West Seattle, Washington
06 Monday
Thanks for the.photos and videos from two local musical performances on Labor Day:
UNDER THE BRIDGE: Every so often, you might notice someone playing under the bridge, west of the 5-way. If it’s an entire band – it’s probably Felonious Monk:
Rose Feliciano sent the pic and video after spotting them playing last night:
As the short clip shows, the band even drew a bit of an audience, despite the location.
ON PUGET RIDGE: Thanks to Lisa Kauffman for photos and video from a performance at Puget Ridge Edible Park on Labor Day afternoon:
Thaddeus Spae and Richard Dean were the featured musicians, with a guest turn by Stu Hennessey:
Here’s video of Spae:
If you haven’t been to PREP – check out our August story!
With health restrictions putting much of the performing-arts world on hold because of the pandemic, some artists are finding new ways to express themselves anyway. West Seattleite Kelly McMahon is about to direct a play you can see live online starting this Friday. Here’s the announcement:
Playlist Seattle and Trial and Error Productions are pleased to announce the online revival of Everyone Wants to Love Your Beating Heart, a full-length theatrical production inspired by Temple of the Dog’s eponymous album.
Originally staged in 2016, Director and Playlist Founder Kelly McMahon and playwright Stacy D. Flood return to the play in this time of social distancing to explore the connection that is possible through music and to answer the questions: how can we find ways to relate to one another without occupying the same physical space? How can we do that through music? And through theater? While traditional theater spaces and music venues aren’t available to us, this production melds performance with live video manipulation via digital platforms to bring actors and audiences together.
Everyone Wants to Love Your Beating Heart is about overcoming isolation using the songs of Temple of the Dog as a jumping-off point for exploring our connection to music despite time and distance. The characters alternately relate and repel as they consider the songs they all know and love in the space music creates. The cast includes Joe Glass, Christopher Martinez, Sarah Lockard, Garrett Dill, Liz Vital, and Bjorn A. Whitney, working from their living rooms across the country.
Since its founding in 2014, Playlist Seattle has created original plays and performance pieces inspired by a range of Seattle bands, from legends like Jimi Hendrix, Alice in Chains and Nirvana, to current artists performing in the scene today, such as such as Ayron Jones, Whitney Mongé, Prom Queen and The Black Tones. Trial and Error was founded in 2013 to present inclusive and thought-provoking productions for a wide range of audiences by supporting visual artists, writers, and performers of the Puget Sound region and beyond.
“Everyone Wants to Love Your Beating Heart — a play inspired by Temple of the Dog” will be streamed live via Zoom on September 11, 12, 17, and 18. Tickets for the show are available at https://dice.fm/bundle/everyone-wants-to-love. Admission is $10-35 with proceeds going to MusiCares and Road Recovery. More information about the show and Playlist Seattle at www.playlistseattle.com
As school starts virtually, so do some other activities – even choir! That video from Endolyne Children’s Choir shows a virtual performance from this past summer. Here’s the announcement of how to join this fall:
Endolyne Children’s Choir – West Seattle’s community choir since 2003 – kicks off their 2020-2021 season with our Fall Session beginning on Tuesday, September 8th. Sessions will be held virtually on Zoom this session, so it is a great opportunity for new singers from all over Seattle and beyond, from kindergarten to High School, to join our fun and welcoming non-audition choir. Singers in kindergarten through 2nd Grade rehearse from (updated) 5 to 5:45 PM, 3rd through 5th graders rehearse from 5:45 to 6:45, and singers 6th through 12th grade rehearse from 7:00 to 8:30. Registration is open right now! For more information and to register, visit endolynechoir.org.
Our Music Director Megan McCormick and Staff Instructor Janelle Maroney have planned a fantastic session of virtual music education, building on the success and lessons learned from our (unexpected) online Spring Musicals session. They will provide engaging, challenging online instruction, coupled with interactive opportunities for singers to build friendships and have fun together. We are working on opportunities for our singers to spread cheer throughout the holiday season with virtual performances and other ways of connecting remotely with our larger community.
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 session.
We are 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 at https://form.jotform.com/202324865760052.
Fall session begins Tuesday, September 8th. Registration ends on September 6th. Please visit endolynechoir.org for more information.
In this seventh month of the pandemic, neighborhood cheer continues, and we’re always happy to hear about it. Thanks to Judith for sending this video of a neighborhood serenade last night near 41st and Charlestown – klezmer music! Judith ID’d the band as “Samson and the Katz” (anyone with more info on the front-yard concert, please let us know!).
More new art on businesses’ walls – first, at Westwood Village:
This one is a work in progress, on the south wall of the QFC building, commissioned by mall manager Madison Marquette, which told WSB that the “theme of this is ‘Love where you live’ and is set to celebrate our communities of West Seattle. It is topography based and modern in its look.” Craig Johnson is the artist.
Meantime, in The Junction:
Monika Lidman sent the photo while artist Kevin A. Moore was painting that wall at Uptown Espresso (Edmunds/California/Erskine) earlier this month. She noted, “He’d already repainted the entire building, then created this giant graphic, mapping it all out with a penciled grid, just like the old-timey sign painters. What I loved most was his attitude! He sees this art project as a way to lift up and encourage the neighborhood. It certainly does!”
A couple nights ago, Kay told us about Brooke, working to restore a vandalized bus-shelter mural at 35th/Thistle. Today, Brooke sends an update:
Just wanted to share the (almost) final result. I need to let this dry and then touch up where it was gouged.
Pretty pleased with the progress and hopefully it inspires others in the community and if nothing else is a bit of good news. I had no idea how much this mural meant to folks.
Just announced by the county:
King County provided $2 million in one-time grants to science, arts and culture organizations, and independent live music venues disrupted by COVID-19 across the region. The program is tailored to organizations that draw tourists and is designed to ease the economic burden of the pandemic while also increasing public health measures.
Story
With $2 million of funding backed by the federal CARES Act, King County awarded a total of 62 grants in three categories:• Music venues (35 awards)
• Arts, culture and science educations organizations (21 awards)
• Science organizations (6 awards)The grant funds will improve compliance with public health safety measures as these organizations reopen to support the county’s economic recovery and enhance residents’ quality of life.
Grants may be used to reimburse a variety of costs between March 1 and December, such as payroll, rent, mortgage payments (excluding property taxes), healthcare insurance for employees, and utility expenses necessary to sustain the business during and after the public health emergency.
In addition, the grants may also be used for public health measures necessary to prepare for safe reopening, including, for example, plastic barriers and floor markings or public outreach and education materials.
The list of recipients includes two in West Seattle, both in North Delridge – The Skylark ($19,500) and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association ($10,000).
Just announced by Lou Magor of Kenyon Hall, the historic venue at 7904 35th SW:
Beginning this Saturday, we’ll produce online concerts featuring your favorite Kenyon Hall performers. Some of the concerts will be on YouTube, and some will be on Zoom. I’ll introduce each concert from the Mighty Wurlitzer, which is thankfully finally fully operational.
All concerts are free, and at each performance you’ll have the opportunity to donate if you’re able. All donations will be split between our artists and Kenyon Hall. We’ve temporarily halted fundraising for our bathroom upgrade, and are now asking for help to keep the lights on. If you’d prefer to donate via post, please send a check made payable to Seattle Artists, 7904 35th Avenue SW, Seattle 98126. Seattle Artists is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-deductible corporation.
Here’s the schedule:
This Saturday, August 15, at 7:30 – Casey MacGill on YouTube
Saturday, August 22, at 7:30 – Jack Williams on Zoom
Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 – Tom Collier on YouTube
(You can also donate online any time by going here.)
New art in progress in The Admiral District! Mission Cantina (2325 California SW; WSB sponsor) has West Seattle muralist Desmond Hansen creating two murals, described by co-proprietor Shawn Padilla:
The artwork includes DÃa de Los Muertos, a map of Mexico with specific regions where tequila and mezcal come from, a flowering agave plant which includes endangered bottle-nose bats (the agave pollinators), etc. The artwork supports our brand and tells stories about the rich history of the country, culture, food, and spirits.
We’ll be checking back on the progress. P.S. Mission Cantina is open 4-10 pm weekdays, 10 am-10 pm weekends, and has outdoor seating – you can reserve in advance online.
The August West Seattle Art Walk is happening now! Above is the YouTube playlist showing you artists and their work. You can also see highlights in this post on the Art Walk website – which also has the list of businesses you can visit to see art until 8 pm (including WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits, 4540 California SW). Second Thursday, every month!
From Chief Sealth International High School assistant principal Christa Ernst:
Chief Sealth International High School would like to congratulate three seniors from the class of 2020 on winning the Allied Arts Foundation’s prestigious Robert J. Block Awards for Artistic Excellence. The award recognizes Seattle high school students in the areas of visual, theatrical, music or literary arts. Tierra Shaw was awarded for excellence in Visual Arts, Jason Ahmed was awarded for excellence in Music, and Riley Delora was awarded for excellence in Literary Arts. The staff at Chief Sealth is proud of these students for their hard work and dedication to their dedication to their craft.
Find out more about the awards program here; that page also lists winners at the city’s 14 other public high schools, including Caitlin Ward, Thea Pulido, and Ashly Brown from West Seattle High School.
That billboard just north of the South Delridge 7-11 [map] features art by Madison O’Neal, who was a Denny International Middle School 8th-grader when her work was chosen as a winner of the Champions Together Hope & Resilience contest. The contest was citywide, asking youth to create art or poetry with a message of hope and resilience to get through the pandemic. The Southwest Seattle Youth Alliance provided the photo; Denny principal Jeff Clark tells WSB, “We are very proud of her and the many other Denny scholars who are stepping up to lead for positive change in many different ways! Go Dolphins!”
(SPU-provided images)
The photo above shows the site of Seattle Public Utilities Pump Station 38 in the 1400 block of Alki SW [map]. An overhaul is in the works next year, with an art installation as part of it:
That’s the initial concept by artist Sarah Thompson Moore, who’s been commissioned for the work. This flyer has details, explaining that the inspiration is an old topographic map of Alki.
Right now, SPU is looking for feedback on both the art concept and the project itself, which is currently being designed. The project website explains, “SPU will convert the current pump station from an airlift type station to a more standard pump station. This conversion will improve service reliability, improve system performance, and reduce maintenance requirements and costs.” According to this overview, construction is expected to start early next year and could last up to a year; SPU tells us the project is estimated at $1.2 million, with the art project coming in around $50,000. You can answer the feedback survey by going here, by next Friday (August 14).
(WSB photos)
Above are artists Kay Kirkpatrick, Judith Camann, and Kelly Lyles, who – along with Monica Cavagnaro – have just unveiled Highland Park Improvement Club‘s first “outdoor sandwich-board art display.”
They describe “Drive By and Sign Hi” as a “Burma Shave Ad-inspired recycled creation … a multimedia, multicultural, multilingual piece created to amaze and amuse your WS Bridge Detour route drive.”
It’s on the north side of busier-than-ever SW Holden, right outside HPIC (between 11th and 12th SW), and expected to be up into September.
That’s West Seattle High School senior Jonah Elbaum, and if you listen to 88.5 KNKX between 8 and 9 pm tonight, you’ll hear him as a guest jazz DJ! His mom Mindy Elbaum explains, “His band director Ethan Thomas reached out asking if Jonah would be interested in hosting the monthly student DJ segment on KNKX School of Jazz with Abe Beeson. Typically students go in studio to record but because of the pandemic, Jonah recorded from his kitchen table!”
Two beverage/food biznotes:
BEVERIDGE PLACE PUB: The Morgan Junction pub sent the photo and announcement;
Our new Beer Garden is open for you, with 20 well-spaced tables (no seating indoors)!
NEW HOURS (in-house & to-go): Mon-Thu 3-10 pm; Fri-Sun 1-10 pm;FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND OTHER GUESTS: MASKS MUST BE WORN WHENEVER YOU LEAVE YOUR TABLE. NO TABLE-HOPPING/MINGLING – STAY WITH YOUR TABLE
.
ORDER HERE (in-house & to-go): Beveridge Place Online Store. We still have our TO-GO on-line store where you can order and pay for growlers, cans, wine bottles, cider bottles, mead bottles, & snacks!
TO-GO Orders: Pick-up at the front door or at our dedicated curbside spot. Please have your ID ready so we can make sure we have the right order…and that you’re 21 or over. CHEERS!
BPP is at 6413 California SW.
IL NIDO: The Alki Homestead restaurant-turned-market is taking the month of August off. They’ve been selling take-home-to-cook pasta as well as salads, bread, desserts, and more, and promise to return in September.
The sun’s not fully out (yet), so maybe you’re inside, looking for entertainment. Here’s a West Seattle creation: The team behind the annual Halloween animatronic extravaganza Skeleton Theatre has something new – online. Team spokesperson Maia Low explains, “We finally launched the side project we teased at the last Skeleton Theatre. It’s a YouTube web series called ‘Two Old Skeletons Talking’ (or T. O. S. T.). Two of our skeletons drive around Seattle talking about various subjects.” Above is the trailer for the first episode; you’ll find the series – episodes and trailers – here.
BACKSTORY: In case you’re new around here – while Skeleton Theatre, staged in an Admiral-area yard each year for more than a decade, happens at Halloween, it’s not spooky – it’s geared for laughs, not shrieks.
(WSB photos)
It’s almost as if Bob Henry has an audience! As we reported Monday, the muralist is at work this week on the north side of 4727 44th SW in The Junction, re-hanging the restored panels that comprise the “Press Day” mural. Today, we got a look at part of the restoration:
It’s been more than two years since the restoration project began.
This is one of nine surviving murals of the original 11 created in the late ’80s/early ’90s – one, “Midnight Call,” was removed four years ago; another was re-created at a new location near the demolished building that originally held it. Crowdfunding is supplementing the philanthropy and grants to pay for the restoration.
(WSB photo, August 2019)
Almost a year ago, we reported on the next West Seattle Junction mural to be restored, “Press Day,” on the north side of 4727 44h SW. This time, the process is different – this mural is on wooden panels that were removed so muralist Bob Henry could work on them. Today, he’s back to start re-hanging the restored panels.
(This photo & next, courtesy of West Seattle Junction Association)
First – scaffolding goes up. Then, the panels.
West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Radford tells WSB the process is expected to last all week. It’s one of the murals created ~30 years ago as a celebration of local history; restoration is funded by philanthropy, grants, and community contributions (the crowdfunding page is here).
11:05 AM: Happening right now at California/Alaska – art!
(WSB photos)
As we’ve previewed, today is the day 9 artists commissioned by West Seattle Art for Social Justice are finishing the Black Lives Matter street mural.
They’re working in two shifts – 9 to 11 and 11 to 1 – so they can safely distance while painting. Artists including two family groups were working during our first stop, at the west and east ends.
The mural creation, in partnership with the West Seattle Junction Association, WS Art Walk, and WS Farmers’ Market – is crowdfunded, to compensate the artists as well as to pay for the supplies and to fund future maintenance.
The artists are:
Adonis Piper
Gloria Cropper
Jasmine Iona Brown
Jaymin Brown
Jolyn GC
Lashanna Williams
Raquel Stewart
Saiyana Suzumura
Vanessa Musonwa
Each artist was assigned one or two letters and artistic license to paint them. Organizer Stevie Kramer says it’ll be complete no later than 2 pm so it’ll be dry before the farmers’ Market barricades come down at 4 pm. We’ll be going back for updates.
12:33 PM: Just back.
We’ll return one more time to see the finished mural.
3:56 PM: A few closeups:
Still to come … the list of which artist did which letter(s), plus a video tour of the entire mural (the SDOT traffic camera is unfortunately turned the wrong way for an overview). ADDED: Here it is:
It’s been almost two weeks since voting began in the West Seattle Bridge T-shirt contest. You have 10 more days to vote. As of Monday, West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Radford tells WSB, almost 5,000 people have voted. Here are the top 10 (from among the 70+ contenders):
Thanks to the West Seattle Junction Association for the photo of the newest signal-box mural by West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen – this one is a sort of dual tribute, for women in trades as well as the West Seattle Bridge. WSJA also sent the photo that inspired it:
WSJA executive director Lora Radford was looking into the history; via an online image search, we note that it was featured at her former business Hotwire Online Coffeehouse in a collaboration with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society in 2014, the year the now-closed bridge marked its 30th anniversary.
P.S. The signal box is Hansen’s third in The Junction this summer, after Black Lives Matter at 42nd and Alaska and the Progress Flag at California/Oregon.
(SDOT camera image)
Looking north from California/Alaska’s SDOT camera, that’s the view this afternoon of the first phase of the street mural that West Seattle Artists for Social Justice is creating at Walk-All-Ways. The lettering of BLACK LIVES MATTER was done while that block was closed for today’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market.
(WSB photos from here)
Organizer Stevie Kramer was overseeing the work:
She explained that the nine artists – four youth (Saiyana Suzumura, Gloria Cropper, Vanessa Musonwa, Raquel Stewart) and five adults (Lashanna Williams, Adonis Piper. Jasmine Iona Brown, Jaymin Brown, Jolyn GC) – will be on site during next Sunday’s market. They will each paint one or more letters of the mural – no pre-planned design, they will show up and paint (Stevie says they’ve already been given guidelines on what’s appropriate for this type of mural). T
The paint they’re using is fast-drying and self-sealing. WS Art for Social Justice says their crowdfunding wiil cover future maintenance too – like a touchup next year.
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