Following up on the West Seattle Junction public art that was defaced by racist vandalism:

(WSB photo)

Artist Desmond Hansen, commissioned by the West Seattle Junction Association to paint this box and then to fix vandalism, has repainted it with a new look. Now it’s a portrait of Dick Gregory, civil-rights activist and humorist, with a quote on the south side, and a fist – originally part of the street-facing side of the box – on its east side:

(WSB photo)

The restoration cost was $750 and donations covered the cost, WSJA executive director Lora Radford tells WSB. That same fund is covering the cost of Bob Henry‘s work restoring the Hi-Yu Parade mural on the south wall at the Junction Post Office:

(This photo and next, courtesy WSJA)

A vandal attempted to paint out Black and brown people in the crowd, as reported here last winter; Henry’s work restored them:

He also cleaned that mural and gave it a vandalism-resistant treatment. While the signal-box mural dates back to last year, the Post Office mural was one of the original West Seattle murals created ~30 years ago.

(L-R, Sam Llanillo, Gabi Meredith, Michael Smithgall, Dominique Ocaña, Koh Casaba, Henry Parker, Neizer Olivera, Peyton David Smith. Photo by Nate Watters)

Above are the members of Aurora Avenue – a band that’s not quite a year old but recently was chosen to perform in the annual regional showcase SOUND OFF! Founder Koh Casaba says it’s for “the top 12 under-21 musicians/bands in the greater Pacific Northwest.” Five members of Aurora Avenue are West Seattle High School students, and the band practices in Koh’s North Admiral front yard:

(2020 photo from Aurora Avenue’s first rehearsal)

SOUND OFF! is presented by MoPOP, which plans to stream the show two weeks from tonight – Saturday, May 15th, starting at 7 pm. Pay-what-you-can tickets are available at this link. Koh hopes West Seattleites will tune in: “I owe our success to the amazing community I was able to grow up around.” Before SOUND OFF! you can hear a sample of Aurora Avenue’s music – described as “J-Pop influenced” and “bright” – on the band’s Instagram page.

(WSB photo, June 2020)

That’s our photo from June 6, 2020, when artist Desmond Hansen painted a Black Lives Matter mural on the signal box at 42nd/Alaska, same day that thousands gathered in the heart of The Junction to call for racial justice. A reader tip called our attention to recent vandalism defacing the mural – a vandal has painted out the fist and the words. The original mural was commissioned by the West Seattle Junction Association, whose executive director Lora Radford tells WSB this box has been vandalized, and repaired, before. Fixing it again will cost at least $250, and WSJA, a nonprofit, welcomes donations, either here, or via Venmo to @westseattlejunction. This follows a vandal targeting depictions of a family of color in the mural on the Junction post office; that’s undergone recent repairs as part of planned restoration work.

(King County Executive’s Office photo)

Call it Hollywood on Harbor Island. Part of the former Fisher Flour Mill – now county-owned – has become a TV/movie-production facility, and King County Executive Dow Constantine showed it off today. From the county announcement:

The 117,000 square-foot sound stage is King County’s first major public investment to bring back a once-thriving film industry and hundreds of family wage, creative economy jobs as the region rebounds post-pandemic.

King County crews and contractors re-wired and built interior sound-proof walls in the former Fisher Flour Mill, purchased by King County 18 years ago to potentially ship solid waste. The work, which cost about $1.5 million, has already attracted a creative economy tenant.

A Hollywood episodic production is preparing to use the space as a sound stage, hiring hundreds of local crew members with family-wage jobs.

As part of his 2019 Creative Economy Initiative, Executive Constantine called for supporting the regional film industry by reducing film permit fees and timelines on King County property, and seeking new ways to promote regional productions. Executive Constantine convened his Film Advisory Board to work with industry veterans to craft the best strategies. The Advisory board quickly identified the need for a regional sound stage to compete with Portland, Vancouver, B.C., and other cities and states.

Attention turned to the former Fisher Flour Mill on Harbor Island.

Film production is classified light industrial for zoning, and a production facility is best suited to be in a commercial or industrial area. Harbor Island’s location is ideal – close to the urban center, but relatively isolated.

The condition of the Fisher Flour Mill warehouse, the height of the ceilings, and the integrity of the structure all make it perfect for long-term film production use. The production currently using the sound stage wishes to remain anonymous. The film industry typically seeks to downplay its presence in a community for a variety of reasons, including security and marketing.

The goal of King County Harbor Island Studios is to create the infrastructure needed to land a wide variety of projects – from feature films to commercials – which pay union wages to carpenters, electricians, prop masters, costume designers, and other trades.

The announcement also notes that the “last major episodic television production in Washington was ‘Northern Exposure.’ (which) set up shop in a warehouse in Redmond and produced six seasons starting in 1990.” King County bought the ex-mill site in 2003.

That’s Mindi Katzman with what she says is a West Seattle first! She sent the photos and report:

West Seattle now has its own Little Free Art Gallery, set up by me and installed yesterday. The idea is to promote a little cheer, delight, and fun…and of course, art.

Anyone can drop off a small piece, either two- or three-dimensional (potters – think small seconds or firsts; painters – small pieces etc.) This is for everyone and anyone. Take a piece, leave a piece, or both!!! But PLEASE, do not take the figures, easels, or bench.

This was possible thanks to the efforts of Ken Cermak, who built it; Brian Mooney, who installed the post; Natalie Dupille, who cheered me on and helped install the gallery; and Emme Dupille – who contributed the first piece. And of course, Stacy Milrany, Milrany.com, who has made the concept take off. I look forward to seeing what comes and goes.

The Little Free Art Gallery is in Morgan Junction, 38th Avenue SW, between Morgan and Graham.

As we marked the one-year anniversary of the West Seattle Bridge closure this week, a local musician has released a song inspired by both the closure and the pandemic. Here’s the announcement:

“Bridge to Nowhere” is the latest release from West Seattle singer-songwriter Will Rainier, and his first as a solo artist. It was influenced by the pandemic, the loss of the West Seattle Bridge, and the feeling of isolation we’ve all felt over the past year. The acoustic ballad is melancholic yet hopeful and features vocals by Will’s long-time bandmate and collaborator Jen Garrett and vibes by Grammy award-winning percussionist T.J. Troy. You can stream and download the song on his website here.

Will Rainier has been a part of the Seattle music scene since 1991, playing in bands such as Slugfest, Tarantulada, Stuporhero, and most recently Will Rainier and The Pines, who released their debut album, “Tethered to the World,” April 2020. (Listen here.)

Will’s debut solo album, “Enough Blue To Go Around,” will be out this summer.

(WSB photos)

The first spring sunshine greeted the West City Rope Ninjas jump-rope team for their pop-up shows outside Alki Bathhouse this afternoon. We stopped by for part of the first one.

World-champion jumper René Bibaud coaches the team. (For a bit of video, see our Twitter feed.)

Even through the pandemic, West Seattle’s Endolyne Children’s Choir has continued providing a chance for young singers to harmonize, and a new session of rehearsing and performing is about to begin. Registration is still open – here’s the announcement:

Registration for Endolyne Children’s Choir’s “Songs From The Stage” Spring Session is currently open. Rehearsals will be held virtually on Zoom and will begin tomorrow – Tuesday, March 16th. Singers in kindergarten through 2nd Grade (Debut Choir) rehearse from 5:00 to 5:45 PM, 3rd through 5th graders (Encore Choir) rehearse from 5:45 to 6:45, and singers 6th through 12th grade (Advanced Ensemble) rehearse from 7:00 to 8:30. To register, (updated) email info@endolynechoir.org

Endolyne Children’s Choir Music Director Megan McCormick and Staff Instructor Janelle Maroney have planned an exciting session that will capture the glamour and wonder of movies and musicals, as we present “Songs from the Stage.” In addition to exploring a variety of vocal techniques, students will gain dance and acting skills that showcase their personalities and build their confidence. On June 12, we will close our 2020-21 season with a fabulous virtual celebration and awards ceremony for all our singers and families.

Quality musical education is so important and essential for children, and we want every child to have the opportunity to benefit from our program. One benefit of virtual rehearsals: no commuting, so singers from anywhere in Seattle, the greater Puget Sound region, Washington State, and beyond can join us for this season.

We are also offering several tiers of tuition pricing, from full tuition to full scholarship, so anyone can participate regardless of their financial situation. Simply select your payment tier when registering.

WATCH: “Come Alive” from Advanced Ensemble’s (6th-12th Grade) 2020 Spring Musical

WATCH: “Squirm!” from Debut Choir’s (K-2nd Grade) 2020 Spring Musical

Questions? Find out more about the choir here.

Miss theater? West Seattle’s Twelfth Night Productions plans another online offering later this month. In case you haven’t already seen it in our calendar, here’s the announcement:

Twelfth Night Production is proud to present four one-act plays from “All in the Timing” by David Ives. The four short plays are hilarious and sometimes absurd, providing witty perspectives on life and meaning, with a sometimes-sharp tongue and often uproarious word pay.

The four shorts featured in the live stream include:

· In Sure Thing, a couple on a first date has the opportunity to reset and try again each time they say the wrong thing.

· Words, Words, Words takes the “infinite monkey theorem”– the idea that given enough time, three monkeys in a room could eventually compose any given text, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet — and turns it into reality.

· The Universal Language, a shy young woman places her faith in her fraudulent language tutor, who is changed for the better when he discovers is the language they share: not the made-up “Unamunda” professes to be fluent in, but rather the language of love.

· The Philadelphia, a man discovers that he’s entered a strange pocket of the universe where the only way to get what he wants is to ask for the opposite.

The shorts will be streamed live on March 26 and 27 at 7:30pm and March 28 at 3:00 pm. Tickets are a suggested donation of $15 and can be purchased at http://www.twelfthnightproductions.org/productions/tickets

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