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.