eNews - June Edition
From the Executive Director As summer arrives, I’m marking my calendar with some wonderful WSAC-supported arts events across the state, including some special events and a variety of programs in outdoor settings and rather remote locations. Here are some of the possibilities:
The Mighty Tieton - Summer Solstice: Arts Unbound
The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival
American Roots Music
Vancouver Land Bridge / Confluence Project
Andy Warhol & Other Famous Faces
The Tempest
Tumbleweed Music Festival
Keep in touch,
CONSTELLATIONS Absurd, we thought, the man who stopped our cow lot baseball once, the quiet
Neighbor we didn’t talk with much. He’d been to the store. Stop, he said,
And we did, letting bats and gloves dangle. From this angle you
Could be Ursa Major, he said. We were playing work-up. I’d hit an easy
Out toward the cow flop we used for third, a pop fly that
Rose like a slow moon and fell into Frankie’s mitt with a wet plop.
That’s when the man said Stop, said we looked like stars, said to imagine
Each of us a billion miles apart. For a moment the name of our town
Spiraled away, so much sudden distance from each flaring heart.
"Constellations" ©2008 by Samuel Green, previously unpublished work.
New Artwork Installation The Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Washington has seen three recent public art installations at local schools that are now part of the State Art Collection. Local art selection committees worked with Washington State Arts Commission staff to select artists from the Public Artist Roster, review artwork proposals, and make final artwork selection decisions.
Once the artists' proposals were accepted, the artists fabricated and installed the artwork, working with Arts Commission and School District staff, a structural engineer, and an architect as required.
Big Bang, by Camano Island artist Jack Archibald, is a representation in stained glass of the Mount St. Helens eruption - and the theory that postulates that the universe contracts until its density becomes explosive - was recently installed in the entry hall of Cascade Middle School.
The artwork spans the entryway of the school and three additional glass panels are installed along a windowed corridor. The elements are made from hand-created, beveled, and commercially-manufactured leaded glass.
David Fichter, of Cambridge Massachusetts, created Orchards in a central corridor at Orchards Elementary. In his proposal Fichter wrote, "I was drawn to the theme of orchards, both as a historical background for the surrounding community (Clark County was once the plum capital of the world), the name of the school, and a metaphor describing the experience of students." The mural spans a back wall and spills out into adjoining corridors, the ceiling, and up a nearby stairwell.
Aurora, by Seattle artist Etsuko Ichikawa, made up of six flowing aluminum forms, is suspended in the atrium of Covington Middle School.
Artwork acquired through Washington State’s Art in Public Places Program becomes part of the State Art Collection - a collection of over 4,500 works of art located at state agencies, public schools, colleges and universities throughout the state.
Local Arts Agencies Starting a new arts council or commission is a wonderful challenge and the Washington State Arts Commission is available to help you. These organizations are concerned about the cultural health and well-being of a given community, are involved in more than one art form (visual, performing, media, or literary), and offer programs and services throughout a major portion of the year. The generic term for these organizations is Local Arts Agency (LAA).
Every two years WSAC collects information from the more than 90 LAAs in Washington and compiles a directory. You can find the recently updated 2007 Washington Local Arts Agency Directory (PDF) on our website under Community Arts Development - Resources. There is a wealth of information about what LAAs do and who they serve in the directory.
Bitsy Bidwell, the manager of the Community Arts Development program, has lots of information about starting and growing an LAA. She can also act as a consultant, facilitator, or trainer as you develop your new LAA.
Washington Reads Jan Walsh, Washington State Librarian, has announced her Spring 2008 book selections. Her theme this season is “Exploring Washington.”
"As winter finally fades and Washington reluctantly agrees that it is spring, we emerge with outdoor zeal to explore the splendor of this vast state with its mountains and rivers, its beaches and forests, and its cities and rural areas. Hikers, nature lovers, city explorers, wine aficionados and children, whether they are curious, contemplative or passionate for physical outdoor activity, will find a book that guides them in exploring the Evergreen State. Whether one is a consummate planner or freewheeling explorer, there is something to entice everyone." - Jan Walsh
A couple of highlights are below: Baskas, Harriet. Washington Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff.
Fairbanks, Diana. Backroads of Washington: Your Guide to Washington’s Most Scenic Backroad Adventures. Photography by Mike Sedam.
Randlett, Mary. Mary Randlett: Landscapes. Introduction by Ted D’Arms; with an essay and poems by Denise Levertov.
These and all the books on her list are available for check out from the Washington State Library and other libraries in Washington. If your local library doesn’t own a book, they can request an interlibrary loan for you. Each of the above titles is also in print, and should be available through your favorite book store.
WSAC Deadlines Art in Public Places The Public Artist Roster consists of professional visual artists eligible for commissions of new work through WSAC's Art in Public Places program. Selected artists will be qualified for site-responsive percent-for-art projects with budgets from $25,000 to $300,000 in colleges, universities, public schools, and state agencies in Washington state. This competition is open to artists in the Western US, British Columbia, and nationally by nomination.
Grants to Organizations
Institutional Support applications are available. Deadline: 06/16/08.
Community Arts Development
Opportunities ArtsNow is offering summer classes, including printmaking, silk painting, screenwriting and a special writing lab for help working on short stories or novels. In addition this summer they are offering two workshops on the business of being an artist, Navigating a Writers Conference and Other Networking Strategies and How to Start an E-Commerce Business.
SOIL, a collective nonprofit gallery established, supported, and managed by Seattle artists, is accepting proposals for shows during the months of November 2008 through April 2009. Deadline: 06/16/08.
The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) has begun its fourth year funding cycle. NALAC members who are Latino working artists, ensembles and small and mid-sized Latino arts and cultural organizations are eligible to apply. Grants range in size from $2,500 to $10,000. Deadline: 06/16/08.
Artist Trust seeks applications from individual generative artists for the 2008 Artist Trust / Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship Program. Artists in the following categories are invited to apply: Emerging Fields, Cross-Disciplinary Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and Traditional & Folk Arts. Deadline: 06/20/08.
The City of Tacoma / Tacoma Culture is developing a juried catalog of hand-made or designed objects by Tacoma artists. Artwork in the catalog may be selected for purchase by the City to present to international dignitaries through the Sister Cities program. All artwork must be handmade by, or represent, the original artwork of the submitting artist(s). Examples of artwork can include, but are not limited to: bookmarks, sets of cards, photographs, paperweights, ceramics, vases, books, and one-of-a-kind pieces. Artist or artist teams must reside within the City of Tacoma. Deadline: 06/23/08.
Auditions for the Missoula Children’s Theatre production of Red Riding Hood will be held Monday, June 23 from 4 to 6 pm in the Shoreline Room at Shoreline Center. There are roles for students currently enrolled in grades K through 12. Approximately 60 local students will be cast to appear in the show. It is a group audition - no advance preparation is necessary.
Washington State Historical Records Advisory Board, Washington State Archives, and the Heritage Resource Center are presenting The Basics of Archives a practical, one-day workshop for those who work with historical records. June 23 at the Washington State Archives Central Region Branch in Ellensburg from 9 am to 4 pm. The Basics of Archives is for people who work or volunteer in organizations that deal with the past—whether it’s a museum, historic house, the city clerk’s office, the library’s local history room, a historic site, or a college archives. Attendees will get practical advice, sample forms and policies, and learn basic practices to collect, protect, and help people use historical treasures.
The Utah Arts Council Public Art Program is seeking artists to create site-specific public art for the new library on the campus of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. Interested artists and/or artist teams are encouraged to submit images of their work, a letter of interest and resume. Deadline: 06/27/08.
Exhibition: A Journal of Visual & Literary Art, seeks visual images plus poetry, short fiction, essays, and memoirs for its Fall 2008 issue. Artists are invited to submit both literary and visual art.
Only in Washington, a juried exhibition of fine art photography capturing distinctive and original locations that can be found only in the Evergreen State, is accepting applications (PDF). The show will be on display at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle from October 2008 to March 2009. Deadline: 07/01/08.
United Way of King County enhances the capacity of nonprofit organizations to deliver services in the community by providing training opportunities and discussion forums to staff and board members around key nonprofit management and governance issues. These trainings and forums are open to all nonprofit organizations and volunteers. Visit the Training Calendar for more information.
Northwest Film Forum is seeking submissions to the 11th Annual Local Sightings Film Festival. The festival is a showcase of current narrative, documentary, and experimental film by Northwest artists. No entry fee. Deadline: 07/01/08.
Guild’s Northwest chapter is pleased to present its first-ever Chapter Retreat - community arts education leaders are invited to participate. The full-day event will include tours of the Pratt Fine Arts Center and Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, an opportunity for network and exchange with dozens of leaders in the field, and an intensive professional development workshop led by expert community arts administrator and consultant Jerry Yoshitomi. This workshop will offer new approaches and technologies to help you expand your audiences, recruit new students and increase earned income. The retreat begins at 9 am on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.
The National Park Service helps partners plan successful, locally-led outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation projects. Applications for the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program are now being accepted. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss project ideas with RTCA staff before submitting an application. Deadline: 08/01/08.
Jack Straw Productions is holding classes this spring that will cover the basics of microphones, field recording, Pro Tools and creative soundscaping. Workshops are ideal for musicians, sound artists, writers, journalists, documentarians, and film makers. All classes are held in the professional recording studios at Jack Straw Productions.
4Culture's most recent Touring Arts Roster is now available. The juried directory of some of King County's most talented performing artists, the roster is available as a free community resource to regional presenting organizations, local arts agencies, commercial venues, convention and travel industry insiders, schools, libraries, festival coordinators and event planners. The roster is available online or in a print edition which includes a published booklet with artist contact information, photographs, performance description and fee range, as well as a two disc-set of audio work samples from featured artists.
Employment / Internship / Volunteer Jack Straw Productions, a small nonprofit arts organization dedicated to all forms of audio art, is hiring an administrative coordinator to provide office, development, finance, program, and studio support. We seek a friendly, creative, and detail-oriented person who is able to multitask and problem-solve with a minimal amount of direction, but who also works well as part of a team. 06/09/08.
Seattle Arts and Lectures - Writers in the Schools program is looking for creative writers who are passionate about teaching the power and pleasure of writing to young people and who are excited to collaborate with public school teachers. Employment is part-time. Writers-in-residence typically teach one day a week from September through June for a total of 84 direct teaching hours. A yearlong commitment is required. Open until filled; for best consideration submit resume by 07/18/08.
The Henry Art Gallery is seeking a Lead Graphic Designer to create print and electronic materials, including promotional materials, advertisements, exhibition graphics, publications and signage.
Seattle Children's Theater is accepting resumes for full-time Administrative Coordinator for Education Programs starting in August 2008. Responsibilities include: developing annual departmental budget with Education Director; tracking and reporting on departmental revenues and expenses; acting as departmental liaison with business office regarding account reconciliation; and invoicing and tracking payments for Education Outreach programming.
The City of Auburn is recruiting a Visual / Public Arts Coordinator, a full-time position in the Parks, Arts and Recreation Department Position.The position, under the direction of the Cultural Arts Manager, provides coordination for the City’s visual arts and funded public art programs, as well as other cultural arts, recreation programs and special events for the City.
Events See Kris Tucker's letter above for additional events.
Chehalis - The Wildtrout Gallery will feature artwork from eleven tribal artists ranging from age 14 to 45. Each artist worked under the guidance of Upper Skagit artist, Peter Boome in collaboration with a small project of the Chehalis Tribal Enterprises. The project was launched in 2007, and was created to encourage and support development of individual tribal artists as entrepreneurs. Wildtrout Gallery is located in the Marketplace Square building, 34 NE Boistfort St, Suite 123 (upstairs).
Shoreline - The 18th Annual Shoreline Arts Festival celebrates “Green: Art and the Environment” June 28 and 29 at Shoreline Center.
Seattle - SummerFest 2008 presented by the Seattle Symphony in collaboration with Mark O’Connor, a composer and violinist heralded as a leader of a new American classical music style. The festival will run June 26 through July 14 at Benaroya Hall. Grammy award–winning O’Connor lends his artistic vision to Seattle Symphony’s new festival as Festival Director, bringing together an eclectic and inspiring mix of artists and attractions. The festival begins on June 26 as Seattle Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz leads the Orchestra and soprano Jane Eaglen in the passionate love theme from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Mahler’s powerful Symphony No. 6 in A minor. Other highlights include a performance by national treasure, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, on June 1; two stunning on-screen presentations of The Blue Planet Live! accompanied by Seattle Symphony on July 8 and 9; some of the world’s best cirque artists with live orchestra in Cirque de la Symphonie on July 11 and 12; several performances by Mark O’Connor himself, and much more.
Gig Harbor - The 24th Annual Summer Art Festival in historic downtown Gig Harbor, Washington, takes place Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20, 2008, on Judson Street. The event offers arts and crafts from over 150 artists, food vendors, music, and entertainment for children. Accompanying the festival, Peninsula Art League presents its Summer Art Show inside KeyBank during the weekend.
Seattle - Visit the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park this summer to see seasonal changes in the park's landscape and exciting new art installations. Geoff McFetridge: In The Mind, a new site-specific project, fills the PACCAR Pavilion with McFetridge's poster-based provocations. Also, look for Dennis Oppenheim's large-scale fiberglass traffic cones, Safety Cones (2007).
Photo credits Artwork Installation: Jack Archibald, Big Bang, 2007. Leaded glass, copper. - David Fichter, Orchard, 2007. Acrylic. Approximately 10 ft x 50 ft with side walls. - Etsuko Ichikawa, Aurora. Aluminum. 18 ft x 35 ft x 19 ft.
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In her concept proposal Ichikawa wrote, "After spending some time on site and observing activities there, the first image that came to me was of soft drapery forms with many gentle colors, extending higher to the skylight, and reaching to the students in the atrium area. I then immediately thought of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, which has become the primary inspiration for the concept."