A reason to think spring on a day that started with snow – the West Seattle Art Hop & Shop is returning for a second year, and inviting interested artists and prospective host sites to register right now! Here’s the announcement:

Saturday, May 6, 2023, 10 am to 5 pm all across West Seattle
One Day, Many Artists, All Kinds of Art!

The West Seattle Art Hop & Shop, West Seattle’s community arts tour, is back and has moved to the spring! This year’s tour will be Saturday, May 6th, 10 am-5 pm. Art will be on display and available for purchase at studios, yards and outdoor spaces throughout the West Seattle peninsula. The tour features art of all kinds, at a wide variety of price points from emerging to established artists. Art lovers are sure to enjoy the day as they hop their way across West Seattle.

Unlike traditional art tours, the West Seattle Art Hop & Shop is open to all artists who complete the registration process. Artist registration this year is $25 and the registration deadline is April 9th. Artists are encouraged to start planning early to ensure they have a location to show their work.

While artist participation is unlimited, this year’s event will have a limit of 30 sites, with a minimum of three artists per site. Site hosts will complete an easy, free registration to secure their spot on the tour and then coordinate with artists to fill their location. Site registration will close when 30 sites have registered.

The West Seattle Art Hop & Shop offers an artist and host matching tool to help those offering space with those looking for a location to show their work. Artists and sites will find all the information they’ll need to connect and complete registration on the Art Hop’s registration page. The West Seattle Art Hop & Shop is organized by an all-volunteer committee of artists and art lovers with support from West Seattle Art Walk and West Seattle Junction Association. If you’re interested in getting involved behind the scenes to support the West Seattle Art Hop & Shop, email WSArtHop@gmail.com.

(WSB file photo)

While much of Seattle’s only river, the Duwamish River, has been pressed into service as industrial “waterway” over the decades, some stretches retain remnants of its original wild beauty. In all its roles, the Duwamish can be a source of inspiration, and a writer who grew up in West Seattle wants you to know about a writing workshop he’s leading soon – not in WS but not far away. Here’s the announcement:

This winter Simon Wolf will offer Place Based Poetics: Writing with the Duwamish River, a workshop through Hugo House, an essential literary community in Seattle. The course draws on documentary and ecopoetic work that has preoccupied Wolf for the past three years, including his University of Washington Bothell MFA thesis, Charging. That project drew from Seattle settler history texts, family migration stories, and reflections on urban experiences, with the Duwamish River as a grounding line through every element. In his current work he questions his preconceived notions of nature and explores new ways of approaching the Duwamish River through writing, research, and his work in land restoration.

The course considers, “How can we write poems from a river? How can this river be the line that guides us through the violent past of Seattle? Part Seattle history, part eco-poetics, we will read excerpts of history texts and discuss poets that engage rivers, industry, and pollution in their work. Students will practice incorporating research into their poetry, will visit the river at least once, and leave class with two river poems.”

Registration is open. Hugo House members receive a discounted rate for the class, which meets in person at Hugo House Tuesdays 5 to 7 pm from February 28 through March 21, 2023.

Wolf also hosts a free monthly Writing Circle at Blue Cone Studios, on Capitol Hill, in Seattle that meets the last Friday of the month from 6-8 pm. Participants are invited to read and discuss poetry, make work together, and to share work in progress — all are welcome!

The West Seattle Junction Association wants to make sure you know that city grant money is available for “arts and culture recovery,” with less than two weeks remaining for applications:

The West Seattle Junction Association is pleased to announce a one-time Request-For-Proposal for arts and culture recovery funding for the West Seattle Junction. These funds have been available through the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture and are being distributed through Lead Organizations throughout Seattle.

The funding available through this RFP is for activations or events specifically in the West Seattle Junction that assist in arts and culture recovery efforts with a specific priority to those areas and groups most impacted by COVID pandemic and in alignment with the City of Seattle’s vision of equity, inclusion, collaboration, public safety and resiliency for One Seattle.

The total amount of funding available through this Lead Organization for this designated area is $56,950.

We welcome proposals for projects of all sizes, but requests cannot exceed $20,000, and some awardees may only receive part of their requested amount.

Activations and events can occur any time after an award is made with final reports due no later than September 15, 2023. These contracts are made on a reimbursement basis with deliverables that will be outlined in the contracts. While you may apply to other Lead Organizations for projects in other designated areas, you can receive funding for only one award.

The RFP package includes Guidelines, Application & Budget Template, and is due no later than 5:00pm, February 27, 2023. You will be notified of results after our community review panels completes their rating and funding recommendations and shall be no later than March 15, 2023.

You can apply online here and access documents and contact info at wsjunction.org/arts-culture-neighborhood-recovery-program

The application form also explains more about the intention of these grants and what type of “event or activation” might qualify, as well as qualifications for applying.

Quirky, lively, joyful … brass bands can make you smile and get you dancing, If you want to give the gift of irresistible music, one of your West Seattle neighbors has an invitation for you:

Do you sometimes hear a song and think, “ya know, that would sound better as brass”? Same here! Let’s play tunes that span multiple decades that will fill any street or venue to the brim with sonic satisfaction!

We’re looking for lead and solid trumpet (x2), trombone (x2), and tuba/sousa (x1) players, a core drum set player (x1) plus percussionists to double up on bass, snare, and cymbals (x3). 21+ only, please. Email Kevin Freitas (photo right) at BetterAsBrass@gmail.com for more info.

More about the band

Imagine a great mixtape from a school dance (slow dances included plus possibly a little singing and/or karaoke!) but brass and that’s the plan: En Vogue, Boyz II Men, The Police, Radiohead, Soundgarden, Kansas, Lonely Island, Britney Spears, and more!

We’ll rehearse weekly in/around SW Seattle and busk/gig on the streets, in venues, and for festivals around the area. Collaboration on arranging tunes, snagging and managing gigs, and more is welcome. Depending on band travel and other goals, we can decide together how best any $$ earned can be distributed and/or spent.

Kevin is formerly a founding member of 8-Bit Brass Band, where he helped lead rehearsals, manage gigs, arrange tunes, and play sousaphone. Before that, he played trumpet in Trash Talk and got his nerdy brass band start with D20 nearly 10 years ago. He’s sat in with various Honk bands through the years and looks forward to adding a new krewe to the Honk roster.

(That’s a reference to the boisterous bandfest that has livened up Seattle streets in recent years.)

With that video, you can preview the title performance planned for a concert by The Byrd Ensemble tomorrow night (Saturday, February 11th) at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in West Seattle. The chamber vocal ensemble will perform composer John Sheppard‘s “Media vita” – “In the Midst of Life” – with the program also including music by Arvo Pärt, Eric Whitacre’s setting of “When David Heard,” John Tavener’s “Song for Athene,” and more. The Byrd Ensemble is sponsoring WSB today and tomorrow to ensure more know about the concert and to offer a 30% discount – buy tickets online and use the code WSBLOG30. The concert begins at 7:30 pm Saturday; the venue is at 4139 42nd SW. (Not familiar with The Byrd Ensemble? Learn about the ensemble here.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Last weekend, a reader texted us to say that “Walking on Logs” – the sculpture installation by the pullout near the west end of the West Seattle Bridge – appeared to be missing another of its bronze “dancing children.” We subsequently verified at the site that only two of the original four remain.

So was the latest one to vanish stolen, or otherwise removed? So far, we haven’t found evidence of the latter.

Back in 2014, one of the original four sculptures was stolen, and to date, it’s never been found. Now, it appears the same fate may have befallen one of the remaining three – unless someone reading this has an explanation we haven’t been able to find despite a variety of inquiries with the people and agencies who’ve had past involvement. The one that’s missing is in the upper left of this photo taken after the 2014 theft:

The bronze sculptures were installed in 1996. The artist was Phillip Levine of Burien, who died last year at age 90. He told local historian/journalist Clay Eals in a 2014 interview that the sculptures were meant to exude “sheer joy.” They were part of the turn-of-the-millennium “Murals of West Seattle” project led by West Seattle community advocate Earl Cruzen, who died in 2017 at 96 and worked until late in his life to maintain the roadside area around the sculptures.

Community maintenance was part of the deal when the city originally granted permission for installation of the sculptures, as the city’s Office of Arts and Culture told us while we were reporting on the 2014 theft – “the whole project was funded from matching-fund grants from both King County and from Department of Neighborhoods. SDOT allowed the artwork in the right of way with the understanding that the community would maintain the artwork.”

So who is accountable for it now?

The community-volunteer effort dwindled for lack of new participation. The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce was once accountable pre-pandemic for granting permission to nonprofits to display messages at the site for special events, then handed that accountability off to Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. We’ve checked with both those organizations and neither is aware of a reason one more sculpture is gone. Nor is the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, which had some involvement with volunteer efforts in the past. Nor is the city – we asked SDOT, which in turn checked with Arts & Culture. We also asked Clay Eals, who hadn’t heard anything either.

In addition to the Walking on Logs sculpture stolen in 2014, other bronze artwork has been taken over the years – in 2015, for example, someone stole bronze fish from the Fauntleroy Creek overlook. And just last December, we published a Crime Watch reader report about bronze art stolen from outside a local home.

P.S. We visited the site twice in the past few days to verify and re-verify that the sculpture was missing. The first time, the pullout was empty; the second time – at midday Tuesday – this plateless, unoccupied pickup truck was there, backed part way into the muddy slope.

Related? No idea, but we did find that someone filed a police report yesterday about the truck. Police determined that it had been stolen from Pierce County and had it towed to an impound yard.

Here in the heart of winter, we have two more reasons to think ahead to summer! Just announced:

Mode Music Studios and Mode Music and Performing Arts (MMPA) are offering a wide variety of day camps this summer!

Mode Music Studios is accepting sign-ups now for our Summer Rock Bands! Students of any experience level between the ages of 6-12 (additional options for ages 13+ available upon request) have the chance to create, rehearse and perform in a student band — all in one week! Make them a full day by signing up for an afternoon camp at our neighboring nonprofit, mentioned below. For more information, visit modemusicstudios.com/camps

MMPA is offering 17 weeks of half- and full-day camps in July and August! All of MMPA’s camps and classes are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis with full scholarships available. Camps range from Star Wars Play Creation to All About Instruments to Musical Theatre Revue and are available for campers going into grades K-6. For more information, visit modemusicandperformingarts.org/camps

Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and MMPA are headquartered in West Seattle, at 3805 Delridge Way SW.

Historic Kenyon Hall is hosting the duo Great Aunt all the way from Down Under this Saturday and thought them worth a special shoutout:

Kenyon Hall proudly presents
GREAT AUNT (from Melbourne, Australia)
January 28th, 2023
DOORS @ 7:00 PM
SHOWTIME @ 7:30 PM

“Raw and austere, simple and bold; full of stomping feet and clapping hands, chants and harmonies, whispered words and soulful lament – that’s the music of Great Aunt. Listen, and you’ll hear tales of joy and grief, whiskey and wine, gratitude and purpose-seeking.”

Great Aunt sets out on a US tour starting in Portland with Hall favorite Mary Flower, and lending their talents to our stage before heading East.

TICKETS: $15 General, $10 Seniors (ages 55+) and Students (ages 18 & under)*

TO RESERVE TICKETS: Go here

Haven’t been to Kenyon Hall? It’s at 7904 35th SW.

While the music video above for Not Dead Yet‘s “West Seattle Hey” features some WS icons, the bridge is not among them. Who knew, when the video was made in 2012, that the bridge would close for 2 1/2 years? But that’s all in the rear-view mirror now, and Not Dead Yet is still standing – and playing. This Friday (January 27th), you can see for yourself at The Skylark, doors at 7, music at 8. Not Dead Yet’s piano player Paul adds, “We will be joined by two other local W Seattle bands, The Still Peaking Project at 9 pm and the premiere of the Palm Ave Lounge Band at 10 pm.” So go enjoy a night of all-local music at 3803 Delridge Way SW (right next to the aforementioned bridge).

If you like your music loud and electronic, the West Seattle band anMech might be for you. Band member Noah Schoenfeld emailed us because they’re proud that anMech has been chosen by rock radio 99.9 KISW as its “Loud and Local Band of the Week.” Noah explains that the band plays “a mixture or industrial, metal, and synth wave blended together into unique sound.” They released their first album “The Curse of Hope” on Halloween, “a full-length EP that was recorded this past summer.” anMech plays at venues around the area and Noah, a longtime Delridge resident, says they’re extra-excited to be playing West Seattle’s own Skylark next month – here’s the poster:

You can find more music from anMech – short for “animal mechanical” – on YouTube and Bandcamp. They even have merch.