Will the Alki boardwalk east of the Bathhouse be graced with the “Luna Girls” (explained here back in July)? West Seattle artist Lezlie Jane is renowned for work including Weather Watch Park, Cormorant Cove, and Constellation Park on Beach Drive, as well as Whale Tail Park and Dakota Place Park. Now, she explains in the video clip you can watch above, she is turning to crowdfunding to get “Luna Girls on Alki” finished. She’s launched a Kickstarter campaign seeking $3,000, and is already almost a third of the way there – you can chip in by going here.

Featured at tonight’s Soundgarden “King Animal” album-release party at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), co-presented by Easy Street Records, that’s the tribute band Bleed Together (named after a Soundgarden song). Party’s on right now; no, Soundgarden’s not there – they’re in New York to guest on the Late Show With David Letterman. But you can hear and buy the new album:

And raffle tickets for a guitar autographed by Soundgarden, donated to raise money for the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival:

Still time to get to the Feedback – 6451 California SW. P.S. Soundgarden has two Seattle gigs on its tour schedule – February 7-8 at the Paramount downtown.

West Seattle filmmaker Amy Benson is finishing a documentary focusing on an epidemic affecting girls and women half a world away – and inviting you to two rough-cut screenings here at home. The clip above is a trailer for her film, “The Girl Who Knew Too Much,” which began as the story of a teenage girl in Nepal poised to break free of a generations-old cycle of poverty, with a chance at a real education, and then took a different turn when the film’s subject fell victim to the suicide epidemic affecting childbearing-age women in her country. Benson’s screenings are both at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW) – one week from today (November 18th) at 5 pm and on November 29th at 6 pm. Admission is free. Benson will engage in Q/A after next weekend’s screening, and there’s a panel discussion afterward on 11/29 (scheduled panelists are listed in the news release). Benson says, “This is a film about the big forces of globalization, and how they play out in the lives of the most vulnerable people … I am making this film because I think it can inform how we in the West try to help fight poverty in the developing world.”

It was reception day today for artists participating in the community art show at Southwest Library (35th/Henderson) – and a showgoer shared the photo of young artist Tycho proudly showing his work. The reception ended at 3 but you still have time to see the work displayed by all the participating artists – the show runs through next Friday (November 9th).

(Photo courtesy Karen Hinkey)
Longtime WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli continues to make an international splash with his acclaimed “big food/little people” art-photography series “Big Appetites.” Just back from a huge art expo in Toronto, Christopher is talking to audiences here at home in West Seattle, too. Today Christopher visited Alki Elementary for “Master Artist” presentations to two groups of students, and says he had a great time: “I guess some of the classes are going to be making their own photographs with tiny figures and food so some of the kids were really excited about it and had great ideas about what to shoot.” He also reports some of the youngest students found some of his images most humorous. Artists volunteering for presentations like this are helping make up for arts-funding shortages at school.

And as of a few days ago, Christopher is displaying work in a West Seattle gallery for the first time, with images including this one:

ArtsWest is showcasing Christopher’s work and that of two other artists in “A Feast for the Eyes: Food in Art,” a group show running through December 15th, with a reception next Thursday, November 8th (West Seattle Art Walk night) and an informal “artists’ talk” on December 13th – both events are 6-7:30 pm.

Two months ago, we heard from West Seattle filmmaker Jamie Burton Chamberlin as his film with Duff McKagan’s Loaded, “The Taking,” neared completion. Tonight, its first episode has debuted online- see the 8-minute clip above. As explained in the description on its YouTube page, “the series explores the lyrical content of Loaded’s studio album of the same title, which was released last year. The project will be released telling a tale of totally bizarre adventures, imprisoned band members, and kids’-size ice cream cones.” Nine more episodes – including West Seattle-filmed scenes – are promised in the weeks ahead (Chamberlin hinted at their content in our August story); watch for announcements here (among other places).

Music for the ages – and for the present – will fill West Seattle’s historic-landmark Admiral Theater next Sunday, with a live double bill under the title “Tribute Times Two – Anthems of Activism” — expected to be a moving and unforgettable experience, both musically and in the context of the national election three weeks later.

It’s also going to be a benefit for Northwest Folklife (whose website previews the event here) – launching a new series of benefit events to keep the annual festival going strong.

The opening tribute at 4 pm Sunday features Peter McKee, a singer and banjo/guitar player who performed with his folk group Clallam County as part of Seattle’s celebration of Seeger’s 90th birthday three years ago at the Admiral. It’s the premiere of his one-man, multimedia show, weaving together recordings, images, and live performances that reveal the breadth and depth of the legendary humanitarian who at age 93 continues to inspire with his commitment to peace, justice, and environmental sustainability, via ever-relevant songs:

Says McKee, “For more than 70 years, the songs he has sung and written are songs of consequence, they are songs of import. He has been on the forefront of virtually every major social issue that has confronted our nation since 1940.”

Also continuing to inspire – though he’s been gone for 28 years – is Steve Goodman, who proudly considered himself one of Seeger’s disciples. At 7 pm Sunday, historian, Admiral Theater patron, and Goodman biographer Clay Eals will take the stage to focus on the story and music of Goodman, who wrote and performed hundreds of songs throughout the United States and Europe during his 15-year career, before leukemia ended his life here in Seattle in 1984 at age 36.

Anchoring the Goodman show next Sunday will be the stalwart of Eals’ events, Tom Colwell, whose track record as a singer/songwriter and interpreter of others’ music spans more than 50 years. Colwell was the featured performer in the Seeger 90th-birthday bash held at the Admiral 3 years ago. He actually shared a stage with Goodman – and told the story at a Sunday rehearsal for the upcoming show:

“City of New Orleans” – the signature Goodman song mentioned by Colwell – was also part of his rehearsal with bassist/harmonica player Bruce Hanson,dobro/steel guitar/harmonica player Mark Myers and Eals:

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If you’re going to have an EP-release party – what better place than a music store? And if you’re a West Seattle band – it had better be THE West Seattle music store. Add all that up, and that’s why Daughters of the Dead Sea rocked Easy Street Records in The Junction on Saturday night. Brad Yaeger and The Night Terrors opened; Hobosexual closed. Before the show, we caught up with DOTDS’s Mia in the Easy Street aisle:

Mia’s bandmates are Jen and Iris. Didn’t catch them tonight? They’re performing at the Funhouse downtown in about two weeks – here’s the Facebook event page.

Every Saturday afternoon, West Seattle’s Vietnamese Cultural Center invites you to visit. This weekend, Saturday brought something extra: A commemoration of the 712th anniversary of the passing of 13th-century Vietnamese hero Gen. Tran Hung Dao – who is honored with the statue outside the center.

Gen. Tran Hung Dao was considered to be a brilliant tactician and is revered for having turned back three invasions. He was in his early 70s when he died of natural causes in 1300. You can visit the statue, as well as other memorials – including one for fallen soldiers – at the center, 2236 SW Orchard, 12-3 pm on Saturdays.

From Twelfth Night Productions, a West Seattle-based community-theater company:

Twelfth Night Productions announces open auditions for Miracle on 34th Street: a Live Radio Play. The radio play is based on the holiday movie favorite of the same name and will be presented as a live 1940’s radio broadcast. Miracle on 34th Street tells the timeless story of an old man who calls himself Kris Kringle, is hired as the Macy’s department store Santa. His claim to be the real Santa Claus becomes a court case and a young child’s belief could make all the difference.

Rehearsals begin October 23rd with shows running December 7 – 16 in West Seattle.

Audition Information
Please contact tnpauditions@gmail.com to request an audition time.

Please prepare to read a 1-2 minute monologue. We will also have you read a variety of sides from the script.

Audition/Interview Dates:
October 13 1 – 4 PM

Callbacks or second audition/interview?
October 14 1 – 4 PM

Audition Requirements:
Please prepare to read a 1-2 minute monologue. We will also have you read a variety of sides from the script.

Casting info:
We are casting 1 young girl (age 10 – 16,) 4 women, and 7 men to play multiple roles.
Project website: www.twelfthnightproductions.org

Hurry! If you’d like to learn a little Chinese language and Chinese culture, the Seattle Chinese Garden (which is in West Seattle – photo above – on the north side of the South Seattle Community College [WSB sponsor] campus) invites you to the second edition of “Chinese Corner” (here’s the wrapup from the first edition)! But if you don’t sign up fast, you’ll miss the chance. Here are the basics:

The six sessions will be on Mondays from 4 to 6 pm on 10/15, 10/29, 11/12, 11/26, 12/3 and 12/17. The sessions will introduce Chinese culture and basic Mandarin Chinese conversation with fun games and exercises for people of all ages. The professional teachers will be provided by our co-sponsors the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington and the Chinese Language Teachers Association Washington State. Teacher aides will be the students from the Mandarin Chinese program at Chief Sealth International High School.

To register for this free class (donations welcomed), people can register by filling out this form, or e-mailing chinesecorner@seattlechinesegarden.org

Heard about the Caine’s Arcade Cardboard Challenge (inspired by the now-famous video above)? West Seattleite Marie, who publishes Make and Takes, is hosting one as part of the worldwide event on Saturday, October 6th, but needs to find a venue! She says:

The location would need to be indoors and large enough to host up to 30-40 people with room for cardboard creations, multiple tables preferred. Children, and adults, will bring in their pre-made cardboard creations to display and for others to play with, cardboard-arcade style. This event is also in need of cardboard, scissors and tape donations as well, for those who want to create while they are there. If you have any information that would help, please e-mail Marie at marie@makeandtakes.com.

If she gets a place set up for 10/6, we’ll add a followup with where you can go to be part of it!

Just in from the city – Randy Engstrom, former director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, will become interim director of the city Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Read on for the city’s news release:Read More

As the West Seattle Community Orchestras get ready to start their new season tomorrow, we welcome WSCO as the newest WSB sponsor. Here’s what they would like you to know about their organization and how to become part of it:

The first rehearsal of the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ 2012-13 season is tomorrow (Tuesday, September 25). We welcome musicians of all ages and abilities to come together and make music. Thanks to a generous grant from the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs through the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, we also have professional musicians providing individual and group coaching during rehearsals.

No matter what your age and musical ability, you are likely to find that one of our orchestras is right for you. The West Seattle Debut Orchestra welcomes musicians who have played for one year or perhaps are returning to their instrument after an extended leave of absence. For those with a couple additional years of experience, the West Seattle Intermediate Orchestra offers the full symphonic experience for those that are not quite ready to play the standard symphonic repertoire of our Symphony Orchestra. Finally, the West Seattle Symphony Orchestra, our most advanced group, performs standard symphonic repertoire. All groups perform community concerts each season.

In addition to our Orchestras, we are expanding our West Seattle Adult Beginning Strings program to include a Winds and Percussion class. These classes are geared toward adults with little or no experience with a musical instrument and will lay the groundwork needed for beginning adults to move up to the Debut Orchestra.

Participation in the West Seattle Community Orchestras is offered without charge to students K-12. Please visit our website for more information at wscorchestras.org or e-mail Mariane at info@wscorchestras.org.

We thank the West Seattle Community Orchestras 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.

You could call that a pop-up library as well as a “free library,” which is how Linda described it, sharing the photo and explaining:

My dad and son, both West Seattle residents, made a free library in honor of what would have been my mom’s 71st birthday. She was a public-school teacher for many years.

Linda says you’ll find it in “the corner of my yard at 6119 SW Spokane Street” (map).

Five and a half months after ArtsWest revealed the productions comprising its 2012-2013 season (WSB coverage here and here), its season opener is about to hit the playhouse’s West Seattle Junction stage. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is opening night for the Northwest premiere of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” a Tony-nominated musical, directed by Christopher Zinovitch, with musical direction by Kim Dare. In ArtsWest’s announcement last March, it was described as a “comedic audacious mix of historical fact and fiction surrounding America’s controversial seventh president — the man who invented the Democratic Party, drove the Indians west, and ultimately doubled the size of our nation,” with “outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality, and a rock score.” It runs through October 20th, Wednesdays-Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3 pm (with a few exceptions to that schedule, so check here – same link where you can buy tickets online).