Before The Parable of the Sower became a staple on syllabi across the country, Octavia E. Butler was quietly living and writing in Lake Forest Park. From 1999 until her death in 2006, she made her home there — so quietly, in fact, that some longtime locals are still surprised to learn she once lived…

When Kevin Kwan made his literary debut with Crazy Rich Asians in 2013, he introduced readers to the world of — as the title implies — crazy rich Asians. While it may not have been the first book to tell a story about the Asian diaspora that wasn’t rooted in trauma, it was the first…

Gallerist Kirsten Anderson is having a full-circle moment. In March, she opened the doors of the newest location of Roq La Rue, the arts space she launched 27 years ago in Belltown. Now, after hop-scotching through the city — 13 years and several locations downtown, three years in Pioneer Square, a stint on Capitol Hill,…

Last year marked 50 years of official Pride parades in Seattle. The monumental anniversary may have come and gone, but Seattle continues to position itself as a leader for queer communities. The city was recently ranked as one of the safest places for LGBTQIA+ travelers. Before the colorful, vibrant celebrations commonly associated with Pride Month,…

Kyu Lee has long been a behind-the-scenes force bridging Hollywood and Hallyu (the Korean Wave). A proud University of Washington alum and former Husky wide receiver, Lee is now the vice president of Hi-Hat Entertainment, the company behind rising K-pop girl group ifeye. Over the years, he’s helped connect East and West — introducing South…

Each spring, SIFF sweeps through the city like a season of its own. Seattleites know the rhythm by now: the trailer drops, the posters go up, and the festival’s distinct look starts showing up everywhere. And while the films change from year to year, the team behind that visual identity has stayed the same. WongDoody,…

Seattle summer doesn’t arrive all at once — it trickles in, a little ore light here, a slightly warmer evening there. We’re not all the way in, but we’re close enough to start making plans. 1. Panda Fest I don’t usually trust anything with a mascot, but I’ll make an exception for the giant inflatable…

The Seattle International Film Festival, now in its 51st edition, is breaking the filmmaking world’s notoriously sexist mold. More than half of the 245 films to be screened during the festival feature filmmakers who are female or nonbinary identifying. The festival kicked off Thursday night at The Paramount Theatre with a gala party and screening of Four Mothers, a…

If you’re up for a scenic drive and love discovering art where it’s made, the Camano Island Studio Tour is worth the trip. Now in its 26th year, what began as a 14-venue event listed on a single sheet of paper has evolved into one of the North Puget Sound’s most beloved art experiences. If…

The first Asian American immigrants landed in Seattle in the 1860s, just a decade after the city’s founding in 1852. Seattle is plentiful with sites that tell crucial stories about Seattle’s Asian American community, whether you choose to learn about historic neighborhoods and buildings in the International District or browse sculptures and paintings at the…

The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…

After a successful run in the tech world, engineer and entrepreneur Andrew Conru, founder of the namesake Conru Foundation, is leaning in to one of his personal passions — art — with the launch of the Seattle Prize Masters Fellowship. Announced recently through the Conru Art Foundation, the one-year program, according to a press release,…