Arts Festival Picks
Three festivals provide ample arts in August—but each requires a lot of walking
By Seattle Mag July 16, 2013
This article originally appeared in the August 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
Arts in Nature Festival
Organized by the Nature Consortium, this fest takes place at Camp Long in West Seattle and emphasizes “interaction rather than transaction” (translation: no vendor booths!). Wandering around the woods, participants will encounter live music (including headlining “eco-rockers” Cloud Cult), dance performances, art installations and a fun “museum of sound” staged in the cabins, plus forest hikes, a ropes course, knitting and writing workshops, and naturalist activities. Shoes: Keens and Tevas will be popular in this enviro-minded crowd, but you can take it one step further by hand-making your own footwear using only the shrubs in your yard. 8/10–8/11. Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. $10. Camp Long in West Seattle; fest.naturec.org
Lo-Fi Arts Festival
Held at the bucolic 360-acre former dairy farm outside of Arlington now known as Smoke Farm, Lo-Fi is an ode to both local arts and ambling, where installations, theatrical performances and music are embedded in the trees, along trails and sometimes in the river. This year’s theme is “Must Be Present to Win,” and the immense list of artists includes Vis-A-Vis Society (poetry scientists), The Satori Group (avant-garde theater), and visual art by Allison Manch and Evan Blackwell. Shoes: Sort of Burning Man but on a forested farm, this fest demands footwear that pairs rugged walkability with indie artistic flair. Consider adorning your hiking boots with an original oil painting. 8/24. Gates open at 10 a.m. $20–$30. Smoke Farm in Arlington; lofiarts.org
Bumbershoot
The annual arts extravaganza is back, with a music lineup that includes big names such as Heart, Crystal Castles and Death Cab for Cutie, and loads of local goodness, including Allen Stone, The Maldives (pictured below), The Redwood Plan, Kithkin and BellaMaine. The non-music marvels around the grounds include talks with Seattle cartoonists Ellen Forney and Jim Woodring; Matt Smith’s funny monologue “My Last Year with the Nuns,” and something called A Puppet Sex Musical. Shoes: Footwear must hold up to being soaked in the International Fountain, stomped on by enthusiastic moshers and mustn’t lose traction in spilled strawberry shortcake. Combat boots are the only way to go. 8/31–9/2. Times vary. $50/one day, $120/three-day pass. Seattle Center; bumbershoot.org
Follow Us
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Rearview Mirror: Ballet’s Saddest Story, New Art in the Sculpture Park, and a Home-Grown Wine Label Promoting Social Justice
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Circular Thinking I am very lucky to live just a 12-minute walk away from Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s a regular destination for my weekly walks and, aside from the world-class art, has one of the city’s best views of Puget Sound. Earlier this week, I went on a wet, windy walk and discovered…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…
Building Connection, by Design
How Angela Dunleavy’s new venture is reimagining experiential marketing—and Seattle spaces.
After two decades running restaurants, a nonprofit, and a large-scale catering operation, Angela Dunleavy reached a familiar midcareer inflection point. She had helped build Ethan Stowell Restaurants, led FareStart through the pandemic, and returned to the private sector as CEO of Gourmondo. But something still felt unfinished. “What is it that I really want to…