand to welcome visitors to the new show he’s part of (through October 2), Tenuous Truths, and across the street, Geoff Carter’s work – including Jessica Rabbit and Tinkerbell, here – graced the walls at knows perfume:

Then we ventured south to the biggest event of the night, more than a dozen artists showing at the Barton Street Lofts (WSB sponsor; here’s a map) – among them, Michelle Auer:

And James W. Sutherland:

Some of the Art Walk visitors mingled in the Barton Street Lofts courtyard, where you’ll find this water feature:

Next West Seattle Art Walk, October 14th, starts the fall quarter, and some participants rotate in and out each quarter, so watch for a new walking map when the date gets closer – as well as previews on the official Art Walk website (here) and Facebook page (here). Meantime, if you can’t wait that long for another artist reception – this Saturday night, Alena Hennessy will be on hand as her watercolor and ink works go on display at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm in the Admiral District (next month, they move to The Junction).

West Seattle Art Walk tonight – stretching south to Barton St. Lofts

September 9, 2010 9:43 am
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Another big night at dozens of locations around West Seattle – 6-9 pm, it’s the West Seattle Art Walk (see the map here). And this time around, the Art Walk stretches even further southeast than it has before – Barton Street Lofts (WSB sponsors) have 13 artists on hand for a gala so exciting, they’ve been talking about it since before the last art walk! From metal robot sculptures to recycled-art dolls, the artists span many media – you can read about them on the official Art Walk website and on the Barton Street Lofts’ own website. Also among the WSB sponsors participating, Hotwire Online Coffeehouse features David Peacey‘s paintings (read about them here); ArtsWest – where “reasons to be pretty” just opened in the theater – is featuring the show “Tenuous Truths” (spotlighted here); also in The Junction, Bin 41 has West Seattle painter/sculptor Clayton Marsh, viticulturist Marco Ventrella from Graham Beck, and “Dining in Seattle: Past and Present” author Andrea Lott. WSB sponsors Cupcake Royale, Brunette Mix, and Click! Design That Fits (moving to The Junction soon!) are on the map too, along with the rest of the participant list (including The Building in Gatewood, featured here on Labor Day) – support your local businesses and go see them while enjoying art (and often treats, too) tonight! Here’s the map again.

West Seattle Art Walk this Thursday: Don’t miss ‘The Building’

This Thursday night, dozens of West Seattle venues from Alki to Westwood are open again for the monthly West Seattle Art Walk. Some of them are a bit off the proverbial beaten path – but well worth your time – like “The Building” in Gatewood.

Story and photos by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

“The Building” is a deceptively simple name, given the amount of creativity and art that comes out of this former day-care and school building at 4316 SW Othello (map) in Gatewood. The Building houses a dozen artist studios where the artists produce work from sculpture and oil painting to ceramics and custom guitar-making.

Owner Randy McCoy, who has developed other affordable artist studios in the Seattle area, recalls walking into the building back in 2000 when his daughter attended day care there: “I thought, ‘Man, this would make killer studios!’” The building has soundproof walls, plus a restroom and janitor’s sink on each floor — perfect for artists’ needs. Randy, a West Seattle resident who is an artist specializing in abstract painting and sculpture, recognizes the need for affordable spaces for artists to work; he bought the building in 2008. He says: “Other buildings get converted, but this will be art studios forever.” (The photo above shows Randy getting a drink from an original day-care water fountain.)

The Building is open to the public every second Thursday of the month for the West Seattle Art Walk, providing the community with the opportunity to visit with the artists who work in the studios and to see works of artists featured in the monthly rotating displays. In August, photos by David Blank adorned the walls of the ground floor gallery.

Shaun Doll, owner of Northwest Encaustic, which operates on the ground floor of The Building (photo above), is the curator of the rotating shows. If you’re an artist who would like to have work displayed at The Building, contact Shaun at: shaun@nwencaustic.com.

Touring through the building, you come to appreciate the spaces that have been provided for the artists who create here. They all have high ceilings and natural light, and the upper floors have amazing views of the sound. Oil painter Craig Kosak – shown above with his dog Tucker – paints in one of the upper floor studios. He notes: “Randy’s been a blessing for us all. He makes studios available for a good price.”

Among the painters and sculptors in The Building you also find David Myka, who builds custom guitars. Asked about the market for custom guitars, he notes that not only is this the busiest he’s been in 3-4 years, he’s got a year-long backlog and will be taking on an apprentice at the end of this year. He says: “People are investing in things that will last. In the depression, people started investing in hand-made furniture.” His clients include students in music conservatory and “Weekend Warrior” musicians.

While most of the studios are private, the ceramic studio is available to rent for day use and Shaun’s encaustic painting studio offers classes to the public as well as daily rentals. To learn more about the encaustic studio, visit: nwencaustic.com.

Further, studio space opportunities are coming up for ceramic artists in the Mutablefire Studio. Ceramicist Steve Knipp, pictured above with his kiln, says that they are reorganizing the studio to make room for two other artists. For more information, contact Steve at steve@knippart.com.

There’s a strong sense of community among the artists who work in The Building, including the occasional sharing of materials. Sculptor Shawn McLean, who has rented space here for two years notes that he’s used beeswax with the help of Shaun Doll, and David Myka has provided wood to use as sculpture bases. Randy McCoy adds: “There’s strength in numbers, we’re all supportive and we push each other. It’s really healthy to be around other artists.”

For the full list of participating venues in this Thursday night’s West Seattle Art Walk – and details on who’s showing what, where – check out the official site at wsartwalk.com; you can also find the official map by going here.

West Seattle Art Walk part of new citywide art walk tracker

August 26, 2010 6:38 pm
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

With 13 Seattle communities having regular art walks, including West Seattle, even devoted art lovers might have trouble keeping track. That’s why City Councilmember Nick Licata‘s office just launched a new website spotlighting them all – click the neighborhood name and you’ll get more information on its art walk. See the new site here. (The next West Seattle Art Walk, by the way, is just two weeks from tonight, on Sept. 9th.)

West Seattle Art Walk, August edition: 3 stops in The Junction

Her store opened on West Seattle Art Walk night 3 months ago, and tonight Christen Cottam hosted yet another artist at her store “knows perfume” in The Junction – Geoff Garza. Also in The Junction, South African artist Carina Booyens showed her work at Liberty Bell Printing:

Even the layout of treats at Liberty Bell was a work of art:

And another Junction stop – Bin 41, “your Junction wine shop” (WSB sponsor), where they were thrilled to host Washington winemaker Brian Carter tonight – he took a quick break from pouring, to pose with Bin 41 proprietors T. Frick and Jon McNamara:

Speaking of The Junction, two huge events are coming up within the next month-plus: On August 21, it’s the multi-store Big Bonanza sale, all day long (participants listed here), with not only deals, but fun, like a water-squirting showdown at high noon. Then September 19th is the third annual West Seattle Junction Car Show (co-sponsored by WSB) – the posters are hot off the presses at Liberty Bell, so you’ll be seeing them around soon. And mark your calendar for the next West Seattle Art Walk, second Thursday in September, 9/9 (if you want more info about any of the artists whose work you saw tonight, there are plenty of highlights on the official WSAW website).

West Seattle Art Walk tonight! From Westwood to Alki, and beyond

August 12, 2010 12:21 pm
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 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Tonight, 6-9 pm, it’s the next West Seattle Art Walk, and the event really is all over the peninsula – ranging as far south as Westwood, where Bird on a Wire Espresso features birdfeeder art tonight. Heading northwest into Fauntleroy/Morgan Junction, there’s always a big Art Walk night party at The Kenney – tonight, three artists including fly-tying demonstrations! Plus bluegrass music and “light appetizers” by the in-house catering team. In The Junction, where the Art Walk began, you can enjoy the photography of Frank Spear in his exhibition “Used Parts” at Wallflower Custom Framing and Shooting Gallery (ground floor of Mural [WSB sponsor]). Also in The Junction, photography by Graham Clark is in the spotlight at Bin 41 (WSB sponsor) while Washington winemaker Brian Carter pours “hand-crafted European-style blends.” Heading to the northernmost point of the West Seattle Art Walk, you’ll find the photography and collage work of Chancy Grace at the Alki Bathhouse. Here’s the map of all 40-plus locations – which also include WSB sponsors Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, Cupcake Royale, and Brunette Mix in The Junction, Click! Design That Fits in Admiral, and West Side Yoga/Doga in Morgan Junction. Now that the sun’s out, seems like a surefire bet for a great night to wander, 6-9 pm.