The Local Artists Behind These 4 New Arts Venues
Transforming old, forgotten spaces into promising new venues
By Seattle Mag April 20, 2015
This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.
While shiny new buildings crowd the Seattle skyline, local artists are moving into old forgotten spaces—and transforming them into promising new arts venues.
1. Ballard Homestead
6451 Jones Ave. NW in Ballard, built in 1923, open since March
Most recently: Church of the Nazarene
Who’s behind it: Abbey Arts, the people behind Fremont Abbey Arts Center
Focus: Live music comcerts, literary classes, cultural events (also available as a rental event space)
Upcoming shows: May 8, local alt-country singer Courtney Marie Andrews; May 9, Seattle indie rocker Julia Massey
ballardhomestead.org
2. The Factory
1216 10th Ave. on Capitol Hill, built in 1911, open since March
Most recently: Pound Gallery
Who’s behind it: Visual artist/curator Amanda Manitach and curator Timothy Rysdyke
Focus: Contemporary, experimental visual arts and an obsession with Andy Warhol
Upcoming shows: Opening May 14, a show called Art Saves Lives. “There will be a lot of fire extinguishers,” Manitach says, “but don’t worry—no fires!” “The Factory” on Facebook
3. Nordo’s Culinarium
109 S Main St. in Pioneer Square, built in 1891, open since April
Most recently: Original location of Elliott Bay Book Company
Who’s behind it: Café Nordo
Focus: Immersive, ambulatory and endearingly silly dinner theater
Upcoming shows: Don Nordo del Midwest, an interactive theater experience featuring a menu of “Midwestern tapas” (Thursday–Sunday nights, through May 31).cafenordo.com
4. Common Area Maintenance
2125 Second Ave. in Belltown, built in 1910, due to open in May
Most recently: A small-appliance repair storefront
Who’s behind it: Visual artist Timothy Firth
Focus: Live performance, video installations, readings, gallery shows and workspace for artists
Upcoming shows: At press time, Firth was focused on finishing construction. Check online for May and June events. “Common AREA Maintenance” on Facebook
Follow Us
Rearview Mirror: An Oyster Party, Money for Art, and Mac & Cheese at 30,000 Feet
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
We Partied for Art I love a party, and I love art, so when the Henry Art Gallery invited me to its annual fundraising gala, it was paddle’s up from the get-go. Held on the floor of Pioneer Square’s Railspur building in a space managed by Rally, Angela Dunleavy’s latest venture (read all about it…
Urban Grit Meets Wild Beauty: Inside Seattle Art Museum’s Beyond Mysticism
Seattle’s history is rooted in its fascinating juxtaposition of industry and nature, inspired by the region’s dramatic landscapes and rapidly changing cityscape. Seattle Art Museum’s current exhibition, Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest, invites you to meet the artists who captured that tension and transformed it into a bold new vision of Modernism. Modernism, Made in…
Our March/April Issue Has Arrived!
Inside you’ll find Best Places to Live, a packed spring arts guide, and more stories from across the region.
The future’s bright, and so is the cover of Seattle magazine’s March/April issue! Featuring a mural by local artist (and 2023 Most Influential pick) Stevie Shao, the colorful cover is a snap from Woodinville, one of the six “Best Places to Live” featured inside. While we usually focus on Seattle neighborhoods, this year we expanded…
Supporting Roles
Three women in the Northwest are helping local artists through newly launched residencies outside of Seattle. Here, we take a look inside these thoughtfully designed spaces, and learn what drove their founders to become cornerstones in the creative community.
Iolair Artist Residency Eastsound, WA Years ago, after studying photography and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Washington, Pacific Northwest native Linda Lewis realized that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life behind a camera. “The minute I graduated from school, I was far more inspired by the…