Seattle Twist

Now in its 6th year  Arts-A-Glow brings the magic and wonder of lantern art to Burien.  Join in the celebration on:

Saturday September 10th, 5:00-10:00pm

This is a FREE event.

This year the festival has changed locations and is presented in the lovely Dottie Harper Park, 421 SW 146th, ‘a magical evening in the forest.’

It will be a breathtaking walk in nature with lanterns created by many talented artists, those you create on-site, or lanterns you bring to join in the interactive procession (MAP).

This event will include lantern making , performers, face painting, tea leaf reading and treats for everyone to sample.

A special performance by Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders is also planned.

Don’t miss it!

The Labor Day weekend, harbenger of the end of summer, brings North America’s largest urban arts festival, Bumbershoot to Seattle.

Now in the 41st year,  Bumbershoot is world renowned for showcasing musical talent.  And while there are a myriad of music choices, Bumbershoot by it’s very name is an umbrella of the arts (from the slang: bum•ber•shoot —n. informal An umbrella.)

So be sure not to miss:

The Magic Show at the Center Pavilion everyday from 11am-8pm, a multimedia exhibit that explores illusion, conjuring, levitation, and transformation.

Get your guns up with 2010 Stranger Genius Award winner Marya Sea Kaminski’s Bonnie and the Robberi, a collection of rock covers, original songs, and monologues that explore societal themes of women with firearms, love, and violence and is backed by the musical talents of Landlords Daughter.

Bumber by Number a fully interactive color by number show featuring some of Seattle’s favorite visual art talents and is curated by the beloved Marlow Harris & Jo David.  Pick up a veggie and join in the communal art creation.

Movies at SIFF Cinema and McCaw Hall feature projects: Films4Families, 48 Hour Film Project, Nerds Unite, and Animation for Adults, just to name a few.

Just in case you spend all your Bumbershoot days watching movies, seeing visual art shows, eating and shopping the vendor booths.  You can still catch a fabulous line up of musicians at Bumbershoot After Dark, a collaboration with Decibel, One Reel,  Seattle Center, & Kaos Theory.  This late night (10pm-4am) celebration at Exhibition Hall, features some of the most acclaimed electronic music performers and deejays.  Saturday brings the musical stylings of Craze, Claude Van Stroke, Jokers of the Scene, and The Dowlz. Sunday’s line-up is Z-Trip, Four Tet, and Dam Funk. Bumbershoot After Dark is boasting this collaboration “to be the most adventurous stage configuration that any of the organizations have ever produced throughout their 100+ years of collective experience.”

Be warned if you go to Bumbershoot expecting to get a glimpse of John Oates fabulous mustache, you will be disappointed.  It has only been seen once in the last 25 years: last year’s National Moustache Convention where he was a special guest.  

For a breakdown of all the Bumbershoot events & happenings check the official SCHEDULE. Hall & Oates take the Bumbershoot main stage on Monday.

Residue from SONG OF TENT CITY, the self-designed poetry residency started by poet Mimi AK Allin on 27 November at Tent City 3, will be installed at Tether Design Gallery in January. The show opens at 6pm on Thursday January 6 for the First Thursday Seattle Art Walk and will be on view through January 20th.

SONG OF TENT CITY | Gallery Show
Opens Thursday 6 January 2011 (6-8PM)
Tether Design Gallery
323 Occidental Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104

The show opening will include installation, artifact, audio and live interaction. Get an idea of what ’its like to live at Tent City. Meet some of the residents. Sit inside the mini-yurt the poet has been living in. Read poetry and handwritten journal entries written by homeless people in Seattle. Listen to audio clips from artist collaborations between Seattle artists and Tent City artists.

Participating Seattle artists include Lyn Coffin, Josie Elizabeth Davis, Vanessa DeWolf, Ann Sloper and Sam Trout. Audio was graciously recorded and edited by the amazing, Christopher Wilson. Artists, on both sides of the fence, have donated their time and efforts to make this happen.

The greatest expenses for TC3 are transportation, honey buckets and trash removal. 100 people live at Tent City 3. When available, two bus tickets per day help campers get to appointments and seek employment. Donations can be made during the First Thursday opening at Tether Gallery to help Tent City residents.

A K Mimi Allin’ Blog
Song of Tent City   http://songoftentcity.blogspot.com/

Tether Design Gallery   http://www.tetherdesigngallery.com/

City Arts Article about Song of Tent City   http://www.cityartsonline.com/issues/seattle/2011/01/home-sweet-tent

SPROUT   http://sproutseattle.org/

Anybody that knows us at Seattle Twist knows that Shannon and Bruce just fulfilled our wildest dreams by announcing this fun free event at their Trailer Park Cinema, Lucy and Desi in their comedy masterpiece, The Long, Long Trailer!

Don’t miss Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave this Wed June 30th, Occidental Park! Show starts at noon! Another free “Out To Lunch” show in downtown Seattle. Probably anyone who was at the excellent free English Beat performance downtown last week will also be at this fun free concert. Check the video below. See you there!

Join this traditional Mexican celebration of life and death at the Phinney Center’s annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) parade and festival on Friday, November 6.

Start with the candlelight procession, which begins and ends at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave N.  The procession will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return at 7:00pm.  Where you can participate in the community altar, enjoy poetry,  live music, hot chocolate, craft activities, and more.

The Phinney Center Dia de los Muertos art show will be on view through the month of November and features works by Dreama Blankenbeckler, Pedro De Valdivia, Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys, Reagan Jackson, Jena Marks, Debbie McGibbon, Elisha Miller, and Lincoln Skrypeck.

Costumed participants at the Phinney Center's Dia de los Muertos Celebration

In Mexico, El Día de los Muertos is a festive and family-centered event, traditionally held on Nov. 1st (Day of the Little Angels) and 2nd (Day of the Dead or all Soul’s Day in Christian tradition).  Día de los Muertos celebrations emphasize life and death as part of the same cycle and regard death on friendly and intimate terms.  According to beliefs rooted in pre-Columbian traditions, on Dia de los Muertos, the veil between life and death is at its thinnest and the dead can be lured back to us through the scent of marigolds and the temptation of offerings of favorite food and drink.

In certain parts of Mexico, an important facet of this celebration is the ofrenda, or personal altar, built both in family homes and/or over the graves of loved ones. Traditionally, photographs of the dead at are the altar center, around which are placed offerings of food, drink, candles, flowers, sugar skulls, and personal mementoes. All these items are presented in beautiful displays to honor the returning souls.

Call (206) 783-2244 for more information.

For a detail of the evenings events go to: http://www.phinneycenter.org/events/dayodead.shtm

EN ESPAÑOL:

Venga y acompañe la celebración tradicional mexicana de la vida y la muerte con el Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) en una procesión y festival el viernes 6 de noviembre 2009. Los festejos empezarán con una procesión a la luz de las velas, que partirá a las 6:30 pm, y terminará de regreso a las 7pm en el PNA, que se localiza en el 6532 Phinney Ave N. Todos son bienvenidos a participar en el altar comunitario y a disfrutar de música en vivo, chocolate caliente, actividades de arte y más.

En México el día de los muertos es un evento alegre y enfocado en la familia. Tradicionalmente, el 1 de Noviembre es el Día de los pequeños ángeles y el 2 de Noviembre es el Día de los muertos o Día de todas las almas en la tradición cristiana.

La celebración del día de los muertos enfatiza que la vida y la muerte son parte del mismo ciclo y contempla la muerte en condiciones amables e íntimas. Según creencias, con principios en tradiciones pre-Colombinas, en el día de los muertos, el velo entre la vida y la muerte es tan delgado que los muertos pueden ser atraídos de nuevo a los vivos por los aromas de incienso y la tentación de ofrendas de comidas y bebidas favoritas.

En algunas partes de México, una parte muy importante de esta celebración es la ofrenda o altar personal construido en casas familiares y/o sobre sepultura del muerto amado. Tradicionalmente, se colocan fotografías de los muertos en el centro del altar, rodeadas por ofrendas de comida, bebida, velas, flores, calaveras de azúcar y recuerdos personales. Todas estas cosas son presentadas de una forma muy vistosa y colorida para honrar las almas visitantes.

Damos la gracias al City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs y el Washington State Arts Commission por su apoyo, ya que han hecho posible la continuación de la celebración de este importante evento tradicional.

Llame al (206) 783-2244 para mayor información.

Trolloween is the Birthday celebration for Seattle’s famous Fremont Troll.

October 31st is the Trolls 20th Birthday!

It is held on his Birthday October 31st at 7pm sharp.
The celebration  starts with the Troll under the Aurora Bridge (Troll Ave & N 36th St), as he loves a good laugh and a great story.   Then revelers will be off for the annual Haunt of Fremont (a procession of costumed dancers & performers (& you) taking over the streets of Fremont.)

This 20th anniversary of the birth of the Fremont Troll, you’ll be experiencing the tale of  Dante’s Inferno. Many seasoned artists and performers will present their twisted and whacky version of this dark tale, known to us as: ‘Just a little lover’s spat ~ honey’.

Rain or dry, revelers will sing, dance, marvel, and laugh their way through the dark underbelly of Dante and Fremont.   This is an unsweetened and piquant family event with plenty of fun to scare the laughs out of any stoic kid or stogy adult.

Vamola

Come dressed as your favorite dead celebrity and take part in our costume walk across the final stage, under the Fremont Bridge, for the appreciation of your community.

If you can lend a hand to help pull off this fabulous piece of street theater, meet by the Troll at 6:30pm & check in with the volunteer coordinator to get a job.

p.s. Find your place in hell by taking this quiz: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv

The National Park Service and Seattle Parks and Recreation Department are inviting Seattle-area families and youth ages 6-15 with little or no camping experience to camp at Mount Rainier National Park for two nights this summer. The program, Connecting Youth and Family to Our Parks, will provide free meals, transportation and camping gear. Families are encouraged to apply by April 22. For more infomation or to apply, contact Brad Carlquist at (206) 220-4229.