Seattle, WA. The Center for Wooden Boats began in 1976 as a “living museum” preserving maritime heritage. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the nonprofit has continued to provide hands-on experiences by rapidly implementing safety measures. Sandy Lam, Community Engagement Director, describes the ability to contribute to the community with safe, socially distanced activities, including the following: youth programs with each participant sailing their own boat, offering free one-hour rowboat sessions, and by shifting the 3rd Friday Speaker Series to a virtual platform.
The video below is a sailing snapshot, titled Celebrate on the Lake.
Down at the Boathouse is a podcast created to broaden the reach to maritime enthusiasts worldwide and is a community-led sharing of stories inspired by those told on the docks.
The Center for Wooden Boats is a welcoming gathering place with two locations in Lake Union Park in Seattle captured in the feature image and Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, a beautiful setting to escape the city, with the option for members to extend their stay with a cabin rental. The 45th anniversary will be celebrated with small events throughout the year, titled Connecting Generations and Maritime Heritage.
An art poster competition opened for submissions this month to celebrate the anniversary and showcases previous posters recorded in the archives.
From The Center for Wooden Boats:
This is a community that focuses on creating equitable access to maritime experiences. Mission: The Center for Wooden Boats promotes northwest maritime heritage through education, interpretation, and hands-on experience in building, maintaining, and using historic small craft. Interested in getting involved and becoming a member? Join the Center for Wooden Boats
Seattle, WA. Pike Place Market is open to visitors, and many vendors are offering unique items for sale in-person. This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, vendors are also offering items for sale online. It’s an online charitable marketplace where you can buy items and have them shipped to your home. Patricia Gray, Community Relations Manager of the Pike Place Market Foundation, explains, “It’s not your typical tourist place; but it’s a real place with authentic people, and that is because it’s actually a living, breathing, village. It’s a village that all works together to support a whole community where everyone is welcome.” Here’s a video about the Market this holiday season:
The Pike Place Market is more than meets the eye: not only is it a serene place to wander while sipping a cup of cold brew and browsing local art, it has a historical charter that focuses on providing low-income housing and services, especially for seniors. The Pike Place Market Foundation initiated a recovery fund in June 2020. The $3.5 million campaign will go toward increasing the size of the community safety net to support vendors in the Market and launch emergency programs to support the senior residents of the Market.
Even Rachel the Pig, the iconic market piggy bank, is sprayed with Lysol. Photo courtesy of the Pike Place Market.
If you visit the Market you’ll find safety measures to keep customers healthy: increased sanitization, social distancing, and mask implementation. The money donated to the Rachel the Pig piggy bank goes straight to the Market Foundation to fund many services, which have expanded during the pandemic. Emergency programs such as food distribution, Covid-19 testing, and shelter-in-place orders for over 500 senior residents of the Market are a few of the programs implemented by the foundation. Since the Covid-19 shutdown, the Market’s social services remain open and deployed emergency programs such as food distribution and Covid-19 testing for neighbors throughout downtown in addition to shelter-in-place orders for more than 500 senior residents of the market. The Pike Market Senior Center, Food Bank, Health Clinic, and Heritage House remain open.
The Pike Market food bank provides much-needed assistance during tough times. Photo courtesy of the Pike Place Market Foundation.
Now for big ray-of-sunshine news: the foundation is very close to its $3.5 million dollar goal. “The dollars are flying in, and it’s the holiday season so things are really busy. We will announce our grand total in January,” says Patricia Gray. However there is still a long road ahead, and the Market will have to double down on its recovery fund efforts if it wants to continue supporting local businesses and residents. The Pike Place Market Foundation has given out about a hundred grants to the Market small businesses so far, totaling up to half a million dollars of the recovery fund, and on top of that, a worker safety net is available to help vendors cover rent and healthcare costs. When the current eviction moratorium has expired, these artists will likely need more assistance with rent.
If you shop online at the Charitable Marketplace, a portion of the proceeds goes towards the Market Foundation. In this way, shoppers can support local artists while also supporting local residents through the low-income housing provided by the Market Foundation.
Blown glass ornaments made by Motoko and Joshua. Photo Courtesy of the KOBO Art Garden.
One of the vendors, the KOBO Art Garden, (http://www.koboartgarden.com) is not able to sell in person at the Market right now. The business is run by Motoko Hayashi and Joshua Swanson, a couple that has creatively transformed their garage into an art studio to create their authentic blown-glass artwork. The couple has been selling their art at the Market for fifteen years, and now they must rely solely on online sales through their website.
Typically the KOBO Art Garden hosts a glass-blowing workshop, where people come and learn to blow their own glass creations, which they get to take home. It’s the perfect way to get hands-on experience and become immersed in the art of glass-sculpting. These sessions are temporarily on hold due to the virus, so income has been sparse. Luckily the couple was able to qualify for a loan, but what they really need is the support of locals.
Wavy bowls crafted by Motoko and Joshua. Photo courtesy of KOBO Art Garden.
As you are finishing up some last-minute holiday shopping, consider shopping at the Pike Place Charitable Marketplace, where you can support local businesses while also funding the Market foundation. Of course, you can still go in-person to Pike Place Market with your cold brew and bundles of scarves, where you can say hi to Rachel the Pig and throw some coins in there too (for good luck, of course).
Seattle, WA. Fifth Avenue Theatre is ready to host two live-stream holiday concerts are made to recreate the joys of live theatre. There will be holiday music, tap dancing, and all sorts of colorful festivities to brighten this chilly Seattle winter.
“This year we are doing a different kind of holiday special where we are celebrating all parts of the season,” says Bernie Griffin, Managing Director of the Fifth Avenue Theater. “We have a couple of hosts, Cayman Ilika and Shaunyce Omar, and some special guests– kind of a throwback to when I was growing up, the old holiday specials where there would be special guests that would pop in.” The Fifth Avenue Theater isn’t holding back this holiday season, but brightening the mood with a festive holiday special that can be viewed online.
This online performance is different from what the theater is used to: “For the holidays we would normally bring in about fifty thousand people into the downtown theater for our holiday show, and have been a part of families memories for decades” says Bernie. This year the Fifth Ave has gotten creative with their shows, especially among Governor Inslee’s new Coronavirus regulations. “We were actually going to film our holiday special at the theater a few weeks ago, and then the governor’s mandate came down as far as additional restrictions for the good of the health guidelines, so we had to send all of the equipment out to people’s homes. They filmed in their own apartments and houses, we sent music to them and now it’s splicing it all together,” she explained.
This beautiful theatre will remain empty this holiday season, but the Fifth Ave is bringing the music straight to your home.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre is offering a variety of package optionsfor theatre-fanatics with subscriber access to new content including a mix of exclusive original video, podcasting content, and live stream concerts by theatre partners around the world. Subscribers can enjoy micro-doses of musical theater with access to original video series’, in which actors and composers cooperate to create an original video-story and song. Or, for a full dose of musical theater, subscribers can listen to full-length musical podcasts featuring the 5th’s First Draft commission Half the Sky and Afterwords (Village Theater Beta Series); and one more still to be announced. Cuddle up with a steaming hot-cocoa and enjoy live concerts from the lobby Cabaret; performances by Seattle stars filmed from the lobby of The 5th.
Determined to continue supporting local artists during the pandemic, The 5th Ave recently hosted its Holiday Bazaar. This nine-day virtual event was an auctioning off of wines and various Fifth Avenue gems, as well as a marketplace for artisans who are not currently working. “All of that money goes directly to the artisans for their beautiful hand-crafted gifts. We hope it provides a little bit of assistance,” says Bernie Griffin. “I just recognize the individuals who work for The Fifth Ave and their dedication to this organization, our community, our patrons and our artists, to figure out how to do this”.
The “Pearl or Perfection” chandelier, historical centerpiece to an intricate ceiling.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre has a deep-rooted history here in Seattle. Constructed in 1926, the theatre is today considered one of the most beautiful theatres in our country, thanks to its elaborate interior design. The ceiling is an exact replica of the ceiling of the Throne Room of Beijing’s Imperial Palace, only it’s twice the size. The ornate, five-toed dragon in the center was created as a symbol of the Chinese emperor, with the “Pearl of Perfection” chandelier dangling from his mouth. In the 1990’s, the theatre became the only professional theater organization in the Pacific Northwest to stage both Broadway touring musicals and its own original productions at the time. From its very inception, The 5th Avenue Theatre was created to serve Seattle. The theatre has supported other Seattle theatre organizations, and has made grants to support education programs at cultural institutions throughout Seattle. Not to mention providing much-needed musical entertainment and creative release to Satellites.
5th avenue street lights up in celebration of the holiday season.
This year has been challenging as far as musical theatre goes, as Coronavirus regulations prohibit people from gathering. However, The 5th Ave continues to “create art and to continue to lift the spirits of folks as only musical theater can do,” says a hopeful Bernie Griffin. “However it is that we are able to do that during this time is what our role is as a community asset”. The theatre is happy to continue to feed the creative appetite of the Seattle community, and is grateful for its supportive followers. There is much to look forward to in terms of new shows, podcasts and concerts– all of which can be found on The Fifth Avenue website. “During this time we really need the support of all our community, when the time is right, to get back on our feet”.
We’re proud to introduce The Essential 5th Digital Collection, a digital season featuring content created by The 5th that immerses you in the very essence of musical theater.
With The Essential 5th Digital Collection, we invite you to join us in our virtual theater for a mix of exclusive original video and podcasting content created by The 5th and livestream concerts by theater partners around the world—including some of Broadway’s brightest stars.
The Essential 5th is broken out into three different package options with subscriber access to exciting new content expanding at every level:
The 5th Avenue Theatre has an essential role to play in your life—just as you have an essential role to play in ours. The close connection between our audience and our art has always lead to musical experiences at their richest. It is your support—whether through your subscription, your donation, or even your kind words and messages—that we maintain the critical resources that support our staff, create opportunities for our local artists, and plan for recovery.
Seattle, WA. Artist Meenakshi Sinha uses her Facebook page, The Giving Canvas, to auction paintings in support of nonprofits, offering bidders an opportunity for to be donors, too. Every cent of each purchase goes directly into a fund for different specified foundations, most of which are located in or around Seattle. During coronavirus, which has made money and time harder to come by, her contributions have become even more crucial.
“The pandemic has had an economic downturn, so people are not as upcoming with their money as they used to be,” Sinha said. “But on the other hand there is more demand from nonprofits. They’ve been asking for my paintings this year more so because everything is virtual anyway, so I’m getting more requests for donating to their auctions as well as to host auctions for my page.”
Meenakshi Sinha auctions paintings — like this one — on The Giving Canvas.
Although it’s been difficult to meet the one-painting-per-week agenda, Sinha and her artistic prowess have continued to grow throughout the pandemic, providing donors with ornate canvas paintings of natural environments, while offering foundations important funds to maintain their much-needed work during a global pandemic.
The most inspiring and beautiful aspect of The Giving Canvas, though, isn’t as much the art as it is the human interaction — at least according to Sinha.
“Every auction has its own beautiful story,” she said. “I am always surprised at how often connections are made and people kind of find a connection, either to the painting or the nonprofit and so on.”
One of the more recent examples of this took place on Sep. 23rd, when Sinha auctioned off an encapsulating 24-inch by 24-inch stretched canvas painting called, “A Place of Joy.” The auction’s nonprofit beneficiary, ImmunoMomentum, provides important funding for research on childhood cancer.
ImmunoMomentum was started by the parent of a young girl who is now in remission after undergoing chemotherapy. The fund directly benefits data and research on cancer treatment for labs in Seattle Children’s Hospital.
As with any of her paintings, bidders flocked to The Giving Canvas Facebook page for a chance to support the cause and come away with a work of beauty. In this particular case, the winner of the bidding was a mother whose son was in the middle of his final round of cancer treatment at Seattle Children’s.
“The person who bid said, ‘I want to bid on this because I’m looking at this auction from Seattle Children’s Hospital, and my son is getting his last treatment of chemo,’” Sinha said. “He is looking at the painting with me, and he’s really attracted to the colors of this painting. He really wants me to bid on it.’
“They finally won, and the person took the painting home and then sent me a picture of the painting with their son, and what they said was, ‘This was such a great way for us to mark this day as the day that he’s getting his last treatment.’”
“A Place of Joy” by Meenakshi Sinha
Even more than the artwork — which would be quite sufficient on its own — The Giving Canvas is a platform of poignancy and joy. During coronavirus, when normal life seems to have slipped away. Sinha’s artwork provides a splash of brightness and livelihood for the city of Seattle.
From The Giving Canvas:
“Hello! I am Meenakshi Sinha and I live in Kirkland, WA. I offer my art on this page to raise funds for various causes. Thank you for visiting!”
Seattle, WA. Gage Academy of Art is offering a variety of online art classes for the public in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Gage 360 online classes, people can connect with instructors and peers to learn art skills, receive feedback, and conduct discussions about art from the comfort of their homes. Gage is also offering online summer programs for kids and teens through differing subscription plans. Check out this video introducing Gage 360 to the public:
Gage Academy of Art Registrar Morgan Patten shares that Gage’s goal as an organization is to “provide an array of classes and offerings to not just adults, but youth and teens.” When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Seattle, Patten shares that Gage aimed to still have its regular classes and “maintain connections” through an online model.
Director of Global Marketing, Communications Technology, and Community Engagement Joanne Levy shares that Gage “went from never offering online classes to creating two-quarters of online and free learning” for the public. Patten says that so far “free offerings have been great” and Gage has been able to “maintain the same quality of instruction” as well as “achieve global reach.”
Patten says, “engaging in hobbies and activities that let [people] be creative at a difficult time is important.” She also shares that “the arts is something that needs to be protected and invested in, especially at times like this” to “help those who are struggling.” Through online art offerings, Levy says that Gage wants “people to keep art alive” so that the organization “can be there for another 30 years.”
Among the Gage 360 offerings, Gage Academy of Art is conducting Art Bites, which are $25, hour-long art classes taught by various instructors. People may also partake in the Art to Go series, which is free to the community and offered twice each week. The Art to Go series features free art tutorials, demos, and lectures from Gage instructors through Zoom.
A promotional photo for Gage’s Art Bites online program
A promotional photo for Gage’s Art to Go with instructor Kathleen Moore
There is also an option of Art to Go for teens, which is an online version of Gage’s Teen Art Studio (TAS) program. Teen Art Studio is a free program that increases art access for individuals ages 13-18 who may face barriers to creative outlets. This includes teens who experience homelessness, LGBTQIA youth, or those who speak English as a second language. The program is all about providing teens with a safe space for self-expression. Through TAS, teens receive free online art classes every Friday night from professional instructors in a variety of subjects and mediums, such as drawing, sculpting, painting, visual storytelling, cartooning, and more.
A promotional photo for Teen Art Studio online, featuring art by TAS instructor Scott McCall
Gage has also shifted its youth summer program to an online subscription model. There are monthly and summer-long subscription plans for children ages 6-11, in which participants receive art and movement lessons from professional teaching artists for two hours each day. There are also online summer classes for teens, in which individuals ages 13-18 dive into their art passions in two-week-long drawing, painting, and digital animation intensives. Or teens may explore a variety of new art skills in one-week classes on printmaking, sculpture, and illustration. More information on scheduling and pricing for the different weeks of teen programming is available on Gage’s website. Check out the video below promoting Gage’s summer classes for teens:
An example of printmaking and ceramic art creation taught in Gage’s teen summer program by Nicholas Nyland and Klara Glosova. This work, created by Nyland, combines painting techniques with printmaking and sculpture.
There are also countless online art classes and weekend and week-long workshops for adults to explore. These include Gage’s Plein Air classes, in which participants meet with Gage instructors at a social distance at one of Seattle’s parks or outdoor spaces to learn and create art.
Art by Crystal Soojeoung Shin from a past workshop at Gage Academy of Art on creating “Handmade Cards with Botanicals,” taught by Shin.
For 30 years, Gage Academy of Art has provided contemporary art instruction and personal mentorship for artists of all skill levels. The organization is especially known for its Gage Academy of Art Atelier programs, in which artists pursuing mastery in painting, drawing, or sculpture may receive guidance from accomplished teaching artists.
From Gage Academy of Art:
To support Gage Academy of Art, people are encouraged to take a class this summer, as well as check out upcoming workshops and lectures. People are also welcome to donate.
An innovative and accessible contemporary art school, Gage Academy of Art is unapologetically independent and fiercely committed to excellence in the fields of painting, drawing, sculpting, and printmaking. Celebrating 30 years of service to the community, we believe in personal mentorship and skills-based studio instruction, delivered by brilliant teaching artists with charcoal dust under their nails. Whether you are a curious newcomer or a professional artist, a working creative or a retired passion-seeker, Gage is open to anyone with the desire to learn.
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