Art by Zee

For twenty-five years Giant Magnet has been bringing the world to Seattle children via the International Children’s Festival featuring art and cultural performances from all over the globe.

This year’s festival begins on May 10 and continues through May 14 at the Seattle Center and then heads to the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in Tacoma May 16.

The exciting events this year include three companies from China brought to the Northwest via a special partnership with China’s Ministry of Culture, music from Ecuador and India, puppets from Tasmania, and a variety of performers from the US.

Hands on activities for kids at the Arts and Crafts studio located in the Seattle Center Northwest rooms include projects to make an Ecuadorian rainstick, an Indian beaded bracelet, a Chinese Face Changing mask, and Japanese origami. Kids can head outdoors for hula hooping and bouncy balls, always a good time. And still there’s even more so plan ahead to be there.

King’s Books in Tacoma celebrates their seventh annual Wayzgoose on Sunday, April 17 from 11 am to 4 pm and if you’re at all interested in letterpress and books arts you won’t want to miss it.

At the festival you’ll get to meet local printers and view their wares, print your own keepsake, make paper and paper creations, create letter magnetic poetry, and experience the thrill of steamroller printing. Bring a t-shirt or other fabric to screenprint on and students from the University of Puget Sound will print one of three designs on it for you.

Artists on hand include: Springtide Press, Beautiful Angle, Notta Pixie Press, ilfant press, L’Arche Tahoma Hope Farm & Gardens, Seattle Center for Book Arts, Anagram Press, and many, many more.

King’s Books is located in Tacoma’s Stadium District at 218 St. Helens Ave.

The Aerialistas in a photo by John Cornicello

The Moisture Festival is a three week festival of live comedy/ variete performance. That is, it’s a collection of shows where anything might happen when artists are given the stage with a live band so that they can perform pretty much anything they can both imagine and make concrete. There are aerialists, can can dancers, rope acts, clowns, jugglers, and a long list of everything else.

The festival begins on March 17 with an opening night show at Hales Palladium and continues until April 10 with shows at the Palladium, ACT Theatre, Open Space on Vashon, and the Georgetown Ballroom. There are four burleseque shows over the weekend of March 25 – 26 and Variete shows as often as four or five times a week until festival end.

If you happen to be in NYC this week, stop by Bertrand Delacroix Gallery at 535 West 25th Street for a book signing of Don’t Hold Your Breath: The Art of Brian Ewing, the first collection of Ewing’s work.

New York based Ewing is a pop surrealist whose works have included posters, illustrations, an album covers for The New Yorker, Detective Comics, the Warped Tour, Metallica, and many more.

Bertrand Delacroix Gallery includes work by Ewing in its current exhibition, Printer’s Proof, a retrospective show of serigraph prints editioned over the past decade at Axelle Editions which includes studio proofs by some thirty select artists among the thousands of projects overseen by Master Printer Luther Davis who along with his staff collaborates with over 100 artists a year.

Brian Ewing will be on hand at the gallery on Thursday, January 27 from 6 to 8 pm to sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase. RSVP to info@bdgny.com if you’re interested in attending.

Storefront Seattle is a local community group aimed at bringing “vibrancy, activity, and light” to empty spaces in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square and International District neighborhoods. They’re working with local business owners and art, government and cultural groups to bring new life to old spaces via art installations and creative enterprises.

Right now they’re looking for artists and art organizations to bring vacant storefronts to life with art installations (two dimensional, three dimensional or new media), artist residencies (rehearsal or studio space), and creative enterprises (retail art gallery, theater, museum, etc.) Artists selected for the installation track will receive $500 per installation. Artist residency and creative enterprise participants will receive the use of prime, street-level retail space at no cost for up to six months.

Seattle’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is managing the application and selection process for the art installations; Shunpike, an arts service nonprofit, will manage the application and selection process for the artist residency and cultural enterprise tracks.

Projects like these are win all the way around experience – the neighborhoods are enhanced by the art, occupied spaces attract less nuisance crime, and artist and art organizations get a helping hand to continue their work.

Qualified applicants are artists and groups within 100 miles of Seattle. The deadline for application is 11 pm on Monday, January 31, 2011.

To get more specific details or to apply, go to the Storefront Seattle site.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Seth Orza and Maria Chapman with company dancers in Kent Stowell’s Cinderella, photo copyright Angela Sterling

Some people gotta dance, everybody’s gotta eat. Pacific Northwest Ballet and Pacific Place have teamed up to bring dining and dancing together with a fun new promotion. From January 24 through February 11, lunch-time diners at five participating Pacific Place restaurants will receive special scratch tickets with their bill, good for future dining discounts, Pacific Place gift cards, or possibly tickets to PNB’s special Valentine’s Eve performance of Cinderella.

Diners who take lunch at the five participating restaurants – Gordon Biersh, Johnny Rockets, Mexico Cantina y Cocina, Pike Place Chowder, and Thai Ginger – between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on a weekday between January 24 and February 11 will get one scratch ticket per diner with their bill. Ticket prizes include discounts on future meals, gift cards for Pacific Place or maybe even tickets for the February 13 performance of Cinderella at PNB.

If you don’t want to take your chances on a scratch ticket, present $100 of same day receipts from Pacific Place to its concierge desk and receive one free ticket plus a 20 percent discount on additional tickets.

Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum brighten first Thursdays during the gloomy winter months with free admission to the museums from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, the first Thursday of each month. November’s First Thursday takes place on November 4 and features a set by local band The Courage.

The Alki Bathhouse (at 2701 Alki Ave SW) is a great place to go do some art; with its windows facing out onto Puget Sound, it has a great and inspiring ambience. That’s why Seattle Parks & Recreation uses it as a classroom to offer a variety of art and craft classes for Seattle residents both young and old:

Wreath Making Workshop

Learn how to make your very own wreath to take home for the holidays. All materials are provided.

Saturday, November 6, 10 a.m. – noon

Ages 16 and up

Cost: $15 fee

Registration deadline is October 31, 2010.

Beginning Knitting Class

Discover the craft of knitting. Learn the history of knitting, yarn weights, gauges and measurements. Bring the following to class: size 10 knitting needles, two skeins of worsted-weight yarn, jumbo darning needle, and knitting bag to hold supplies.

Tuesdays, 5 – 6:30 p.m., November 9 – December 14

Ages 16 and up

Cost: $25 fee.

Registration deadline is November 2, 2010.

Ceramics Painting Class

Choose an unpainted ceramic piece and paint with non-toxic glazes for a personalized keepsake or gift. Leave it with us for firing, and pick it up after a week.

Saturday, November 13, 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Adults, and children ages 3 and up with adult

Cost: $20 fee.

Registration deadline is November 6, 2010.

Puppet Show: Thistle Theater presents “Little Red Riding Hood”

Little Red Riding Hood goes to Grandmutter’s House with a basketful of goodies and stumbles into an armload of adventure. This very funny version of the classic tale is set in Bavaria and includes an interactive song in which children are invited to sing and operate puppets with Little Red Riding Hood.

Saturday, November 20, 1 – 2 p.m.

Children and adults are welcome; recommended for Pre-K to grade 3.

Cost: $5 in advance, $8 at the door. Admission fee for ages 1 and under.

Pre- registration deadline is 12:15 p.m. on November 20, 2010.

Affordable Art Sale – Vendor Spots Available

All items must be handmade by the vendor. Bring proof of City of Seattle Business License for $5 discount. A 10% Commission will be collected, payable to the City of Seattle.

December 4, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Cost: Reserve your table today for $27.

Registration deadline is November 27, 2010.

Home School Kids Pottery

This course is an introduction to clay basics for youth. Using hand-building techniques, students learn to pinch and coil and how to build pots, forms, cups, animals and more. All materials provided.

Mondays, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., November 1 – 29

Ages 5 – 10

Cost: $80 fee.

Registration deadline is October 25, 2010.

Beginning Kids Pottery

This course is an introduction to clay basics for youth. Using hand-building techniques, students learn to pinch and coil and how to build pots, forms, cups, animals and more. All materials provided.

Mondays, 4 – 5 p.m., November 1- 29

Ages: 5 – 10

Cost: $80 fee.

Registration deadline is October 28, 2010.

Advanced Kids Pottery

Kids continue to build skills with clay, learning to use a pottery wheel to make cups, bowls, plates and vases. All materials provided.

Tuesdays, 4 – 5:30 p.m., November 2 – 30

Ages: 7 – 11

Cost: $110 fee

Registration deadline is October 28, 2010.

Beginning/Intermediate Wheel Pottery

Learn to throw on the wheel in a relaxed and supportive environment. Beginners and students who have limited experience on the wheel but want to work on specific challenges are all welcome. Fee includes 25 lb. bag of clay, glazes and firings.

Wednesdays, 6 – 9 p.m., November 10 – December 8

Ages: 18 and up

Cost: $165 fee

Registration deadline is November 3, 2010.

Open Painting Studio

This open studio is for artists and crafters looking for an inspiring place to work on their projects, bring supplies and spread out on one of our tables. Enjoy the view of Alki Beach and the company of fellow creative people. Hazardous or toxic materials not allowed.

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and Thursdays, 5 – 9 p.m., now through December 15

Ages: 18 and up

Cost: $50 fee.

Paint Your Heart Out

Explore your creative process with acrylic or oil paints. We’ll focus on loosening up, getting rid of stress, and recognizing personally meaningful symbols. Some materials provided. Bring your paints if you have them.

Wednesdays, 6 – 9 p.m., November 3 – December 1

Ages: 16 and up

Cost: $100 fee.

Registration deadline is October 28, 2010.

Register in person at Alki Community Center, 5817 SW Stevens St.; by phone 206-684-7430; or online using SPARC link at seattle.gov/parks.

The third annual Nordic Knitting Conference takes place at Seattle’s own Nordic Heritage Museum on October 15 through 17. Knitters from around the world will be on hand to share their love of the craft through classes that teach both traditional Scandinavian knitting techniques as well as modern interpretations of these historic styles. The conference also include a happy hour, an evening banquet and the chance to learn and visit with other serious knitters.

Classes sold out for previous events so it’s best to make your reservations in advance – get more information and register online at the Nordic Heritage Museum website

Photographer Ishimoto Yasuhiro was recognized as photographer of the year by the Japan Photo Critic Association in 1957, received The Mainichi Art Award in 1970, and was given a distinguished contribution award in 1991 by the Photographic Society of Japan. He received medals of honor in 1983 and 1993, along with being named a Man of Cultural Distinction in 1996 by the Japanese Government. Back in 1953, he took a series of photos of he Katsura Detached Palace which was built in the early Edo Period (17th Century) for the Hachijonomiya family. The palace is spread over a 50,000-square-meter site and is made of buildings built in the sukiya style.

These impressive photos will be on display at Seattle’s Japanese Garden Thursdays through Sundays from 1:30 to 4 from September 2 through November 14. he photos will also be available for viewing during Respect for Elders on Monday, Sept. 20, and Maple Viewing on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Admission to the photograph exhibit is free with Garden admission.

A reception to celebrate the exhibit takes place September 9 from 6 to 8 pm.

For more information, contact the Japanese Garden ticket booth at (206) 684-4725.