I hate to miss a good party. Unfortunately I was hit by the flu so I could not attend the Seattle 100 event. What is the Seattle 100 you ask? It's a project by Chase Jarvis that showcases more than 100 people who are driving culture in/around Seattle. The two-year project is a photo, video and ethnographic study resulting in a coffee table book, gallery show(party), a website and a live broadcast.

Seattle 100 shares-via more than 300 stunning black-and-white portraits and biographies of each subject-a curated collection of leading artists, musicians, writers, scientists, restaurateurs, DJs, developers, activists, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, and more, all of whom are defining and driving culture in Seattle.

The private party was held Thursday, October 21 at Chase's new space. I really wanted to attend, as some of my friends were featured in the project. As well as how cool it would be to mingle and talk with Seattle folk making a creative difference. There were also public gallery showings on the following Friday and Saturday. I talked to a number of friends who attended and of course they told me it was a wonderful event.

If you want to buy the book, it's a 10x10", 240 page, hardback book available for sale on Amazon for just $26 bucks. The Seattle 100 isn't a finished product, but I believe an ongoing project that will continue to evolve and include more people. If you don't buy the book or didn't make it to the gallery events, check out the cool-and substantial-extension of the project via the website.

Posted by Gary at 2:38 PM | Permalink

There is a difference between being alone and being lonely. It's funny to think about really. Some people crave attention and being social while others value more time alone, at peace with their thoughts.

I was looking at Molly Hawkins Facebook Wall when I came across this video she posted. Like any good person who partakes in social media, if you see something you like, you repost it.

The video explores the multi-faced definition of "alone"; the relationship between solitude and loneliness; and the multitude of ways we can embrace being alone while negating the associated stigmas.

The video is by Andrea Dorfman, a filmmaker/poet/singer/songwriter. Tanya Davis wrote the beautiful poem and performs in the video which Dorfman directed, shot, animated by hand and edited. The film was shot in Halifax, Nove Scotia.

I think if you watch it, you'll see similarities in your own life.

Posted by Gary at 7:57 PM | Permalink

A very cool thing is happening near where I live. There are a bunch of young men and women creating public artwork. I noticed it the first time, exiting off of I-99, when I saw a grey outline with numbers. The project is located under and along the I-99 overpass and 46th Street. It's hard not to notice when you pass by.

Now that the piece has progressed, I decided to walk down, snap a few photo's and ask a couple questions. Turns out that there is an organization called ARTWORKS that takes at-risk youths and works with them to create public art. The group has created over 350 murals for schools, businesses and parks throughout Seattle. The program was developed in 1995 by the SODO Business Association to clean up trash and graffiti along the busway in Seattle's industrial zone.

The project by my house is awesome. It was commissioned to a local artist, who then outlines the piece and places color numbers inside the lines. Then a team of youth comes out and paints it, using color by number. The artist comes out every so often to touch it up and art direct. Very cool.

It brightens up an otherwise grey overpass and should help keep graffiti tagging to a minimum. I'm a big fan of street art and this program needs our support.

I'm not the only person who noticed. Check out the Cool Hunter which features some professional photos of the finished street art and a short write up.

Posted by Gary at 12:18 PM | Permalink