Arts
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This is the Biggest Laundry Basket You’ll Ever See
New art in South Lake Union adds culture and context to the gleaming tech hub
This article originally appeared in the August 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
Having given The neighborhood an extreme makeover, Paul Allen’s development company, Vulcan Real Estate, is making a concerted effort to enrich upscale South Lake Union with art. Since 2003, Vulcan has commissioned 18 public installations for the area, with more on the docket. “The Laundry Strike,” a recent addition by renowned Seattle artist Whiting Tennis, brings not just culture, but context to the mix. Positioned near the two-story 1906 Supply Laundry Building, which Vulcan is preserving and converting into offices, retail and restaurants, the sculpture recalls the wicker hampers and baskets used by the industrial laundries that once thrived in SLU. Regarding the title, Tennis, who hand-wove the piece from rattan before having it cast in bronze, says, “I wanted there to be no ambiguity about what it’s a memorial to,” namely, the Seattle Laundry Strike of 1917. “The figures are hampers and baskets,” he says, “taking in the dirty clothes of the bourgeoisie.” Yale Avenue N and Republican Street. Visit during the SLU Art Walk (8/1; discoverslu.com) or anytime.
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SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction
Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way.
What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common? According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot. “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…
Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power
Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.
The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture. This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…
Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan
Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.
Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…
Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…