West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
Three events at which you can view or make art in the next six days:
RECEPTION TONIGHT: Painter Christine Sharp of C Sharp Art just sent word of a reception tonight, 5-7 pm, at Alki Arts (6030 California SW) for a new exhibition that’ll be up throughout the month.
MAKE AN EGG HOLDER: Monday night, 6-9 pm, WSB team member Lora Radford has a few spots open in her Potterings class to make a ceramic egg holder. It’s explained here. The class is at The Clay Cauldron (5214 Delridge Way SW) and you can register here.
ART WALK THURSDAY: Again this year, WSB is a community co-sponsor of the West Seattle Art Walk, so we’re reminding you today that the first Art Walk of the year is just a few days away – this month’s second Thursday is January 9th. You can start previewing venues (including those offering food and drink specials) via the map/list you’ll find here.
Another one-of-a-kind local nonprofit is in our spotlight tonight so you can demonstrate the West Seattle Giving Spirit: ArtsWest. We’ve been bringing you this special holiday-season opportunity to learn about, and support, some of our area’s nonprofits, in partnership with the Learning Communities Foundation, and tonight, West Seattle’s playhouse and gallery tells you its own story:
ArtsWest is a nonprofit theater located in West Seattle’s Alaska Junction. This season we proudly celebrate our 25th anniversary! Since opening our doors in 1999, we have been producing live theater experiences that celebrate our shared humanity, invite us to ask questions of one another, and imagine a better future together. We firmly believe that theater is for everyone, and by joining us you are automatically a member of our community.
We are the only professional theater between Seattle and Federal Way. We program and produce five thoughtfully crafted and innovative productions per season that invite audiences to explore the human experience with us. When we present beautifully specific stories like Sanaz Toossi’s ‘English’ or John Cameron Mitchell’s ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch,’ we explore universal questions we all have like “Who am I?” and “Where do I belong?”
Last season at ArtsWest we…
– Provided our community with over $22,000 in free and reduced tickets
– Employed over 70 local artists
– Increased our audience by 43% and welcomed 2,000 new audience membersAt its best, live theater helps us find joy, build empathy, and in Joseph Campbell’s words, have an experience of being alive. That kind of magic can transcend what happens on stage and impact each of us for a lifetime.
It’s no secret that arts organizations across Seattle and the nation are struggling. Live theater is an expensive business and less than 35% of our revenue comes from ticket sales.
A donation to ArtsWest, no matter the size, makes a tremendous impact. The magic we make in the theater is only possible with support from artists, crew, staff, and most importantly you!
We have one more West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlight for you on Monday. Learn about all the nonprofits we’ve already featured by scrolling through this archive!
Advance alerts about two Sunday events of note:
EXTRA FOOD DRIVE: Robbin Peterson from the West Seattle Food Bank tells us the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle will be back at the south end of the Farmers Market tomorrow – California/Alaska – with “a final push to collect non-perishables for WSFB. While the holiday spirit inspires generosity, January often brings a sharp drop in donations—but the need remains. Contributions now will ensure we have the food to support families when regular distributions resume after the holiday. Let’s stock the shelves and start the new year with hope and abundance for all!” Find the booth at the market 10 am-2 pm.
DANCE! WEST SEATTLE: Back during the November West Seattle Art Walk, we recorded that video of Dance! West Seattle previewing “Nutcracker Suites” at Alki Arts. Tomorrow, 1:30 pm at Highline Performing Arts Center, you can see the full show, and Dance! West Seattle asked us to share this final invitation:
On the search for holiday cheer this Sunday? You are cordially invited to join Dance! West Seattle as we perform Nutcracker Suites, a newly choreographed ballet offered to the greater community. This fresh, engaging, charming show is filled with holiday spirit, providing the perfect opportunity for a delightful afternoon out at a great price!
Our 1st Act will be performed by all D!WS students showing demonstrations of what they are working on in classes, followed by our 2nd Act of Nutcracker Suites! Limited tickets are still available for ONLY $28, with no additional taxes or fees, and going quickly! Less than 100 tickets remain! Please email us at info@dancewestseattle.com to secure your seats for tomorrow’s incredible show!
(WSB video)
In a weekend full of holiday concerts, this was no doubt the biggest, boldest, brassiest sound to be found … the West Seattle Big Band performing this afternoon at Admiral Church. We recorded most of the first half, in case you missed it. Above are the first three songs – a medley, “The Christmas Song,” and “Home for the Holidays“; below, “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Marshmallow World”:
Jenaige Lane and Sam Henry sang with the Big Band today; they teamed again during “Let It Snow.”
Jim Edwards directs the West Seattle Big Band, whose musicians donate their time and talents, often for students, but in this case, as a fundraiser for Admiral Church itself, getting ready to move out of its longtime home, after choosing to replace it with 21 housing units (primarily affordable homeownership) and a new church.
This is a big week for holiday-season/winter concerts in West Seattle (you can see the list in our Holiday Guide). Among the groups performing are the ensembles within West Seattle Community Orchestras; two presented their free winter concert on Monday night, and two more are performing tomorrow (Wednesday, December 11), 7 pm at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle). Above is a clip sent tonight by Dawn Hepburn, a member of the WSCO Concert Orchestra, from its performance of “Sleigh Ride” on Monday night. No tickets required for tomorrow’s concert – just show up! (Here’s more info about the WSCO.)
(WSB photos from Tuesday’s dress rehearsal)
Bayfest Youth Theatre‘s Robert Shampain says his students in the Chief Sealth International High School drama program are about to open “one of our best shows ever”! We stopped by last night for their dress rehearsal of “The Rake’s Progress” – here’s how they’re inviting you to come see:
What do Mozart and Lady Gaga have in common? Their music is great, they both like to have a good time, and they’re both featured in our fall play, “The Rake’s Progress” – a modern 18th century fable about Love, Temptation, Greed, and the wages of sin.
Sound heavy? IT’S NOT!!!!
It’s fun, sweet, rollicking, funny and a little devilish (at times…) With great costumes, sets, and lights in our newly-upgraded Performing Arts Center, this is fun for the whole family, and by buying tickets you will be supporting the Sealth Drama Program, which has lost a huge amount of funding this year due to school district budget cuts. Come and support our very hard working teen actors, designers and techs, and crew, who have been putting this show together since September.
Showtimes in the CSIHS auditorium (west side of campus, 2600 SW Thistle):
Thursday, December 5th – 7:30 PM,
Friday, December 6th – 7:30 PM,
Saturday, December 7th – 2:00 PM,
Saturday, December 7th – 7:30 PM,
Sunday, December 8th – 2:00 PM
You can buy advance tickets online here – $14 adults, $9 students – or at the door, $17 adults, $12 students.
11:58 AM: Thanks to teacher Vincent Della Pella for the photo! That’s the newly installed street mural on SW Dakota in front of Genesee Hill Elementary. The mural features fox tracks in honor of the school’s mascot, and we’re told the tracks were all designed by GHE students! (Students at GHE have been involved in a mural before, too – here’s our report on a 2023 project.)
12:45 PM: Just talked to GHE principal Liz Dunn by phone, and we learned the mural has quite a backstory – “three years in the making,” she says. It’s part of a “School Street” – closed to through traffic during school hours – she’s long been working toward, in collaboration with SDOT. After that was settled, principal Dunn says, she asked how she could get some art on the street, and SDOT worked with her on that too. The mural components are actually thermoplastic applied to the street, not paint (so we updated the original report to “installed” rather than “painted”). In addition to the fox pawprints, other aspects of the school’s logo – trees, books, music – are incorporated into the mural. Overall, Dunn says, it’s intended to help bring more joy to the school and its students. “This really frames the school beautifully!”
If you’ve been to ArtsWest to see the holiday musical “Snowed In (Again),” that’s playwright Corinne Park-Buffelen at left in our photo. Corinne visited HomeStreet Bank (4022 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) to celebrate the conclusion of ArtsWest’s monthlong showcase at the bank; she and HomeStreet’s Andrew Tento drew two winners for pairs of tickets to see “Snowed In (Again).” Every month HomeStreet’s West Seattle branch showcases a different community business or organization, concluding with a prize drawing – you can enter just by visiting the branch, which is open Mondays-Thursdays 9 am-5 pm, Fridays 9 am-6 pm. The featured business for December is Meeples Games.
The floor and the loft at Easy Street Records were packed tonight for hometown faves The Dusty 45s, celebrating their new album “All the Beauty in Between.” We couldn’t stay for the whole show but caught several songs including, above, “One Girl,” and below, “Cash in Her Soul“:
Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan introduced Billy Joe Huels and his band as “relentless” (and might we say, Vaughan knows a thing or two about relentlessness). Huels, for his part, told the crowd, “I’m Billy Joe, I live right down the street.” He explained the songs were largely written “during the COVID break,” including “Thursday Afternoon,” recalling the simple pleasure of going out for a walk during pandemic times. You can get the album via links here (and listen to clips from the rest of the songs). And if you want to see the band again, albeit outside West Seattle, they have a show at Tractor Tavern next Wednesday.
Four months after playing at West Seattle Summer Fest, a beloved West Seattle band has a new album out! The Dusty 45s have released “All the Beauty In Between,” produced by West Seattleite Johnny Nails. Saturday night, they celebrate with a live performance at 7 pm at Easy Street Records (free, all ages, as always) plus a vinyl release of the new album. Billy Joe Huels of The Dusty 45s tells us you also can stream the new album at thedusty45s.hearnow.com/all-the-beauty-in-between.
(WSB photos by Tracy Record)
As highlighted in today’s event list, the Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) is on until 2 pm. And if you stop to talk with the artists, you’ll find everyone has a story. For painter Cleopatra Cutler, this is her first time at the fair:
For painter Jennifer Carrasco, it’s her last time. She is offering cards, as well as prints of fanciful scenes showing horses she had painted on a Spokane carousel come to life, from an unfinished children’s book she wrote – telling the story of their wild times after hours:
Angie Marcelynas from The Little Merle has jewelry that’s recycled art, transforming tidbits of items that once had another purpose:
Corie‘s Hello Image wood art is created with lasers:
And Molly Donovan‘s Cashmere Creatures are billed as “emotional support” – eminently huggable:
Other artists are there too – with holiday gift possibilities, or maybe just something to treat yourself to.
(Photo courtesy WSHS)
That’s a rehearsal photo from the next student production at West Seattle High School, opening tomorrow (Thursday, November 14), “Ophelia.” The student cast and crew are hoping you’ll be part of the audience during one of the performances. Here’s what it’s all about:
Ophelia
Book by By Jeff WanshelDirected by Allison Irvine, this play imagines a world where, rather than being relegated to an unceremonious offstage death, Ophelia takes center stage in the story of Shakespeare‘s most famous brooding prince. Join us for a night of swords, vengeful ghosts, and perhaps more than one person hiding in the curtains…
The show dates are November 14th, 15th, 16th and 20th, 21st, and 22nd at 7:30.
Here is the link to get tickets.
$10 adults and $5 students
The performance venue is the theater at WSHS (3000 California SW).
November’s second Thursday is just three nights out – and it’ll bring you the West Seattle Art Walk featuring The Art of Music. Here’s the list of who’s featuring art and/or food-and-drink specials for Art Walk’ers on Thursday night (November 14):
Individual artists and venues are spotlighted in this preview on the Art Walk website. Highlights this month include Afro SPK‘s reception, 4-8 pm at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor). You’ll also want to roam between the three Junctions to catch this month’s Art of Music performances:
North to south, the Nathan Roz Duo is performing at Soprano’s Antico in Admiral (2348 California SW), Jean Mann is at The Beer Junction (4511 California SW), and Cyd Smith is at Whisky West (6451 California SW). All performances are 6-7:45 pm with a 15-minute midpoint break, no cover. Learn more about the musicians here!
As noted in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and on our daily list, Fauntleroy Church has a concert tonight – music and dessert! We’ve since learned that the musician who has led so many concerts and in-service performances at the church is making way for a successor. Maybe that’s you! Here’s the announcement we received:
After nearly 17 years in the role, Fauntleroy Church Music Director Bronwyn Edwards plans to step down in June. Fauntleroy Church is casting a wide net in search of a new director, who will tie music to a theme for each service and work with volunteer musical talent to promote joy and connection. To review the job announcement, visit www.fauntleroyucc.org/jobs.
“Visitors to Fauntleroy Church often mention three things that help them feel at home—our mission, our focus on children’s programming, and our vibrant music program,” said Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski, the church’s senior pastor. “Our music program is powerful, thanks to a great director, our choir, and vocal and instrumental ensembles and soloists who present a wide range of sacred and secular music in many different genres.”
The Music Director position is part-time (on average 28 hours per week) and includes benefits. Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume on or before Tuesday, Dec. 31, per directions found at the link above. Fauntleroy Church is a member congregation of the United Church of Christ.
(Pam Lustig’s ‘Garden Pose,’ winner of 2024 WSGT competition)
Here on the first day of Pacific Standard Time, summer feels like a long way away. But local artists are invited to have summer in their hearts and come up with creations to submit for the West Seattle Garden Tour‘s annual art competition – one week until the deadline, Sunday, November 10:
We welcome your submissions for our 2025 event and look forward to seeing your art!
Each year West Seattle Garden Tour, a 501(c)(3) organization, seeks out other nonprofits whose goals fit our mission—to promote horticulture, education, and artistic endeavors within West Seattle and neighboring communities. Your submissions and the winning art, along with the generous support of our sponsors, allow the West Seattle Garden Tour to fund projects in our community that align with our mission. Our 2024 tour raised and distributed $57,700 for 11 local nonprofits.
Submissions should be reflective of the following narrative with a focus on use of color, composition, texture and contrast to excite interest in the tour.
Gardens are personal statements that reflect the passions and creativity of their gardeners. They may be places of refuge and retreat or active environments that invite engagement. The gardens featured in our tour exhibit those qualities as well as an artful mix of design, rich color palettes, texture, contrast, creative and inspiring use of plants, art, and hardscaping.
You can find the rules/guidelines here, and send in your entry here. Think bright and beautiful during these long dark nightd, looking ahead to next year’s Garden Tour, set for June 22nd.
Thanks to Mark Jaroslaw for the video! On Saturday, La Chingona Taqueria (2940 SW Avalon Way) celebrated Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) with performances including Aztec dancing and mariachi musicians, plus a procession to remember those who’ve gone before.
Thanks to West Seattle photographer Holli Margell for the photos of the new mural wrapping around the Center for Active Living in The Junction. She says she happened to find out that muralist Brady Black was wrapping up his work while she was in the area on Thursday.
Holli notes, “Fun note is that all of the people in black and white on the mural are referenced from photos of members and employees of The Center.”
You can compare it here to the concept the artist showed off during the center’s August open house.
On Sunday, we published an invitation to a “community paint party” all afternoon at the new “welcoming mural” under the overpass just north of the Luna Park mini-business district. This afternoon, we went by for a look at how it’s coming along.
We didn’t have time to stop and talk with the mural crew but last we heard they were planning to wrap up by tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22).
(WSB photo, Wednesday)
Last Wednesday we reported on the new mural taking shape under the overpass just north of the Luna Park mini-business district. You can contribute to it this afternoon – they’re having a “community paint day” right now until 4 pm and all are welcome to stop by. The official address is 2901 SW Avalon Way.
Tomorrow (Sunday, October 20) night, the Byrd Ensemble returns to West Seattle with a new vocal concert, spotlighting the music of “The Tudors.” The Byrd Ensemble is sponsoring WSB this weekend to make sure you know about a ticket deal – 30 percent off if you order online with the code WSBLOG30. The concert is at 7:30 pm Sunday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church (42nd and Genesee) – here’s what you’ll see and hear:
An exploration of Renaissance music from Tudor England, this program features Latin motets by the finest composers of the era: John Taverner, Robert White, William Cornysh, John Sheppard, and William Byrd. The program also includes a new work by American composer Nico Muhly, Fallings (2023), commissioned by the Byrd Ensemble in celebration of their 20th Anniversary.
The Byrd Ensemble, directed by Markdavin Obenza, is an internationally acclaimed, Seattle-based professional ensemble performing with at least 10 singers.
The wraparound mural at the Center for Active Living is close to complete. Muralist Brady Black has been working on it for a little over a week now; the photo above was sent by Nico on Tuesday. We checked with center executive director Amy Lee Derenthal today; she confirmed it’s “almost done,” with the on-and-off rain delaying the work a bit.
(WSB photos)
After two texters told us late today about that mural taking shape north of the Luna Park mini-business district, on the long wall under the overpasses, we went over to find out about it. (updated) The project is led by Artolution, which describes itself as an “international community-based public art and education organization,” whose co-founder Dr. Max Frieder was on site:
Youth painters are assisting, and Urban ArtWorks is partnering. We’re told the plan for this came together at the last minute because of a grant that was close to expiring. The mural’s intent is to celebrate Seattle as a welcoming place; the project is under the One Seattle Graffiti Plan‘s Many Hands Art Initiative, with other partners including the city Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and the UN Refugee Agency.
The mural is expected to be complete by early next week; we’ll check back!
THURSDAY UPDATE: Dr. Frieder clarifies, “This mural is not being funded by the city of Seattle, it is being funded by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. They were able to get external funding to be able to support the project; the city only provided the permits.”
“The show must go on!” That’s the timeless motto for performers – even when they’re faced with adversity such as lack of resources – but they’re never without hope. The theater program at Chief Sealth International High School will get to ensure shows keep going on, if you lend a hand – by attending the upcoming benefit screening the award-winning film featured in the trailer above, “Call Me Dancer.” In case you haven’t already seen this in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s the announcement:
Friday evening, October 25th, at the Chief Sealth International High School Performing Arts Center: ‘Call Me Dancer’ is truly an amazing film, and anyone who wants some inspiration and lifting up will adore it.
A truly great film is always interesting in itself, but soars above the subject matter as well — to astound and
inspire, to draw out strong emotions from the viewer and, ultimately, to make us look at our own lives in a
different way. The true-life adventure Call Me Dancer does all of this and more, winning it prizes and accolades
all over the world. It soars and twirls and summersaults and inspires, while telling the story of Manish Chauhan, a young Indian street dancer pursuing his unlikely but burning passion to become a ballet dancer. Shot in India, UK, Israel and the US, we get to experience Manish’s incredible charisma and talent, as well as his wonderful family and some of the extraordinary people who help change his life. The film is directed by Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmore, and features music from legendary singer/songwriter Jay Sean and hip-hop artist/rapper Anik Khan, with a sublime score by Nainita Desai and Nina Humphreys.The non-profit BAYFEST Youth Theatre runs the drama and performing arts program at Sealth, but we have recently suffered an almost total funding cut from Seattle Public Schools, due to their current huge budget crisis (and of course the arts seem always to be one of the first things to go…) But the Show Must Go On, and we have gotten exclusive rights to hold a screening of the film Call Me Dancer, which has won awards all over the world in the past year, as a fundraiser for the program, which we are very excited about. Besides being VERY anxious to sell as many tickets as we can to raise program funds, this is a rare opportunity for people to see this wonderful and inspirational film.
Some tickets might be available at the door, but the price is lower in advance; a share of the proceeds also will benefit West Seattle Performing Arts. The film is just under an hour and a half, in English and (subtitled) Hindi. The screening will be followed by an audience Q&A.
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