Horizon Used Books on 15th

Horizon Bookstore
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

First time in Horizon Books and boy, what a fun surprise! There's a real maze of bookshelves inside this tiny converted house. Whimsical organization makes room for serendipity.

1. A section for "Gypsies" with one book. 2. Science Fiction anthologies two rooms away from the other Sci Fi books. 3. Auto repair next to computer-related,shelved in the kitchen. 4. Baseball, psychology, science and a ladder in that room.

you are here

here

You are here. Where the accumulation of everything ended in keeping nothing.

This piece of street art is particularly site-specific and serves as a pointed reminder of the false value of "things." Look for it when walking on Pike or waiting for the bus near the intersection with Bellevue Ave.

More about the site and the sad story of what happened here one early morning in late October.

Urban Beach Scenes with "flatchestedmama"

I stopped into the Grey Gallery and Lounge Thursday night to check out the opening of Amy-Ellen “flatchestedmama” Trefsger's exhibition Urban Beach Scenes.

Urban Beach Scenes is a photographic series of Amy-Ellen dressed ready for the beach and posed in the most unexpected urban settings -- including the in NY subway, in an empty warehouse, in front a working graff artist, on stadium stairs.

Amy-Ellen was immediately recognizable at the opening: she was the one with the inflatable swim ring around her waist. What did you expect with a nickname like that? A stuffy biaaatch? So not.

I chatted with friendly Amy-Ellen for a bit and discovered she is the girlfriend of fellow artist Static Invasion, who put together the magnetic poetry word art piece featured in Wooster Collective last fall. Without prompting she revealed, “He is a great boyfriend."

The swim-ringed performance artist shared that most of the photos in the series were taken in 2005. The entire series includes work with 10 different photographers, of which six are represented in the exhibition.

Amy-Ellen talked about one her favorites, which was taken in an empty warehouse: the lighting, dust particles, and spaciousness come together to shape a visceral, lonely vibe.

Incongruence is the easy theme of the Urban Beach Scenes. On a deeper level it speaks to individually interpreting the world, and deliberately choosing one’s level of conformity to the norm.

The Urban Beach Scenes exhibit runs through June 7th.

Grey Gallery and Lounge
1512 11th Avenue, Seattle

p.s. Amy-Ellen, this chica boarder liked your beach sign very much.

snow and serendipity

Snow and magic were flying last night. Yep: snow on March 26th. We've had some years with hailstorms in late March, but snow...?



Here's the magic part. Earlier in the day, Flickr peep SlightlyNorth emails me to say one of his Flickr contacts had caught me in a random shot. It wasn't me but I can see why he might think so. Later, I'm having dinner at the bar at Bimbo's Cantina and was chatting up the guy next to me, who was waiting for a friend. The friend shows up. The friend has a cool camera, which I ask him about and we visit for a few minutes. The topic of Flickr comes up, and he gives me his Moo card.

The serendipity: the guy is PD Gibson, who took the shot that SlightyNorth thought was of me. Wow.

Crows and headstones: Goth cliche

There's a rookery in the firs bordering Lake View Cemetery and Volunteer Park.
While riding through the cemetery, the crows looked at me with the old stink-eye -- as if I were wandering through their living room. I guess I sort of was.



I assumed the crows-in-a-graveyard thing was a gothic invention. It's real here. And stranger still...this cemetery is where Brandon Lee ("The Crow") is laid to rest.

Free events for creative types this weekend

The annual ByDesign film series offers a couple of free opportunities in Seattle this week to peek at the latest in digital video and audio art trends. Free is good, yes?

ByDesign kicks off this Thursday, March 6th with an opening reception featuring works exploring the synchronization of color, shape and type with sound. Contributing producers/performers at the opening night reception include UK group Semiconductor Films, and digital music artists Son of Rose and Caro. (8:00 pm, free)

If you miss the opening reception, you can catch the Time Out of Place production from Semiconductor on Saturday, March 8th, showing between the hours of 3:00 pm and 7:15 pm. (free)
On Sunday, March 9th you can soak in four works from Graham Wood, of the acclaimed creative group Tomato. These pieces are described as "haunting, kaleidoscopic animated sequences." (Hmmm. Consider enhancing your visual perception beforehand if you are into that sort of thing.) Showing between the hours of 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm. (free)

The series lineup includes a few additional interesting screenings, but these will cost ya: Entrophy: New Shorts and Music Videos; Helvetica; and History of Computer Graphics in Film. (Tron, anyone?) The Helvetica documentary film received good reviews from Time Out London and Chicago Tribune. Check the ByDesign 08 site for deets.

Minor detour: Helvetica is all the rage these days. MoMA's exhibit "50 Years of Helvetica" is showing through March 31st and highlights the typeface's history, ubiquity, and influence. I caught it back in October and it was surprisingly interesting. Get the catalog on the MoMA website if you are a font-head.

All events are held at the Northwest Film Forum in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. [map]

Paying a visit to Bruce & Brandon Lee

Martial arts master Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee are buried at the Lake View Cemetery, which is a little over a mile from where I currently live. I've never been before, so today's warm-ish spring weather provided the perfect opportunity to test out my new (to me) bicycle and visit the Lee memorials.

It took me a few minutes to locate the plot since I didn't have a map and only vague directions ("it's on the circle drive in the middle"). So if you go, see my tips below for finding the plot, particularly if there isn't anyone else on the crest of the hill.

The markers for Bruce and Brandon are on the eastern slope with a nice view of the mountains. There's a cozy bench on the adjoining plot, which is very thoughtful of the family who owns it. It provides a quite place to sit while visiting this popular spot. The Lee memorials are side-by-side and are complimentary, not identical, in size, shape and color with a lovely and modern look. The grass surrounding the space is well worn and the caretakers have placed stepping stones to the front of the markers to help keep the grass growing. Earlier visitors to the Lee memorials left mementos and items useful for the afterlife; tributes included fresh flowers, coins, and a cigarette.



Locating the Lee gravesite:
Go all the way up the height of the grounds to the circle drive. The memorials are on the outer edge of the circle drive and they face the east. You can see the backs of the markers from the drive, but you won't see the names until you walk around the memorials. To find the markers, situate yourself on the eastern side of the circle, face the east (away from the center), then look for trampled grass and circle steps leading to the front side of the memorials. if the drive were a clock with noon facing east, they are located at approximately 2pm.
If you have GPS, the coordinates are 47.6333, -122.3158 (from find a grave).

Guitar master Jimi Hendrix is also buried in the Seattle area --Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton, about 30 minutes away by car. For folks on a famous-dead-people tour who don't want to venture that far, a memorial sculpture of Hendrix is within 2 miles of the Lake View Cemetery at the NE corner of Pine and Broadway in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

total eclipse (of the heart)

You can see the total lunar eclipse tonight if skies are clear. In the Pacific time zone the total phase starts at 7:01 and will last about 50 minutes. If communal viewing is your thing you've got two options in Seattle.

Sing-along:
Bring these lyrics to the Cal Anderson Park to karaoke with the masses. You know the tune. "Turn around, bright eyes. Every now and then I fall apart..." Clear skies not required. Deep emoting is. [via line out].

Ohh-and-ahh-along:
The Seattle Astronomical Society will hold a public party for observation of the total lunar eclipse on Wednesday, Feb. 20, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Club members will set up telescopes just north of the Green Lake Small Craft Center, at 5900 West Green Lake Way North. [via cl] I wonder: is the sharing of a telescope viewpiece like borrowing someone's lipstick? Should one bring a discreet packet antibacterial wipes?

Eavesdropping at Cal Anderson Park

Eight-year-old by the playground: "This is the most kids I've ever seen here before." Adult: "Everyone comes out when the sun does."

Walkers: "I'm not going to put up with his crap any more."

Cyclist on cell phone: "Where are you?"

Walker to dog: "NOOOOoo! Get out of the water! Out!"

On the lawn, swinging lasso-fashion something that looks like a 2 foot rope with hefty knots on each end: "So how do you play this game, exactly?"

Sunny. Presidents' Day. 50+ degrees. Seattle. Ahhh.

p.s. if you have rose bushes Presidents' Day is the recommended day to prune for optimal health and bloom.

Volunteer Park Conservatory: heavenly escape

heavenly
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

The conservatory at Volunteer Park in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood is an effective treament for the chilly, wet, gray January blahs. Although compact, each room is packed with interesting plants. There's tropicals of course, plus a cacti garden, floral assortment, a themed room (azaleas right now), and others. I was very excited to spot a fig tree, but I suspect they won't let me pick the fruit when it ripens.

Although I've lived in the Seattle area for years this was my first visit to the VP Conservatory. When I lived in Minneapolis for three years the conservatory in St. Paul kept me from going snirt-crazy. (snirt = dirty snow.) Although we don't get the piles of snirt here, I plan to make the VP Conservatory a regular stopping place during walks around my Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Oh, and yep I think flower pictures are boring, too.

Get your craft on: Chop Suey + I Heart Rummage

Another sign night spot Chop Suey is making bold moves in 2008: the monthly indie urban craft show I Heart Rummage has moved to Chop Suey. Next sale day is Sunday March 2nd.

I Heart Rummage was given notice last fall by the Crocodile Cafe that they'd need to find a new venue starting with the January 2008 show. The Croc then suddenly closed doors days before the December show, arguably the biggest sale month of the year for indie crafters. Much scrambling ensued, and kind-hearted Blvd Gallery stepped up to opened its doors and host the Dec show (and thereby saving Christmas for Tiny Tim). Good location for last-minute change, but the Blvd Gallery is not a big enough space for a permanent home.

Enter Chop Suey. Some mighty interesting things going on there: started serving nibbler asian-y food (anyone tried it yet?), experimenting with band residency, hosted two fundraisers for former Croc employees, retaining good staff, etc.

So what up, Chop? Whatev. Just keep going in this interesting direction and my smitten-ness might develop into a full blown crush.


via Citizen Rain

Safety on the Capitol Hill streets

cuddle
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

Plenty has already been written on the inter-blogs about the new year's eve murder of Shannon Harps in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, so I won't rehash what you can find elsewhere around town.

I'll just share this photo from the block where the attack occurred, and declare that my affection for where I live is as strong as ever. Cuddles to you, Capitol Hill!

And send thanks to the Seattle police for their fierce attention to solving the crime.

CHS Tourney ends today, outcome uncertain

Oh boy, has this been exciting, or what? Coyotes have led Hillku all week. 'Til now. The doggie-wanna-bes have been smacked on the snout with metered verse.

This morning, Hillku leads by 6 votes. Take that, Wile E.!

Vote now, vote often. Until 5p Capitol Hill Time today.

Let's make it a drinking voting game. Everytime we hear or read a business buzzword today, go vote. You know what I'm talking about: words such as synergy, solve for x, leverage, repurpose, knowledge-sharing, out of the box, cross-functional, delayering, collaboration, best practice.

Ready...set...GO!

CHS Tourney: vote now. vote often.

Hillku or a missing sidewalk?

Coyotes or the #10 bus?

The semi-final round of the Capitol Hill Seattle Tourney wraps up at midnight NYE. Which two CHS icons will face off in the finals next week? The clever Justin and Kristen of CHS blog have once again organized a fun voting contest among neighborhood icons. They wisely did not include new CHS neighborhood baby, Bowie, in the tourney entries. (Honor, nepotism, shoo-in, etc. etc.)

In this round the Coyotes have steadily been in the lead over the #10 bus. If you are behind the critters (like The Stranger), you likely don't have anything to worry about.

Hillku and the non-crosswalk at Aloha and 14th are tied up, however, with about 12 hours remaining to lock in your vote(s).

Vote now. Vote often. For Hillku.

Honestly, now. How could you vote for something that doesn't exist: a non-crosswalk? That's like voting a dead person into office. As they did in MO a few years ago.

stalker opps (12.11.07) - revised

A few late changes. Much goings on this time of year. Hope to see ya.

New Friday, December 14th early: BLVD Gallery Good vs. Evil Show opening night (various artists) with Foscil doing tunes, PLUS next door Roq La Rue gallery Motorino opening night (Shag) with Mercury 4 and DJ Vodka Twist doing tunes.

Friday 12/14: Broken Disco at Chop Suey

New Saturday 12/15: I Heart Rummage at Crocodile Cafe. (this is the last show at the Croc.)

Saturday 12/15: ufff, several possibilities here: The Glitch Mob pair at Neumos or private room karaoke with gang of friends (you can bring your own booze with a banquet license) or Shonen Knife at Chop Suey (no longer under consideration), end with Spy’s Resident Evil party

Sunday 12/16: Bringing a Seattle welcome to L.A. friends, here to float for a month

New Monday 12/17: Capitol Hill Seattle blog Book and Beer Exchange at Smith