What does an artist "drawing board" look like?
People keep “going back to the drawing board”… where is this legendary place, anyway?
It was in Washington Hall this week, and on this drawing board were the first sketches of an upcoming art project/ apartment building in Seattle’s Central District. Curator Bill Gaylord went over the initial plans for 12th Avenue and Yesler Way. You might know the location as the old Seattle Curtain Manufacturing Company; some of its remaining fabrics will go into textile art created by the Pacific Northwest African American Quilters.
Civic arts leader Vivian Phillips then introduced the rest of the artist team: Marita Dingus, Juan Alonso-Rodriguez, June Sekiguchi, Romson Regarde Bustillo, Jite Agbro, Jonathan Clarren, Jeffery Veregge, Lawrence Pitre and me.
It’s super-early days for this two-year project. It still needs lots of input from the neighbors so it doesn’t end up just another big box of gentrified property. But I joined this project because I hope the building becomes responsive part of the historic neighborhood, like the Liberty Bank Building. Maybe that’s a high bar, but I think it’s possible.
In the "Red" at Ghost Gallery
If you’ve ever dreamed about seeing a butterfly swarm up close…
… you’re in luck. Next month, you can see a gallery-full in “Red List: Moths & Butterflies” at Ghost Gallery. And when I say ‘gallery-full’, I mean it — I’m one of 60 artists showing work in this exhibit. Have you seen the endangered butterflies in my “Rare & Exquisite” series in person?
Detail of dotted skipper-human hybrid, “Rare & Exquisite #4” by Lisa Myers Bulmash
This one, based on the dotted skipper, is part of Ghost Gallery’s show on endangered moths and butterflies in Canada, the United States and Mexico. A percentage of proceeds from the show will benefit the Xerces Society’s work to protect these animals and their habitats.
“Nightshade Pillow” by Carmen Cano (via Ghost Gallery)
CoCA Magic: who pulled off the hat trick?
I finished all three pieces I intended to create during the CoCA Seattle art marathon… but I used every last minute. And I wasn’t alone in that. If I remember correctly, when I left at 10:30am there were at least five or six other artists still scrambling to complete their works.
Before I drop from exhaustion, I’d like to remind you we’re auctioning off these brand-new artworks in just a few hours:
Join me at the auction and we’ll see if all the artists made deadline! But first: sleep!