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Pioneer Square Festival Hopes to Inspire New Designers

Experience the hands-on, seventh annual Seattle Design Festival this month.

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This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.

For two weeks this month, exhibits and discussions around town will focus the city’s attention on design as the seventh annual Seattle Design Festival gets underway. Coordinated by Design in Public—a strategic initiative of The American Institute of Architects Seattle—the festival showcases several genres of design (anything from architecture to software) under the theme “Power.” A Block Party from September 9–10 in Occidental Square kicks off festivities with interactive installations from the minds of Seattle designers, community groups and contractors.

The days that follow are filled with exhibits and discussions, including design aficionado George Zatloka’s Braille-inspired installation “Power Duo=Communication+Imagination,” Microsoft-led talks on diversity and inclusion, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding artificial intelligence.

Not a designer? That’s the point. The festival hopes to connect Seattleites with the design community as the city continues to grow into a more design-savvy hub.

9/9–9/22. Times vary. Free (some events require RSVP) throughout Seattle.

 

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

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

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

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 

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!),…