Tag Archives: art

What’s New and Cool in July, 2016

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Art at the Airport

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Seatac Airport literally bursts with art of every kind and dimension – so much that the Port of Seattle (the airport’s overseer) offers a map of where the artwork is.

Glass, sculpture, photography and sound installations by both renowned and emergency artists are represented.

In the Central Terminal you’ll find Pacific Marketplace, a city streetscape with boutique shops, restaurants, a view of the airfield and public art. Designed by Fantress Bradburn Architects, this space encompasses 60,000 square feet and has 60-foot high ceilings. During daylight hours it’s flooded with sparkle and lights.

On the concourses you’ll encounter portraits of jazz musicians who have roots in Washington, talking water fountains (they gurgle loudly), mosaics, stained glass windows and more.

Art is displayed in the satellite train station, on the third runway embankment wall and wing ferns hover over the 188th Street Tunnel. Rotating exhibits grace the glass showcases.

Art installation of lost luggage over one of the baggage carousels at Seatac Airport

But until last night I had no idea that they’d created overhead art with lost luggage.

Festival of Trees Captures the Art of Decorating

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We took a peak at the 2010 Mary Bridge Festival of Trees over the weekend at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center and it was fantabulous. Designers decorated fir trees for Christmas that were then auctioned off to raise funds for the children served by Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center. These events raised $1.5 million last year.

Besides two days of public viewing, three other events happen during an extended weekend. Ladies Night Out, where ladies, of course, taste wine and other beverages, enjoy appetizers and shop plus also have an opportunity to marvel at the professionally decorated trees. Next comes the black-tie Gala Auction and Dinner with nearly 700 guests each year where these beautiful trees find their home for the holidays and then Jinglebell Jam gives people another chance to shop and bid on auction items. Visit www.marybridge.org/fot to find out more, but remember this year’s event is over.

 

I’ve always wondered if there was a right way to decorate a Christmas tree, but never really knew so I kind of just did it like my parents did. As it turns out, it’s an art, but Tammy Hall, a veteran Festival tree designer, claims novices can create a beautiful tree by following these tips that she shared with Debby Abe of the News Tribune:

  • Pick a theme and a color scheme for your tree – this year her team’s tree focused on “Just another day in paradise” and the colors used were aqua, silver, sea green and terra cotta.
  • String lots of lights, at least 100 lights per foot of the tree’s height – LED lights are more energy efficient, but also more costly, so choose between those or mini-twinkling lights.
  • Place the lights on the tree first. Hall likes to start at the top of the tree and wrap them around most branches starting from the outer tip, going toward the trunk and then back out.
  • Hang big ornaments first, then the smaller ones around them – try to bunch items in threes.
  • Put ornaments on the inside of branches, not just the tips.
  • Include ornaments that reflect light like glass ornaments and mirrored decorations – even CDs work as reflectors.
  • Choose items that fit your theme, but aren’t necessarily ornaments – butterfly net, feathers, organza, etc.
  • Find a tree topper as elegant as your tree.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment – Hall says over time she has become braver.

 

Do you have other tips about tree decorating? If so, please share them.

Seattle Light Rail’s Art

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An art installation at the Tukwila Station, where there's a lot of free parking

A newcomer to the light rail world, Seattle’s version opened for business in the summer of 2009. It’s a great way to get from SeaTac Airport to downtown or any of the stops in between. You avoid the parking hassles and traffic jams.

Along the track, from the airport to Westlake in downtown, public art was installed at almost every station giving riders a glimpse of the surrounding neighborhoods’ character.

With 40 artists each contributing their interpretation of “cultural conversations,” you’ll see evidence of manufacturing, fruit orchards, ethnic diversity and more. Just for fun, while you’re gliding through the tunnel, see if you can make a full house with the playing cards flashing across the wall just before the Beacon Avenue Station.

Traveling north from SeaTac, watch for these sculptural renditions of each ‘hood and see what else you can find:

  1. Tukwila International Boulevard Station, “A Drop of Sustenance” by Tad Savinar

The gigantic drop of water and the resulting “splash” depicted above the escalators on the southbound platform show the dramatic role water plays in the city of Tukwila – water from excessive rainfall and the water in the Duwamish River.

Granite pavers throughout the Tukwila Station illustrate residents’ insights and memories of the past.

  1. Rainier Beach Station, “Parable” by Buster Simpson

The pears in “Parable” refer to the thriving orchards that filled this area in years past.

  1. Othello Station, “Come Dance With Me” by the late Augusta Asberry

Vivid colors combined with lithe African-American dancing figures speak to the rich cultural heritage of this established multi-ethnic community.

  1. Columbia City Station, “Global Garden Shovel” by Victoria Fuller

Made with castings and replications of a variety of plants and trees to replicate the diverse ethnic makeup of the neighborhood and the shovel represents the fertile nature of Rainier Valley soil.

“In exploring the neighborhood I noticed that people took pride in their gardens, no matter what the size or style of their home,” said Fuller. “I wanted to capture that feeling.”

  1. SODO Station, “Made in USA” by Michael Davis

An oversized level, carpenter’s pencil and square towering over some actual-sized tools attached to benches below honor the industrial nature of the SODO district. The tools appear to have been left by a worker on a break.

To get the details about riding the light rail, visit www.soundtransit.org and click on “Central Link Light Rail.”

A newcomer to the light rail world, Seattle’s version opened for business in the summer of 2009. It’s a great way to get from SeaTac Airport to downtown or any of the stops in between. You avoid the parking hassles and traffic jams.

Along the track, from the airport to Westlake in downtown, public art was installed at almost every station giving riders a glimpse of the surrounding neighborhoods’ character.

With 40 artists each contributing their interpretation of “cultural conversations,” you’ll see evidence of manufacturing, fruit orchards, ethnic diversity and more. Just for fun, while you’re gliding through the tunnel, see if you can make a full house with the playing cards flashing across the wall just before the Beacon Avenue Station.

Traveling north from SeaTac, watch for these sculptural renditions of each ‘hood and see what else you can find:

  1. Tukwila International Boulevard Station, “A Drop of Sustenance” by Tad Savinar

The gigantic drop of water and the resulting “splash” depicted above the escalators on the southbound platform show the dramatic role water plays in the city of Tukwila – water from excessive rainfall and the water in the Duwamish River.

Granite pavers throughout the Tukwila Station illustrate residents’ insights and memories of the past.

  1. Rainier Beach Station, “Parable” by Buster Simpson

The pears in “Parable” refer to the thriving orchards that filled this area in years past.

  1. Othello Station, “Come Dance With Me” by the late Augusta Asberry

Vivid colors combined with lithe African-American dancing figures speak to the rich cultural heritage of this established multi-ethnic community.

  1. Columbia City Station, “Global Garden Shovel” by Victoria Fuller

Made with castings and replications of a variety of plants and trees to replicate the diverse ethnic makeup of the neighborhood and the shovel represents the fertile nature of Rainier Valley soil.

“In exploring the neighborhood I noticed that people took pride in their gardens, no matter what the size or style of their home,” said Fuller. “I wanted to capture that feeling.”

  1. SODO Station, “Made in USA” by Michael Davis

An oversized level, carpenter’s pencil and square towering over some actual-sized tools attached to benches below honor the industrial nature of the SODO district. The tools appear to have been left by a worker on a break.

To get the details about riding the light rail, visit www.soundtransit.org and click on “Central Link Light Rail.”

One of Seattle's light rail stations close to the center of town

The Maxwell Hotel in Seattle

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One of the 139 guest rooms.

Complimentary bicycles for guests rest below the impressive mural in the lobby

Last night I was fortunate to stay in the four-month-old Maxwell Hotel situated at the base of Queen Anne Hill. It still has that new-building smell, which lets all my senses know this will be a venue I’ll love because it’s so clean and shiny.

Everything sparkled, from the opera-themed guest rooms to the chic lobby, to the road bicycles the hotel loans guests, to the four-foot deep indoor swimming pool. Guests get free parking at this hotel, which is named after the owners’ 11-year-old son, Max. Free parking in Seattle is a godsend, and also a great place to keep your car while you visit nearby attractions.  Because not every visitor is a hardcore hiker, the Maxwell offers complimentary bikes for getting around. Each bike features three speeds, fenders and baskets (in case you make purchases) and comes in both men’s and women’s styles. Whenever you check out a bike, you also receive a helmet and a bike lock.

Each room comes equipped with a 42-inch flat screen TV and a DVD player. Complimentary DVDs for your viewing pleasure are available from the front desk.

You’ll find the pineapple symbol throughout the hotel, which universally signifies hospitality, warmth, kindness and generosity – what the Maxwell embraces. All the staff greets you whenever you run into the them and the front desk employees know just about everything. In the lobby, you’ll find Pineapple Espresso for your drink and snack needs.

Just before you enter the pool area, you’ll see a group of tiles clustered as if they make a quilt. Each tile contains an artful message from one of Max’s school chums.

The art deco theme runs throughout the hotel and into the guest rooms. The pops of color are delightful to the eye, not harsh as it might seem if you describe the orange throws on black and white bedspreads.

Each room has a personal safe, a one-cup coffee pot, a microwave and a small fridge. Everyday you’re given a bag of popcorn to microwave. They had me at popcorn, which I like way better than warm cookies.

I am definitely a bathroom connoisseur and this one ranks right up there with my favorites. The rain shower caressed me with warm water instead of beating me with a harsh stream like most showers. The showerhead was recessed enough that no shower curtain or door is necessary and no water leaked out onto the floor. The makeup mirror, the black granite countertop and the fan you didn’t have to fiddle all served to make me feel luxurious and pampered.

Conveniently located on Roy Street between Third Avenue North and Nob Hill in downtown Seattle, visitors interested in the cultural scene are mere steps away from Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Teatro ZinZanni.

And they welcome dogs.