West Seattle, Washington
18 Wednesday
First: Two notes about art. There’s an artists’ reception and sale this Thursday night at the Alki Bathhouse 5-8 pm; then, next Thursday night (Valentine’s Day), the West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction makes history with a record 20 venues participating. We just received the flyer; check it out here. (Or read more on the official Art Walk blog.)
Now, the beauty of nature. First photo is by Eilene Hutchinson (thank you!), who spotted this bird – believed to be a Cooper’s Hawk – on a wire over Spud’s:
And this is a shot we caught from Constellation Park at sunset tonight:
That’s watercolor artist Chris Kopet, one of four artists (with Nancy Bogni, Graham Fracha, and Inge Roberts) who have just opened “Fragmented Moments” at ArtsWest, where their reception happened during tonight’s Art Walk. You can see their work during regular gallery hours through February 9th. Below, paintings by Sarah Browning, whose work you can see at C and P Coffee all month long:
WEST SEATTLE MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT: We’ve been talking here about the fact this is the “school decision” time of year for many families, particularly those whose children are entering school or moving between elementary and middle, or middle and high school. 
We’ve been listing school tours and open houses on the WSB Events page, and tonight is one unique night of particular value to parents of 4th and 5th graders: Representatives from the public and private middle schools of West Seattle will be at Gatewood Elementary, 6:30-8 pm. According to the info page on the Gatewood website, it’ll work like this: “At 6:30 pm each school representative will give a brief overview of their school’s programs, philosophies and activities. You will then have the opportunity to ask questions and speak further with the various representatives.”
WEST SEATTLE SECOND THURSDAY ART WALK: 6-9 pm, you can wander The Junction (and a bit beyond — from Ginomai – with its free parking lot – in the north, to C and P Coffee in the south) to see art, meet artists, and enjoy a closer look at some of West Seattle’s unique businesses and venues. Here’s the list of participating locations and artists.
No midwinter hibernation going on in The Junction — the West Seattle Farmers’ Market (tulips from last Sunday @ left) and West Seattle Art Walk are both going strong. Next Farmers’ Market is this Sunday, with the later start now in effect through February (11 am-2 pm); next Art Walk is Thursday (6-10 pm) — click here for the list of participating locations and artists, just sent by Lora from WSB sponsor Hotwire Coffee (note this will be the second WS Art Walk for the new Twilight Art Collective location in the ex-Bikes & Brew space west of Easy Street). Meantime, for a list of more events coming up even sooner, our weekly West Seattle Weekend Lineup will be published here in a few hours.
We traveled from Admiral to The Junction tonight to check out the late-night shopping and West Seattle Art Walk happenings; above you see the biggest crowd we encountered, jammed into the new Twilight Art Collective space in the former Bikes ‘n’ Brew storefront west of Easy Street. Classic dance rock (example: Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”) thumped through the cheerful conversation din. We’ll go back soon for a more leisurely look at the art (such as a Kafka portrait that caught our eye). Twilight looks like a great addition to the funky side of Junction life. Though we didn’t get to The Junction till after 8 pm, we noticed good turnouts elsewhere, including a hive of shoppers buzzing around a sale table outside Clementine.
Got holiday shopping left to do? Tonight you can shop throughout The Junction, and even get your presents wrapped, as part of “Wrap It Up” — More than a dozen businesses are open late (including the participants listed on the official flyer, which you can see here (linked from the Clementine blog). While you’re in The Junction, the monthly West Seattle Art Walk will deck the halls — be sure not to miss Divina, Ginomai, and Hotwire on the north end. (Participating artists and venues are listed here.) And in the heart of The Junction, Twilight Art Collective is welcoming visitors into its new space (ex-Bikes and Brew, west of Easy Street; here’s our original report on them from last month). And this isn’t even all that’s happening in WS tonight – more on that as the day goes by.
Busy night – WSB team members have been to the High Point Neighborhood Association pedestrian safety tour (video on that later) and a couple stops along the monthly West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction. Participation is especially strong on the north end, where we dropped in on Ginomai at the SW corner of 42nd/Genesee, which opens artists’ working studios during the Art Walk, and Divina (California/Genesee), where student art from several schools around West Seattle is on display – if you missed it during the Art Walk, you can check it out at Divina any time till the day before Thanksgiving – here are just a few samples (the wire sculptures at the bottom of the photo, and more hanging from the shop ceiling, are particularly cool):
While in The Junction, we also noticed Shadowland‘s sign is up – we’ve discussed its quirky exterior here before, and will check back in daylight for a wider, brighter perspective:
-A citywide challenge to gather 6 tons of toys for Toys for Tots by next Monday is under way now. Organizers tell us there are four dropoff locations in West Seattle: Curious Kidstuff, Seattle Lutheran High School, and the two Radio Shack stores, and the drive is being organized by a West Seattle-based PR firm (Janet Wainwright Public Relations, which, data point, otherwise focuses on Northwest publicity campaigns for 13 major movie studios).
-Several major events happening tonight in WS; they’re all on the WSB Events page but we wanted to give them one more shoutout: The monthly West Seattle Art Walk; the rescheduled International Baccalaureate informational night at Chief Sealth HS; opening night for “The Crucible” at West Seattle HS; and for development-watchers, the Southwest Design Review Board is back in action tonight, 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, taking a look at this Junction project.
-Mini-update on Westcrest Park concerns: Reader e-mail says two squad cars and one uniformed officer, patroling on foot, were spotted at the park, so it may be getting some of the attention concerned citizens asked for.
-If you see this post after 2 pm today, you should be able to watch the King County Ferry District public hearing live via KCTV (here’s the link). P.S. Ferry District board members (aka KC Councilmembers) are just listening/discussing today; they vote next Tuesday morning.
First: Word comes from Divina that the shop @ California/Genesee will feature student artists, K-12, from around West Seattle, during tomorrow night’s monthly West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction (more participants are listed on the Art Walk blog). A separate e-mail, from Amy, alerts us to the fact that this year’s Poetry on Buses poets include two Gatewood Elementary students — 6-year-old Sharon Zumwalt (read her poem here) and 6-year-old Giovanni Paredes (read his poem here); this year’s winning poets are being celebrated at a launch party tonight.
Great news – looks like decent weather to stroll The Junction during tomorrow night’s monthly West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk. The official Art Walk blog lists participating artists, with a reminder that you can get a free glass of bubbly at West 5 if you mention you’re Art Walk-ing; we’ve also heard from Dan at Ginomai on the north end of the route (Genesee/42nd) and he says, “We have a number of studio open houses as well as an additional 3 West Seattle artists showing in our community room. Free off-street parking lot to begin your walk from!” 6-9 pm tomorrow.
-Tomorrow night is the monthly West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction; more than a dozen stops and their intriguing offerings are listed on the Art Walk blog (a fine resource that also includes direct weblinks for many of the participating artists and businesses). Among the participants, the growing Ginomai center for artists.
-Also tomorrow night, it’s opening night for two musicals here in WS: The Twelfth Night Productions presentation of “Oklahoma!” @ West Seattle HS Theater (tickets available online), and the ArtsWest Summer Musical Theater Conservatory Program presentation of “Disney’s High School Musical” (tickets available online).
-Friday, three one-time-onlies (more Fri-Sat-Sun events when our weekend lineup appears on Fri morning): In the afternoon; golf in WS for a good cause; then in the evening, the weather should be nice for the makeup showing (remember the July 21 rainout?) of “Chicken Run” at Sidewalk Cinema’s Movies on the Wall next to Hotwire Coffeehouse — and for the 34th District Democrats’ annual Garden Party Auction fundraising bash @ West Seattle Nursery.
TUESDAY: One last event in memory/honor/celebration of popular WS waiter John Hartley (photo at right), who died suddenly last month — John Hartley Memorial Karaoke @ Skylark, 9 pm-1 am. Free; donations will be accepted to help his roommate stay in the house they rented together; singers will be encouraged to share stories and memories.
THURSDAY: The next West Seattle Art Walk in The Junction. Go here to see the artist/location lineup as it stands so far (at left – the Art Walk’s new logo), then get yourself down to The Junction 6-9 pm that night (and every second Thursday).
A WEEK FROM NEXT SATURDAY (JUNE 23): Four hours that could save your life — and your family. Neighbors and groups from all over WS will gather at WS High School (theater and commons) 9 am-1 pm to talk and learn about WS Disaster Preparedness — how ready are we, what can you do right now to be as ready as you can be, and more. See the poster with full details here.
–Tonight, Cafe Rozella continues its 2nd-anniversary celebration with Show Brazil performing @ 7 pm.
–Tomorrow night, the Junction Art Walk (second Thursday of each month) is back. And now it’s got its own blogsite, with a list of who and what you’ll see.
–Also tomorrow night, “Carousel” opens at West Seattle High School (7:30 Thurs-Fri-Sat this week and next; advance tickets are half-price @ Square One).
#1, second Thursday of the month means Junction Art Walk night. Haven’t received the full lineup from the fine folks at Divina yet, but got a heads-up from participating WS artist Kelly Rae Cunningham, who says she’ll have collage work @ Clementine.
#2, wondering what’s up with Fauntleroy Place? Will Schuck’s/Hancock ever come down, so Whole Foods etc. can go up? Next stage in the process is the Southwest Design Review Board meeting Thursday, 6:30 pm @ the Southwest Precinct. (We can’t go but would love postable notes — we’ll give you a byline if you want — from anyone who can.)
The proprietress of Divina writes, “I think that if we have any kind of storm this Thursday, I will cry.” See, the 2nd Thursday is Junction Art Walk night, and the past two “second Thursdays” both were beset with cataclysmic weather (Dec. 14 rain/wind, Jan. 11 snow). But TOMORROW, February’s 2nd Thursday, sounds tame. Which is good, because this Art Walk celebrates young artists. Here’s the list of venues and artists:Read More
The folks @ Divina say they’ve got to call off tonight’s Junction Art Walk, even though they were hoping weather wouldn’t get in its way again (last month, the Art Walk coincided with the 2-inch deluge that preceded The Windstorm To Be Named Later). Not only is the icy weather a problem, today’s power outage got in the way of hors d’oeuvre-making. But, with determined optimism, they’re working on a Youth Art Walk for next month. Dare we hope for calmer weather by then?
A dozen places in The Junction are participating in tonight’s Art Walk, 6-8 pm, starting at Divina, with beverages and hors d’oeuvres. We’ve got the complete list of participants and artists, thanks to Divina.Read More
The folks at Divina remind us that (as we mentioned earlier) tonight is the first of the revived West Seattle Art Walks. (2nd Thursday of each month) Participants include: At Divina, local sculptors Randy Bolander, Art Donnelly and Karin Richardson; painters Kelly Rae Cunningham, Brian McGuffey, Carla Davis and Deana Plymale; illustrator Jeanette Piper; creative concept designer Wyn Bielaska, Seattle Lutheran art teacher Jacob Dahlke, and Colombian artisan Clara Obregon … at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse, paintings by Mary Enslow, co-owner of Twilight Artist Collective, curator of Hotwire coffeehouses …
At Clementine, West Seattle metal sculptor and ring maker Rachel Alber … at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar, photographs by Michael Spence … 8 Limbs Yoga (enter from alley), West Seattle photographer and painter Lauren T. Kitsner … at Cupcake Royale, paintings by Alex Thomas … at Elliott Bay Brewery, oil paintings by Tim Pew and Will Hass … then stop at West 5 afterward, tell server or bartender that you took the Art Walk, and organizers promise a complimentary glass of champagne. All this tonight, 6-8 pm in The Junction!
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