West Seattle, Washington
06 Thursday
We told you all about it ahead of time – so of course we had to go see for ourselves. Here are two clips – short and long – raw video, as we used to call it in teevee – of the West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk fashion show at Twilight Art in The Junction last night, featuring creations from Clementine, Sweetie, and Carmilia’s boutiques:
The fashion showcase was part of the biggest West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk yet — 23 participants from Admiral to south of The Junction and beyond!
West Seattle-based producer Mike Gaston says you’ll see WS scenery in this new video for Minus the Bear (a Seattle band whose official website is here).
FASHION: Four days to go till what one organizer dubbed “The Catwalk Meets The Art Walk” — wearable art from Clementine, Sweetie, and Carmilia’s, modeled at Twilight Art in The Junction as part of the next monthly West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk. This month’s list of participants hits another new record high — 23, stretching from Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) to the north, to West Seattle Nursery in the south! See the map here.
PASSION: One of the city’s most passionate musical and humanitarian leaders will spend four nights in West Seattle during a unique showcase starting a week from tonight 
at Kenyon Hall. Total Experience Gospel Choir leader Pat Wright (TEGC photo right) will be there March 16-19, getting ready to open a new chapter in her post-Katrina humanitarian efforts. Each night includes a choir performance and more; this page on the KH website has full details including an “open rehearsal” March 18 with the choir joined by Pearl Jam (and ex-Soundgarden) drummer Matt Cameron. Just a few days after the KH events, Wright and the choir will travel to Mississippi; the Kenyon Hall events are free of charge, with donations accepted for the relief effort.
LASHIN’: OK, so we’re stretching for the rhyme, but you could take that a couple of different ways with regards to “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” 
That wild classic, with the Vicarious Theater Company, usually screens at the Admiral Theater the first Saturday night of each month, but there will be midmonth madness April 18-20 as NW Rockypalooza — the Northwest regional convention of “RHPS”ers — time-warps over to West Seattle for two screenings/shows. (The rest of the convention will be HQ’d at the Quality Inn on Aurora. Not like we really have a hotel over here anyway.)
OK, so the weekend’s an hour shorter (Daylight-Saving Time kicks in at 2 am Sunday, as in Saturday night), but the WSB list of West Seattle weekend activity options is long, including two live-theater productions, a free yoga class, a free Nia class, the Community Mother/Baby Shower to help families near and far, the return of Seattle Chinese Garden tours, a cat adoptathon, and an Admiral Theater Saturday morning matinee of the first movie your editor ever saw, 39 events ahead:Read More
This weekend and next weekend, you have two live-theater options in West Seattle. One is ArtsWest‘s continuing “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball” (WSB sponsor); the other is “The Exile Project,“ opening tonight at the West Seattle High School Theater. (Shown in the photo above, Wendy Woolery and Gary Reed.) It’s billed as “an original Seattle musical-theater production” about “one man’s efforts to build a life after prison.” It’s produced, choreographed, and co-written by West Seattle’s Holly Eckert (and the music is by another West Seattleite, Amy Denio). We asked Holly if the tone of “The Exile Project” is as heavy as the subject matter could be – her reply: “This is a human story, and human stories are always filled with both light and dark sides. Remember, this man has just been RELEASED from prison, that’s a pretty happy moment for him filled with fantasies about pretty girls and cold beers. He returns to his mother’s house where he finds comfort as a middle-aged man in the arms of his mommy. This is a story that also penetrates this man’s subconscious and as we all know, that terrain is full of irony, satire, wisdom, humor and sadness. This play travels through both light and dark moments to tell a human tale. It’s that diversity of emotional territory that make it entertaining and engaging. Often, as we all know who have walked through it ourselves, tragedy is scattered with satire and humor. If you love a good story, great music, and terrific dancing, you’ll enjoy The Exile Project.” The production has its own website here with tons of information including performance times and ticket info; it plays at WSHS this Friday-Saturday-Sunday and the same three days next weekend.
Last year, they did “Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr.” (above, ArtsWest photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham) – this year, “Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr.” – and signups for ArtsWest summer camp start this morning. Here’s the full scoop from AW (WSB sponsor):Read More
Even if you’ve walked by ’em a hundred times, take a second look at some of the public artworks around West Seattle. We just happened onto the city pages that provide a little background into these installations (artist, date, inspiration, etc.), such as the West Seattle Cultural Trail along Alki, the Longfellow Creek Trail signs (photo left), Sky Legends at High Point Library, this one outside High Point Community Center or this one outside Southwest Community Center … seems the sign outside the Southwest Precinct is even public art.
Prime rib, puppets, yachts, health, discount comedy if you mention WSB, classic-rock tributes, a book sale, live theater, and lots more — 49 West Seattle weekend events listed ahead:Read More
Didn’t know about this till it landed in our inbox but we of course have no choice but to let you know: Admiral Theater boss Steve Garrett 
is offering WSB readers a discount at this Friday night’s comedy performance by Dante (from “Last Comic Standing“) — according to Steve, “Tickets are normally $15 in advance, $20 at the door, but we are extending this to West Seattle Blog viewers: Come into the theater before the show and mention that you saw it on the blog and receive comedy tickets for only $10.” Also mentioned in the latest Admiral bulletin, this Saturday night’s the monthly “Rocky Horror Picture Show” extravaganza, and next Wednesday night @ 7, the 75th anniversary showing of “Duck Soup,” which Steve says “will be introduced by Frank Ferrante, world-class Groucho impersonator.” (Dante’s show Friday is at 10 pm, according to the Admiral website; you can find out more about him on his MySpace site, which includes clips.)
Thanks to John LaSpina for that shot (taken from The Mount) – one of several we want to share from some of today’s sights around WS, including two events that drew plenty of visitors:Read More
RAFFLE TODAY TO BENEFIT RED CUP OWNER’S FAMILY: We told you four weeks ago about the two Pearl Jam-signed prints to be raffled off to raise money for the family of Angelia Paulsen (left), Red Cup Espresso owner killed at age 36 in a crash on I-5 next month. The raffle is at noon today at the newly rechristened Angelia’s Red Cup Espresso in The Junction and it’s not too late to get in on it – tickets are $10; here’s the official flyer (with pictures of the prints).
HANDMADE BRIGADE: Noon-4 pm today, Freshy’s Coffee (South Admiral) is the place for this show and sale by local arts/crafts creators — everything is handmade.
FIRST-EVER ART WALK AT THE KENNEY: You’ve probably passed this Fauntleroy landmark a zillion times (if not, here’s a map). Now get a chance to walk the grounds of The Kenney during its first-ever annual Art Walk and enjoy art by staff and residents, along with treats – wine, hors d’oeuvres, gourmet chocolates. 2-4:30 pm today.
GO TO THE OLD FIRE STATION TO PREVIEW THE NEW ONE: An open house at Fire Station 37 (7300 35th SW; map) — which is an official Seattle landmark — will feature the newest info on plans for the new FS 37, to be built several blocks north at 35th and Holden. Engine tours are promised too; this happens 2-4 pm today.
FIRST ’08 WEEKEND FOR TONY’S: As we reported Thursday, Tony’s Produce at 35th/Barton has reopened after its traditional postholiday break. We stopped in on Friday afternoon for a quick video tour (less than a minute!) of what’s fresh right now (you’ll see some of the price signs go by too):
More of today’s (and tomorrow’s) happenings are on our West Seattle Weekend Lineup list.
(photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham of mattdurhamphotography.com)
We’re happy to welcome back ArtsWest, which sponsored WSB during the run of its holiday production “O. Henry’s The Gifts of the Magi” and has rejoined us for the play that continues its opening week with a 7:30 pm performance tonight — the Seattle premiere of Rebecca Gilman‘s “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball.” ArtsWest executive director Alan Harrison describes it as “a play about success and failure and the pinnacles and pitfalls of each.” Here’s the official ArtsWest plot synopsis: “Dana Fielding is a successful artist whose latest exhibition completely flops. As does her personal life. To dig herself out of her crisis, she is admitted to a psychiatric hospital and seeks inspiration from – and takes the identity of – the bad boy of baseball, Darryl Strawberry. ‘The Sweetest Swing in Baseball’ is a funny, biting tale of insanity, health insurance, and being all that you can be (even when you’re being someone else).” Dana is portrayed by Heather Hawkins, shown above with castmates Trick Danneker and Gavin Cummins; Shana Bestock directs. ArtsWest is producing “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball” in association with Seattle Public Theater. After tonight’s performance, it continues Wednesday-Saturday nights for the next 3 weeks at 7:30 each night (tickets available online here). Thanks again to ArtsWest for supporting WSB — you’ll find their ad in the exclusive banner spot atop our Crime Watch page, a special sponsorship spot that we’ve made available on all our extra-content pages (the newly reformatted Other Blogs in WS update page, plus our Events list page, the Pets news/pix page, as well as Traffic cams and info, Schools, and the brand-new More page) — find out how to join them and our other sponsors, by going here.
*If you are coming here from the Sustainable WS newsletter, welcome, and please click the West Seattle Weekend Lineup category link beneath the headline to find the current WSWL … thank you!*
The last full weekend of February is full of fun … from a pancake breakfast to a soup and chili cookoff, from a pruning workshop to an open house for the Fire Station 37 project, from Parents’ Afternoon Out and Parents’ Night Out child-care offerings to Sunday fundraisers to help a brave child and a beloved pet. We’ve listed 39 events:Read More
Another reminder that summer (not to mention spring) is getting closer: Just got a note asking us to tell you that the dates are set for this year’s Alki Art Fair (photo above is from last summer’s event) — July 26-27 — and organizers have set up a website too (check it out here) with info on how to register to participate this year as an artist or craftsperson vendor.
Didn’t find about this till after publishing the West Seattle Weekend Lineup – free preview of Seattle Opera‘s presentation of Puccini’s “Tosca,” 7 pm tonight @ The Kenney. Organizers tell WSB that chorus maestro Beth Kirchhoff will be the speaker and will bring singers! (“Tosca” opens a week from today.)
(Photo left is by WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham from the West Seattle Rock Club‘s 2005 annual show, as then-president Lyle Vogelpohl demonstrated cutting and polishing stones for use in jewelry.) Regardless of whether the weather clears (it’s supposed to), you’ve got options today, as detailed on our West Seattle Weekend Lineup list; highlights include this year’s Presidents’ Gemboree rock and gem show (WSB sponsor), admission free, 10 am-5 pm at the Alki Masonic Temple (which despite its name is in The Junction, map here); Clay Martin’s Puppet Theater @ Alki Bathhouse, 1 pm; a Vietnamese/English New Year’s celebration with bilingual culture “discovery zone” for kids at High Point Library, 3-5 pm; the Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) “Meet Your Sweetheart” campaign concludes with a Sweetie Party (everyone’s invited!) 5-7 pm; and at Youngstown Arts Center at 6 pm, it’s the 2nd annual Black History Project, a 2-hour all-ages show featuring live performances and presentations honoring four local leaders.
Not just rock ‘n’ roll (which you can see at several venues), but the West Seattle Rock Club‘s annual Rock & Gem Show (Saturday & Sunday; WSB sponsor) is also among 29 listings ahead:Read More
Tonight’s West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk made history – with 20 venues, including the first time out for the northernmost participant, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in the Admiral District. In The Junction, we checked out West Seattle High School students’ self-portraits on display at Georgia Blu (next to KeyBank on California just south of Alaska) – and two of the artists happened to stop in while we were there. We asked Nichole Mustello how long hers took to create:
We also talked with CJ Abe about his self-portrait:
Nichole and CJ are both seniors @ WSHS. Next art walk: March 13.
On Valentine’s Eve, the Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) “Meet Your Sweetie” matchmaking event is igniting a TV frenzy. 
We told you last Thursday that it was featured on Evening Magazine. Now Hotwire proprietor Lora Lewis sends word that two more TV appearances — live! — are ahead, and particularly if you’re single, you’re invited to drop by; no guarantees but you just might get interviewed, since both stations told her they’d love to talk with singles. According to Lora, KOMO 4 will be there during the 5 pm news tomorrow (WEDNESDAY) night (correction from earlier, sorry); KING 5 will be live Thursday on Valentine’s morning, with several reports between 6:30 and 9 am. In addition to showing up for all that, you can still get in on the “Sweeties” matchmaking by dropping by Hotwire any time (and checking out this page on its website) – we originally explained how this all works in this post last month. And the fun won’t end on Valentine’s Day — the main event is this Saturday, with a Sweetie Party starting at 5 pm at Hotwire, featuring participants reading their Valentines — will true love ensue? Be there to see. P.S. Hotwire also is one of the record-setting 20 venues participating in the Valentine’s night West Seattle Art Walk — flyer here — check out the second page of the flyer for “sweetie specials” at participating spots, which are now stretching BEYOND The Junction, with Thursday night venues including Click! Design That Fits (Admiral District), Authentic Home, and Styling Studio.
-The latest WS’er featured on KUOW Radio‘s “Sound Focus” show is Katy Shaw of The RollerBlog (one of the highlighted sites on this WSB page). Have a listen: Audio links are on this page. (Two weeks ago, the same show featured Jim Edwards of West Seattle Big Band; audio links here.)
–Our Other Blogs in West Seattle page, however, will be one blog shorter soon … public-radio guy and funny, funny writer John Moe is leaving West Seattle, moving someplace far to the east (and we don’t mean Issaquah), according to various mysterious posts on his blog Monkey Disaster.
-West Seattle-based Pirate Radio is about to make another fleeting appearance. We got word recently: “We will probably be on the air February 16th starting very late in the evening and run through the 24th or so. The reason for being on this week is that we are planning to carry the 11th annual Homelessness Marathon (www.homelessnessmarathon.org) in its entirety.” Our source says they’ll be at 87.7 FM, a frequency that might not be receivable by all radios.
–Lora Lewis at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) was excited this morning about Hotwire’s star turn earlier this week on Evening Magazine, talking about the Valentine’s matchmaking contest. No video clip online at this point but the proof is on the links page. You can see photos of some of the “sweeties” who are participating at this page on the Hotwire site; find out more at the cafe, where it will all culminate with a gathering at 5 pm 2/16.
-Last but not least – tomorrow morning around 10 am, West Seattle’s state Sen. Joe McDermott will introduce a resolution in the Senate honoring J.P. Patches, aka Chris Wedes, who will be on hand for the occasion. This marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the J.P. Patches kids’ TV show, which ran for 23 years.
First: Two notes about art. There’s an artists’ reception and sale this Thursday night at the Alki Bathhouse 5-8 pm; then, next Thursday night (Valentine’s Day), the West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction makes history with a record 20 venues participating. We just received the flyer; check it out here. (Or read more on the official Art Walk blog.)
Now, the beauty of nature. First photo is by Eilene Hutchinson (thank you!), who spotted this bird – believed to be a Cooper’s Hawk – on a wire over Spud’s:
And this is a shot we caught from Constellation Park at sunset tonight:
(Photo by Emeline Chabanne, courtesy Gansango Music & Dance [2007])
The Gansango show tonight at SSCC is one of 31 West Seattle weekend possibilities you’ll find listed ahead (including free yoga as a Super Bowl alternative, a fundraising bake sale this afternoon, a free Wii class for grownups, a karaoke contest, and more):Read More
Not the kind of potluck you’re probably thinking of – though there will be cookies! It’s a writers’ reading and music event tonight at Cafe Rozella (on the southern edge of West Seattle, 9434 Delridge), 7-9 pm. Here are more details, forwarded from Cafe Rozella’s Ricardo Guarnero:
This Spanglish Potluck features readings in Spanish & English by Hedgebrook alumnae Wendy Call & Maria Victoria. Also featured will be traditional Cuban music from Irene Mitri & her Charanga Danzón. This will be a reading like none other. There will be live words & music along with freshly-made Hedgebrook cookies and an opportunity to sing Las Mananitas (the traditional Mexican Birthday Song) to Wendy’s godchild. So come, bring a friend, bring your family and be a part of the fun!
If “Hedgebrook” doesn’t ring a bell – it’s a writers’ retreat on Whidbey Island (read more here).
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