The Latvians: Fifty Years in the State of Washington
Friday, June 6, 2008 to Sunday, July 27, 2008

In the years following World War II, immigrants from the Baltic State of Latvia found home and work in the state of Washington. Photographs, textiles, folk costumes and and fine art tell the story of the 50-year history of their daily lives, work, and accomplishments, and the cultural traditions they have kept alive in their new home.

Nordic Heritage Museum
3014 NW 67th Street
Seattle, WA 98117

With your Husky Card: $5.00/person

Our American Theatre Company presents:
Three Hotels by Jon Robin Baitz

Thurs - Sat, Jun. 12— 28 8:00 PM
Tickets: Pay What You Will

THREE HOTELS by Jon Robin Baitz is an unflinching and deeply human examination of two lives collapsing under the weight of their participation in the multinational corporate world. Ken Hoyle is a hatchet man for a company that sells baby formula (often with disastrous results) to third world countries. It’s been a long time since he and his wife Barbara were idealistic Peace Corps volunteers. But this moral compromise has taken its toll–in the worst way imaginable, and now Ken and Barbara have reached a point of no return.

In this three monologue journey, we sit in three hotel rooms in three different parts of the world and watch a man and a woman set out to parts unknown with much to contemplate, searching for answers and aching for redemption.

Theatre Off Jackson
409 – 7th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104
206-340-1049
info@theatreoffjackson.org

Read the play/monologue here: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=1hqQyHboVBgC&dq=%22three+hotels%22&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=3JBe3tROET&sig=3YC3fbHvMdnUxja9dTQuruVVymA

Erin Frost is erotica made hazy by surrealism. So lovely.

———–

Showing June 2nd - 28th, 2008
Captive Creatures by Erin Frost           

Erin Frost presents new photographs that explore reconstruction and transformation through self-portraits, pursuing ideas of myth and ephemeral moments, as well as ideas of power possessed and given in to. Frost’s erotic and surreal traditional black and white photographs are influenced by the decadent and dangerous tales of dreams and memory. Through the intuitive process of self-portraits, often using mirrors to distort and transform, she works with the concept of reinvention fueled by creative desire.             

Some Space Gallery
625 Ist Ave @ Cherry St
Seattle, WA 98104
PH: 206 718.3104
info(at)somespacegallery.com

What sets “Captive Creatures” apart from your past shows?

“Captive Creatures” is more a continuation than a departure. However, it does strive for a beauty that insinuates something uncomfortable and even dangerous at times. The realization that transformation occurs within — and because of — the restrictions involved, captive in mortality, consciousness and body. It stems from ideas of power, restraint and possession. (From nwsource.com)

From Seattle.gov

Seattle has nation’s most arts-related businesses per capita

Seattle ranks first in the nation in the number of arts-related businesses per capita. The city is home to 4,065 arts-related businesses that employ 21,025 people, according to Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report released today by Americans for the Arts.

“This study confirms what we in Seattle have known for years. Seattle is a creative capital that attracts creative people and industries which add to our reputation for innovation,” Mayor Greg Nickels said. “Arts-related businesses contribute significantly to our economy and quality of life.”

Among the nation’s 50 most populated cities, Seattle ranked in the top 10 in the three other categories measured by the report. Seattle is eighth in the total number of arts businesses. The city ranked third in arts employees per capita (per 1,000 residents) and finished 10th for the total number of arts employees. The study found Seattle’s arts-related businesses and arts employment increased 13.6 percent from 2007. The full report with rankings for all 50 cities is available at: www.AmericansfortheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.

Combining Dun & Bradstreet data and geo-economic analysis, the study tracks and maps the presence of arts-related entities in six creative industries: museums and collections; performing arts; visual arts and photography; film, radio and television; design and publishing; and arts schools and services.

These creative industries range from nonprofit museums, symphonies and theaters to for-profit film, architecture and advertising companies.

“Seattle’s creative sector is a cornerstone of economic development and tourism,” said Michael Killoren, director of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. “We’re a national hub of cultural and economic innovation, and our creative edge attracts good companies, skilled workers and visitors.”

Arts-centric businesses represent 4.3 percent of all businesses and 2.2 percent of all jobs in the United States, according to the report which underscores the arts as a robust economic growth sector.

• More than 612,000 arts-related businesses employ 2.98 million people nationwide.
• Arts-centric businesses grew 12 percent from 2007 compared to the growth of 10.7 percent for all U.S. businesses.
• Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 11.6 percent, more than four times the rise in total number of U.S. employees of 2.4 percent.

“This study supports our mantra that the arts play a significant role in building and sustaining economically vibrant communities,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, a national nonprofit arts advocacy organization. “It further supports the need for arts education to fuel the creative industries with arts-trained workers and arts consumers.”

Red Cross- From Solferino to Baghdad: 145 Years of Red Cross Photography
Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs

Curated by the Red Crescent Museum in Geneva these arresting images depict more than a century of humanitarian efforts by the International Red Cross.

Monday-Friday 7:00am-6:00pm
06/11/2008 through 07/02/2008
Presented at: Seattle City Hall and Gallery
600 Fourth Avenue, L2 Level, Seattle
(206) 684-2489

This is an amazing experience– live music/dance coupled with a silent film and presented by actual descendants of the tribe.

‘In the Land of Headhunters’

The Burke Museum, in association with the Moore Theatre and the Seattle International Film Festival, presents a newly restored copy of Edward S. Curtis’ historic 1914 silent film In the Land of the Head Hunters. The restored film features recently discovered missing portions of the original, and its original orchestral score which will be performed live. The film will be introduced and framed by 14 descendants of the original Kwakwaka’wakw cast, who will present many dances from the film.

Tuesday 7:00pm
06/10/2008
Moore Theatre
1932 2nd Avenue, Seattle
(206) 467-5510

Purchase tickets at: themoore.com
From $13-18

Tuesday • June 10 • 7pm

Local science fiction author Nisi Shawl published her first piece of fiction in Semiotext(e) #14, an issue that included William Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, and William Gibson. Her latest title is a collection of stories all her own: strange, haunting tales by a singular voice in contemporary fantastic fiction.

From an interview with Ms. Shawl–

This collection of stories is entitled Filter House. What exactly is a “filter house”?

I like ocean things, I like marine biology [and] I enjoy anything oceanic. I found this article about appendicularia and was reading about them and then looked at other articles on the web and found out about filter houses. They are so, so gorgeous. They are so beautiful. And I was just really attracted to the idea of something that was so ephemeral and beautiful.

So [a filter house] is sort of like an underwater, 3-D spiderweb that [appendicularia] use to trap food. They are filter feeders but they build these filters outside their body that last for about two or three hours, until the appendicularia outgrows it or they become clogged, useless. Then they release them and they drift down to the lower levels of the ocean. If you’ve read about anything in marine ecology, you’ve heard about “marine snow” – all the lower levels of life subsist on [it]; that’s the basic element of their ecology. So [discarded filter houses are] a large component of marine snow. [I liked] the idea that it was something so basic, too.

I wanted to have the title of the collection not be a story and I wanted it to be the sort of combination of words that would make people think, “Well, what is that?” I also was drawn by this idea that the structure of the short story collection is ephemeral, that it’s made up of other elements that are brought together in this moment – because they are so short, short stories are sort of ephemeral too. (find the interview at http://aqueductpress.blogspot.com/2008/04/seeing-voices-conversation-with-nisi.html)

No idea… but hey– go for an adventure this weekend! Tell me how it turns out.

——————

A departure from Circus Contraption’s usual turn-of-the-century fare, The SHOW to End All SHOWS imagines a family-owned circus with all of the glamour and glitz of the 70’s and 80’s. The time, however, is now, and the glamour shows signs of decay. A sense of imminent destruction looms as things begin to go awry under the tent. The Ringmaster insists upon the willful denial of their world’s demise by not only his progeny, but also the audience. This twisted take on Americana tells the story of the show that must go on, despite all evidence that the show, and maybe even the world, will be extinguished before the closing act.

The show runs through Sunday, June 22, at our new space in Fremont, Seattle, Washington.
Theo Chocolate, 3400 Phinney Ave N
Seattle WA

May 22 - June 22
Thu-Sat 8pm
Sun 7pm
Tickets $25 ($20 for the 25-and-under set)

NOTE: Thu-Sat shows are 21 and over. Sun shows are all-ages. This production contains adult content in the form of language, violence, and some sexual content, so parental discretion is advised.

Roman de Gare

at Metro Cinema: check film-times at fandango.com

Judith Ralitzer (Fanny Ardant) is a writer suffering from a bad case of writer’s block while trying to come up with her new book. However, she might be able to draw some ideas from her own life when she meets a stranger (Dominique Pinon) and an abandoned woman (Audrey Dana) who are both part of a real-life mystery.

Cast Dominique Pinon, Fanny Ardant, Audrey Dana, Zinedine Soualem, Michèle Bernier, Myriam Boyer (more)

Director(s) Claude Lelouch
Writer(s) Claude Lelouch, Pierre Uytterhoeven

This actor had quite the legacy in the nascent years of film. Check him out at his finest– only twelve bucks a pop for these films unavailable elsewhere!

————

June 2, 2008: When the Clouds Roll By (1919);
June 9, 2008: Mark of Zorro (1920);
June 16, 2008: Robin Hood (1922);
June 23, 2008: The Gaucho (1927)

Start Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: The Paramount Theatre / 911 Pine Street / Seattle, WA 98101

Website: http://www.theparamount.com