Seattle Twist

While January brings Seattle a 26% chance of sun and rain turning to showers with a chance of drizzle later in the day, Susan Robb, Sierra Stinson and Jim Demetre are creating and curating ONN/OF an art exhibition and “light festival” that forecasts a weekend needed light.

Housed in The Sweater Factory, an 11,000 Sq Ft warehouse in Ballard, ONN/OF was born from 2011’s isolation-inducing, La Niña-drenched winter weather. This year, instead of hiding away on what has been scientifically proven to be the worst, most depressing day of the year, Susan, Sierra, and Jim invite you to engage with a weekend of visual art, performance, installation, projection, music, food and drink, and workshops that in some way use “light”.

This event takes place Saturday and Sunday, January 28th and 29th at The Sweater Factory located at 1415 NW 52st, Ballard, directly across from the Bardahl Oil sign (enter through the back alley).

There are dozens of artists and a variety of arts, events, exhibits and opportunities

Onn/Of Website

Fantagraphics Bookstore kicks off Black History Month on Saturday, February 4 with the debut of two diverse books. Seattle-based music scholar Pat Thomas, author of Listen, Whitey!: The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965 – 1975, will be joined by Seattle authors Mark Long and Jim Demonakos, who together with cartoonist Nate Powell created the graphic novel The Silence of Our Friends.

While researching this book project in Oakland, archivist Pat Thomas discovered rare recordings of speeches, interviews, and music by noted activists Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Elaine Brown, and others that form the framework of this definitive retrospective. Listen, Whitey! also chronicles the forgotten history of Motown Records’ Black Power subsidiary label, Black Forum, which released politically charged albums by Stokely Carmichael, Langston Hughes, Bill Cosby and Ossie Davis, among others. Obscure records produced by African-American sociopolitical organizations of the period are examined, along with the Isley Brothers, Nina Simone, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Watts Prophets, Roland Kirk, Horace Silver, Angela Davis, H. Rap Brown, Stanley Crouch, and others that spoke out against oppression. Thomas will give a slide and music presentation, and limited number of advance copies of the book will be available to the public. Also making its debut is a companion CD of the same title from Seattle-based Light in the Attic records. The album features rare tracks from African-American activists like Dick Gregory, Eldridge Cleaver, Last Poets, and others, with protest music by Bob Dylan, John and Yoko Ono, Gil Scott-Heron, Roy Harper, and more.

The Silence of Our Friends is the semi-autobiographical tale of Mark Long. Set in 1967 Texas against the backdrop of the civil rights struggle, a white family from a notoriously racist suburb and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston’s color line, overcoming fear and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman. Co-authored by Jim Demonakos (founder of Seattle’s Emerald City Comicon), and drawn by award-winning cartoonist Nate Powell, The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature.

Join these remarkable authors on Saturday, February 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, located at 1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.) in Seattle’s colorful Georgetown neighborhood. Phone 206.658.0110.

Please read this important message from our friends at Ghost Gallery, which many of you know. We at Seattle Twist believe in supporting local artists, and worthy causes like this. It would be super cool if you could contribute a few bucks to them in this effort.

Flood Insurance Deductible

As many of you have already heard, we had a flood in the main front gallery and petite works room on Wednesday, Jan. 11th. All is cleaned up (Thank you Cait, Sophie & the Flood Crew!), but there was quite a bit of damage, both to some goods, books, antique furniture, electronics and some structural damage. Lots of little things adding up to be a big cost.
The building owners are refusing to take responsibility for the incident, therefore we’re scrambling to get everyone compensated and the ceiling repaired ASAP.

We do have Insurance, along with a very large deductible, which is where we really could use some fast help!
To make it fun, and a perk for you, here is the deal:

If 100 people each donate $10 (or more), we will have a party for all of you! DJ, Drinks, Dancing, Awesome.

Also, those who donate will EACH receive a Gallery Membership ($50 value), which gets you 20% off Boutique items, and 10% off Miniature Art for 1 year. (Out of town folks can have this honored with phone/online purchases)
If you’re already a member, then you will receive a bottle of wine on us, in addition to the party:)

Be sure to leave your full name along w/email address so I can make out your Membership Card.

We wouldn’t be here without all of you, so Thank You in advance!
Love,
Ghost

HERE IS A DIRECT LINK TO THEIR FLOOD INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION PAGE

Also, their Facebook event page for this is here, if you’d like to share.

Ghost Gallery website

This is a charming film based on Dr. Seuss’s final book before his death, a story about life’s ups and downs, told by the people of Burning Man 2011.

I thought it appropriate to share this, since so many Seattleites make the trek down to the desert to attend this art-filled event on the Playa.

Provocative cartoonist Tony Millionaire will appear in Seattle at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, January 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for a book signing and art show. He’ll be exhibiting brilliantly sedate work from his new book 500 Portraits, recently released by Fantagraphics Books.

500 Portraits collects over two decades of work by the beloved creator of Drinky Crow’s Maakies, Sock Monkey and Billy Hazelnuts. Tony Millionaire’s gorgeous fountain pen illustrations, which combine naturalistic detail with strong doses of the fanciful and grotesque, include the famous (Bob Dylan), the infamous (Abu Ghraib soldier/model Lynndie England), the fictional (Yoda), the animal kingdom (a cockroach), and everything in between. Literary figures (Hemingway), literary characters (Don Quixote & Sancho Panza), Hollywood legends (Steven Spielberg), comics icons (Hergé, Daniel Clowes, Hernandez Brothers, etc.) and historical figures (Hitler) also figure prominently. Many of these 500 portraits were created for The Believer, the magazine founded by Dave Eggers that Millionaire helped define visually with images of interview subjects in every issue.

The artist will be present to sign copies of his many Fantagraphics titles as well as the recent Encyclopedia of Hell and other works. The bookstore is located at 1201 S. Vale St. in the heart of Seattle’s Georgetown art community. The evening will also feature the premiere of the short live-action film “Everybody Loves Drinky Crow” by Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid.

- Annie Leibovitz – photo by JoDavid -

Annie Leibovitz, one of the most celebrated, acclaimed photographers in recent decades will be at Elliott Bay Books, Monday Dec. 12. Annie is here for a brief talk/reading and then booksigning of her new book, Pilgrimage.

Details are here

Seattle artist Cathy Sarkowsky is having a studio sale on Friday, December 9 from 5pm until 8pm and Saturday, December 10 from 11am until 5pm.

Kick off the weekend with a Friday night cocktail hour sale and finish up with extended hours on Saturday. There will be delicious food and drinks, along with great savings of 50% off retail prices. There will be bargain bins at $50 and $100 per item, and Cathy’s framer, Tom Carroll of Framesmith, located on lower Queen Anne, will offer a 15% discount on any framing you might need for your purchases.

With work from 1992 through 2011, there is a lot of great work for sale, and if you can’t make it, the artist is available by appointment.

Her new book, “in/visible”, will be available for purchase for $25 at the studio sale. The book has beautiful images of her paintings from her 2011 show at Fetherston Gallery in Seattle.

STUDIO SALE this FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 from 5-8pm and SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 from 11am until 5pm at 304 W. Highland Drive

Come celebrate the festive 5th anniversary of Fantagraphics Bookstore on Saturday, December 10 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Holiday cheer galore! Opening reception for “Playing Possum: The Pogo Art of Walt Kelly,” music by Sawsome (a female banjo and saw duet), complimentary refreshments, wandering Christmas carolers, and more!

We can hardly believe it’s been 5 years already. This wonderful experiment in promoting comix culture has been an amazing experience. Make plans to join us on this momentous occasion. The party coincides with the lively holiday edition of the Georgetown Art Attack with open art studios, exotic shopping, diverse dining and imbibing throughout the historic arts community.

We’re located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) only minutes from downtown Seattle. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

Roq La Rue
presents
“Lush Life 3″
group show invitational
opens Friday December 9th 6-9pm
music and festive treats provided!

Artists include: Femke Hiemstra, Chris Berens, Josh Keyes, John Brophy, Travis Louie, Marco Mazzoni, Madeline Von Foerster, Jessica Joslin, Joseph Park, Chris Conn Askew, Christian Van Minnen, Andrew Arconti, Lindsey Carr, Zoe Williams, Michael Alm, Corine Perier, Mia Araujo, Peter Gronquist, and Mia Brownell.

Roq La Rue is very pleased to end this year with a bang, by offering up some of contemporary art’s most exciting, technically skilled and imaginative artists who all created a work of art based on the theme of “Lush Life”. This is our third “Lush Life” show and the theme has quickly grown into some of most favorite and successful shows in our roster. While we keep the theme loose and subject to the artist’s interpretation,this year the work seems to skew heavily into flora and fauna territory. We hope you will join us for our big opening and holiday party on December 9th!

Chris Berens

Joseph Park

Photos courtesy of Roq La Rue Gallery

Facebook Event Page for “Lush Life 3″ Opening Party

The Matryoshka Show!

Curated by Michael Alm

Thursday, December 8, 2011

5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Ghost Gallery

504 E. Denny Way at Summit (entry on Summit side), Seattle, WA 98122

Join us in celebration of Matryoshka!

(pronounced mah-tree-YOSH-kah)

Curated by Michael Alm

Featuring:

Jess Rees

Rich Lehl

Chris Crites

Joey Bates

Troy Gua

Cait Willis

Kelly Lyles

Allyce Wood

Jody Joldersma

Kendal Tull-Esterbrook

Mary Elise Bolam

Ryan Molenkamp

Jessica McCourt

Laurie Kearney

Stacey Rozich

Tim Marsden

Zoe Williams

Michael Alm

Live Russian classical music set by Victoria Parker & friends!

Opens during BLITZ~ On view thru Jan. 8th 2012

Ghost Gallery

Facebook Event Page for the Matryoshka Show!

•  image designed by Kendal Tull-Esterbrook  •

•

Make your way to the Georgetown Art Attack and get into the holiday spirit with holiday spirits on Saturday, December 10. Dozens of artists will open their studios and Georgetown’s many inventive enterprises celebrate the season with colorful exhibitions, sales and special events. A group from Choir of the Sound will wonder through the historic neighborhood dispensing cheer in the form of traditional carols and secular holiday songs. Don’t miss this sensational seasonal urban outing from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Among the highlights: Fez-tivities at Georgetown Trailer Park Mall include a multimedia Fez-cast at the Trailer Park Cinema and bizarre holiday bazaars in vintage travel trailers throughout the park; The Firm features Crank-E-Joes: A Mechanical Engagement by Chris McMullen; Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery celebrates its 5th anniversary with “Playing Possum: The Pogo Art of Walt Kelly” featuring music by Sawsome; Georgetown Atelier is hosting its annual holiday party, featuring a small works painting sale, art by founder Tenaya Sims, and student work with food and refreshments provided; Miller School of Art presents a holiday show with nothing priced over $100; Sam Hamrick will be showcasing prints and cards at Full Throttle Bottles with a selection of hand made wine charms & champagne key chains by Erika Tedin; Over 40 fine artists at Equinox will host open studios with music and refreshments; Krab Jab Studio presents a holiday show with resident artists Mark Tedin, Milo Duke, Julie Baroh and artist-at-large Kyle Abernethy, featuring original art, unique gifts and holiday cheer; Keli, Roxanne, Denise and Janet invite the public to their inaugural event at the Roving Gallery in the old brewery complex; American Pie will display mixed media candy wrapper art by Eric Edwards; Calamity Jane’s mounts a photography exhibition by Cathleen Shattuck; The Nautilus Studio is having shows by painter Larkin and house artist Yvette Endrijautzki. Alluring dining, shopping, and imbibing opportunities abound in the enchanting industrial arts corridor.

The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association. Visit www.georgetownmerchants.org. A printable participants map can be found at: www.georgetownartattack.com.

Lot of great craft fairs this weekend and today’s the perfect day to

get out and do some holiday shopping.

Urban Craft Uprising at the Seattle Exhibition Center at the Seattle Center

11am to 5pm both Saturday and Sunday – FREE ADMISSION

Over 100 vendors, including our favorites, Cake Spy, Sara Lanzillotta’s Devout Dolls, Schmancy and Ugly Baby Shower Art.

_________________________________________________________________

Diverse functional and decorative pottery for your home, all lovingly designed and created. So many options to give a bit of genuine handmade joy over the holidays.

Barbara Dunshee Ceramic Studio

1060 26th Ave East
Seattle, WA 98112

www.bdpottery.com for details, directions and info about registering for my
Winter Pottery Classes.

___________________________________________________________________

Phinney Ridge Winter Festival

This year’s event will feature 115 artists and craftspeople, hundreds of musicians and dancers, a quilt raffle, bake sale and lunch items. The fair is open on both days from 10 am-5 pm and the price of admission ($4 for adults, $2 for members, and a can of food – children 12 and under are free) supports PNA programs such as the PNA Hot Meal Program (formerly known as the PNA Soup Kitchen), before and after school childcare, the Greenwood Senior Center, the tool library and the art gallery as well as community projects for neighbors in need and the Greenwood Food Bank.

6532 Phinney Avenue North

Jini Dellaccio, Self Portrait, 1960 – copyright Jini Dellaccio Collection

I have posted about local rock photography pioneer Jini Dellaccio several times in the past, here, here, and here, where I labeled her a local hero.

I’m posting about Jini again here on Seattle Twist for two reasons. The first is to remind you of her current show running through December 16th at Photo Center NW on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Check their site to see a slideshow of a selection of her beautiful photos that are there on exhibit, and then see the show in person to experience the true art of her documentation.

The second reason I’m posting about Jini here, concerns the state of the current documentary film “Her Aim is True“ about Jini’s work, by British filmmaker Karen Whitehead.

I’ve been talking with Karen about her independent documentary production recently and how close she is to being able to finish her film for release. Jini Dellachio will be 95 years old next month. I believe in this project, and personally support it. Karen is in the final fundraising effort to complete the post work of her documentary. I would love to see her receive the funding she needs to complete this film documentary of Jini’s life as a birthday gift for Jini. Here is a press release below, and here is a link to a video appeal to the “Kick-Finish”  Donate Page for this film.

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

PRESS RELEASE FROM “HER AIM IS TRUE”

A DOCUMENTARY BY KAREN WHITEHEAD

ROCKING WASHINGTON DC FOR WASHINGTON STATE INDIE PRODUCTION “HER AIM IS TRUE”

With her Hasselblad camera, Jini Dellaccio documented a special moment in the early Sixties when rock music was striving to be more than bubblegum.

Her images signaled that the furious garage rock emanating from the Pacific Northwest spoke for a particular time and place.  And by decade’s end there was little debate that popular music could be a powerful personal and social art form.  Jini was visualizing punk before it had a name, grunge before the hype, and indie before it was cool…

On December 2^nd, British filmmaker, Karen Whitehead is hoping to kickfinish her film on this remarkable and virtually hidden story of a woman who pioneered rock photography years before Annie Leibovitz picked up a camera, with a benefit concert by Washington DC-based songwriter, Karl Straub and his new band, CrowTown. On drums is NBC’s bureau chief, Antoine Sanfuentes who moonlights as a rock n roller by night!

Karen is hoping to raise the costs for the final B roll shooting in the Seattle-area and invites the community to support this effort.

“Jini will be 95 in January and it is fitting that her distinctive life in art is revealed to a wider audience. Her artistry, much like the music she documented has been unheralded and confined to the footnotes of history for too long. Hopefully this film will change that.”

On the eve of launching this kickfinish campaign, Karen was interviewed by Maryland-based blogger, Kathi Rabil: (link is here)

Here is another link to a recent article/interview.

Check out the trailer, other clips and production stills here.

contact: heraimistrue@karenjwhitehead.com

Facebook link - Jini Dellaccio Documentary

Jini Dellaccio Documentary Donate Page

Thank you! –  JoDavid

•