Seattle Twist

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.

The Georgetown Art Attack returns on Saturday, August 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. This monthly event allows patrons to explore the creative industrial arts corridor as artists open their workspaces to visitors and Georgetown’s many creative enterprises turn up the heat.

Among the highlights: Trailer Park Cinema presents the 1961 classic “Door to Door Maniac” starring Johnny Cash and Little Ronnie Howard and ten independently curated vintage trailers full of vintage finds, local art & kustom goods at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall; Augie Pagan’s “Peripheral Visions” at The Firm; Rat City Brass at 9 Lb. Hammer; Calamity Jane’s features paintings and drawings by Ken Hershenson; American Pie shows mixed media works by Yvette Endrijautzki and screen prints by Randal Hutchinson: the Nautilus studio presents the paintings of Robert Lane; Sage Artistry Studios proprietor Sherri Gamble invites the public to get their hands dirty with earth plaster finishes and experience other nature-inspired artistry through textiles, glass, and sculpture; Krab Jab Studio welcomes new artist Milo Duke with “Mercado Milo”, featuring portraits of produce with resident artists Michael Hoppe, Kyle Abernethy, Julie Baroh, Mark Tedin and Tenaya Sims; The Quiet Rrriot exhbition featuring Stella Marrs, Nikki McClure and Megan Kelso at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; grand opening of Tin Can Studio dance/art/event space in the Old Rainier Brewery building in neighboring SoDo; and the usual carousing that distinguishes the historic Georgetown neighborhood.

The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association: www.georgetownmerchants.org. For a printable map visit www.georgetownartattack.com. “Like” us on Facebook for regular updates and images.

Join us this Saturday, July 30 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery in Seattle to meet exceptional cartoonist Anders Nilsen. Anders will be in town promoting his new book Big Questions, an anthology of the popular series collected by our Canadian colleagues at Drawn & Quarterly. This 600-page, 15-year project displays the development of the artist’s delicate rendering technique and idiosyncratic narrative approach to comix.

The festivities begin at 6:00 PM. Nilsen will give a slide presentation, answer big questions from the audience, and sign books. We expect he’ll arrive with an assortment of self-published rarities, so plan to arrive early. Fantagraphics Bookstore is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in the heart of Seattle’s historic Georgetown arts community. Phone 206.658.0110. See you soon.

MadArt presents “Mad Homes” a dynamic art installation in 4 old homes that are slated for demolition on Capitol Hill. 11 artists create site specific installations, and the artists have used both the interior and the exterior of the homes to express their vision.

Artists Jason Puccinelli and Liz Potter have created this wonderful trompe l’oeil on the stairs that mirrors the image on the strange and wonderful floating orbs in the living room. Enter the darkened space to become one with the art yourself and explore Manet’s nude reclining Venus, “Olympia,” in a whole new manner.

Interactive, complex, and an invitation to become part of the art, Liz and Jason combine audio, video, light and sound to create an immersive and profound experience that borders on magic.

Artist Ryan Molecamp has the best view of the bunch with this installation in the back house overlooking downtown Seattle and the Space Needle. His piece, called “Strain”, is a large linear wall drawing depicting a river shape with structures emitting from its banks, and it wraps around the dining room and across the window. Wall sculptures of painted black wood extend outward blurring the line between interior and exterior space.

Meg Hartwig has created a sculpture using manufactured wood scraps and wood burning surface treatments, to create an imposing and slightly scary burnt wood installation.

Artist Julia Haack has created a subtle message re-using the house itself to create a symbol she believes to mean “No one at home”. The diamond pattern looks organic and only upon closer examination does one realize the complexity of the creation and the integration of the piece with the main part of the house. She also did another piece entitled Keating’s Foible (get out your old copy of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead from college to reference this one), and the shape of the large imposing sculpture, created out of old lathe, is taken from architectural details from several of the houses in the Mad Homes project. Julia is known for using material from roadsides, dumpsters and building sites, and all of her current work is made with salvaged wood.

Luke Haynes has reused and recycled 100′s of articles of clothing, some simple and others very unusual, to cover all the walls in one of the front houses. Like a graffiti artist, he’s tagged his own work with his name right above the fireplace.

And the mad woman behind the mad dream is arts supporter and curator, Alison Milliman, the founder of MadArt and the instigator behind this and several other art projects around town. Alison has been inspired by similar projects in Australia, and vowed to bring some vibrant shows to the Seattle area upon her return. Alison and the director Brian Ohno, hand-picked each artist after a visit to their studio, and carefully planned and orchestrated this incredible installation.

Here is an interview with MadArt founder, Alison Milliman, on King FM Arts Channel.

June 28, 2011 – Seattle, WA. The Georgetown Art Attack celebrates independent artists on Saturday, July 9 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM as creative enterprises present a stellar array of visual and performing arts throughout the historic industrial arts corridor

Among the highlights: All City Coffee commemorates a decade as a Georgetown institution with a 10th Anniversary exhibition of neighborhood artists including Miaja Fiebig, Chris Pfeifle, Chris McMullen, Tom E. Hall, David Mazak, Edward Matlock and more; The Georgetown Trailer Park Mall marks its first anniversary with live music, treats and the recent addition of new art venues including the Shasta 1400 Pinata Trailer and the Interstate Art Space; “Peripheral Visions,” a collection of work from Augie Pagan at the Firm; Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery presents “The Quiet Rrriot,” an examination of the Riot grrrl zine movement featuring Megan Kelso, Nikki McClure and Stella Marrs; Elizabeth Scallon’s “Space for Thoughts” at Vecta Photo; Nautilus Studio presents “De-Vice” by Yvette Endrijautzki and Brandon Bowman with recent work by Richard Olmsted; New work by Barry Sean Little at Calamity Jane’s; ”Half-Man, Half-Creature” group show at American Pie; paper mosaic art by Eric Edwards and music by The Sweet Spots at Georgetown Arts and Cultural Center; Krab Jab Studios presents Tenaya Sims with resident artists Mark Tedin, Julie Baroh, Michael Hoppe, Sandra Everingham, and artist-at-large Kyle Abernathy; a painting sale at Mary Tudor Studio; as well as diverse dining, adult libations, exotic shopping, and delightful distractions at every turn.

Then join us on Sunday, July 10 for the annual Georgetown Garden Walk. Maps are available at the Bank of America lot at 12th Avenue S. and S. Bailey St. The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association (www.georgetownmerchants.org.) For a map of Art Attack participants visit: www.georgetownartattack.com.

Two of the country’s most gifted young cartoonists will debut their recent publications at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, June 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Paul Hornschemeier, from Chicago, presents Life with Mr. Dangerous and Seattle’s own Eroyn Franklin debuts the highly anticipated Detained.

Eroyn Franklin’s Detained explores immigrant detention centers in Washington State. Each side of the book is a continuous panorama that follows two immigrants as they navigate Seattle’s former INS building and The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma – a powerful and evocative examination of cultural isolationism and the politics of xenophobia. The accordion-fold format lends a creative conceptual perspective to the protagonists’ poignant stories. This self-published work was supported in part by Artists Trust of Washington and the 4Culture lodging tax.

Paul Hornschemeier’s latest book, Life with Mr. Dangerous, was serialized in Fantagraphics Books Mome anthology before being collected by Random House/Villard. It follows the saga of a newly single woman in her mid-20s in an unfulfilling job as she struggles to find meaning and order in her life. The story is insightful and often funny, filled with situations that anyone who was ever young will recall. Hornschemeier has previously published three titles on Fantagraphics Books: The Three Paradoxes, All and Sundry, and Mother, Come Home.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street in the heart of Georgetown, only minutes south of downtown Seattle. Phone 206.658.0110.

June 1, 2011 – Seattle, WA. The summer festival season kicks off with a bang on Saturday, June 11 at the Georgetown Carnival. This eclectic event focuses on the creative diversity that characterizes the Georgetown industrial arts district. A wide variety of attractions will appeal to visitors of all backgrounds: circus entertainers, sideshows, aerial acts, carnival games, confections, music, alluring art, power tool races, and more! The Georgetown Carnival promises free fun for everyone from noon to 8:00 PM.

A fraction of the attractions: The Trailer Park Market of Curiosities featuring Teardrop Trailer hosted by the Tattooed Bearded Lady & Man with the Wolf Brothers, the Shasta 1400 Piñata Trailer Show hosted by World Famous Piñata-tamer, Comet Lodge Mercantile Rocket Trailer hosted by Resident Psychic Phenomenon, Frida Trailer Gallery hosted by Loveliest Aerialist of the Land, Lula B Lightning Trailer hosted by the Oddly Intriguing Mr. Tweed, Red Purse Airstream hosted by the Infamous Lady Trick Rider at Large, Vinyl Mosaic Trailer hosted by Smok’n Petz, Interactive Printing with Forrest Girl of the Wild, Georgetown Super 8 Film Festival in the Worlds Smallest Theater (a trailer); The Nautilus Sideshow and Stables Freakatorium featuring Side Show Banner Exhibition & the Pickle Punk Invitational; performance art and dance by Just Sage, Amy-Ellen Trefsger aka flatchestedmama, Jenna Bean Veatch, Leslie Rosen; Circus acts with S.A.N.C.A., Firthermore Collective, Acep Hale, the Baron of Illusion; Visual art by Nils Christian, Charles Peterson, Sara Ferguson, Scott Trimble, Evan Blackwell, Wyly Astley, Chris McMullen, Steve Withycombe, Richard Lemmert, Trey Jones/Derek Bruno, Morbid Anatomy, Jethaniel Peterka, Jason Soles, Wendy James, Michelle Smith-Lewis, Corey Urlacher, Kat Houseman, Yvette Endrijautzki, Brandon Bowman, Richard Olmsted, Tabasco Mills, Miller School of Art, Mark Tedin, Kyle Abernethy, Julie Baroh, Aimee Stewart, Anita Aurora, Elisabeth Vedrine and more.

Music by Feast, Creeping Time, Crutchman, The Eagles Aerie #1 Brass Band, Mercury Four, Moon Spinners, Virgin Islands, Meisce, Shame Wreck, Dark State Lines, Hell’s Bellows, Guardian Alien, The Mother’s Anger, Dapper Jones, Kaymak Musik, The Turpentines, Mannequin BBQ, Witchburn, Pilot To Bombardier, Tick Tock Man, Ghost Town Riot, The Missionary Position, Thaddilliac, Max Crumble Orchestra, Caela & the Dangerous Flares, Death’s Three Daughters, God’s Favorite Beefcake, and more.
All this and Harzardfactory’s Power Tool Races, Dead Baby Bike Jousting, the Mobile Elvis Museum, Hat & Boots Parade, Food Corral, Beer Garden, and spontaneous spectacle all over the neighborhood.

For updates and a more complete list of Georgetown Carnival artists, performers, activities, a map and schedule see: www.georgetowncarnival.com.

May 2, 2011 – Seattle, WA. As the Northwest’s grunge generation examines the implications of their misspent youth, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is pleased to present “Charles Peterson: Taking Punk to the Masses.” Inspired by the recent Fantagraphics book, Taking Punk to the Masses: From Nowhere to Nevermind, published in association with the acclaimed Nirvana exhibition at EMP, Peterson’s photography show will focus on the seminal musicians and social milieu that evolved into a global youth movement. The show opens on Saturday, May 14 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM with a reception for the artist and a guest appearance by extraordinary Seattle cartoonist Peter Bagge, who chronicled the grunge counterculture in his comic book series Hate.

Charles Peterson’s cinematic approach to photography captured the unrestrained enthusiasm of Seattle’s punk environment throughout the 1980s and 90s. His exhibition will include influential early bands like the U-Men and 10 Minute Warning (with future Guns N’ Roses member Duff McKagan), as well as audiences at local venues. Peterson’s work is central to both EMP’s Nirvana exhibit and the companion book, which documents the grunge scene from its inception with images, artifacts and oral histories provided by many of the participants (including Fantagraphics Bookstore’s resident curator). His photography is the subject of several books and has been celebrated in galleries and museums worldwide. The exhibition at Fantagraphics Bookstore will give audiences an opportunity to see this remarkable artist in his formative period.

Peterson will be joined by legendary cartoonist Peter Bagge signing copies of the recently released Hate Annual #9 comic and Yeah! collection. Bagge’s influential comic book serial Hate went beyond satire to help establish the attitude and aesthetics of the grunge era. In the latest issue, Hate protagonist Buddy Bradley returns to Seattle from his home in New Jersey so his wife Lisa can look after her ailing parents, once again mimicking the experiences of his readership. Making its debut is the Yeah! collection. Originally serialized on D C’s alternative imprint Homage, Yeah! tells the tale of an intergalactic all-girl pop group trying to make it big. Collaborating with artist Gilbert Hernandez of Love & Rockets fame, Bagge again hits his mark. According to Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s, “Reading Yeah! is a bit like reading my life story, as told in an alternative universe.”

Adding to the atmosphere, Fantagraphics Bookstore’s retail partners, Georgetown Records, will mount a related installation of vintage Seattle punk posters, records, and ephemera, alluding to a boutique record store of the grunge era. Russ Battaglia of Fallout Records & Skateboards fame will spin period platters. (Fallout was the site of an early Charles Peterson show, and a frequent hangout for artists and musicians.)

The evening will conclude with a concert at neighboring Mix nightclub with Bagge’s pop combo Can You Imagine? featuring musician/producer Steve Fisk. The group highlights harmonies by Michelle Plaitis, Sue Merrill, and Rachel Frost, reflecting the imagined music of Yeah! They’ll be joined by the return of the Capillaries, fronted by gifted cartoonist and musician Matthew Southworth, (who will also be on hand at the bookstore to sign newly minted copies of the collected Stumptown from Portland publisher Oni.) Also on the bill is Wormburner from Hoboken, New Jersey – Bagge’s home prior to his move to Seattle. (New Jersey is also home to Buddy Bradley and Yeah!)

The festivities on May 14 coincide with the colorful Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic industrial arts corridor. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.) Open daily 11:30 – 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

April 26. 2011 – Seattle, WA. The Georgetown Art Attack has become one of the region’s most provocative cultural outings, as adventurous residents explore the delightfully rustic industrial arts corridor and discover aesthetic treasures at every turn.

Among the many highlights of the May 14 Art Attack installment: “Taking Punk to the Masses,” seminal Seattle grunge photography by Charles Peterson, joined by cartoonist Peter Bagge signing copies of his new Yeah! collection and Hate Annual #9 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; a companion installation of vintage Seattle punk posters, records and ephemera at Georgetown Records followed by a concert with Bagge’s combo Can You Imagine? featuring Steve Fisk, with the Capillaries and Wormburner from Hoboken, N J at the Mix; new work by Mark Takamichi Miller and students at the Miller School of Art; the Nautilus is celebrating its one year anniversary with a show of Kyle Abernathy’s oil paintings, live music and a magician; a solo show of photomontages by Amie Stewart at Calamity Jane’s; live music by Cold Cold Ground and guests at the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall together with a show of industrial jewelry by Sonja Albin at Lula B Lightning and “I Don’t Know Shit” by mixed media artist Julie Trout at Frida Trailer Gallery; “Inky Spokes: Bicycle Inspired Art” by Aaron Asis, Deborah Scott, Greg Boudreau, Jethaniel Peterka, Nikki Mazzei, Soren O’Malley and Yvette Endrijautzki at All City Coffee; Krab Jab Studio celebrates a move to Studio 246 in the Origial Ranier Brewery complex, welcomes new member Sandra Everingham, and mounts a show by East Coast illustrator Jeff Menges with Mark Tedin, Julie Baroh, and Michael Hoppe; an opening reception for “One Act,” new paintings by Michael McDevitt at Georgetown Arts & Culture Center; mixed media photographer Misha Hunting and experimental images by John Gerhard at Vecta Photo Studio & Gallery; Foto Bolivia, a group photography exhibition of daily life in the South American country at La Catrina; “This a Way and That,” new works and limited edition prints by Mark LaFalce at Two Tartes Café; and, as always, much more.

Don’t miss the colorful and boisterous Honk Fest West festival of unconventional marching band throughout Georgetown on the evening of Friday, May 13. So plan to spend your weekend in Seattle’s outrageously unorthodox arts community. The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association (www.georgetownmerchants.org.) For a printable Art Attack map visit: www.georgetownartattack.com.

April 21, 2011. Seattle, WA – As the Seattle Mariners embark on another season of despair and sordid revelations of players on performance enhancing drugs continue to grab headlines, cartoonist Wilfred Santiago reminds us why we love the game of baseball. 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente documents the unlikely career of the Pittsburg Pirates legend. Clemente’s inspirational rise from the barrios of Puerto Rico to the highest levels of our national pastime was heroic enough. Not content with the fame and fortune brought by his baseball abilities, Clemente became a tireless advocate for social justice and the plight of the underclass throughout Latin America.

Over the course of his storied career, Clemente overcame the racial discrimination of the era to win awards in nearly every category, including the World Series MVP in 1971. Despite his success on the field, Clemente never forgot his roots, returning in the off-season to manage and play with minor league teams on the impoverished island.

For all his staggering athletic accomplishments, it was his unflinching humanitarianism that cemented Clemente into our culture’s consciousness. While visiting Puerto Rico in 1972, Nicaragua experienced a devastating earthquake. Clemente immediately began a relief effort, sending planeloads of supplies to the beleaguered country. When he learned these shipments were being diverted by corrupt officials, he boarded a flight to Managua. The plane, overloaded with supplies, fell out of the sky after take off. His body was never found. Clemente remains a hero throughout the hemisphere. He has been posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among countless others. Major League Baseball honors the player that best exemplifies his commitment to public service with the Roberto Clemente Award.

Clemente’s cartoon biographer Wilfred Santiago will appear at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Wednesday, May 4 at 6:00 PM. His sensitive portrayal of this amazing story is rendered seamlessly with cinematic verve. Santiago will discuss his graphic novel with bestselling author Rob Neyer, national baseball editor for SBNation.com, followed by an informal reception and book signing. Please join us for this momentous occasion at 1201 S. Vale Street in Seattle’s historic Georgetown district.

March 29, 2011 – Seattle, WA. The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack encourages adventurous Northwest art mavens to encounter the colorful creativity of one of our region’s most seductive urban environments. On the second Saturday of each month, Georgetown’s resident artists and surrounding businesses welcome the public to explore this enchanting industrial arts corridor.

Among the highlights of the April 9 installment: An improvisational music performance by accomplished experimental sound artist Rob Angus at Georgetown Records; “Assemblages: Form and Fragments” by collage artist Ken Torres at All City Coffee; the Nautilus presents “Wasteland,” a collaborative show by Corey Urlacher and Kat Houseman including
live music and belly dancing; abstract paintings by Katrina Wolfe at Calamity Jane’s; scenic photographs of Japan by Richard Walker at Vecta Photo with proceeds from sales benefiting the International Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan; resident artists Michael Hoppe, Mark Tedin, Julie Baroh, and Kyle Abernathy at Krab Jab Studios; the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall celebrates spring with assorted jackrabbit shenanigans, colorful treats and “Symbols of Synthesis” by featured artist Rose Jarvey in the Lula B canned ham trailer; a continuing exhibition of famed French cartoonist Jacques Tardi at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery; the Stables hosts a group show of Seattle artists curated by Twilight Artist Collective including Curtis Ashby (CASH), Jenna Colby, Twozdai Hulse, Xavier Lopez, ninjagrl, Rick Simpson and Linus Von Moos; and the casual cacophony that characterizes the creative Georgetown community.

The Georgetown Art Attack is a monthly production of the Georgetown Merchants Association (www.georgetownmerchants.org.) A downloadable map of participants can be found at www.georgetownartattack.com.

March 1, 2011 – Seattle, WA. The fabulous Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack returns on March 12. The neighborhood lights up from 6:00 to 9:00 PM with visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic industrial arts corridor. This monthly event affords the public an opportunity to visit working artists’ studios and patronize the lively and diverse establishments that surround them.

Among the highlights of the March 12 Art Attack: The amazing Georgetown Trailer Park Mall celebrates Americana at its best with the debut of Charlie’s Buns ‘N’ Stuff, a trunk show of Frida Kustoms in the Frida Trailer Gallery, and live recording for the Georgetown Trailer Park Podcast; Krab Jab Studio presents “The Alien-Pooka War” by artist Milo Duke; the grand opening of Vecta Photo, a photography studio and gallery in the Original Rainier Brewery, features photographs of Seattle Slam wheelchair rugby athletes (proceeds of sales will benefit the team); “Chalk:” new art by Mark LaFalce at Mark LaFalce Painting Works; the neighboring Seattle Sculpture Atelier features a preview of Spring classes; Calamity Jane’s hosts an assemblage and sculpture group show with Yvette Endrijautzki, Morbid Anatomy, Matthew C. Scott, Jack Howe and Brandon Bowman; Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery mounts an exhibition focusing on master French cartoonist Jacques Tardi with a slide talk by curator, editor and Tardi translator Kim Thompson; and the many wonderfully creative shopping and dining experiences that make historic Georgetown a priceless civic asset worthy of preservation.

The Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack is a monthly promotion of the Georgetown Merchants Association www.georgetownmerchants.org. For more information and a downloadable Art Attack map please visit:
www.georgetownartattack.com.

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery loves local comix! Saturday, February 12 features the opening of “Lovesick,” an exhibition of emerging and established artists from the Bureau of Drawers cartoonist collective. The show includes original art, handmade books and prints by 16 Seattle comix artists and illustrators. Exhibiting artists will be present for a festive reception at Fantagraphics Bookstore on Saturday, February 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM – just in time for Valentine’s.

The Bureau of Drawers formed in 2010 as an alliance of independent local alternative cartoonists. They meet weekly for an informal salon at Café Racer in Ravenna and have participated in high profile events at the Seattle Art Museum, Bumbershoot, and Urban Light Studios. The group includes accomplished cartoonists like David Lasky, Tom Dougherty and Scott Faulkner as well as promising young talent like Nikki Burch and Marc Palm. Other participating artists include Breanne Boland, Billis Helg, Tyler Hill, Calamity Jon Morris, Sean Robinson, Mark Stockbridge, Ed Trumbule, Adam Watson, Dalton Webb, and Stevie VanBronkhorst Expect an eclectic mix of topical works on the loose theme of unrequited love.

This event coincides with the 3rd anniversary edition of the colorful Georgetown Second Saturday Art Attack featuring adventurous – and amorous – visual and performing arts events throughout the historic neighborhood. For more information and a participant map visit: www.georgetownartattack.com. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery is located at 1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.) just minutes south of downtown Seattle. Open daily 11:30 to 8:00 PM, Sundays until 5:00 PM. Phone 206.658.0110.

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/

Revelers at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery’s fabulous fourth anniversary party this Saturday will be the first in the country to see the new line of Frank garments produced by iconoclastic Seattle sportswear company International News on their Americaware label. Jim Woodring will be available from 7:00 to 8:00 PM to sign the new shirts, as well as his award-winning graphic novel WEATHERCRAFT, and other merchandise. The “Medieval Thinkers” comix art exhibition includes a new original drawing by Woodring.

Fantagraphics Bookstore’s anniversary party has quickly gained a reputation as one of the region’s most festive holiday celebrations – amazing music, awesome art, complimentary refreshments, celebrity guests and more. Make plans to attend the event this Saturday, December 11 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at 1201 S. Vale Street in the heart of Seattle’s colorful Georgetown arts community.