Seattle, WA. Things are getting closer to normal at The Henry Art Gallery. Visitors no longer have to register in advance, they can walk-up and buy tickets. Mask and social distancing requirements remain in place regardless of vaccination status. Here’s a link to visitor guidelines.
The Henry Art Gallery is part of the University of Washington and is currently showcasing Will Rawls: Everlasting Stranger which is featured in the image above. The exhibit, in collaboration with Velocity Dance Center, runs through August 15th.
In Everlasting Stranger, New York-based choreographer and writer Will Rawls (b. 1978, Boston, MA) activates relationships between language, dance, and image through the fragmentary medium of stop-motion animation. In his installation, time and movement slow as a live, automated camera photographs the frame-by-frame actions of four dancers. While the performers occupy the labor of becoming images, visual capture is staged as an obsessive process that is constant yet compromised by the movement it aims to fix.
Here, as in previous works, Rawls develops strategies of evasion and engagement within systems that mediate, distort, and abstract the body.
Rawls’s exhibition takes inspiration from the work of Guyanese writer Wilson Harris and his surrealist novel The Infinite Rehearsal (1987). In the book, the constrictive projections of the colonial gaze manifest as a child’s fever dream where ghosts reinterpret time, genealogy, and identity as unstable matter. Harris’s novel serves as a conduit through which Rawls addresses the misrepresentation that haunts all forms of capture, including photography and choreography. Within the temporal delirium that marks existence in quarantine, Rawls animates the life that appears between frames.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Saturdays: July 17 – August 14, 12 – 3 PM
Will Rawls: Everlasting Stranger is a collaboration between Henry Art Gallery and Velocity Dance Center and is organized by Nina Bozicnik, Henry Curator, and Erin Johnson, Velocity Interim Artistic and Managing Director. It is presented in conjunction with the Seattle Festival of Dance + Improvisation, with project support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by UW Department of Dance, and by John Robinson and Maya Sonenberg. Costumes complements of womxn’s rites.
The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Murmurations, a Seattle-wide arts collaboration featuring a series of exhibitions, performances, screenings, community conversations, artist talks, and other programs co-developed between cultural organizations.
Other exhibitions are continually available this summer. For an online opportunity, Henry Art Gallery is hosting Sonolocations: A Sounds Works Series from June – August 2021.
Partnered with the Jack Straw Cultural Center, The Henry has commissioned a three-part series of audio artworks, to be released free and online throughout the summer of 2021. The participating artists were invited to consider the theme of place, and its unique resonance throughout the pandemic, to offer directed sonic experiences for listeners wherever they might find themselves. Participating artists are Byron Au Yong (b. 1971, Pittsburgh, PA), Chenoa Egawa (b. 1964, Ellensburg, WA), and Bill Lowe (b. 1946, Pittsburgh, PA) and Naima Lowe (b. 1979, Middletown, CT).
To get a preview of Sonolocations, listen to Byron Au Yong’s “Pomelo” here:
Audio artworks will be available on SoundCloud, and on the Jack Straw website. You can also subscribe to Sonolocations as a podcast to receive each piece when it launches.
The Henry is also hosting Gary Simmons: The Engine Room through August 22, 2021. The work of Gary Simmons (b. 1964, New York, NY) explores racial, social, and cultural politics, interrogating the ways in which we attempt to reconstruct the past via personal and collective memory. For this commissioned exhibition at the Henry, the artist created a large-scale wall drawing, a suite of new paintings and sculptures, and a sculptural installation, drawing together disparate components to create space for new interaction and invention.
This piece has been utilized in Jambalaya Jam at the Henry, a night of music celebrating Seattle’s recent musical past.
The installation will function as an interactive space, riffing off traditional American suburban garage architecture and referencing the garage as a site for invention, creativity, and experimentation, particularly for music/bands. As both a private laboratory and a public stage, the garage sculpture will be activated by a series of musician residencies, drawing on unique areas of the Seattle music scene, both historical and present, and tapping into the lesser-known, yet equally influential, genres and practices.
Simmons researched and archived band and concert posters from around the world to create this piece.
From Henry Art Gallery:
The Henry is internationally recognized for bold and challenging exhibitions, for pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and culture, and for being the first to premiere new works by established and emerging artists. Through individual experiences with art, we inspire visitors to upend their expectations and discover surprising connections.
Seattle, WA. The Borgen Project is hosting its first virtual summer event on July 31st, 2021: BORGENFEST. It is both a festival and a call to action to end global poverty; with music, celebration, and guest appearances. The festival features musical performances by Kitty Coen and 99 Neighbors, and includes guest appearances by Congressman Adam Smith, representative of Washington’s 9th congressional district; Natalie Gill-Mensah, an infectious disease expert and member on The Borgen Project’s Board of Directors; and Clint Borgen, President, and Founder of The Borgen Project. Proceeds from the BORGENFEST will benefit the organization’s poverty reduction efforts. To attend the event, you can find more information and register here.
This event is meant to build awareness about poverty reduction legislation and aid programs, while also celebrating the many obstacles overcome this past year in the international community. From the COVID-19 pandemic to an increase in violence against women, 2020 and 2021 have been particularly difficult for everyone. Yet amidst these tumultuous times comes a potential for unity: and that is cause for celebration.
Here’s a video about the organization:
Amy Pettigrew, Senior Program Manager at The Borgen Project and BORGENFEST Committee Chair, outlined the importance of this event: “The negative impacts of COVID-19 have caused a significant setback in hunger and poverty reduction efforts. Now is the time to ramp up our efforts and amplify voices who continue to struggle with the effects of the pandemic, in tandem with the fight to end global poverty. That’s what this event is for.”
More about The Borgen Project:
The Borgen Project is a bipartisan nonprofit campaign working at the political level towards the goal of eradicating global poverty. The organization was founded in 2003 by Clint Borgen, and has since then met with 87 percent of the U.S. Senate regarding key poverty-reduction legislation and other relevant bills. The Borgen Project continually mobilizes people worldwide to join their cause. With the advocacy help of this campaign, bills have been passed that improve women’s access to education, implement global health programs, reform global food aid, and more.
You are invited to celebrate with The Borgen Project on July 31st at 7pm EST, and you are welcome to register for the event here.
Seattle, WA. UW Botanic Gardens grounds are open to visitors. Building access is limited, yet opportunities to learn and experience the gardens are bountiful. Above, the Washington Park Arboretum is alive with plant life.
UW Botanic Gardens continues to follow all advice and directives set forth by the University of Washington, which are detailed at length on the UW Novel Coronavirus Information Page.
Washington Park Arboretum: The Graham Visitors Center (GVC) is now open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., with the Arboretum Gift Shop open 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Due to limited staffing, these hours are subject to change. GVC restrooms are open 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily, accessible only from the exterior of the building. Other restrooms are available at the bus turnaround in the Pacific Connections Garden, Washington Park Playfield, and Seattle Japanese Garden (south end of the Arboretum). Washington Park Arboretum closures are coordinated with Seattle Parks and Recreation. For more information about all Seattle Park closures, visit SPR’s Parkways blog.
The Washington Park Arboretum holds a world-class collection of woody plants that can be explored on your own, via group tours, or through classes and activities. All parts of the Washington Park Arboretum, with the exception of the Japanese Garden, are open to the public and are free of charge. The Graham Visitors Center has maps, restrooms, Arboretum Foundation offices, a gift shop, and a rental venue. Year-round visitors will find something of interest along the trails that wind through 230 acres of gardens, natural areas, and wetlands.
The Washington Park Arboretum’s Pacific Connections Garden hosts plant life from Cascadia, Australia, China, Chile and New Zealand.
This summer, explore the five eco-geographic regions of the Pacific Connections Garden. See stunning hydrangeas, magnolias and sorrel trees. The Japanese Garden is an opportunity for a tranquil summer stroll among water features and formal plantings.
Seasonal highlights for July and August include hardy fuchsias and Eucryphia species. More details about seasonal tours can be found here.
The UW Botanic Gardens has two locations: The Center for Urban Horticulture and the Washington Park Arboretum.
Tour Programs: Private Walking Tours and Tram Tours are available upon request. Walk-up tours for the general public are not currently offered.
Here are points to keep in mind regarding COVID-19 regulations:
As of July 7, face coverings are optional for fully vaccinated individuals at UW campuses and facilities, with specific exceptions that include health-care and child-care facilities, and UW shuttles, where you must wear face coverings regardless of your vaccination status.
Consistent with state regulations, individuals who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a face covering indoors at all UW campuses and facilities, in accordance with the UW Face Covering Policy. Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should also consider wearing face coverings outdoors when in crowds or when distancing is not possible.
Tour groups will be required to provide a log with names and contact information for all participants.
Center for Urban Horticulture: All Center for Urban Horticulture buildings are closed to the public until further notice. The grounds are open to visitors. The center has opportunities for educational classes, bird watching, youth programming, and more.
Although the Center for Urban Horticulture building is closed, the gardens are open for exploration.
Elisabeth C. Miller Library: The Library is closed to in-person patrons until further notice. UW Botanic Gardens staff will continue to answer reference questions via email or the online form. Email is preferred for questions involving plant identification. The Library book drop has reopened, so you may return your borrowed materials any time. The library is now offering contactless pickup of holds. In order to place holds, you will need to return all borrowed items. Learn how to borrow books and schedule a pickup.
From UW Botanic Gardens:
The University of Washington Botanic Gardens has two sites: the Washington Park Arboretum and the Center for Urban Horticulture.
Our mission is sustaining managed to natural ecosystems and the human spirit through plant research, display, and education.
The 230-acre Arboretum includes a vibrant collection of more than 40,000 plants from around the world with trails to explore and programs for youth and adults.
The Center for Urban Horticulture includes demonstration gardens and natural areas, and also houses the Elisabeth C. Miller Library, Otis Douglas Hyde Herbarium, and the Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program. The UW Botanic Gardens is a unit within the School of Environmental & Forest Sciences.
Both sites offer excellent opportunities for exercise, exploration, and wildlife viewing. Visit the Botanic Gardens to explore and enjoy on your own or join with others on guided tours, in classes or other fun programs.FACT SHEET (pdf)
Seattle, WA. The Seattle Art Museum reopens to the grand public with new exhibitions and strict Covid-19 guidelines and policies to follow. Their newest exhibition piece is a small varied selection of carefully selected statement pieces from his debut to his best works by famous French impressionist painter, Claude Monet (1840-1926).
The beginning stages of the exhibition in preparation for guests on July 1st
The current exhibition, starting on July 1st and ending October 17th, features Claude Monet’s ten paintings he painted at a small fishing village, The Manneporte, or known as Étretat, in hopes of finding inspiration after a minor setback and painters block. Monet who had been financially insecure at this time needed something that would lead to a long-lasting impression and favorable results from collectors hitting the market. He needed to create paintings that were profitable, yet he recounted that most of his prior artworks were to be unfavorable and bad to him. What made this collection of paintings a hit in the world of artistry was the way that Claude Monet founded the style of an impressionism painting, which may be seen as a starting form of modernism. As most of his paintings focused on painting particular scenes of nature (landscapes or people) from the way that he understood and perceived it, his paintings painted at Étretat, focused on the livelihood and casual scenery of the most beautiful spots he chose to highlight during his trip.
Fishing Boats at Étretat, 1885, Claude Monet.
Claude Monet’s series of paintings made at Étretat focused on scenery, but what stood out was how, pictured below, he focused on the cliff at Étretat from a multitude of perceptions. Whether it was from a change in location from where he stood to paint, the highs or lows of the ocean tide that day, or if he decided to paint at daybreak or sunset. All of these variations were the precursor to his eventual growth into impressionism style painting, and this collection in particular is what stood him out from other artists at the time.
Another painting from Claude Monet’s Étretat painting anthologies.
But with such a popular exhibition, how would the Seattle Art Museum handle an influx of visitors while following covid-19 pandemic regulations while maintaining the fullest experience. Although the mask mandate in Washington State has been dropped only for vaccinated individuals; mask optional, meaning that unvaccinated individuals must still wear a mask at all times within the facility and social distance (suggested, but not enforced) as some of the areas are blocked off to the general public to avoid crowding. The places that have been closed off are “the entire south wing of the museum will be closed, including South Hall and South Hall restrooms, the Grand Staircase, the Chase Open Studio and the Ann P. Wyckoff Education Resource Center. The Bullitt Library and children’s play areas will also be closed.” They have also closed off certain entrances and exits to avoid too much foot traffic and have created one-way traffic signs for entry.
The Seattle Art Museum has added a new feature to impress individuals hoping the visit. By adding the interactive smartphone feature, users can listen to virtual letters written by Claude Monet and audited out loud for an interactive solo experience while touring the exhibition from start to last, from his selected five paintings from the Étretat painting anthologies.
The community has reacted positively, despite tour guides being unavailable, visitors can now enjoy the series of paintings, while also following a blueprint of where to go, all by themselves or in a small group. However, to ensure social distance and safety precautions as the pandemic is yet to be over, the Seattle Art Museum has decided to make certain exhibitions such as Monet at Étretat to be timed and limited, meaning that in order for all guests to have a chance to enjoy the exhibit, you cannot stay for too long. That is not the same for general admission, as you can stay for as long as you like. Overall, tickets to the Seattle Art Museum are open and available but online purchasing is the better route to go as only a small amount of in-person ticket purchasing will be available. The Seattle Art Museum states, “Advanced online timed tickets are encouraged and special exhibition tickets are likely to sell out. On-site tickets are available only if time slots are not sold out. Please arrive prior to your reserved ticket time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we may not be able to accommodate entry.” The Seattle Art Museum is currently open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10-5.
From the Seattle Art Museum:
Suggested admission means visitors may choose to pay anything from a penny to $19.99 for general admission when they purchase tickets. General admission includes access to Collections and Installations at Seattle Art Museum and is suggested. Suggested admission tickets do not include entry to special exhibitions which have fixed pricing.
As for discounts, on the First Thursday of every month admission to the Seattle Art Museum is free! But general admission tickets tend to run out fast!
Seattle, WA. The Northwest Screenwriters Guild is a nonprofit organization aiding in further developing a screenwriter’s career by providing mentor support from the industry and show-business professionals, educational programs, and screenwriting events. Its mission statement is to, “promote professional screenwriting as a career across a broad range of ages, ethnic and gender identities, and experience levels in the Pacific Northwest.” They also hope to modernize old, traditional rules that dominated the falling industry of screenwriting.
Screenwriters from the organization reading aloud their perspective works.
Governed by a board of directors, with experience detailing screenwriting certifications to published authors or academic publications in healthcare, the Northwest Screenwriters Guild aims to advance the careers of screenwriting professionals and beginners to publish their developing stories and scripts to be on the big screen, such as for film or television, and other media, by helping them pitch to industry pros. Many compendium members have had their scripts developed onto the screen with hired actors for film festivals and submissions for awards in contests.
Screenwriters of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild rehearsing for their screenplays while adhering to a reading schedule.
When the scripts for screenplays are finished or drafted by compendium members, before they are submitted to film festivals or industry professionals for a chance to have live stage or on-screen performances, there are chances to further improve and receive critique on their screenplays. Due to the global pandemic, their services and events have shifted to a completely online remote environment, where on Tuesdays they promote a free “Weekly Scene Analysis Workshop” from 6:30-8:30 PM that aims to “assist fellow screenwriters hone the craft of writing scenes—both action and dialogue—that are cinematic, engaging and correctly formatted.” Fellow professional screenwriters or beginners in the industry are to bring a 10-page draft of their screenplay for this particular workshop. They also have an upcoming event for current members on Thursday, July 22nd about the importance of entertainment law for the screenwriting profession. However, to attend the NwSG events and most partner events, individuals must pay a membership fee of $60, but they do get eligibility to be a compendium member and have an exclusive chance of pitch sessions with professional screenwriters or industry professionals.
Actors and performers from SAG-AFTRA who helped perform multiple characters from written screenplays by members of NWSG
From the Northwest Screenwriters Guild:
The Northwest Screenwriters Guild is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing the careers of screenwriters, filling a major gap in the education and training available to screenwriters and filmmakers from across the spectrum, namely, how to take care of the business side of show business.
The newest generation of filmmakers will be pivotal. They consume—and create—film and video in huge volumes, in dozens of formats, on at least five form factors. The technological barriers to filmmaking have been reduced to nearly nothing, and so many of the old rules about when, where, and how audiences will watch the film have been shredded. These filmmakers will be at the leading edge of reinventing this industry yet again. We are here to help them get down to business.
Whether it’s a web series, TV, or feature films, breaking into the industry can be harder than writing a great script or making a great short film. While the barriers to filmmaking have crumbled, the barriers to becoming a professional filmmaker are as high as ever. To learn more, review the NwSG bylaws that govern the board.
Seattle, WA. Vadis has been providing services to people with disabilities since 1979, and had to creatively adapt to the pandemic. The nonprofit provides services to adults with disabilities and to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and recently, Vadis administrators had to learn how to support people in new and virtual ways. This included helping the people Vadis supports in employment to understand the ramifications of COVID and in particular, all the safety protocols now in place, like masking in the photo above. According to CEO Christopher Christian, “this was not a swift and easy transition for many of the people we support in jobs in the community.”
Many of the people Vadis supports were deemed essential workers due to the nature of their jobs. They needed to keep working or rapidly return to work when many others in their lives were not, or had the option to work from home whereas they did not. In some cases, the people Vadis supports do not have control of their home environment and decisions are made for them. Some of those decisions included not being supported to go back to work for fear they would bring COVID back home with them from the work environment. Staff deployment and roles had to immediately change and morph with ever-evolving social restrictions and rules.
Many of the people supported by Vadis were deemed essential workers from the start of the pandemic.
Vadis administrators say they were in a “continual state of flux and adjustment, like everyone else, on a daily basis for a long time.” Alongside new employee-based working conditions and parameters, Vadis also “simply lost employees, or employees availability due to fear or the need to stay home with their school-aged children.” This stretched already strained staffing resources and ultimately affected how Vadis could support people in their jobs, or pursuit of jobs.
Team members at Vadis “learned by necessity” how to maximize the ability to support people in the best way possible through virtual means. This lead to the discovery of new and virtual ways for people with disabilities to engage in their communities, even during a pandemic. Virtual participation included online classes, clubs, support groups, educational events, and learning engagements.
New opportunities for employment arose when many were seeking assistance from Vadis during the ebb and flow of the pandemic.
There are additional positive developments for Vadis amidst COVID-19. Many of the people supported were designated as essential workers right from the start of the pandemic. As jobs became increasingly unfilled with employers, this created additional employment opportunities for people seeking employment, who did indeed want to work.
Christian says, “Like everyone else, we have helped people cope with the unknown, chronic change, sense of powerlessness in their lives and the uncertainty of knowing if their employer would be needing them back.” As safety protocols continued to shift and vary, and the frequency with which they changed, many people supported by Vadis faced consternation and adjustment challenges.
From Vadis:
Vadis has been providing services to people with disabilities since 1979.
From a small agency serving 25 people, we have evolved, expanded and now serve over 1,000 people per month in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Thurston and Mason Counties.
What hasn’t changed is our commitment to the people we serve. We strive to provide people with disabilities, and those who experience homelessness, opportunities and experiences to fulfill their economic and human potential.
Vadis is dedicated to assisting businesses in finding great employees and be a more inclusive employer. Our focus on customer service is your assurance of excellence!
If you have questions or need to talk with staff, please call (253) 863-5173.
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