West Seattle, Washington
01 Friday
That’s a new video chronicling what it’s like to learn music with the professional musicians who own and teach at Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) in North Delridge. Mode proprietor Erin Rubin told us about it while sharing word that Mode expanded its summer-camp lineups and now has “availability in the all-day camps as well as private music lessons for summer and fall, enrolling now.” You can explore the camp and lesson info by scrolling through Mode’s website – and see what musicmaking at Mode is like by watching the video.
P.S. Mode is representing at West Seattle Summer Fest (now just a week and a half away) – the music lineup includes Blackie (Erin Rubin’s in the band), Jenn Champion (Mode teacher alum), Nils Petersen with Jeremy Enigk (Mode teacher alum), and the Mode Music Studios Kids!
Until 8 tonight, and again 11 am-6 pm Sunday, you are invited to be part of the 20th Arts in Nature Festival at Camp Long (5200 35th SW). You can create, and/or contemplate …
The late afternoon sun sparkled off the park’s pond, highlighting the “nature” part of the festival’s name. Nearby, Cabin 8 offered a chance to make paper cranes for peace outside …
…while inside the cabin, artist Joselynn Tokashiki Engstrom‘s installation “The Boys in the Barracks” offers a view into her Green Beret father’s everyday life during the Vietnam War.
Performing arts are a festival feature, too. We were there for Show Brazil! on the stage in the meadow:
A night full of headliners has just begun – see the schedule here. Admission is free; the festival is presented by the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.
(WSB photo from August 2018)
Before the day gets busier, one more reminder/preview … we are now three weeks away from the start of this year’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series. For a decade, the Admiral Neighborhood Association has presented this series of six free Thursday night outdoor concert, on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (off Walnut south of Lander). This year’s lineup was rolled out in phases, starting at March’s ANA meeting (WSB coverage here). In its entirety:
July 18 – SWAY WILD featuring Mandy Fer & Dave McGraw
July 25 – THE NOT-ITS
August 1st – ALEC SHAW
August 8th – RANGER AND THE REARRANGERS
August 15th – THE HIGHSTEPPERS
August 22nd – CASPAR BABYPANTS
(For more info on the performers, see the ANA website.) All concerts start at 6:30 and run till about 8 pm. Bring your own chair/blanket for seating. In case of rain, the concert will usually just move into the Hiawatha gym, but check here for updates. (WSB has been a series co-sponsor since the start.)
(WSB photo, July 2018)
One week from tonight, the Seattle Chamber Music Society‘s “Music Under the Stars” series of free outdoor events returns to West Seattle for a third summer. This year, though, a new location, as SCMS spokesperson Alexander Hawker explains:
Music Under the Stars is a free community event that takes place in parks throughout Seattle. It features classical chamber music performances and live broadcasts of our concerts in Benaroya Hall. It is family friendly, and a great opportunity to bring a picnic, enjoy beautiful Seattle weather, and listen to some great chamber music.
In previous years we have held the West Seattle events at Delridge Playfield. We had an exciting opportunity this year to partner with the Chinese Garden so we are moving from Delridge Playfield to the new location at Seattle Chinese Garden for these performances.
The details for the event are the same as previous years, with the exception of the change in location. Music Under the Stars in West Seattle takes place on the first four Monday evenings in July, beginning July 1st at 7:30 pm, and takes place in Seattle Chinese Garden. The event begins with a live student performance of classical chamber music, which is followed by an HD radio broadcast of chamber music from Benaroya Hall.
The Chinese Garden is on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus on Puget Ridge, 6000 16th SW.
Thanks to Andy for the photo – Desmond Hansen‘s newest signal-box portrait is at California/Stevens, just outside the West Seattle High School campus. This one depicts Mia Zapata, the rising Seattle singer murdered in 1993. And yes, for those who have asked, the artist is still crowdfunding to cover expenses. We first reported on Hansen’s project – which started with a Jimi Hendrix portrait in Morgan Junction – in March 2018.
Congratulations to Susan Rich, Harold Taw, and Katy E. Ellis, the local writers who founded WordsWest Literary Series, for its successful five-year run, which ended last night with a celebration at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor).
Among the accomplished authors and poets who joined them one last time for readings, West Seattle-residing Claudia Castro Luna, our state’s Poet Laureate:
As the three co-founders told WSB just before season 4, the idea behind WordsWest was to be able to go to readings without having to cross the bridge. But this year, various life changes led Ellis, Rich, and Taw to decide it was time to close the book on a good run.
Thanks to Lynda B for the photo – that’s Desmond Hansen’s latest signal-box portrait, Seattle’s own Sir Mix-A-Lot, at 35th/Raymond near the High Point Library.
As the weekend ends, a look at how it began:
(WSB photos/video)
On Friday night, students, families, staff, and neighbors gathered at West Seattle Elementary School in High Point to celebrate this year’s Multi-Cultural Night. The program began with students singing African songs of welcome:
The program also included hula from Hawai’i and a folkloric dance from México:
Vietnam, Eritrea, and Bangladesh were represented too – as were U.S. art forms from hiphop to cheerleading, the latter courtesy of next year’s Chief Sealth International High School varsity cheer squad:
While performing was a joy …
… visual art was shown off too:
Multi-Cultural Night at WSES was the result of lots of community support as well as school planning and practice.
Three West Seattle Junction notes:
FIRST WEST SEATTLE .5 K: The first-time West Seattle .5K today was a sudsy success, with seven venues participating in the sold-out event that put a different twist on the term “beer run.” The Beer Junction was packet-pickup central before the four-hour .5K began:
More than 200 peoole signed up. If you missed out, watch for early word next year.
MURAL RESTORATION: Work continued this week on the next historic Junction mural to get some TLC:
THat’s Bob Henry at work on the “West Seattle Ferries” mural behind the KeyBank/Bin 41/Pharmaca building. As we reported last month, crowdfunding continues to cover the costs of restoration, and a commemorative keychain remains available through the end of this month for donations of $50 and up. Here’s how to donate.
FARMERS’ MARKET PARTY SUNDAY: And one more reminder that tomorrow brings a party at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market in the heart of The Junction – it’s celebrating 20 years, with cake (first-come first-served) and founder Chris Curtis ringing the opening bell at 10 am. See you there!
Two days – well, nights – until the June West Seattle Art Walk, with a warm Thursday night expected. You can make your plan now! The venues on the map – food/drink specials as well as art – are only the start:
Also on Thursday, you’re invited to HomeStreet Bank (4022 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor), where you can get in the mood for the West Seattle Garden Tour (June 23rd) by enjoying the art created for this year’s contest – plus, we’re told, “some additional works.” You are welcome to stop by the bank (which has plenty of parking) 5-7:15 pm Thursday, and help HomeStreet support the Garden Tour.
Another stop of interest: It’s the last Art Walk at Wallflower Custom Framing (4735 42nd SW), which is closing soon. Wallflower will feature a retrospective by Jessica Creager. A closing sale is under way, too.
For other highlights, here’s a roundup on the Art Walk website.
We mentioned this last weekend when visiting Seattle Yarn to see the local knitters who made it into the semifinals of a big competition: Tomorrow (Saturday, June 8th) is Worldwide Knit in Public Day. The shop has some festivities planned, co-proprietor Destiny Itano tells us:
We will have Knit In Public Bingo cards that anyone can pick up and take with them – they can be returned later to be entered in a drawing
.
We will have an excursion to C&P Coffee from noon-2 pm. We and C&P have a special available to folks who join us at both businesses.Weather permitting, one of our regulars is going to lead a walk-and-knit trek to Morgan Junction Park, probably around 3.
You’re invited to take part in any or all of the above. Seattle Yarn is at 5633 California SW.
Thanks to Mike for the tip – he saw West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen painting that signal box on the northwest corner of 15th/Roxbury on Tuesday; we went by to see the finished work today. This one’s another Seattle rock ‘n’ roll tribute – Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone. Hansen’s signal-box tributes started with Jimi Hendrix in Morgan Junction in March 2018.
(River Otter, photographed by Robin Sinner, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
It’s a huge Saturday! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar and preview coverage:
KIDS’ FISHING POND: ~250 trout are in a temporary pond at Seacrest, awaiting kids/youth trying their hand at catching them, 8 am-11 am:
We photographed the fish after they were trucked in on Friday afternoon. The West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club presents the fishing pond every year and provides all the gear, free, first come first served while the fish last. (1660 Harbor Avenue SW)
DISASTER DRILL: 9 am-noon, two of West Seattle’s volunteer-staffed Emergency Communication Hubs will be “activated” as part of a citywide drill. You’re welcome to stop by and watch, learn, maybe even get drafted into role-playing. One hub is on the baseball field at Hiawatha (2700 California SW), the other is at Morgan Junction ParK (6383 California SW).
EMERALD WATER ANGLERS FLY FEST: Me-Kwa-Mooks gets taken over by a celebration of fly fishing, 9 am-3 pm, from gear to demos to camp cooking. Presented by Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor). Here’s a schedule with the highlights. (4503 Beach Drive SW)
DELRIDGE TRIANGLE: 9 am, be at Highland Park Improvement Club to help plan the future of the Delridge/Barton “triangle,” as previewed here. (1116 SW Holden)
‘WALK NATIVE LAND’: Celebrate National Trails Day by joining the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group on a walk with Ken Workman of the Duwamish Tribe. 10 am. Details in our preview. Meet at trailhead near the Seattle Chinese Garden, located on South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) north side. (6000 16th SW)
ORCA ACTION MONTH KAYAK TOUR: You might not see an orca but you’re guaranteed to learn about them! Special Saturday 10 am tours this month with Alki Kayak Tours – info here. (1660 Harbor SW)
GATOR GREEN FEST: The Gatewood Elementary PTA invites everyone to join the school celebration of sustainability and the environment – special activities and more on the playground, 11 am-2 pm. (4320 SW Myrtle)
HABIT BURGER FREEBIES: 11:30 am-1:30 pm and 5-7 pm are the first soft-open sessions for the new burger joint – as previewed here, up to 200 freebies for each session. (3501 SW Avalon Way)
COLMAN POOL: Another pre-season weekend at the city-owned outdoor pool on the shore at Lincoln Park, noon-7 pm – see the session schedule here. (8603 Fauntleroy Way SW)
HONK! FEST WEST IN WHITE CENTER: 1-6 pm, the free street-band festival goes wild on four informal stages. 16th SW will be closed between Roxbury and 98th. Map here; band schedule here.
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-CLASS REUNION: 4-7 pm at WSHS – note the format is different this year. See that explanation, plus the schedule, here. (3000 California SW)
FLY TYING WITH KATE WATSON: 6 pm at Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor), follow up the Fly Fest with Kate, tying traditional summer steelhead flies. Check here for tickets. (4502 42nd SW)
THE ’80S ARE BACK: Tickets still available for this party raising money for the Sanislo Elementary PTA. 6 pm at South Seattle College’s Brockey Center. (6000 16th SW)
HIGHLINE BEARS OPENING NIGHT: Festivities at 6:45 pm, game starts at 7:10 pm at Steve Cox Memorial Park as the summer collegiate baseball team the Highline Bears (WSB sponsor) play the Laces. Get your tickets here. (1310 SW 102nd)
CHRISTY McWILSON: 7-9 pm at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). No cover. All ages. (5612 California SW)
UNOFFICIAL WSHS REUNION AFTER-PARTY: 7:30 pm at Whisky West. Tim Turner‘s last year hosting. Details here. 21+. (6451 California SW)
PSYCH ROCK/SHOEGAZE: Trio of bands at Parliament Tavern, 9 pm: Black Night Crash, Head Band, Floored Faces. $7. 21+. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
EVEN MORE … for tonight/tomorrow/beyond, all on our complete calendar.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Alternative rockers Silversun Pickups played an acoustic in-store show for a big crowd at Easy Street Records tonight.
The band’s Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger performed to celebrate the release of their new album Widow’s Weeds next week (June 7).
The band, formed in Los Angeles in 2000, was introduced by guest emcee Mark from 107.7 The End:
He also hosted an interview between band members before they met with fans upstairs:
Here are two video clips of the performance:
Upcoming in-store shows are listed on Easy Street’s website, including The Derelicts on June 7 and Duff McKagan (of Guns N’ Roses fame) on June 18.
Just six weeks until West Seattle Summer Fest 2019 (July 12-14)! The music lineup has just been revealed – here’s the announcement:
Music is once again taking center stage with a stellar line-up that includes some of the best bands in the Northwest. Big names for this event also include Night Beats, Jeremy Enigk, Spirit Award, and Stas THEE Boss. West Seattle’s Ben Jenkins and Troy Nelson, co-founders of Killroom Records, booked the event lineup and had this to say:
“We had a lot of fun rounding up the artists for West Seattle Summer Fest 2019. Showcasing artists that are making a significant impact in our city is something we focused heavily on this year. We also wanted to represent all genres from our vibrant music scene. We’re excited to see this line-up come together!”
In addition to the headliners, festivalgoers can catch more than 24 artists performing on the California main stage Friday through Sunday. The diverse lineup includes artists like Boss Martians, Dyed, Actionesse, and West Seattle Soul.
This FREE 3-day party in the streets celebrates West Seattle as a thriving music and arts community.
In addition to the main stage, check out the Community Stage located in Junction Plaza Park, The Community Stage features local Seattle artists and musicians who are brimming with a wide-variety of talents. At the South end of the festival, the totally unplugged Wooden Instrument Stage will offer buskers, kids’ music and local singer songwriters. Sidewalk cafes, local arts and crafts shopping, gaming tents, kids’ rides, and a beer garden next to the festival stage, means there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Find out more about the music lineup on the official Summer Fest website.
Friday, July 12
3:30 Razor Clam
4:30 Sweet Jesus
5:30 Stas THEE Boss
6:30 West Seattle Soul
7:30 The Grizzled Mighty
8:30 Common Market
9:30 DJ Kurt Bloch
10:00 PolyrhythmicsSaturday, July 13
11:30 Rockaroke
12:30 School of Rock
1:30 Mr. Dinkles
2:30 Pom Pom
3:30 Actionesse
4:30 DYED
5:30 Jeremy Enigk
6:30 Spirit Award
7:30 Night Beats
8:30 JENN CHAMPION
9:30 DJ Mister Moon
10:00 Blackie (Blondie Tribute)Sunday, July 14
11:00 Dance Powered
12:00 Mode Studio Kids
1:00 Projections On A Wall
2:00 FIX
3:00 Frond
4:00 Boss Martians
Not familiar with them all? Want to preview their music? Here’s a YouTube playlist!
The photos are from West Seattle High School teacher Michelle Sloan, taken during an art project connecting them with other students across thousands of miles. She explains:
Students at West Seattle High School in drawing and painting class have just sent off 18 portraits of children from an orphanage in Pakistan.
An organization called the Memory Project teamed up with Ms. Sloan’s art class and her students to go to Pakistan, take photos of children, and send them to West Seattle High School for the drawing students to create carefully rendered drawings to send back to Pakistan.
This is what the Memory Project team said regarding working with the Pakistani children:
“We are passionate about breaking barriers and uniting youth from different cultures. One of our Pakistani partners says, When many people think of our country (Pakistan) they think of terrorism, but it’s not like that! We are a very warm and welcoming people who are eager for friendship and cannot wait to see the special portraits you create for the children” These children living in orphanages, who have so few things to call their own, will be thrilled to receive the portraits that your students create just for them—to feel the love and kindness from a foreign world through the universal language of art.”
We asked the teacher how she and her students connected with The Memory Project. She explained she first contacted them last year and her students did a similar project for students in Haiti.
Two updates on the murals in the West Seattle Junction:
Junction Association executive director Lora Radford sent that photo with word that the tagging damage done to that mural, “The Old Mud Hole” (south side of the 44th/Alaska lot), has been repaired by muralist Bob Henry. It still is in need of restoration, but the repair work is a band-aid, for now. Meantime, Radford adds, Henry starts work tomorrow on the next one to be restored, the West Seattle Ferries mural on the west side of the building at the southwest corner oF California and Alaska.
(WSB file photo)
Crowdfunding to cover the cost of restoration continues, and Radford says every bit helps – through June 30th, there’s a bonus for donations of $50 or more, inscribed mural-fundraiser keychains. Here’s where to donate.
The photos are from West Seattle High School world-languages teacher Joy Patman, who explains:
Spanish 4 students have been working on a poetry unit. This week and next they are focusing on the poetic contributions of el gran poeta Chileno, Pablo Neruda, by watching the movie “The Postman” and also looking at several questions included in his book, The Book of Questions. (Thursday) we took the poet’s questions to the streets surrounding wshs to share with the greater community.
Side note: “The Book of Questions,” published after Neruda’s death, is the all-time best-selling title for Port Townsend-based Copper Canyon Press.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Masked country crooner Orville Peck and his band played for a packed house Monday night during their in-store performance at Easy Street Records.
Peck, known for his unique leather-fringe mask and throwback sound, played songs from his debut album Pony, released in March on Seattle’s own Sub Pop Records. His local show on Saturday night at Barboza was sold out, which made his free all-ages performance at Easy Street an even stronger draw.
Here are two video clips of the performance:
The crowd spilled out onto the sidewalk next to California Ave., where a little drizzle didn’t spoil the fun:
Upcoming in-store shows are listed on Easy Street’s website, including Justin Townes Earle this Thursday (May 23) and Silversun Pickups on May 31st.
The namesake blossoms were on full display for day 1 of the Peony and Bamboo Festival at the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge. Thanks to David Hutchinson for sharing photos, including the lion dance:
And the Tai Chi demonstration:
The festival continues on Sunday, 10 am-4 pm; the garden entrance is on the north end of the South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) campus.
Early reminder for Wednesday night – it’s the second-to-last WordsWest Literary Series event, last one in the longrunning format – here’s the announcement in case you haven’t already seen it in the calendar:
In the penultimate event of WordsWest Literary Series’s five-year history, on May 15, 2019, novelist Erica Bauermeister and poet/visual artist Alan Chong Lau will muse upon “Awakening the Senses.” As an added bonus, independent bookstore Open Books will have copies of Erica’s latest novel, The Scent Keeper, available to purchase one week before its official release date!
Erica Bauermeister is the bestselling author of four novels. Her most recent is The Scent Keeper (St. Martin’s, May 2019), a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives. Her other novels include The School of Essential Ingredients (Putnam, 2009), Joy for Beginners (Putnam, June 2011), and The Lost Art of Mixing (Putnam, 2013). She is also the co-author of two nonfiction books: 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14.
Poet and visual artist Alan Chong Lau’s collections of poetry include Songs for Jadina (1980), which won the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation; Blues and Greens: A Produce Worker’s Journal (2000); and no hurry (2007). With Lawson Fusao Inada and Garrett Hongo, he authored The Buddha Bandits Down Highway 99 (1978). His work has appeared in anthologies such as From Totems to Hip-Hop: A Multicultural Anthology of Poetry Across the Americas 1900–2002 (2002) and What Book!?: Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop (1998). Poems by Alan Chong Lau in collaboration with photos by John Levy will appear in the online literary magazine Otata starting in May, 2019. His book of poems, prose and artwork about Japan will be published by Entre Rios Books in 2020. Arts editor for the International Examiner, Lau coordinates the Asian review of books Pacific Reader, and ArtXchange Gallery represents his visual work.
The Favorite Poem Project invites a community member to share a favorite poem and information about his or her organization. On May 15th, we welcome the host for WordsWest throughout its history, C & P Coffee Company.
WordsWest is curated by West Seattle writers Katy E. Ellis, Susan Rich, and Harold Taw. Grant funding from Poets & Writers, Inc. allows WordsWest to pay featured writers for their time and talent.
This all gets going at 7 pm Wednesday (May 15th) at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).
No end in sight for the summery weather. So set aside some time to enjoy West Seattle Art Walk sights on Thursday (May 9th)!
LIVE PAINTING: Rachel Austin – a popular featured artist at Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor) – will be there Thursday night to show you how she does it. 5-8 pm, stop in at Click! to see her new collection, “a series inspired by my love of plants both in the garden and out in nature.”
Speaking of plants …
GARDEN TOUR FINALISTS: At CAPERS (4525 California SW), look ahead to next month’s West Seattle Garden Tour by enjoying the creations that won – or almost won – this year’s poster-art competition. Winner Sheila Lengle will be awarded her prize at 6 pm.
Here’s the full map/venue list:
As always, the Art Walk stretches beyond The Junction – to the south, you’ll find art and more at two WSB sponsors:
VISCON CELLARS: No tasting fee for Art Walk-ers! 5-9 pm, visit the cozy tasting room at 5910 California SW and enjoy the work of Jenna Howell.
CANNA: At Canna West Culture Shop (5435 California SW), 5-8 pm, meet artist Ira Feenstra.
Get other suggestions for stops on Art Walk night this Thursday via the official preview!
That drawing is by West Seattle High School student Ashly Brown, one of the student artists whose work is on display right now at the Seattle Art Museum. Teacher Michelle Sloan shares the news that Ashly’s work has won a second-place award for drawing/painting; awards will be presented at 6 pm Friday (May 3rd) at SAM as part of an event to which teens and their families are all invited. Other drawing and painting students chosen to represent WSHS:
Milo Sorensen
Jiwo Im
Sophia Perkins
Jeremiah Brenio (self-portrait above)
Claire Peterson
Brielle Martin
From the invitation that WSHS is circulating for the Friday night SAM event:
Please bring all family and friends to join in the celebration of student artwork. All students will be able to see the entire Museum’s collections that night for FREE from 6-10pm. This night also includes events set up for teens that include but are not limited to: DJ, music, dancing, singing, performing, photo booth, painting, creative areas for making art of various types, food and more! Please come and support WSHS students and a night of the arts!
(Students from other schools welcome too!) SAM is at 1300 1st Avenue downtown.
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