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

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.

Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest was hit by a major snow storm starting the week of January 15th with major snow fall seen on the 18th. By 1/20, it was already melting, but we went through some of the photos and found this great old song by Sherwood “Snowing in Seattle” and put them together in a little video.

“Janet in a Snow Yoni” by Ed

“Trader Pup and Hula” by Elicia

“Home” by Tamitha

“Snow Fro” by Yo Jo

“Hello Snow Kitty” by Cole

“The Hood” by Marlow

“Snow Peace” by Darcy

A New Solo Play Written & Performed by David Schmader
Directed by Matthew Richter

Fridays and Saturdays, Jan. 20-Feb. 4, 8 p.m.

A comedy about unfunny things, “A Short-Term Solution to a Long-Term Problem,” commissioned by Richard Hugo House, is writer/performer David Schmader’s solo play about the dramatic life upheaval that drove him to spend a decade “living every day like it’s your last!”—a profoundly ridiculous adventure that finds Schmader aiming his pointy-headed, fall-off-your-seat wit at marriage, Mormons and the type of relaxation that comes from watching a baby get a spray tan.

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Tickets are $20/$15 for students and are available online, by calling (206) 322-7030 or at Hugo House during normal business hours.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and the bar will be open prior to and following performances.

Written and performed by David Schmader

Directed by Matt Richter

Christine Gregoire, who recently proposed a same-sex marriage bill, is retiring and the likely Republican candidate for governor will be Rob McKenna.  McKenna does not support marriage equality and you may also remember he sued the federal government and President Obama for his health care plan, in the name of the citizens of Washington State.

Jay Inslee is running as the Democratic candidate for governor and he fully supports bringing marriage equality to Washington state. He’s been encouraged by the willingness of legislators on both sides of the aisle to join the effort of passing it in the Legislature, and is hopeful they will succeed.

According to a recent poll by KING 5 News, Attorney General Rob McKenna has a 46-43 percent lead over Rep. Jay Inslee and as of year’s end, he had raised $3.76 million to $3.32 million for Inslee, and had $2.28 million in the bank to $2.03 for his Democratic opponent.

Why am I telling you this? So you can take action and join us in a fundraising brunch for Jay this Sunday, January 22nd 11:30 to 1pm at the home of James and Sue Tupper near Sandpoint by Lake Washington. The snow will be gone by Sunday and we can all drink a glass of champagne to Jay’s candidacy.

We need to fill the coffers and friends are asked to donate at least $250 to attend the event, to help Jay’s candidacy and to make sure we have equal rights for all of Washington’s citizens.

RSVP to Alexa at 206-328-2969 or email to Alexa

Art Zone with Nancy Guppy episodes hit the air Fridays at 8pm on The Seattle Channel 21 and at 11pm on KCTS 9, with repeats on both, as well as streaming online. Above is the episode from January 13th 2012. In addition to Wade Madsen’s highly entertaining story about playing a turkey, Nancy is also covering Bruce Bickford; David Schmader’s new show; Jeff Ament’s new bass; and new music from In Cahoots.

Art Zone!

In celebration of the upcoming Seattle “Elvis” Invitationals that is happening on Saturday, January 14th at EMP, Top Pot Doughnuts has come up with a special commemorative “King’s Rings” doughnut, a raised ring covered in maple cream frosting and smothered in caramelized bacon.

The King’s Rings will be available for sale at the Top Pot Doughnut shops on Friday, January 13th. However, if you’d like to sample these luscious creations for free, plus see a great performance by Billy Joe Huels of the Dusty 45′s, go to the taping of the New Day Northwest TV show at KING-5 on Thursday, 1/12. You’ll need to email the Audience Coordinator Suzie Wiley- newdaytickets@king5.com before 8am Thursday, so they have a head count.

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.