West Seattle, Washington
30 Thursday
(WSB photo: Ellen McMillin, Alberto Navarro, Naby Camara, Susan Hunt Navarro)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One fun night in West Seattle can ensure countless safe nights for students on the other side of the planet.
November 10th at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor), JUNO Award-winning musician Naby Camara headlines the event to raise money to build a school dormitory in Karatu, Tanzania.
We talked with the musician – a West Seattleite – and event organizers Susan Hunt Navarro, Alberto Navarro, and Ellen McMillin at C & P earlier this week. Susan is a board member for the Karatu Education Fund. She and Alberto first learned about the area while traveling in Africa more than a decade ago. Alberto wanted to build a library in memory of his parents, and they looked for a non-governmental organization to partner with. They found the Karatu Education Fund – and learned it already had a connection to the Northwest – a board member from Bellingham. It’s a small organization, they explain, taking on just a few projects a year, so the assistance goes a long way.
When they first visited the school in Karatu, it was lunchtime, and the students were just sitting under a tree, Alberto said – they had no food, no kitchen, no time to walk the long distance back to their homes. By the time they reached secondary-school age, only six percent of the girls were still in school. Read More
(WSB photo, August 2019)
Two months ago, kid-rock superstar Caspar Babypants closed out the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series with another lawn-filling performance; next Sunday, he opens Kindiependent‘s new Sunday family concert series at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California SW). This show is at 1 pm, right before the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, but the other nine shows in the twice-monthly series will be on Sunday mornings, 10:30 am. Tickets are required for everybody over 6 months old – series passes are on sale here; tickets for the Caspar Babypants show are on sale here. (Second show: The Not-Its, 10:30 am November 10th.)
West Seattle Community Orchestras invite you to a night full of great music as well as food, fun, and fundraising:
Sassy, Brassy, Classy; A bountiful harvest dinner & auction: October 26, 2019
Join the West Seattle Community Orchestra (WSCO) on Saturday, October 26th for WSCO’s biggest event and fundraiser of the year! The evening will include chamber music performed by WSCO members, a performance by the West Seattle Big Band, and a silent auction featuring experiences from the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Teatro Zinzanni, and Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra to name a few. There will also be a chance to win a $400 gift certificate to Canlis. Support WSCO programs while having a blast at our 2019 Gala event!
WSCO provides community musicians of all ages and abilities with opportunities for performance and growth. Join them for an evening of fun as you support them in continuing to provide FREE TUITION to all K-12 students!
Tickets are available online.
Saturday, October 26, 2019 | Alki Masonic Hall
6:00 PM Doors Open
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Dessert Dash & Raise the Paddle
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Emotion and energy filled the fourth annual Chief Sealth International High School assembly for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The assembly this morning spotlighted the crisis of missing/murdered Indigenous women in a very personal way: A student spoke about her cousin, missing since June 2017.
Lailani had to pause a few times as she told the wrenching story, but the students who filled the auditorium this morning called out in support, “You got this!” Her family has searched “nationwide” for her cousin, Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, but “is not giving up.” Ashley is one of ~6,000 missing/murdered Indigenous women, she noted. “They are important, they are sacred.”
The “strength and beauty” of women was celebrated at other points in the assembly, including its close, when šəqačib teacher Boo Balkan Foster brought the 30+ participants back on stage, holding slips of paper naming and honoring women who inspire them, and inviting the other students to do the same, for display at Chief Sealth.
The school’s namesake also was at the heart of another memorable moment, toward the assembly’s start, when educator Nancy Jo Bob gave a pronunciation lesson:
Nancy Jo Bob teaching Chief Sealth IHS students how to properly say their school's name pic.twitter.com/USJ6oUzLYt
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 18, 2019
Chief Sealth also is the city’s namesake. Art displaying his likeness hangs over the auditorium where this morning’s assembly was held.
Adjacent to CSIHS is Denny International Middle School, from which two 7th graders read a poem one wrote:
Solen, the poet, presented “Native” with Jayla. The poem dismissed stereotypes, reminding everyone that Native people are “doctors, artists, scientists,” and much more. “Indigenous people have voices!” they shouted in conclusion. Another duo, Daniela and Julisa from the Folklorico and Quinceañera Afterschool Program, presented the dance “Aguila Blanca”:
A group of boys with Island heritage – from Samoa to Ireland – performed a Mäori Haka:
From Island girls, a Samoan Siva:
From Joel, a Native Hoop Dance that carried extra meaning for the students on hand:
The hoop, he explained, represented eternity, and symbolized the many tests they’ll face throughout their lives.
Teacher Balkan Foster observed that the assembly “shared some intense things, while also talking about strength and beauty.” And she offered hope: “When we think about things that are good, our brains change.”
A new look and new identity for the midblock passage on the west side of the 4700 block of California SW, between Northwest Art and Frame and Puerto Vallarta – it’s now Mural Alley, dedicated during tonight’s West Seattle Art Walk. Lora Radford of the Junction Association was joined by contributors for the ceremony.
Maybe you joined muralist Stacey Sterling – seen in our video – during Summer Fest?
(WSB photo from last July)
Also part of tonight’s ceremony, Bob Henry, who’s been renovating West Seattle’s historic murals (as well as the new Mural Alley), talking about how he got involved:
Of course there was a ribbon-cutting:
The murals, like the one Blue Geisha Tattoo artists painted of movie star Hedy Lamarr, have plaques:
Go see the rest for yourself!
One more pre-weekend heads-up – you have the chance both days this weekend, 10 am-5 pm Saturday and 11 am-3 pm Sunday, to check out the West Side Artists’ Tour.
The West Side Artists Annual Studio Tour showcases the artwork of 30+ artists at 8 welcoming stops in the West Seattle Area. This self-guided tour is free and open to the public. Each stop is at a working artists studio and will have three or more people showing in many media – From Ceramics to weaving, encaustic painting to forged jewelry, and from colored pencil to tin collage – We have it all! Explore these neighborhood, hidden gems, and make a day of discovering local talent.
It’s a free self-guided tour, so visit the stops at your leisure during the tour hours.
More than two dozen people participated in last year’s Artist Showcase at Southwest Library. This year’s showcase starts this weekend, and you’re invited to drop off your work starting Thursday – no judging no application process – so here’s the call for participants one more time:
It’s time for the Southwest Library‘s 28th annual Artist Showcase. Artists may submit up to three unique works of art for this non-juried exhibition to celebrate West Seattle’s creative talent.
Entries may be submitted at the Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) from Thursday, October 3rd through Saturday, October 5th. Be sure to stop by the artists’ reception at 2 pm Sunday, October 6th to meet the artists and view all the fabulous work! Art will be on display at the library through the month of October.
The library will also be hosting two art programs to celebrate: a drop-in Family Art Day on Saturday 10/5 at 2 pm and Fill the Frame, a painting-exploration class for teens and adults on Sunday, 10/27.
The showcase is for artists of all skill levels – so even if art is just a hobby, step up and show off!
The search is over! Here’s the announcement from West Seattle Community Orchestras:
After a very productive, year-long process, the WSCO board is pleased to announce Anna Wittstruck as WSCO’s new Symphony Orchestra Conductor. Audience members who attended the Symphony’s spring concert are already well aware that we are in for an exciting season under her direction!
Anna comes to us with wide-ranging orchestral experience. Since 2017, she has served at the University of Puget Sound as Assistant Professor, Director of Orchestra. Prior to that appointment, she served for two years at Stanford University as Acting Assistant Professor, in roles as Interim Music Director and Conductor of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and Stanford Philharmonia. As part of her developing international experience, she has conducted concerts across the United States as well as in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Wittstruck is also an active orchestral musician whose performances as a cellist span from the Beijing Modern Music Festival to the 2011 YouTube Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Princeton University and a PhD in musicology from Stanford University, where she helped create the Stanford Youth Orchestra, an international program for advanced high school students.
Anna has chosen a French theme for the Symphony’s December 6 concert, including the Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saens, Debussy’s Petite Suite, a Pavane by Faure, and selections from the ever-popular suites from Bizet’s opera Carmen.
It’s not too late to join us! Rehearsals begin October 1, held Tuesdays at Chief Sealth International High School. More info on our website, www.wscorchestras.org, or you can contact info@wscorchestras.org.
Those are some of the two-dozen-plus people who participated in last year’s Artist Showcase at Southwest Library, an annual tradition. This year’s showcase is weeks away, so here’s the announcement that it’s time to get your entry/entries ready!
Calling all West Seattle artists! It’s time for the Southwest Library‘s 28th annual Artist Showcase. Artists may submit up to three unique works of art for this non-juried exhibition to celebrate West Seattle’s creative talent.
Entries may be submitted at the Southwest Library (9010 35th SW) from Thursday, October 3rd through Saturday, October 5th. Be sure to stop by the artists’ reception at 2 pm Sunday, October 6th to meet the artists and view all the fabulous work! Art will be on display at the library through the month of October.
The library will also be hosting two art programs to celebrate: a drop-in Family Art Day on Saturday 10/5 at 2 pm and Fill the Frame, a painting-exploration class for teens and adults on Sunday, 10/27. Please call 206-684-7455 for more details.
The walkthrough on the west side of California SW midblock between SW Edmunds and SW Alaska will be the site of a one-of-a-kind volunteer work party next Saturday. As announced by the West Seattle Junction Association:
Saturday, September 21st 9 am – 12 Noon
Volunteer opportunity! Be a part of the transformation of the walk-thru and a piece of mural history. Help turn the walk-thru from a uninteresting passageway into the new Mural Alley!
The Junction is renovating the walk-thru, transforming it into a positive space full of local art.
Renovations include:
Pressure washing
Cleaning the walls
Removing staples and flyers
Painting a backdrop
Installing the 5 community murals painted during 2019 Summer FestGloves, tools, and cleaning supplies provided.
Meet at 9 am in front of the walk-thru on California Ave by Northwest Art and Frame.
The new “Mural Alley” will be dedicated during the next West Seattle Art Walk (October 10th).
P.S. Always lots of volunteer opportunities with The Junction – see the list here.
Tomorrow night brings the final West Seattle Art Walk of summer – and the second “Art of Music” performance. Here’s the map/venue list:
While the Art Walk’s greatest concentration of venues is in The Junction, participants stretch from Gatewood in the south (The Building) to Alki in the north (Locust Cider). Some of the artists are previewed on the official Art Walk website. Among them, landscape artist Jeni Lee, who will be featured at Click! Design That Fits (4540 California SW; WSB sponsor), 5-8 pm. Steps away, Washington Management Co. Real Estate (4544 California SW) invites you to collaborate on a community canvas 6-8 pm. Not far from there, in the heart of The Junction, by KeyBank at California/Alaska, you’ll see The Art of Music 6 pm-7:40 pm, featuring the duo My Real Job:
Easy Street Records has music tomorrow night, too – a 7 pm in-stone concert by Erin Bowman. So get out on the Art Walk (which is co-sponsored by WSB) for a few minutes or a few hours and enjoy your community’s creativity, 5 pm “until late” tomorrow night.
Today we welcome Richie Jenkin, a longtime West Seattle guitar teacher, as a WSB sponsor.
Richie has been teaching guitar for more than 30 years: “In my teaching, I specialize in beginning and intermediate students of all ages. I like to teach songs and pieces you will enjoy from the very beginning of your learning experience.”
While he works with kids as young as six, Richie says more than two-thirds of his students are adults. His average student is someone who has owned a guitar for some time, but needs someone to work with, to get some structure on how to play. As he points out, it’s structure that’s personalized to each student: “I take my teaching seriously. By that I mean that I take the time to prepare for each lesson. I look at what we¹ve been doing; the pace of things; what you want to be learning; your particular way of learning; and what I think is best for a particular lesson to make sure your playing is coming along in a way you can be confident and enthusiastic about. So it¹s not just about showing you something new every week and then out the door. If the music is going to be rewarding, exhilarating and fun, then I better be doing my part to make it so.”
Richie specializes in beginners and intermediate students. He has teaching slots open for fall, so if you’re interested, contact Richie at 206-799-7432.
We thank Richie Jenkin for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
The Vietnamese Cultural Center welcomed visitors of all ages this afternoon for the Chlldren’s Moonlight Festival, a traditional end-of-summer celebration. The lantern parade (above) was part of the fun:
So was a lion dance:
In addition to community events like this, the center (2234 SW Orchard) is open to visitors most Saturdays, noon-3 pm.
The sun shone on the opening hour of Roxhill Park‘s first World Music Festival, as performers from Kouyate Arts took the stage.
It’s a collaboration between the community volunteers of Roxhill Park Champions and Seattle Parks, which brought some activity tables:
You can learn more about the park’s famous Roxhill Bog and enjoy free food/beverages. Looks like a chance to make some music, too:
The rest of the schedule, as the festival continues until 5 pm:
2:10 PM Tabla Seattle with Chaz Hastings: spoken word to traditional tabla drums
2:50 PM Joyas Mestizas traditional dance troupe
3:20 PM Vocal performance artists Moia Bri & Sarey Savy –
4:00 PM Global Heat
You’ll find the festival right next to the playground at 29th/Barton.
Lots of big events this weekend (as shown in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar), including one of citywide interest – the screening of “On the Brink” 7 pm Sunday (September 8th) at the Admiral Theater. Filmmaker Jeff Shulman, a UW professor, will be there for a discussion. As described:
The movie explores the hyperbolic growth of Seattle and its ramifications to local communities and neighborhoods. … While the documentary takes place in Seattle’s Central District, it evokes the human impact of a transformation that is occurring in neighborhoods throughout Seattle. West Seattleis experiencing rapid changes and the Historic Admiral Theater is hosting the screening as a community event to start a constructive dialogue about our neighborhood’s growth.
Tickets are $13 and are available on the Admiral Theater’s website. All ticket sales will be donated to Southwest Youth and Family Services. Southwest Youth and Family Services partners with youth and families to transform their futures through its counseling, education, family support, and youth development programs.
The theater is at 2343 California SW.
(Joyas Mestizas in West Seattle Grand Parade 2016 – photo by Don Brubeck)
Weekend’s almost here and we’ll be previewing a few spotlight events – starting with the first-ever World Music Festival on Sunday afternoon at Roxhill Park! Just in from organizers:
Roxhill Park World Music Festival – Free End-of-Summer Concert
Sunday September 8, 2019
1 pm to 5 pmRoxhill Park playground – 29th Ave SW at SW Barton Street
Join friends and neighbors to enjoy the dynamic sounds of:
Kouyate Arts and Global Heat along with Joyas Mestizas dance group
Community performances
Kids’ activities: drum tent and hula hooping too!
Tony B of Rainier Avenue Radio to EmCee.FESTIVAL LINEUP:
1:00 PM Kouyate Arts
2:10 PM Tabla Seattle with Chaz Hastings: spoken word to traditional tabla drums
2:50 PM The wonderful Joyas Mestizas traditional dance troupe
3:20 PM Vocal performance artists Moia Bri & Sarey Savy –
4:00 PM Global Heat
Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.
Sponsored by Roxhill Park Champions and Seattle Parks and Recreation
Thanks to the texter who sent that photo of a new Desmond Hansen signal-box portrait – it’s at Delridge/Genesee, a tribute to Mark “Monk” Hubbard of Grindline, designers of the nearby skatepark and many more. The artist tells a detailed story on Instagram about an encounter with the skatepark luminary, a West Seattle resident who died last year. While checking Instagram for more on that box, we noticed Hansen also has just completed one featuring wildlife, so we went by for a photo:
(WSB photo)
That one’s at Fauntleroy/Dawson.
Another first-of-its-kind event is coming up in West Seattle – welcoming participants! From 2 Fingers Social in South Delridge:
2 Fingers Social presents The Inaugural PNW Film Festival 2019
Now accepting submissions in the genres of Sci-Fi, Action, Horror, Fantasy
How to Submit:
Send your film/video (up to 30 minutes long) to 2fingerssocial@gmail.com. Subject line: “PNWFilmFest2019”Those selected will be invited to show their film at 2 Fingers Social on the evenings of Oct 21st/Oct 22nd
Prizes and awards will be given!
Submission deadline: October 5, 2019
The proprietors of 2 Fingers Social are avid film fans, as they told and showed us just before it opened.
As schools reopen for a new year, other educational programs launch their new seasons too. Among them, historic Kenyon Hall‘s longrunning Kindermusik program:
For the past 25 years Kenyon Hall has offered Kindermusik, for families with children birth to seven, to the Seattle community.
Led by Lou Magor, hundreds of families have taken advantage of this revered curriculum, and both parents and former students tell us that Kindermusik sparked an interest in music that led to an appreciation of—and in some cases a profession in—the field.
The Kindermusik curricula draw on the latest research in brain development, and provide a weekly dose of musical fun. Kids learn to sing, dance, listen, and play instruments, and lessons are fast paced and age appropriate.
Classes begin the first week of September. To enroll, e-mail kenyonhall@earthlink.net
Haven’t been to Kenyon Hall? It’s at 7904 35th SW.
Haven’t been to the Arts & Crafts Fair at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) yet? You have until 2 pm to go browse items created by your neighbors!
It’s happening in the coffee shop’s sunny front yard.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Indie-folk artist Noah Gundersen played an in-store show for a big crowd at Easy Street Records on Friday night, in support of the Seattle musician’s release of his new album Lover.
The album, which released on Friday on the international label Cooking Vinyl, is Gundersen’s fourth solo record and was recorded in Seattle by producer Andy Park (Death Cab For Cutie, Pedro The Lion).
Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan introduced Gundersen, noting that he had played several times at Easy Street previously:
Gundersen was joined on stage for several songs by his sister and longtime collaborator Abby, on violin and vocals:
Video clips from the performance:
Gundersen’s manager Mark Cunningham, who also manages Brandi Carlile, was in attendance and said Gundersen would be touring the U.S. starting in September (including a date at The Showbox on Nov. 16) and will be touring Europe in 2020.
Upcoming in-stores at Easy Street are listed on their website, including Carrie Akre on August 31 and Jack West on September 6.
Looking for a splash of color on this gray day? Restoration work is complete on the “West Seattle Ferries” mural on the west side of the building on the southwest corner of California/Alaska. Now that Bob Henry is done with that, he’s moved on to “Press Day,” on the north wall of 4727 44th SW:
Some of its lower panels have been removed for the start of work. Meantime, crowdfunding continues to help cover the costs of the restoration work, only part of which is funded by philanthropy and grants – here’s where to donate.
(WSB photos)
After moving to South Park last year, Festival CentroAmericano is back in West Seattle, and the celebration’s happening at Westcrest Park until 7 pm.
You can enjoy treats …
… vendors …
… and entertainment:
The Coffee Band – a group with Honduras roots – was onstage while we were there. Other music and dance groups are scheduled to perform all afternoon. The festival’s free – lots of room to roam on the sprawling green at Westcrest!
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