Inside
December 3, 2008
Volunteers
In this week after Thanksgiving with the year end holidays looming, it seems appropriate to give thanks to the many volunteers without whom most cultural organizations could not function. They are your board members, ushers, docents, and in some cases, your lawyers, accountants and set builders. The list of tasks performed by dedicated volunteers is as varied as the organizations in the field. But no matter their discipline, location or size, all cultural organizations share a common reliance on the kindness of volunteers.
For 4Culture that means, Board members, Advisory Committee members in all four of our program areas, panelists who read through literally hundreds of applications to make funding recommendation and select artists for public art commissions. We calculate that annually more than 150 citizen volunteers help us do our work.
4Culture Board members have term limits and at the end of 2008, three 4Culture Board members will complete their two three-year terms. Board President Margaret Lowe and co-Vice Presidents Louise Miller and Judy Whetzel are the last of our founding Board of Directors. They have been with us since January 1, 2003, when we stepped out into the world as a new public development authority, and they helped us to shape a new future. While we appreciate the service of all of the Directors of our Board and all of our Advisory Committees, these three have been truly exceptional. In retrospect, I'm not sure they knew what they were getting into.
Our Board was deeply engaged at every step of the transition, and beginning to look long term at 4Culture's future, when suddenly at the end of our second year, in December of 2004, we were thrust into the legislative arena. We learned that the former Seattle Sonics were going to ask the state to designate future visitor taxes, including the lodging taxes that are the primary source of arts and heritage support in King County, to rebuild KeyArena. That began what is now a five year effort to secure a portion of future lodging taxes for the cause of arts and heritage.
Margaret, Louise and Judy attended every strategy session, every planning meeting, every hearing in Olympia for the past four years. They have been exemplary members of our Board of Directors and deserve acknowledgement for their commitment to 4Culture and to the work you all do in King County. They will be missed.
Jim Kelly
Executive Director
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reception December 4, 2008, 6 to 8pm
exhibit December 4 - 31, 2008
www.4culture.org/publicart/gallery
Noah Grussgott: What Goes Around Comes Around
Gallery4Culture is pleased to announce a new exhibition by Seattle sculptor Noah Grussgott. Altered play toys cast in concrete are paired with military-like structures of wood and steel to form a vocabulary that conveys the message of shared traumatic experience. Grussgott draws upon the familiarity of found objects to transform personal narrative into an overarching whole of shared cultural history.
Listen to Noah talk about his show
image: © Noah Grussgott, What Goes Around Comes Around, 2008, found object, polyurethane resin, concrete (detail)
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December
Monday - Friday, 6am to 10pm
Salise Hughes (Seattle)
Relja Penezic and Victoria Jordanova (LA)
Thom Heileson and Wyndel Hunt (Seattle)
Kamran Sadeghi (Seattle)
Gazelle Samizay (Tucson)
Robert Zverina (Seattle)
In conjunction with First Thursday Artwalk, 4Culture is pleased to premiere new electronic artworks adapted for e4c, 4Culture's storefront media gallery. Pieces by Salise Hughes and Relja Penezic & Victoria Jordanova will join the rotation of this ongoing electronic exhibit beginning December 4, 2008. Read more
image: © Salise Hughes, Shiny Things, 2007, video still
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Pat Graney Company
House of Mind
Thursdays - Sundays, December 4 - 21, 2008
Seattle's beloved Pat Graney Company presents the world premiere of a site-specific performance House of Mind. Using an intricately constructed environment and a cast of five professional artists and 25 extras, Graney unravels the nature of memory in this large-scale dance/visual spectacle. Built and designed for a 5,000 square foot warehouse in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood, the artist's concept is to create an experiential interpretation of her own mind, and invite the viewer into the world of her memories. The Seattle performances of House of Mind are presented through 4Culture's SITE-SPECIFIC program, with lead support from the Seattle Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs. Buy Tickets
image: © Pat Graney, House of Mind, 2008, photo by Tim Summers
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One of the most important public gathering spots in Seattle's Central District may get new recognition as an official landmark. 4Culture has nominated Washington Hall, 153 14th Avenue, to the city's list of protected properties. 4Culture presented its case to Seattle's Landmarks Preservation Board in November. Opened in 1908, Washington Hall was built by the Seattle chapter of the Danish Brotherhood, a national fraternal organization that helped Danish immigrants settle into their new home.
In later years, Washington Hall was best known as a venue for concerts and shows, especially for the African-American community. The building earned a place in rock and roll history when a young Jimi Hendrix played the hall in 1960. The facility was also the first home of On the Boards, an organization dedicated to contemporary performance and now in lower Queen Anne. From 1978 - 1998, On the Boards presented breakthrough performances by local, national and international artists in Washington Hall, including early performances by Mark Morris, 33 Fainting Spells, Pat Graney, Laurie Anderson, Bill T. Jones, Spalding Gray, The Wooster Group, dumb type, and many others.
But age and the pressures of development have taken a toll on the building, and the current owner wants to sell it. 4Culture has joined with a number of community partners in a bid to preserve the structure's integrity while creating an opportunity for redevelopment. The Landmarks Preservation Board is set to vote on designating Washington Hall as a landmark on January 7th. For more details on the nomination, visit the Preservation 4Culture website.
Read more about the nomination process on Crosscut.
image: © courtesy of 4Culture
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Deadline January 12, 2009
www.4culture.org/publicart/gallery
Applications are now available online for the 2009 - 2010 Gallery4Culture schedule of exhibitions, with an open call to independent artists or curators residing in King County. Dedicated to presenting solo exhibitions, small group, and curated exhibitions by artists living in King County and who are not currently represented by a commercial gallery, Gallery4Culture provides artists with exhibition space in the Tashiro Building, (located on the corner of Prefontaine Place and Third Avenue S in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood), as well as curatorial direction. Artists working in all media and genres are encouraged to apply, including those whose method of work is under-represented in commercial and mainstream galleries. Program guidelines include more information about eligibility and the selection process.
image: © installation shot from Laura Ward exhibit Impressions, October 2008, photo by Eric Eley
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Deadline January 20, 2009
4Culture announces the next deadline for Arts Cultural Facilities is coming up in just seven weeks. Applicants to this county-wide program can apply for support of capital projects (support for construction, remodeling and acquisition of arts facilities) or equipment purchases (for equipment intended to be used by arts organizations for at least ten years.)
Deadlines for all other 2009 Funding Programs will be posted online later this month.
For workshop information, guidelines and applications see www.4culture.org.
image: © Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, photo by Inti St. Clair
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The new Mt. Si Bridge replacement crosses the mid-fork of the Snoqualmie River east of North Bend, Washington on a picturesque road leading to a regional hiking trailhead. The striking barn red and spring green color scheme, cast bronze gusset ornamentation, decorative rails and mass plantings of red twig dogwood (cornus stolonifera) to mark the alignment of the original bridge, are the work of project artist Cris Bruch.
Based on community interest in framing the forested view corridor that approaches the hiking area, the team knew that the replacement bridge would employ a truss structure design similar to the historic bridge. The original steel truss bridge was built in 1914 across the White River and was moved in 1955 to North Bend. The 100-year old original bridge was too narrow and deteriorated to use as the primary lifeline route for 400 homes that have grown up in the area and the thousands of hikers that visit the trails each year.
Bruch explains his goal as the project artist saying, "I have thought about the bridge as an event, an experience that should contain some awe and excitement that has a narrative structure to it. Each component is an effort toward heightening an experience, toward providing details that might be uncovered over several visits and surprises or gestures that will reward the inquisitive."
4Culture and the King County Roads Division have completed three other bridges that include significant contributions from artists in the design: Novelty Hill (Carolyn Law); York Bridge (Cliff Garten); and Meadowbrook Bridge (Bruce Myers). Artist Barbara Grygutis is currently working in early design development with the South Park team on the replacement design for that bridge. This critical transportation infrastructure is also a growing collection of signature bridges that underscores the unique nature of our region and its citizens.
image: © Cris Bruch in his studio, Railing design during installation, photograph courtesy of the artist
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4Culture's Arts Education Funding Program is proud to announce a $30,000 award to ArtsEd Washington. The support builds upon a four-year partnership with the non-profit organization for their award-winning Principals' Arts Leadership program. This outstanding program helps principal-led elementary school teams create annual ongoing plans for arts education. ArtsEd Washington is uniquely positioned to provide this regional leadership training to support the Essential Academic Learning Requirements in the Arts put in place by the state's Office of Public Instruction in 1993. As schools implement their arts plans, region-wide efforts are being catalyzed to create programs that integrate the arts throughout all areas of the school curriculum, and support the principals as instructional leaders in the arts.
Principals participating in the PAL program confirm that the integration of art into their curricula is already impacting their schools - from elevated reading and math scores to better attendance records.
Twenty King County schools representing six King County school districts participate in this program along with 18 more schools from Pierce and Kitsap counties. The $30,000 4Culture award will allow ArtsEd Washington to continue to broaden the participation of King County schools in the PAL program and strengthen the potential for greater sustainability of arts education in the future.
Stay tuned for stories from the Principals Project in January.
For more information read the news release or contact Arts Ed WA, Executive Director, Una McAlinden.
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Among the recent heritage facilities funded projects was the restoration of the barn at the historic Mary Olson Farm in Auburn. The barn project is one component of a complete restoration for this historic farm, stewarded by the White River Valley Museum, which will open the farm to the general project sometime in 2009. 4Culture staff members took a recent tour of the farm. Alongside the newly restored buildings, we were delighted to discover the farm is now home to a live flock of chickens and an active salmon run. The museum's education program uses Olson Creek to teach Auburn 6th Graders the wonder of the salmon lifecycle. Through water testing, habitat observation, and native plant identification students determine what makes a good habitat for salmon and discuss human impacts on salmon populations.
See a slideshow of the Mary Olson Farm
Learn more about this project and the White River Valley Museum
image: © chickens at Mary Olson Farm, 2008, courtesy of 4Culture
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Artists Linda Beaumont and Leo Saul Berk recently showed their conceptual artwork proposals for the new Shoreline City Hall that is being developed by Opus Northwest LLC to an enthusiastic crowd at the city's Park Board meeting. The artists were chosen from 4Culture's Artist Registry by a panel that included a representative from the Park Board and the Executive Director of the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Arts Council.
Beaumont's artwork site, a prominent north-facing facade, serves as a backdrop for an outdoor, multi-purpose amphitheater and green space. Her proposal, entitled Limelight draws on her memories growing up near Shoreline when the native dogwoods (Cornus Nuttallii) were so prolific. Limelight will be a four-story mural painted onto the silver metal panels of the building facade. The title of the mural was inspired by the light that glows when the pale yellow blossoms open during the spring bloom.
Leo Berk rode his bike into Shoreline on the Interurban Trail, visited the Shoreline Historical Museum and was fascinated by the story of Shoreline's 14-neighborhoods that officially incorporated into a city in 1995. His design for a suspended sculpture in the building's main lobby includes 14 independent shapes that coalesce into one intricate form as a visual metaphor for the city's creation and the independent and collaborative nature of the original neighborhoods. The plastic sheet material the artist has chosen for the sculpture shows a pale tint on its face but focuses brilliant color through cut edges. The necessary suspension cables are also a striking part of the artwork, acting as "reverse rain" with over 500 vinyl-coated cables extending from the tops of the sculptural forms to the ceiling. The sculpture will be visible at night through the building's glass curtain wall that faces the intersection of Midvale Avenue N and N 175th.
The building design team, led by LMN Architects and Opus Northwest LLC has been tremendously supportive of the two visual artists' works. The Shoreline City Hall will be open by fall 2009.
To listen to Leo Berk describe another suspended sculpture, visit Listen 4Culture, #105
image: © Leo Saul Berk, 2008, conceptual proposal rendering, courtesy of the artist
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Hundreds of people pass through the public corridors of the King County Correctional Facility each day. Katy Stone and Drew Daly have been selected to create artworks to make this experience more enjoyable. Both are recognized for their innovative use of materials and draw inspiration from the relationship between presence and absence.
As his first permanent public art project, Daly will create functional seating elements for the lobby to improve the legibility of reception functions, more comfortably accommodate conversation, and bridge disparate design elements. Through the alteration of everyday objects, his work merges art and design revealing new potential.
Stone's integrated work will activate the main passage between the first two floors of the building, namely the stairwell and pedestrian walkway. Saturated colors stimulate her assemblages which play with the boundaries between drawing, painting and sculpture.
image: © Katy Stone, Wind and Water 2, 2008, acrylic paint on Duralar, pins, shadows, 10' x 25' x 2 inches
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outside
4Culture Public Art Calls List
subscribe - www.4culture.org/publicart
Public Art 4Culture compiles a list of current public art opportunities available through Public Art 4Culture and other agencies across the country. The Public Art Calls List provides brief project descriptions, deadlines and how to receive more information about each opportunity -- bimonthly, free of charge.
SIFF
Call for Entries
Deadline: February 1, 2009
www.siff.net
SIFF is seeking features, documentaries, short films, and animation for the 35th Seattle International Film Festival. With more than 450 films over 25 days, SIFF is the largest film festival in the United States. Attracting more than 150,000 viewers, SIFF is a great way to get your film noticed.
Bumbershoot 2009
Call for Applications
North America's largest urban music and arts festival, Bumbershoot takes place at Seattle Center, the glorious 74-acre park built to house the 1962 World's Fair. The Festival takes full advantage of Seattle Center's fantastic amenities, including indoor theaters, outdoor stages, a world-class opera house, sprawling green lawns and a rockin' outdoor stadium.
The Music and Arts Festival occurs over Labor Day weekend on Saturday, September 5 - Monday, September 7, 2009.
Visual Arts/Spectacle applications
www.bumbershoot.org/apply
Deadline: January 5, 2009
Music applications
Sonicbids
Deadline: March 13, 2009
Literary Arts, Theatre, Dance, and Performance
www.bumbershoot.org/apply
Deadline: March 13, 2009
Film applications for the 1 Reel Film Festival at Bumbershoot
www.bumbershoot.org/apply
Deadline: March 13, 2009
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CD Forum
Executive Director
www.cdforum.org
The Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas' Board of Directors seeks a dynamic and visionary new leader to guide the organization toward becoming an established institution with a permanent base of operations and a strong, growing core of supporters.
On the Boards
Development Director
www.ontheboards.org
Full time, salary d.o.e. Responsible for the planning, research, management and implementation of a comprehensive fund development program in conjunction with the artistic and managing directors and the board of directors. Resumes accepted through January 11, 2009.
The Art Workshop
Art Instructor Wanted
PT/$50.00 per/teaching hour
The Art Workshop, an award-winning fine art program has an opening for an art instructor with the following qualifications. Candidate must have: A degree in fine art or extensive training in the field of fine art, transportation, ability to work afternoons on weekdays. Job applicant must live close to or in the proximity of the Bellevue, Issaquah, and Redmond, WA area.
Send resume to theartworkshop7@aol.com
No phone calls please.
Northwest Folklife
Internships
www.nwfolklife.org
Interns take on a significant role in planning and executing Folklife, the largest free community arts festival in the nation. Several opportunities are available in the following fields: General Programming, Cultural Focus, Accounting, Sponsorship, Merchants, Executive Administration and Development. Please visit www.nwfolklife.org for more information and to apply.
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The Guiding Lights
The Weekend
Early bird registration ends December 6, 2008
A playful, experiential conference on the art of mentoring where you will learn concrete ways to motivate, mentor and inspire. The Weekend, held annually at Seattle Center, is based on the book written by Eric Liu, Guiding Lights, How to Mentor and Find Life's Purpose, which tells the stories of transformative mentors from all different walks of life.
Cooper Artist Housing and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
Fire in the Del
December 5 - 6, 2008
4408 Delridge Way SW, Seattle
An annual open house, silent auction, gallery showing and performance.
Silent Art Auction to help with hospice expenses for Su Job
www.tashirokaplan.com
December 13, 2008, 6 to 8pm
310 Washington Street (formerly Davidson Contemporary Gallery)
A benefit for artist Su Job featuring work by over 30 artists.
AASLH Workshops
www.aaslh.org
Digitization and Museums: Bringing Your Collections into the 21st Century
June 3 - 5, 2009 in Boise ID
Exhibit Makeovers
May 14 - 15, 2009 in Portland, OR
Spotlight on Gift Giving
A brief guide to unique and culturally focused holiday gifts
Tired of giving the same old holiday gifts? Why not spice things up and a consider a gift that supports local arts and culture? Stimulate your local economy by giving concert tickets, museum memberships, a subscription from a theater, or a donation to your favorite non-profit in honor of a family member.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
For the discount shopper: This year's King County Waste Free Holidays program features discounted offers on "experience gifts" from more than 150 businesses. Each offer has a separate page on the website that provides all the details about the offer. To receive the discount, contact the individual business providing the offer.
For the performance lover: Why not pick up a pair of tickets or a subscription to an organization near you? Check out a myriad of upcoming performances and events all over the county at one of these sites:
Seattle Performs
SoCo Culture
Eastside Arts Coalition
For history buffs: Pick up a book chronicling the lives and times that built your local community. Many neighborhoods and towns have local history books, like this recent publication by the Historical Society of Federal Way. Look for them in stores near you.
For the art collector: Small works big presents is a juried art show happening through Dec 14 at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn. All works are original and all are for sale at very reasonable prices!
Also! The fourth annual Art Under $100 Sale is December 6, 2008, from 4pm to 10pm at the Old Firehouse, 8210 10th Ave South. In addition to affordable original art, there will wine, hors d'oeuvres, live music, and an art raffle every 30 minutes. All proceeds benefit South Park Arts, an organization dedicated to supporting, representing, and promoting art and artists in Seattle's South Park neighborhood.
Online shoppers: Each year the Highline Historical Society runs an online auction, the proceeds of which go toward their new museum building.
Don't have a budget: There are a myriad of free cultural opportunities in our communities. Schedule a date with a friend to check out neighborhood galleries (most are open and free to the public). Also, many museums have at least one free day per month. Check out websites for details.
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Working on a project for the AYPE Centennial?
We encourage individuals and organizations working on Alaska Yukon Pacific Centennial projects or events to use the official AYPE logo and a weblink to AYP100.org in your press releases, websites and promotional materials to help us cross promote and spread awareness about Centennial Celebration programming.
Guidelines for logo use and downloadable logos are available here. Questions? Please contact Sara Edwards.
December 15, 2008
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works and Heritage Preservation seek nominations for their joint Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections. The award is presented annually to an organization in North America that has been exemplary in the importance and priority it has given to conservation concerns and in the commitment it has shown to the preservation and care of its cultural property within the context of its broader mission, which may include interpretation, research, scholarship, education, and/or public outreach.
United Way of King County Volunteer Center
Invites you to participate in the 2009 Nonprofit Wage & Benefit Survey for King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. This compensation survey is produced every two years by United Way of King County and Washington Employers. This survey includes more than 130 nonprofit positions from more than 300 nonprofit organizations across the three counties, and is widely considered the best resource for local nonprofit market data. All nonprofit organizations with at least one paid employee may participate. Thanks to the efforts of the Arts & Cultural HR Roundtable, we have added 21 positions specific to arts organizations.
To participate: You can submit your compensation data in two ways - via online form or hardcopy.
Please see www.uwkc.org for instructions. Participation deadline is January 23, 2009. Questions? Please contact compensationsurvey@uwkc.org or 206.461.3656.
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to subscribe - www.4culture.org
If you wish to be removed from the list, send an email to info@4culture.org.
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top image: © chickens at Mary Olson Farm, 2008, courtesy of 4Culture
