West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
West Seattle’s Vietnamese Cultural Center was brightly decorated this afternoon for one of the most festive occasions of fall, Tết Nhi Đồng, the Children’s Moonlight Festival. It drew a sizable crowd of all ages:
While a lion dance and martial-arts demonstration were part of the afternoon, kids’ activities were the centerpiece:
Young participants got lanterns for a parade around the center’s North Delridge grounds before the festival wrapped up. Never been to the Cultural Center? In addition to special occasions like this, it’s open most Saturdays for the general public to visit.
ADDED: Thanks to Lynda Bui with the Cultural Center for video of the lion dance:
Vovinam Martial Arts from Burien performed the lion dance as well as the martial-arts demonstration, while artist Rick Klu did face-painting.
(WSB photo from 2019 Fiestas Patrias parade)
Before summer officially ends, another tradition will return for the first time in four years – the Fiestas Patrias parade in South Park. Sea-Mar Community Health Centers present the parade, and a weekend-long festival at Seattle Center, as a celebration of Latin American culture, and two weeks from today will bring the first parade since 2019. You can watch along 14th Avenue South (Henderson north to Cloverdale) or South Cloverdale Street (14th west to 8th, where the parade ends at the community center) starting at 11 am Saturday, September 16th.
The Boeing Employees Choir, which rehearses in West Seattle, is inviting potential new members to come to their rehearsals starting later this month. Thie choir has a big trip planned, too. Here’s the announcement sent to us to share with you:
We are planning a 2-week concert tour of Greece in late September 2024 and are recruiting new members from the West Seattle area. Come to an open rehearsal at the American Legion Hall on 3618 SW Alaska Street on Tuesday evenings (6:30 – 9:00 pm) to see if you’d like to join and schedule an easy audition. Open rehearsals run Tuesday 9/12/23 through 10/10/23. Historically made up of Boeing employees and their families, we have opened membership to the public, sharing our love of music and cheer in numerous concerts throughout the year, especially during the Christmas holidays. Suggested dues are $150/semester. Sign up in September to ensure your spot on our tour! For questions, email president@boeingchoir.org.
We went back to visit Bruun Idun, the giant troll newly installed at Lincoln Park by artist Thomas Dambo with private funding and volunteer help, and have been watching for her to turn up on the Northwest Trolls website. Today, she’s there, along with the full poem that Dambo debuted at the troll-“unveiling” event Friday (WSB coverage here). She’s now also on the worldwide map of Dambo’s trolls. Bruun Idun (Idun, pronounced like Eden, in short) is the third of six he’s installing around the Northwest; the first two are in Portland and on Bainbridge Island, and the next three will be introduced in Issaquah this weekend and on Vashon Island and in Ballard in mid-September. (If you haven’t been to see Bruun Idun yet, she’s right behind Colman Pool.)
4:17 PM: At an invitation-only (but crowded) event under way right now, West Seattle’s troll Bruun Idun has just been “unveiled.”
As we first reported back in June, with a followup when troll-building began last week, this is one of six trolls that Danish artist Thomas Dambo is making from recycled materials and installing around the Northwest – first one was in Portland, then Bainbridge Island, now West Seattle (still to come are Issaquah, Vashon Island, and Ballard). Now that it’s been completed, its location at Lincoln Park has been revealed – right behind Colman Pool, where volunteers were still working to complete it this morning:
We took that photo after hiking in for a scheduled chance to talk briefly with the artist:
We also met John “Coyote” Halliday, a Muckleshoot Tribe artist who is contributing decorations to the troll, made primarily from bark and shells.
More photos and info to come – including the troll’s story (Dambo told us it’s meant to be “singing to the orcas”) – when we’re back from the event!
7:06 PM: Turns out Bruun Idun (“Idun” for short – pronounced like “Eden”) is playing a flute with a song for the orcas. Each troll has a poem, and Dambo read part of this one at the podium, including the line, “She played for them the orca song, to ask them where they all had gone.” Artist Coyote, meantime, explained that his creations are adorning Bruun Idun’s flute. He and Dambo had an “artist exchange” as part of this, including a visit by Coyote to Denmark, where he painted a killer whale on Dambo’s house. He and Dambo also exchanged gifts today.
This is all shown in our video of the program, which was emceed by Visit Seattle‘s Tracey Wickersham – a West Seattleite.
Guest speakers included Mayor Bruce Harrell, who talked with the artist before everyone moved to the portable podium:
The program began with a song by the Muckleshoot canoe family.
As underscored by the listing of partnerships at the end, this was a privately funded project. More information about Bruun Idun should appear soon on the nwtrolls.org website, as it has for the Portland troll Ole Bolle and the Bainbridge troll Pia. Dambo said this all was intended to happen a few years ago, but the pandemic interrupted the timeline. He has installed 121 “environmental sculptures” around the world and has more on the drawing board – even as this one was being built, he flew briefly to Austin, Texas, for meetings about a series planned next year.
P.S. As explained in our earlier interview with the artist – video above – no, they are NOT left to decompose; at some point the site host (Seattle Parks for this one) will decide when to dismantle it and recycle its components.
(Editor’s note: Troll’s name corrected post-publication to reflect that Bruun Idun is two words, not one as originally reported)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The end of the summer will be the end of an era for youth theater in West Seattle.
After one last round of summer theater camps, Laura Drake is retiring, and turning over her Stage Struck program to a new owner (who’s expected to give it a new name).
She’s hoping to catch up with former Stage Struck families for a “final bow” party at 8 pm September 1st, after the last summer-show performance.
It’s been a monumental run. She’s produced 180 shows between 2001 and 2023, both after-school and summer-camp productions. She started Stage Struck in the basement of Admiral Church, and currently works in the fellowship hall at Fauntleroy Church, where the walls are currently decorated with photo montages from all those shows over all those years.
Drake – who has an extensive performing background – says she launched Stage Struck, with partners, as a “49-year-old single mom” hoping to bring in some extra income; she became interested in classroom teaching, too, and went back to school for a certificate. She subsequently taught at both Highland Park Elementary and Arbor Heights Elementary until retiring from Seattle Public Schools five years ago. But even while teaching, “summers were always full” with eight or nine 2-week Stage Struck camps.
Fauntleroy Church has been the ideal home for the program, she says, not just because of the stage – to which lighting and other features have been added over the years – but because of other rooms in the building where instruction and practice can go on. Drake explains that Stage Struck production have rotating casts, so each production has multiple students per role. Another unique facet of her program has been learning and exploration adjunct to the production – performing “The Lion King” was an opportunity to explore African music and dance, for example. And the productions have always featured live musicians. This year, they’ve been doing two longtime favorites – “Annie” and “Grease” – and two “Best Of” shows.
Over the years, Drake says, she’s worked with so many students that “I run into ‘Stage Struck’ kids everywhere!” Many of the teachers who’ve worked in the program “came up as alums, she adds. The new owner, a member of her staff, plans to rebrand it, likely as Lights Up! But in the meantime, for Drake, it’ll be curtain down at summer’s end: “It’s been great.”
P.S. If you’re a Stage Struck alum interested in the “Final Bow” party on September 1st, or reconnecting before then, you can reach Drake via stagestruckseattle@gmail.com.
As the start of school approaches, so does the start of fall activities, including music! Endolyne Children’s Choir asked us to share this announcement:
Calling all young voices in West Seattle! Embark on a musical journey with Endolyne Children’s Choir this Fall.
Unleash your inner star as we harmonize, uplift, and create unforgettable melodies together. Dive into the world of music theory and fine-tune your performance skills, all while immersing yourself in an atmosphere of fun and community.
We’re thrilled to introduce the latest additions to our esteemed teaching staff: the gifted Clara Dorst and the talented Dylan Petersen. Under the expert guidance of music director Megan Booth, this dynamic trio is set to orchestrate an unforgettable experience for our singers.
Mark your calendars – registration is open until August 28th. Secure your spot now and let your voice soar with Endolyne Children’s Choir!
The registration page has more details, including registration schedules.
That photo from Portland was shared by a WSB reader who was there last weekend as the first installation in the series “Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King“ was unveiled. (The troll’s name is Olebolle.) As previewed here back in June, one of the other five trolls by Danish artist Thomas Dambo is being installed at West Seattle’s Lincoln Park. And work is under way, according to the readers who have deluged the WSB inbox with sightings. One of the volunteers working on the site sent this photo.
As explained in the original announcement, the trolls – like dozens Danbo has installed around the world – are being built with used/recycled materials – mostly wooden pallets. The West Seattle site is adorned with signs explaining what’s going on:
Despite this happening in a very public place, where hundreds if not thousands have seen it already, the privately funded project coordinated by the Scan Design Foundation is trying to keep a bit of mystery, so we’re not going to be the ones to spoil it for you – as the sign says, the “grand reveal” is just nine days away. As the construction continues, the volunteer who emailed us advises, “Follow the sound of power tools and hammers.” The other four, after ours and Portland’s, are planned for Ballard, Issaquah, and Vashon and Bainbridge Islands; the schedules are on the artist’s Instagram feed, including a peek at the one that’s almost complete on Bainbridge.
From the Grateful Dead to Neil Young to Nirvana and beyond, concert photographer Steve Schneider has photographed a half-century of music history. He’s turned much of it into a “coffee-table book” that he’ll be signing at Easy Street Records this Thursday night (August 17th). Here’s how the book is described in the announcement of its publication:
This $60 hardbound book has 220 pages of concert images with 350 photos from five decades of live music, and is printed on archival acid-free matte paper. The book features images of the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, the Rolling Stones, and many others. Ten of the concerts featured — including shows by David Bowie, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Neil Young, and Willie Nelson — ones where Schneider was the only photographer with access.
The title comes from some acts’ directive that photographers only shoot the first three songs, but many of the best images in The First Three Songs are from when Schneider pushed around that. A shot of the Grateful Dead at the closing of the legendary San Francisco club Winterland in 1978 was taken at 5:30 in the morning. “This was back in the days of film, and I had saved just a few frames for when they would end,” Schneider recalled. “They started on at midnight, but I saved enough to capture their good-bye early in the morning.” The Grateful Dead liked the image enough that it was used on a CD and DVD of the event, and it ended the film of the event. The band signed a copy of a 1977 New Year’s photo from the same location in Winterland. They also gave Bill Walton a 20” x 30” signed copy of the same photo.
Schneider worked for multiple news services, and created images that the announcement says “have appeared in hundreds of newspapers and magazines,” adding that “the book also serves as a document of how concert photography is transformed with the development of digital photography, and when bands began to light their stage for video.” Thursday’s signing is set for 6 pm to 8 pm; if somehow you haven’t been to Easy Street, it’s on the northwest corner of California/Alaska in the heart of The Junction. (If you can’t get to the event but would like to buy the book, you can buy it directly from Schneider online.)
P.S. You can read more about Schneider, his book, and his work in this Seattle Now and Then installment by West Seattle journalist/historian/author Clay Eals.
(File photo, courtesy Flutes in the Forest)
Before we get to what’s up for today/tonight, here’s a “set your calendar” note – Flutes in the Forest is returning this year! Here’s the announcement we received to share with you:
FLUTES IN THE FOREST continues in 2023 with free outdoor classical music concerts. Enjoy the sounds of the JBC Rose Flute Trio on Saturday afternoon, August 19, from 2:00-3:00 pm in Schmitz Park. Jennie Goldberg, Barb Cotton, and Carolyn Hoppe-Denend will play classical music from various eras as well as arrangements of popular tunes.
Bring your own chair or blanket; stay as long as you’d like. Enter Schmitz Park off SW Admiral Way and SW Stevens Way. Walk the paved road 300 feet to the sound of flutes in the forest. Plenty of street parking along SW Stevens.
This Thursday brings the West Seattle Art Walk, accompanied again this month by The Art of Music, free performances at multiple local venues. Three this time — Epiphany of Time in The Junction in front of KeyBank (SW corner of California/Alaska), MoonGirl in the Admiral District at Soprano’s Antico Pizza and Pasta (2348 California SW), and Natalie Paige in Morgan Junction at Whisky West (6451 California SW). The performances are concurrent, all scheduled 6 pm to 7:45 pm. Find out more about the performers and shows by going here!
While the canoe families who arrived at Alki on the Journey to Muckleshoot have moved on to the host tribe’s community center for a week of around-the-clock protocol, most if not all of the canoes are heading home. Alki photographer David Hutchinson sent these three images, reporting, “When I checked around 11:30 AM today, there were still 34 tribal canoes on Alki Beach. They were in the process of leaving, with some being carried down the beach to the water and others being loaded onto boat trailers along Alki Ave.”
Some are/were paddled to Don Armeni Boat Ramp to be placed onto trailers there, as shown in one photo from our Sunday coverage.
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
11:31 AM: The first canoe families are arriving at Alki Beach after leaving Suquamish following a two-night stay during the first Canoe Journey since before the pandemic, the Paddle to Muckleshoot. Up to 100 canoes are expected.
Lots of backstory in our preview published last night. Hundreds of people are here, lining the beach and seawall, as arriving canoe families ask and are granted permission to come ashore.
(4:14 pm note: The stream just concluded, but you should be able watch a recorded replay here)
1:04 PM: The live stream we mentioned last night continues, showing a member of each arriving canoe family making the request, and Muckleshoot members on shore welcoming them.
The speeches – given in both Native languages and English – have been poignant, as some have spoken of “so much loss these past few years,” primarily because of the pandemic. One said they had lost their skipper to COVID. But the exchanges also have been joyful as the hosts promise the visitors “We will sing, we will dance, we will feast together.”
That will happen at the Muckleshoot Community Center in Auburn, to which the visitors will be taken by shuttle bus.
First, canoes are carried out of the water, and are parked on the beach. Many also carry flags showing where they’re from.
The paddles tell stories too.
One skipper spoke with a bit of humor:
The list of participating canoe families is here. Some families have traveled in more than one canoe. Some canoes carried members of multiple Indigenous nations and cultures – we heard introductions mentioning Hawai’i, the Navajo Nation, even the Maori of New Zealand.
4 PM: The live stream is still going as a few last canoes arrive. Some also have asked for permission to send their canoes home – by trailer – once they land. (Added: Doug Eglington saw some departures from Don Armeni:)
Many remain on the Alki sand for now, as Jamie Kinney‘s photo shows:
One of the last arrivals carried people from Alaska and B.C. The woman who spoke for them to ask permission also said they had come to ask for help in healing the Earth: “The world is toxic … support us in protecting babies and moms.”
4:13 PM: Minutes later, the final arrival – the Muckleshoot’s own canoe family. Tribal chair Jaison Elkins welcomed them.
7:09 PM: Thanks to everyone who’s sent photos! These next three are from David Hutchinson:
And these two are from Theresa Arbow-O’Connor – note the fireboat in the background of the first photo:
P.S. We drove through Alki at sunset and saw many canoes remaining on the beach, so if you missed the chance to see them, some will certainly be there tomorrow. This map shows the routes and dates taken to get here.
You can make a difference thousands of miles away by showing up for an event tomorrow (Sunday, July 30th) here in West Seattle. It’s a “summer festival” fundraiser for Books & Bricks Global, with a concert by the band Tinkham Road, plus food and drink. It’s happening 4-6 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), and you can find more info here. Books & Bricks Global works to increase access to education for kids in Africa.
They danced, they talked, they picnicked. Concertgoers from babies to seniors filled the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center tonight for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s third and final concert of the summer. This was a return for Ranger and The Re-arrangers, who characterize their music as “gypsy jazz.” Listen in:
Whatever you call it, this was perfect music for a mellow summer night.
The concert series, coordinated by Stephanie Jordan (with community co-sponsors including WSB), might be over, but the ANA has one more big summer-fun event ahead – the second annual Admiral Junction Funktion street party, set for 11 am-9 pm Saturday, August 26th, on California SW north of Admiral Way.
That’s our video from 2019, when Ranger and The Re-Arrangers performed during the last pre-pandemic Summer Concerts at Hiawatha. This year, the Admiral Neighborhood Association brought the series back, and this band will be on stage Thursday night (July 27th) for the last of this year’s free shows. WSB has been a community co-sponsor of the series since its start more than a decade ago, so we’re reminding you today to get your chair, blanket, and picnic ready to take to the east lawn of Hiawatha (along Walnut south of Lander). Showtime tomorrow night is 6:30 pm.
That was the scene at Alki Beach in July 2019, the last year that tribes from around the region participated in a Canoe Journey. This year, the tradition has resumed, and the journey is ending on West Seattle shores because the Muckleshoot Tribe is this year’s host tribe. Canoe families are scheduled to arrive at Alki one week from today (Sunday, July 30th), according to the Paddle to Muckleshoot website. Participants will proceed from here by land to the Muckleshoot Community Center for a weeklong event. The Muckleshoot has a canoe family participating as well, with their journey starting today, as noted here. In all, 60 canoe families – including the Duwamish – are listed as participating.
The first day of this year’s Alki Art Fair has just wrapped up. We made it there in time to wander the booths in brilliant evening sunshine. Not only is the AAF located right on the shore of Puget Sound – along the Alki Beach promenade – it’s also full of sea-inspired creators, like Maq Martin, who we found in the Emerging Artists tent between the Bathhouse and Statue of Liberty Plaza:
Also there is Stacey Sterling, the artist who led the sea-life community mural-painting at West Seattle Summer Fest last weekend:
She said she worked with 125 people during her two days at Summer Fest! … Continuing the sea-life theme, Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network volunteers are there to talk with you about what you might see on- and offshore;
Another local nonprofit, the Alki-based Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is there to talk with you about their work;
Lots of creative play opportunities for the youngest visitors, in the free play zone presented by Outer Space Seattle:
Music starts tomorrow (see the lineup here) but main-stage sponsor Canna West Culture Shop was there today, ready to talk with you about CBD:
You can also browse jewelry, apparel, handbag, many types and styles of creations. (See the full artist/creator/vendor list here.) Saturday’s hours are 10 am-6 pm for booths, music noon-7 pm: Sunday, 10 am-6 pm for booths, music 11 am-5 pm. (WSB is a community co-sponsor of the Alki Art Fair.)
Another idyllic night on the east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center, as the comeback season continues for the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s summer concert series. Tonight, a double bill – Midpak:
And the School of Rock:
So many student musicians on that part of the bill, we got a group pic too:
Next Thursday night (July 27th) at 6:30 pm, the ANA presents this year’s third and final concert, with Ranger and the Re-Arrangers. Free, everyone welcome, bring your own chair/blanket!
This Thursday (July 20th), you’re invited back to the east lawn at ” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Hiawatha Community Center for the second of this year’s three free Summer Concerts presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association. Above is this week’s headline band, Midpak, who’ll be joined by musicians from the School of Rock. Bring a blanket or chair, picnic dinner if you feel like it, and grab a spot on the lawn (Walnut south of Lander) in time for the 6:30 pm start. (WSB is a community co-sponsor of this year’s revived series, which is curated by Stephanie Jordan for the ANA.)
For many years, on the Tuesday before the West Seattle Grand Parade, the West Seattle Big Band has performed its free Concert in the Park. Tonight was the night!
The concert has several connections to Saturday’s parade – for one, the parade sponsors the concert (which was long part of the now-defunct summer-long Hi-Yu Festival). For two, WS Big Band director Jim Edwards (above left) is a longtime parade coordinator – these days with more of an emeritus role, while coordination is led by his daughter Michelle Edwards, a WSBB musician too:
Post-pandemic, the concert has had a new venue, High Point Commons Park, where the WSBB presented its program tonight.
The organization is more than a quarter-century old, with a mission of supporting students – donating its time and earnings to support school-music programs.
P.S. As for the parade – our previews of what and who you’ll see start tomorrow!
Again this year, the Alki Art Fair will run for three days – art and music along the promenade and around the Bathhouse – and it all starts Friday (July 21). Here’s the latest official overview:
FRIDAY 2-8 pm
SATURDAY 10 am-6 pm
SUNDAY 10 am-6 pmNow in its 27th year, this FREE, family-friendly, annual arts and music festival brings Alki to life with over 100 professional artists, craftspeople and emerging artists. There will be live music, children’s activities, live demonstrations and local artisan food vendors for everyone to enjoy.
Visitors can take in the colorful views while strolling the promenade, as they eat and shop among the expansive lineup of artists, makers, and performers. It’s a great opportunity to engage with the local creative community and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our local arts and culture.
The Alki Art Fair still needs volunteers to help with this year’s festival.
Volunteers can assist and mingle with the artists, help with the silent auction, staff the information booth, assist musicians, and more. Visit bit.ly/volunteerAAF23 for a full list of volunteer opportunities and to sign up today!
Event Highlights:
-100+ local artists & crafters selling works in a variety of media including painting, pottery, glass, textiles, metal, jewelry & more. See the full lineup of participating vendors at alkiartfair.org
-Live music and performances throughout the weekend on the Bathhouse Stage sponsored by Canna West Culture Shop and open mic stage on the promenade. This year we’re featuring a variety of genres including Latin, Soul, Funk, Pop, Rock and more. See the full lineup and schedule at alkiartfair.org/music
-Interactive Kid Zone hosted by OuterSpace Seattle (the galactic indoor playspace for kids of all abilities).
-Silent auction in the historic Alki Bathhouse featuring unique items from local artists and businesses.
-Local food lineup features a range of sweet, savory, spicy and delicious options including Caribbean Cuisine, Dippy’s Ice Cream, Lbees Filipino Deli, Pop’s Sausage Grill, Simply Kettle, Road Dawg, Sap Sap Deli, Moe’s Falafel, and Little Jamie’s Mini Donuts.
Sponsors:
Canna West Culture Shop, Outer Space Seattle, 4Culture, Office of Arts & Culture, West Seattle Blog, Aegis Living, Nucor Steel, PNW Marketing, Smith Brothers, Live Oak Audio Visual, BAM Performing Arts Studio, Seal Sitters, Lake Washington Windows
See you at the beach!
Historic Kenyon Hall, the nonprofit-operated event venue at 7904 35th SW, could use your help. An orientation session is coming up for prospective volunteers. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:
Kenyon Hall will be hosting our first-ever Volunteer Orientation session at the end of the month, welcoming in as many people as we can who are interested in getting more involved at the hall.
Kenyon Hall Volunteer Orientation
For all those interested in learning more about and getting more involved in their local arts!
Sunday, July 30th, 2023
Session runs from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Volunteer Session sign-upThis will be the inaugural volunteer orientation session and because so the event might run shorter or a little longer. If interested plan to show up by 2:00 pm to receive some literature and a quick meet and greet before we get into the heftier details.
We hope to see many familiar and even some unfamiliar faces at this event and begin inviting the public to participate in hall activities on a deeper level that we’ve been previously able to do.
The hall’s history dates back more than a century. If you can’t volunteer, you can also help it thrive by attending shows – check the Kenyon Hall website to see what’s coming up!
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