West Seattle, Washington
27 Saturday
That photo was sent by Rose Feliciano, one of four people who messaged us today to report that the trailside tribute to Rolf Neslund has fallen again – and lost its head again. (First – background if you’re new – Rolf Neslund is the pilot blamed for the 1978 ship collision that forced the old West Seattle Bridge to be replaced. He subsequently retired and was murdered by his wife in 1980. HistoryLink summarizes the saga.) In 2020, during the first year of the West Seattle Bridge’s 2 1/2-year closure, a mysterious “historian” installed the statue along the bike/foot path by the bridge, declaring Rolf “patron saint of the broken bridge.” Days later, the statue itself was broken; someone made off with its head. A month later, it was restored and reinstalled. Then one year ago, the whole sculpture simply fell and needed re-assembly and re-installation (Rose was part of that project); this time its head is missing, nowhere in sight. Who did it, and what happens next? Hard to tell with a rogue artwork that belongs to nobody and everybody; we’ll keep our ear to the ground!
6:07 PM: The May 2024 West Seattle Art Walk is happening right now at more than three dozen venues from North Admiral to Morgan Junction!
Our first stop tonight is West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW), where Clara Boline is tonight’s featured artist:
Her show, “Bumper Sticker on a Ferrari,” is described on the Art Walk website as:
This show depicts orchids with various permanent changes made to them. The series of work is meant to call out the strength and resilience of femininity and the harmful comments women receive when making permanent changes to their own bodies. The title of the show refers to a comment the artist has actually received; “Why would she get that tattoo? It’s like slapping a bumper sticker on a Ferrari!”
She’s at WSG until 8 pm. Now that it’s past 6 pm, we’re off to check out some of the 11 performances comprising Muse Fest: The Power of Women’s Voices until 7:45 pm. More coverage to come! (WSB is an Art Walk co-sponsor.)
6:30 PM: CAPERS in The Junction (4511 California SW) is featuring artists from the West Seattle Garden Tour poster contest, including winner Pam Lustig:
6:52 PM: At the Discovery Shop – a nonprofit that raises money for the American Cancer Society – volunteer Ann McClary is tonight’s artist:
She’s donating proceeds from sales of her watercolors.
7:34 PM: Thanks to Jason Grotelueschen for this clip of Sue Quigley‘s Muse Fest appearance at Beveridge Place Pub:
Sue co-coordinated the Muse Fest lineup. She had to cut her set short, so Sheryl Wiser moved over from Whisky West next door:
Co-coordinator for Muse Fest with Quigley was John Redenbaugh, who arranges Art of Music performances for many Art Walks through the year. Art Walk is second Thursday, every month, so that means the next one is June 13!
Here’s your chance to see the Seattle Symphony without leaving West Seattle and without buying tickets – plus, talented student musicians too. We received the announcement today:
On Tuesday, May 14, the Seattle Symphony returns to West Seattle and shares the stage with the Chief Sealth International High School Chamber Orchestra for a FREE 60-minute Community Concert featuring works by an array of composers, from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Elisa Kain Johnson, a recent alum of the Symphony’s Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop!
Admission free, but RSVP recommended – go here. Chief Sealth IHS is at 2600 SW Thistle; the auditorium is on the west side of the campus.
That’s the trailer for “Ultimate Citizens,” a documentary by West Seattle filmmaker Francine Strickwerda, which she describes as “a 52-minute gem of a doc about an Iranian American primary school counselor and ultra-athlete who helps refugee and immigrant kids in Seattle find belonging on their way to compete in the world’s largest Ultimate Frisbee tournament. The doc is ‘kid appropriate’ and seriously fun.” It’s already won awards on the road to its upcoming screenings at SIFF (the Seattle International Film Festival), on 12:30 pm May 12 and 4 pm May 14 (at SIFF Cinema Uptown on Queen Anne). More about the movie, from the news release sent to us:
While set in the worlds of primary-school education and athletics, ULTIMATE CITIZENS offers a fresh and compelling perspective on the immigrant experience in the U.S. Far removed from contentious media headlines are families who settle quietly, labor long hours, and find their way into the American Dream. The U.S. provided (69-year-old Jamshid Khajavi) safe refuge from the political turmoil in Iran that marked the late 1970s; in return, his contributions to the Seattle community have benefitted generations of kids, making the city and society at large better off.
A broader narrative of the film is the role that teachers, school counselors, coaches, and administrators play as extended family members for many students and parents, especially when parents must work multiple jobs or odd hours to make ends meet.
ULTIMATE CITIZENS is a captivating blend of bright colors, artful editing, and candid verité moments. Tender familial and community scenes are interwoven with the underlying tournament narrative in a film that culminates in the thrill of the “big game” with Khajavi’s underdog team competing against teams from wealthier, better-funded athletic programs.
This is filmmaker Strickwerda’s third documentary (we reported on “Oil and Water“ back in 2010). She is co-proprietor of the West Seattle-based creative-video agency Hullabaloo. Tickets to her film’s SIFF screenings are available via SIFF.net.
One option for this cloudy Saturday afternoon – enjoy local art and meet the artists! We just visited the Feather in the Wind multi-artist pop-up over Alki Arts (6030 California SW) – there we found Diane Bellisario:
And Damian Grava:
The pop-up is open until 7 tonight and again noon-6 on Sunday.
The Heron’s Nest might be one of West Seattle’s best-kept secrets – hidden just uphill from West Marginal Way, an ongoing site of environmental restoration and community-building. Tomorrow afternoon and evening (Saturday, May 4), The Heron’s Nest will be the site of a two-stage music festival – here’s the lineup:
Admission is $20 – “all ages and all creatures welcome,” according to the official flyer. Tickets are available online here; find The Heron’s Nest at 4818 Puget Way SW.
Before we get to what’s happening today, an announcement for your weekend planning, from Chief Sealth Drama Company and BAYFEST Youth Theatre:
Following the wonderfully successful reinstatement of the drama program at Chief Sealth International High School last year with our productions of “She Kills Monsters” and this fall’s “Scenes About Teens: A Musical Extravaganza!” produced with the help of over 75 students, staff members, and Sealth alums, we are presenting a full production of Shakespeare’s beautiful and funny A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by local director and BAYFEST teaching artist Keni Cohen, who taught and directed for many years with Seattle Children’s Theatre, the production promises to be full of love-gone-wrong-and-back-to-right, magic, fairies and lots of laughs. It is a truly timeless play that all ages will enjoy.
20 cast members, supported by 35+ student costume designers, musicians, set builders and technicians, parent volunteers and an amazing crew of Chief Sealth High School alums, have been working diligently since January to put the production together. Performances will be held in the large Chief Sealth Theater, with wonderful acoustics, comfortable seating, and is physically accessible.
This show is appropriate for all ages, and we encourage the community to experience the amazing work of our students and staff, and come out to support the drama program at Chief Sealth as we continue to build this exciting program.
Public show times are:
Friday, May 3 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, May 4 at 2pm and 7pm; Sunday, May 5 at 2PM
Chief Sealth International High School
2600 SW Thistle St.pre-purchase (online) individual tickets prices:
Students – $7.00
Adults – $12.00at the door:
Students – $9.00
Adults – $14.00FOR TICKETS: https://bayfestsealththeatrecompany.ludus.com
(The art featured in the announcement is by CSIHS student Evan Dortero.)
Summer break is now two months away, and it’s been a while since we reminded you about some local options for camp. When last we spoke with Erin Rubin from Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and Mode Music and Performing Arts, she said they still have some openings, so check it out if your summer’s not yet all booked:
ARE YOU READY TO ROCK WITH MODE MUSIC STUDIOS?!
It’s time for a summer of Rock Bands with Mode Music Studios! We’re offering camps for ages 6-11 and 12+ this time around. Camps run 9-12:00 for our 6-11 crowd and 12:30-2:30 for our 12+. Finish up the week with a Saturday live performance at our favorite neighbor venue, The Skylark, next door!
Turn it into a full day of camp for our 6-11’s by signing up for an afternoon of music and theatre classes at our nonprofit MMPA – keep scrolling for more info and sign up for a rock band at the link below!
MMPA PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN MUSIC AND THEATER SUMMER CAMPS – LET’S GET CREATIVE!
All of our MMPA camps are offered as half and full days at a pay-what you can rate, so they’re accessible to everyone. Half-day camps run 9-12:00 and 12:30-3:30 and are available for grades K-5. Hang with us for lunch in-between and double up for a full day of fun! Don’t miss out on another creative summer with us. Click the link below to sign up!
modemusicandperformingarts.org/camps
That’s a brief preview of The Byrd Ensemble‘s concert this Saturday night at Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee). They’re an internationally acclaimed chamber-vocal ensemble, performing for 20 years and recording for more than a decade, sponsoring WSB this week to be sure you know about their West Seattle concert. It’s at 7:30 pm Saturday (April 27) and you can see the program here, summarized as follows:
The centerpiece of this program of Renaissance and modern music is Allegri’s Miserere. The work was exclusively sung by the Sistine Chapel Choir, though legend says that a 14-year old Mozart visited Rome and wrote out the piece perfectly from memory after just one hearing, sending the Vatican’s guarded secret into the world. The psalm setting is famously known for a high C, sung by a soprano soloist.
The program also features two elaborate psalm settings by English Renaissance composers Robert White and John Sheppard and motets by modern composers John Tavener, Eric Whitacre, and Arvo Pärt.
Tickets are available online here, and you can get a 30 percent discount on general, senior, and student admission with the code WSBLOG30.
8:44 PM SATURDAY: They won’t make the final decision until tomorrow morning, but a reality-show crew sent word tonight that they might be filming in the Don Armeni Boat Ramp vicinity Sunday afternoon-evening. And if they do, a hot-air balloon will be inflated at City View Park (which Google locates as just west/north of Don Armeni). Also from the notice:
We will potentially be filming a segment of a reality television show at Don Armeni Boat Ramp/City View Park on 4/21/2024. The decision on if we are filming at this location will be made on the morning of April 21, 2024. If filming here, we will allow pedestrians to cross the area when it doesn’t interfere with a shot. If needed, our production assistants will hold passerbys briefly until the shot is over or direct them on a detour behind the camera line so that they can cross without being in the shot. We will also obtain “Filming In Progress” a-frames to make passerbys away of our activity.
We will be reserving the parking spots directly in front of City View Park for working production vehicles (minivans, cargos, SUVs, and passenger vans) and to “clear for picture.”
If filming at this location, there will be a hot air balloon inflated in City View Park. There will be exclusion zones set up around the balloon that will need to be kept clear for safety. We always aim to be good neighbors during our time in your area so please let us know if there is anything we can do to accommodate special needs during our filming.≤/blockquote>
We’ll update tomorrow when we get word of their decision.12:34 PM SUNDAY: Just got the update – they will NOT be filming here today.
Thanks to Eddie for the photo. That’s the crowd outside Easy Street Records in The Junction in the early going of Record Store Day this morning. We just checked the California/Alaska traffic camera and there’s still a crowd, more than six hours after the shop’s 7 am opening for the occasion. If you’re wondering what they’re all lined up for – special releases, as shown on this list!
P.S. As we mentioned in this morning’s daily-preview lineup, Thunder Road Guitars (6400 California SW; WSB sponsor) is riffing off RSD – bring your Easy Street receipt in to get 10 percent off in-store purchases at TRG!
(May 2014 WSB video of Camper Van Beethoven at Easy Street Records)
Just last night, we brought you the story of Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and nonprofit Mode Music and Performing Arts enlisting community help to move, with their building (and other businesses) right in the path of the Delridge light-rail station’s location. Music being near and dear to the heart of Easy Street Records proprietor Matt Vaughan, he has just announced a unique donation to the Mode campaign – he’s auctioning off his shop’s iconic stage – seen above in video of one of the many shows we’ve covered there – to make room for a new one, after so many unforgettable concerts. From his social-media announcement:
There have been so many iconic moments on our stage, guessing about 2,000 performances. Have a favorite? Discover an artist? Meet a new friend?
Time has come, we need a larger stage and better flow for our cafe patrons and staff. Originally our lil stage was designed for singer/songwriters, DJs, acoustic sets. We eventually added extensions to the stage for larger acts. The list is too long to mention, but yes…this is the same stage @brandicarlile has performed on multiple times, @pearljam and their various side projects, just about every local musician in the PNW. U see @theheadandtheheart last year? @duffmckagan a month or so back, The Sonics & Friends on #RSD15, @ayronjonesmusic @mudhoney_ @symlmusic @sandriderseattle @cavesingers #DamienJurado @shabazzpalaces @brittanydavismusic … @billybraggofficial @reignwolf @foyvance. Not sure who the first on the stage was, we built it in ‘98. Our earlier instores were on the floor (no stage), back where the poster racks are now and then later where the kitchen is now. Who was the first performance on this stage ? @easystreetguy guess is either @theejohndoe #rocketfromthecrypt #blackrebelmotorcycleclub @peteyorn or #Luna
Our very 1st proper instore was #CrittersBuggin @loosegrooverecords @skerik Were u there?
Interested in acquiring this legendary stage? Proceeds will go to Mode Music Studios New Home.
Bidding has begun and closes Thursday at 6 pm – email info@easystreetonline.com, subject line “Stage” – Matt adds, “Dimensions 8’ x 10’ x 1’, we will include the extension pieces as well. Stage must be removed by 9 pm on Thursday, new stage being installed!” Here’s another look in a WSB file photo:
The spring edition of “Write Your Story” – the free workshop series for 8- to 12-year-olds, coordinated by West Seattle’s Julia Douthwaite Viglione – just wrapped up, and she reports that 12 participants created a “rollicking fable” titled “The Troll of the West Seattle Bridge.” What will the summer group do? Registration is open now – here’s the announcement!
Write YOUR Story – Summer 2024 – Enrolling now!
Theme: Growing Things
Who is invited? People age 8-12 who like stories
When? Every Wednesday, July 3 – September 4, 2024 – 4:30—5:30 pm
Where? Upstairs activity room, Curious Kidstuff toy store – 4740 California Ave SW
Stories we’ll read:
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and
“A Pumpkin Seed” by Patrick Chamoiseau in Creole Folktales
Write YOUR Story, est. 2012, is a free workshop led by local writers for local kids
“We read, we write, and we have a lot of fun.”
For info or to enroll, contact: juliawsea@gmail.com
(Photo courtesy ArtsWest)
Preview night tomorrow is already sold out – but you can still get tickets for opening night and beyond for the next ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor) production, “English,” the play that won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Here’s how West Seattle’s only playhouse describes “English”:
Have you ever found yourself straddling more than one culture? Experienced the joy of finding parts of yourself you didn’t know existed? The fear of losing touch with who are by immersing yourself in one culture over another? Have you ever felt caught in the in-between? “English” explores this lifelong journey and its push and pull of self-discovery.
“English” by Sanaz Toossi takes place in a classroom in Iran, where four adult students are preparing for the TOEFL — the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Each student’s future hinges on passing the exam for very different reasons – family, education, immigration, exploring the unknown. Their teacher, Marjan, lived abroad for 9 years in Manchester, England, and has returned home to raise her family and teach. She loves teaching, but a part of her will always wonder who she would have been if she had stayed in Manchester.
“English” is directed by Naghmeh Samini and will be presented Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm, through April 28th. Tickets are available here – just a few left for opening weekend.
New music out today from local band Aurora Ave., which describes itself as “an 8-piece band from West Seattle that has honed an Indie-Pop, Jazz, and J-Pop sound into something uniquely our own.” They’ve been together for three years now (when we first mentioned the band, more than half the members were WSHS students), and have a new lead singer, just in time for their new single, explained this way:
The band’s new song Pearl is inspired by the challenges of finding your way in young life, and feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. The song has existed in concept for over 3 years, and a very different version of the track was slated but eventually scrapped from the group’s self-titled debut album in 2021. Now, over 3 years later, the track has evolved into one of the group’s favorite songs.
Pearl is tied together by an incredible vocal performance by the band’s newest member, lead singer Samara Reign. Samara brings a soulful, angelic quality to the band’s brass-heavy rhythms.
You can stream or buy “Pearl” by going to one of the links you’ll find here. If you’d like to see Aurora Ave. perform, mark your calendar for Northwest Folklife on May 24 – and more to come.
Among the photos on the east wall of the great gathering room at the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle, one stands out – a large portrait of the eldest daughter of Chief Si’ahl (Seattle), known as Princess Angeline, though her real name was Kikisoblu. The tribe gathers supporters each year for a tea social that is also a tribute to her, and that event filled the Longhouse today.
Titling the event the SovereignTEA was one way of reminding supporters about its ongoing fight to regain federal recognition.
There was no major update on the long-running legal battle today, but it was mentioned in some of the short speeches from Duwamish leaders. First, chair Cecile Hansen cheerily welcomed the sold-out crowd:
Duwamish Tribal Council member Paul Nelson had words of gratitude for community members continuing to support “justice for the Duwamish”:
Later, he told the story of Princess Angeline’s determination to stay in the city rather than moving out to a reservation; Seattle, the city named for her father, was the city where she lived and died. One of the chief’s descendants, Ken Workman, also spoke today:
Final words were offered by Edie Nelson, with a hope that Duwamish Tribe recognition – and true sovereignty – “will come soon.”
The Longhouse/Cultural Center hosts other public events throughout the year; next month, for example, a Spring Native Art Market is planned for the weekend of April 27-28.
(WSB file photo, Senior Center’s north side)
The Senior Center of West Seattle is getting close to unveiling a new name. To celebrate it, a mural will be painted on its building at California/Oregon – potentially all three sides – and an artist for that mural is being sought now. Here’s the announcement we just received:
Call for artists! Senior Center of West Seattle is seeking professional artists to submit proposals to paint a mural on its building in the West Seattle Junction.
The Senior Center of West Seattle is seeking artists to respond to its Request for Proposals to paint a mural on the side of its building at 4217 SW Oregon St. The mural will wrap from the alley on the Oregon St. side all the way to the California Ave. SW side of the building.
The Senior Center is excited to be going through a renaming and rebranding this year. In mid-May, the nonprofit will announce to the community its new name, which will reflect its long-term goal of broadening and diversifying its membership.
As part of that, the organization is seeking a vibrant and meaningful mural to express its new name and brand that will enhance the visual appeal of the center, create a welcoming atmosphere, and reflect the spirit of the community.
Part of the funding for this project is coming from a Neighborhood Matching grant from the City of Seattle. The Senior Center will be raising the remainder of the funds for the project through its GiveBIG campaign this May.
The Mural Committee for the Senior Center of West Seattle is putting out a Request for Proposal for muralists. Indigenous/BIPOC artists are encouraged to submit a proposal. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 22.
If you’re interested in receiving the Request for Proposal, please contact Karen Pfeiffer Bush at karen@housewarmingseattle.com
(WSB photos/video)
It’s International Women’s History Month, and the Vietnamese Cultural Center in West Seattle paid tribute today to two women with a major role in Vietnam’s history: The Trưng sisters (Hai Bà Trưng), Trưng Trac and Trưng Nhi, lived 2,000 years ago; born into a nation under Chinese rule, they organized an army to fight back and drive their oppressors out. The sisters are celebrated each year with a holiday. Today’s commemoration at the center included a procession by women bearing flowers:
Minh Thy told the story of the heroic sisters:
Participants sang a song in the sisters’ honor, “Trưng Nữ Vương và Cô Gái”:
This is one of the events held each year at the Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard).
Others are listed here, including next month’s memorial for the soldiers lost in the Vietnam War.
West Seattle musician Wicked Mouth has recorded their first album and asked us to help share it with potential listeners. Here’s their announcement and links:
Local North Delridge singer-songwriter Wicked Mouth has released their debut album, Wildfire. Listeners are describing the album as “poetic, quirky, deep, vintage, and hopeful.”
Wicked Mouth is the stage name of Joshua Goupil, a Washington native. Their songs have a classic and nostalgic feel, with moods that evoke several decades, genres, and atmospheres. Their poetic lyrics delve into topics such as queerness, coming out, intimacy, self-reflection, spirituality, and mental health, inviting listeners to join their journey of self-discovery and expression.
Wildfire was recorded and produced by local performer and producer Jared Mitchell=”” at Sound Life Studios in West Seattle and was mastered by Stephen Van Etten in Nashville, TN.
You can stream the album, see the music video for the track “Wicked Mouth,” and connect with the artist here.
Your next chance to see and hear the Northwest Symphony Orchestra in West Seattle is just days away. NWSO is sponsoring WSB right now to help get the word out about this year’s “Music for the Soul” concert on Saturday (March 16), 8 pm at Holy Rosary Church (42nd SW & SW Genesee). The NWSO’s announcement says, “This season we focus on the themes of beauty, hope and joy – featuring 5 different works that span much of the course of music history.” The program includes a world-premiere work by local composer Huntley Beyer as well as music by Brahms, Schubert, and J.S. Bach. You can get tickets right now by going here.
Next week, the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ spring concerts will include a world-premiere composition – and you can see/hear it for free! Here’s the WSCO announcement of what’s planned:
West Seattle Community Orchestras’ ensembles will be performing on Tuesday, March 12th, at 6 pm and on Friday, March 15th, at 7 pm, at Chief Sealth International High School. Concerts are free.
On Friday night, the Symphony Orchestra is proud to world-premiere Majestic Peaks from Chinese composer Arthur Peiyaro Wang. The Wind Symphony orchestra will also honor Asian composers and Asian-inspired music with pieces from Japanese composers Yukiko Nishimura and Studio Gibli’s icon Joe Hisaishi.
On Tuesday night, the Debut and Concert orchestra will range from Offenbach, to Beethoven, through Bernstein’s West Side Story.
WSCO was founded in West Seattle in 2002 and has served hundreds of students and adults alike, providing a community for musicians of all ages and abilities with opportunities for performance and growth. Visit the WSCO website for more information about the concerts or how to become involved as a musician or volunteer.
The venue is at 2600 SW Thistle; the auditorium is on the west side of the campu.
(2023 photo courtesy Endolyne Children’s Choir)
Young singer in the household? Consider registering for Endolyne Children’s Choir – but do it by next Wednesday. Here’s the announcement we received:
Registration for Endolyne Children’s Choir‘s spring session is now open! Join as as we celebrate “The Greatest Show” with favorite songs from stage and screen. Don’t miss out on the singing, fun, and community – registration closes March 13.
Endolyne Children’s Choir is a non-audition choir that provides robust and transformative choral education for all young singers. We empower our choristers to develop confidence, form friendships, and learn performance skills in an inclusive, equitable environment. Learn more at endolynechoir.org.
That’s the trailer for “Ingress,” a sci-fi movie written and directed by Bainbridge Island filmmaker Rachel Noll James that’s about to be shown for a week at West Seattle’s Admiral Theater (2343 California SW). Noll James also stars in “Ingress,” which she summarizes as: “A woman who can move between parallel realities loses her husband tragically and must overcome past trauma to travel the multiverse once again and find her way into a reality where he is still alive.” She tells WSB that “Ingress” was entirely filmed on Bainbridge, and since she’s so close by, “I will be attending to do a talkback about the filmmaking process for the opening-night screening on March 8th.” That’s Friday at 7 pm. Subsequent Admiral Theater showings will be at 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday and Sunday (March 9-10) and 3:30 pm Monday-Thursday (March 11-14); the movie runs just under two hours. You can get tickets (and see what else is showing at The Admiral) by going here.
| 19 COMMENTS