Big week for art!

After a Thanksgiving lull, there is just a ton of art to see this week. My dance card is full, and I haven't even looked at the holiday offerings. Here's what my extended weekend looks like:

Thursday I'm seeing Kings of Pastry at the Northwest Film Forum
Hardcore Euro pastry chef competition - sounds like the anti-Ace of Cakes. I'm so there!

I'm really excited about the mixed media installation A Clear Day and No Memories at Jack Straw Studios on Friday night. It's a collaboration between artist Jim Hobbs and Seattle band Kinski and to be honest I've no idea what to expect. Sometimes that's the best way to walk into a new work.

I'm afraid it will come down to a coin toss on Saturday between two worthy productions. Velocity Dance Center is presenting its annual NEXT Fest NW, a collection of dance works from Northwest choreographers. On the slate this year are perpetual faves SANDSTROMMOVEMENT and Kristin Hapke/tindance, Salt Horse, the mysterious Aluminum Siding & mattisonthemove, and Portland's Eliza Larson. Over in Queen Anne, On the Boards has the premiere of former 33 Fainting Spells' Dayna Hanson's new work Gloria's Cause. There is just a ridiculous number of talented Seattle artists associated with this piece, and even though the show is movement based, I expect a highly theatrical experience.

Then on Monday it's back to the NWFF for Next Dance Cinema, the film component of Velocity's NEXT Fest. Whew!

Other events going on I know I won't make but I wish I could: Annex Theater's Spin the Bottle on Friday, and a new work by Freya Wormus, formerly of BetterBiscuitDance, at Yoga on Beacon. I don't know much about the latter work, but it's been too long since I've seen Freya on a stage. Playing both this weekend and next. Ticket info is here, and I hope I can make it next week.

RIP Bill Cumming

I just read over at Slog that Northwest master painter William Cumming has passed away at the age of 93.

Of all the art forms out there, visual art is the one in which I feel least comfortable. I know what I like but not always why - I'm just developing vocabulary to describe what I'm seeing and how it affects me. I've been fortunate enough to have seen a lot of Cumming's work through my friendship with his wife Dena, which began when I first moved to Seattle almost 20 years ago. The combination of definition and ambiguity of shapes through contrasting colors has always appealed to me, as well as the everyday feel of his subjects. Right now, though, I can't really think of the man in terms of his art. He was a crusty old soul who always spoke his mind, and he lived a life that sounds too incredible to be true. Rest in peace, Bill.

William Cumming History Link (thanks to Jen Graves)

2005 Artist Profile in the Seattle P-I

Couch Fest!

I just learned (via the CHS blog) about today's Couch Fest - a mini film festival taking place from Noon to 6pm in peoples' homes. Each residence hosts a 30 minute program of short films in a given genre, with hopefully enough time between programs to move on to the next venue. Even better - a flat $5 gives to entry to the whole day! How better to spend a fall afternoon than squeezed into someone's living room surrounded by people I don't know?

http://www.couchfestfilms.com 

I also went to see Northwest Dance Syndrome's mixed bill show COLLIDE last night. The piece that stuck with me the most is "PS I am not catching you" by The Post Scripts, a (new?) trio comprised of Morgan Nutt, Rachel Randall and Aliza Rudavsky. I hope to see more from them because this was pure joy to watch.

So what's the deal?

I used to be very involved in Seattle's performing arts. I was a dancer, choreographer, producer, grantwriter, house manager, program coordinator, stage manager, volunteer, techie, and avid audience member. When I stopped performing, I lost the drive to see shows every weekend. Or any weekend, really. I let creative opportunities pass me by because they seemed like too much work. I went through 2 callbacks of an audition for an exciting project and in the end told the choreographer she should choose one of the other dancers because they wanted it more. What had been my driving focus for most of my adult life had turned into a big drag: I was burnt out, and needed a complete break. 

A couple of years later, I realized that I missed having art in my life. I got the idea for this blog as a way to get me out of the house and into new artistic endeavors, to spotlight artists and organizations, perhaps delve into the business side of art as well. My focus is on individuals and small organizations, and certainly Seattle/the Pacific Northwest - but you know, it's a blog, so expect a certain amount of randomness and forgive me if I suddenly feel the need to go on about a touring show at the 5th Avenue. Mostly I want to re-engage with the world of art, and welcome others to come along and join the dialogue, because there's a lot of great work happening out there.

And so - Echophrasis, a bastardization of ekphrasis, an ancient form of writing about art and creating something new.