Seattle Twist

Don’t miss this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 12:30 pm, Saturday, March 13, 2010, starting from 4th Ave at Jefferson in downtown Seattle.
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The Parade travels north on 4th Ave starting from Jefferson to the Reviewing Stand at Westlake Park, and officially ends at the Seattle Center with Closing Ceremonies at 2 PM. The Monorail will be free from 1:30 - 2:30 pm for travel from Westlake Park to the Seattle Center to participate in the 2010 Irish Festival.

Sponsored by the Irish Heritage Club.

Northwest fans of fine art and low brow culture alike are in for a treat this Saturday, March 13. Get your geek on at the Emerald City Comicon, and visit the Fantagraphics booth for a look at a carload of brand new books. Meet stellar cartoonists including legendary Love & Rockets co-creator Gilbert Hernandez.

Take a break from the convention madness to greet the lovely and talented Los Angeles artist Camille Rose Garcia at Roq la Rue Gallery in Belltown. She’ll be signing her timely new book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and ever-popular Magic Bottle from Fantagraphics Books this Saturday afternoon.

Then head down to Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Georgetown from 6:00 to 9:00 PM for an adult beverage at the opening of Gilbert’s HIGH SOFT LISP exhibition and book launch event that serves as the after-party for the Emerald City Comicon. Expect cameos from visiting pros, exquisite art, and DJ Russ Fallout spinning classic punk platters. See you this weekend.

The Northwest Puppet Center is an internationally renowned and presents performances by Carter Family Marionettes and esteemed guest artists. In addition, it features a museum, archive and library focused on the puppetry arts. Programs are also brought to communities near and far with touring performances and educational outreach.

March 3, 2010 – Seattle, WA. The colorful Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack enters its third year resolved to draw attention to the historic industrial arts district in an effort to generate public sentiment towards preservation of this enchanting civic asset. As many of Seattle’s formerly artist-friendly neighborhoods fell victim to frenzied gentrification over the past decade, Georgetown remains the last bastion of a cohesive creative community in the city. We believe activities like the monthly Art Attack will advance our preservation efforts.

Among the highlights of the March 13 Art Attack: The grand opening of the Miller School of Art with a show of student work, painting demonstrations and more; “Circus Series” at Bella Vitale Studio featuring original paintings, prints, textile designs and punk pock dog clothing by Angielena Chamberlain; “Into the Briny Deep”, new paintings by Mary Louise Silva at Frida / Georgetown Tile Works; “High Soft Lisp” art exhibition and book signing by influential Los Angeles cartoonist Gilbert Hernandez at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; “Wackalope: The Paintings of Dan’l Linehan” at Helmet Head, where the lovely staff will be applying make-up and styling hair for Art Attack patrons; the Helle salon opens their spacious new facility and the Mix re-opens its recently remodeled nightclub; Mark Tedin, Kyle Abernethy and Julie Baroh at KrabJab Studios; Georgetown Atelier open studio tours with founder Mark Tedin; and the usual mayhem and merriment we’ve come to associate with this diverse and festive cultural event.

As the weather heats up, so does the action at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, with a series of exhibitions, signings and performances featuring some of our favorite artists.

On Saturday, March 13, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, Fantagraphics Bookstore welcomes illustrious LOVE & ROCKETS co-creator Gilbert Hernandez on the occasion of the release of his latest masterpiece HIGH SOFT LISP. This exhibition of his amazing original art and book signing doubles as the official after-party for the Emerald City Comicon. Expect to socialize with a diverse array of unannounced special guests at this festive annual event.

Rock on Saturday, April 10 with our crew of musical savants from the warehouse and friends for an evening of dissonant performance. Improvisational quartet Zinjanthropus features maestro Martin Bland reuniting with his mate Ren from the awesome Australian combo Lubricated Goat and his Monkeywrench axe man Tom Price of the legendary U-Men. Joining them is former Gas Huffer front man Matt Wright. Our beloved Ajax makes lovely noise as Ardent Vein. Georgetown will be filled with melodious mayhem all night as the cacophonous Honk Fest West marching band carnival takes over the streets. Un-freaking-believable, this one.

On Saturday, April 17 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM we host a signing and publication party for James Sturm and Peter Bagge. Sturm returns to Seattle where he co-founded the Stranger and created his popular comic Cereal Killings for Fantagraphics Books. He since co-founded the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont and continued a successful career as a cartoonist. He’ll be signing his recent graphic novel MARKET DAY. Also appearing will be the architect of the alternative comics movement Peter Bagge signing the highly anticipated HATE ANNUAL #8. Catch up on the latest shenanigans of Buddy Bradley and the gang.

Look for these and other activities throughout the Spring at Fantagraphics Bookstore, located at 1201 S. Vale Street only minutes sought of downtown Seattle. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110. See you all soon.

You are invited to an intimate acoustic concert with Al Perry and Alvarius B at The Josephine on Thursday February 25th at 9:00pm 

The legendary Al Perry will be playing a solo acoustic show at the Josephine in Ballard starting at 9:00sharp. After his set, Alvarius B (Alan Bishop founder of the Sun City Girls and operator of the Sublime Frequencies label) will perform. Perry rarely tours, so this is truly a rare event at this intimate acoustic venue. 

The Josephine is located at 608 NW 65h Street in Ballard. 
Al is an original musician and is Arizona’s Hank Williams.
Alan is a founder of the Sun City Girls and Sublime Frequencies Record Label. This is a once in a lifetime small intimate acoustic show. It is an all age’s show at this venue.

The Josephine
608 NW 65th St. Ballard

On the Surface: Passions We Can’t Hide

Diane Marie Chaudiere, Gay Jensen, and Barbara Zander

February 3-26, 2010

Phinney Center Gallery

On the Surface: Passions We Can’t Hide, on view now at the Phinney Center Gallery through February 26th,  celebrates three artists’ passions.

Diane Marie Chaudiere is passionate about gardening and aquatic environments.

Gay Jensen is passionate about wildlife; especially birds, bears, and antlered animals.  As well as inescapably drawn to lunar, solar and stellar images.

Barbara Zander is passionate about movement, discovering the unexpected and has an insatiable thirst for color and texture.

On The Surface: Passions We Can't Hide on view through Feb 26th

These three artists, who all work in fiber, have come to realize that they do their best work when they let these passions motivate their artistic endeavors.   In the exhibit On the Surface: Passions We Can’t Hide they show work that celebrates passion as their muse.

All three artists are enthusiastic surface designers, using combinations of dyeing, painting, weaving, stitching, layering, printing, digital photography, quilting, beading and other embellishment techniques to express their ideas.    They hope that viewers of their show will gain an enhanced appreciation of the depth and breadth of fiber as a medium as well as an understanding of the passion that drives them to create art.

The Phinney Center Gallery is located at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, on the second floor of the Blue building, at 6532 Phinney Ave N in Seattle.  http://www.phinneycenter.org/arts.shtml

Gallery hours are Monday - Friday 9am-10pm, Saturdays 9am-3pm.

If you are interested in the arts and would like to know more about the Phinney Center arts committee, please email Pamela at arts@phinneycenter.org

Last week’s Grand Opening extravaganza at Nube was a roaring success, as apparent from seeing the hordes of supporters, well-wishers and shoppers crowding the corner mercantile in the Oddfellows Building.

Shoppers gazed lovingly at the myriad of earth-friendly merchandise and wondered aloud about this pillow, that piece of furniture, the stylish clothing lines and the beautiful displays of jewelry, housewares and accessories.

NuBe Green guarantees that every item available in the store meets established sustainability and sourcing criteria, and all of NuBe Green’s products are made in the US from materials that are grown and/or sourced in the US. In addition, all items at the store are made without toxic chemicals and materials in order to offer folks choices of green products that are healthier for humans and the planet.

NuBe Green is the brainchild of Ruth True (pictured here with her sister Molly), who also owns Western Bridge with her husband, Bill. Western Bridge is a cool nonprofit space dedicated to contemporary art, designed by Roy McMakin.

Roy also had a hand in designing and decorating the Nube Green space. There were some doors that were found in the basement of the Oddfellows building, where Nube is located, and he hauled them upstairs, where he constructed a series of tracks. He mounted the doors on the tracks, added some lights and, voila, transformed the corner store into an ever changing series of “rooms”. Just by moving the doors around on the tracks, the store staff is able to change the feeling, flow and layout of the shop.

(Roy McMakin and friend Julie Takashiki)

NuBe Green’s offerings include the work of Seattle artists and artisans as part of its mission to support the local community, and there are items in the store that are wonderful one-of-kind utilitarian yet beautiful objects d’art.

Location: 912 EAST PINE STREET, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, 98122
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm
Website: Nube Green

Seattle-based artist Michael Leavitt is involved an ongoing 8-year project sculpting figures for his fanciful “Art Army.” Inductees include Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Mark Ryden, Robert Williams, Ron English, Shag, Banksy, and countless others. His latest recruit is none other than underground comix legend R. Crumb.

This fully articulated wood-carved sculpture was commissioned by an out-of-state collector. Before it ships off to the private collection, the piece will be put on public display at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery for one night only during the reception for Gahan Wilson on Saturday, February 13. If you can’t make it then, you can view Leavitt’s recent work, including collaborations with Fantagraphics friend Charles Krafft, at Stolen Space Gallery in London May 13 through May 30.

February 1, 2010 – Seattle, WA. The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack celebrates is second anniversary on February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day. What better place for art mavens of all ages to observe this romantic occasion than in the enchanting industrial arts quarter of Georgetown? In the short span of two years the Georgetown Art Attack has gained a reputation as one of the region’s most provocative and colorful cultural outings. The public is invited to experience the excitement on Saturday, February 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM as dozens of nightclubs, cafes and creative enterprises present a vast array of visual and performing arts.

Among the highlights: “Show Some Heart” by Georgetown artist and blacksmith Lisa Geertsen at FRIDA & Georgetown Tile Works; Pop art pet paintings by Shai Steiner at A Dog’s Dream; make your own shrinky art with Shrinkmaster Malice together with paintings by Kris Kirwan and Michelle Robles at ProletariArt in the old Rainier Bottling Plant; new works by M. C. Corley and wine charms by Erika Tedin, as well as a huge assortment of fine wines and boutique beers at Full Throttle Bottles; paintings and prints by Mark Tedin, Kyle Abernethy and Julie Baroh at KrabJab Studio; legendary macabre cartoonist Gahan Wilson celebrates 50 years of Playboy cartoons at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery with the debut of a monumental new sculpture by Michael Leavitt; Annalisa Cristine Barelli’s “Into the Dream” at the captivating Engine Room at Georgetown Studios; open house tours with Georgetown Atelier School of Drawing and Painting founder Tenaya Sims; informal music jam with guest musicians at Georgetown Music; diverse dining and drinking at Calamity Jane’s, Jules Maes Saloon, Georgetown Liquor Company, 9 Lb. Hammer, Smarty Pants; Stellars Pizza & Ale; All City Coffee; Squid & Ink; Via Tribunali and more.

For map see: www.georgetownartattack.com.

excerpt from the Moonspinners MySpace page

2/13/2010 9:00 PM at ORIENT EXPRESS w/ LES ESTRANGERS party in the train cars!
2963 4th Avenue South, SEATTLE,
Cost: $5
Hi Gang We MoonSpinners have an especially fun show coming up on Feb. 13th, not only the eve of Valentine’s day but also the start of Chinese New Year (The Year of the Tiger for those of you scoring at home). So what better venue than The Orient Express restaurant and bar in SODO (the train cars on fourth avenue once known as the beloved Andy’s Diner)? And just to make it more cross-cultural, on the slate with us are Les Étrangers - a Portland-based group that specializes in 60’s French garage-pop classics, plus the soulful stylings of DJ Miss Lilli’s scratchy 45’s. The kitchen stays open late, the drinks will be bold and the beer will be cold - come for fun & great music!

One of my Favorite ongoing dance nights in Seattle is DJ Miss B Wonder Jones’ “Love My Wave”. It’s been around in one form or another for years, featuring 80’s punk, ska and other various forms of modern music. This version (my favorite so far) is purely New Wave. It happens Fridays in Belltown at the Buddha Bar 2222 2nd Ave (Between Bell and Blanchard) next to Shorty’s. If you’re hungry arrive before ten for delicious Thai food- enjoy happy hour drinks from 10-12 then enjoy a party on the dance floor, my loves. I usually hit this after Roq La Rue openings because it’s only a block away and deep down I’m a child of the 80’s. ~ DJ Vodka Twist