Seattle Met

Mayoral Books and Movies

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:00 PDT

Last night at the downtown library, the mayoral candidates read from books (and, in one case, an essay) that they say helped shape their world view.

Here are the candidates' selections:

• City Council Member Bruce Harrell: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, the 2005 portrait of President Lincoln and his cabinet.

• Neighborhood acivist Kate Martin: Breaking Rank by former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, a 2005 memoir in which Stamper talks about the "paramilitary bureaucracy" of arch-conservative culture in American policing while advocating drug reform and pot decriminalization.

• Mayor Mike McGinn: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, the satirical 1961 novel that follows a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier and his attempts to stay sane while fulfilling his service requirements.

• State Sen. Ed Murray (D-43, Capitol Hill): Letter to an Innocent Bystander, a chapter from Raids on the Unspeakable, a 1966 book in which Catholic writer and mystic Thomas Merton voiced his worldly concerns.

• Former Seattle City Council Member Peter Steinbrueck: The Conjure Woman, an 1899 collection of stories that deal with racial issues in a post-Civil War South, as told by African-American writer Charles W. Chestnutt.

(Given that I'm currently reading World War Z, I'm pretty impressed.)

Speaking of favorites, PubliCola has joined forces with the Northwest Film Forum to sponsor a political film series that was programmed by the mayoral candidates, with each candidate picking his or her favorite political movie. Each candidate will introduce their favorite flick, explaining why it's so politically potent. The series kicks off July 5.

Northwest Film Forum has the details.

Divine what you will from pairing their favorite books with their film picks.

Here's the list:

Harrell: Papillon

Martin: All the President's Men

McGinn: To Kill a Mockingbird

Murray: The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Steinbrueck: Buddy: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Mayor

P.S. We asked each candidate to pick two movies just in case the Film Forum couldn't book their first choice. We didn't get two picks from everyone, though McGinn gave us two more to choose from—The Grapes of Wrath and Meet John Doe. Steinbrueck added Seattle favorite Grassroots and Wag the Dog, and Martin (along with Tim Burgess—who was initially part of the program) picked Milk.

For the latest on Seattle news and politics sign up for our Seattle Met Daily newsletter, subscribe to PubliCola’s RSS Feed, follow us on Twitter @publicolanews and @SeattleMet, and visit our News & Profiles page.

On Other Blogs Today: Paving Paradise, Replacing Trolleys, and More

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:36:00 PDT

OOBT

1. Minimum parking requirements don't just guarantee that you'll pay for a parking space when you rent or buy a unit even if you don't want to—they also more or less dictate ugly design.

Sightline has a photo essay that starkly illustrates the impact of parking minimums on the built environment in the Northwest—from vast seas of parking for mixed-use developments in the suburbs, to "dingbat" apartments suspended above carports across Seattle, to "courtyard" developments where the courtyard is a parking lot.

"The next time you see an unsightly apartment building or a sea of parking in front of a store, consider how parking rules have contributed to the ugliness. Off-street parking regulations are at the root of what makes Cascadian cities and towns less attractive and livable."

2. King County Metro is replacing 141 of its increasingly outdated electric trolleybuses with all-electric New Flyer trolleys, Seattle Transit Blog reports.

Most importantly from this daily trolley-rider's perspective, though: They'll have air conditioning!

The larger, 60-foot versions will have three doors, lower floors for easier boarding, an updated system to secure wheelchairs, and the ability to operate off-line for short periods (so that getting stuck briefly won't mean a bus simply has to stop in its tracks).

Most importantly from this daily trolley-rider's perspective, though: They'll have air conditioning! Efficient though they are, environmentally friendly though they may be, the biggest problem with Metro's wired trolleys is that they get unbearably hot in the summer; on the hottest days, those little window openings are a cruel tease.

3. The Seattle Times reports that a noisy group of taxi drivers gathered outside City Hall yesterday to protest two new types of largely unregulated competitors: Ridesharing services (which allow private car owners to pick up passengers for a fee) and for-hire vehicles, which negotiate a set fee for a trip.

The taxi drivers want more regulations on ridesharing and for-hire drivers, which they say undermine their ability to make a living and don't have to follow the same rules as taxi drivers, who aren't supposed to respond to hails and legally can only be dispatched to pick people up.

PubliCalendar: Feminist Films, Climate Change, and Cycling Inspiration

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:29:00 PDT

Today's picks for civic nerds.

For Thursday

Films and Feminism

Image: radicalwomen.org

Radical Women, a socialist, feminist, grassroots activist organization, will host a screening of The Edge of Heaven, which follows the story of four Turks and two Germans, including a multi-ethnic lesbian couple faced with the challenges of nationality and political instability in their respective countries.

LGBTQ Pride Film Showing: The Edge of Heaven, Thurs, June 20, dinner at 6:30pm, showing at 7:30pm, New Rainier Hall, 5018 Rainier Ave. S, $8.50 dinner donation (vegan option available), $3-5 film donation

For Tomorrow

Future of Healthcare in Washington

Image: sightline.org

Capturing Climate Change

Sightline, a local sustainability think tank, is hosting a series of lectures at Town Hall in honor of their 20th anniversary. The first event features renowned Northwest photographer Chris Jordan, who will share his experiences and work from Midway Island, at the epicenter of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Jordan's photography, including iconic images of dead albatrosses with stomachs full of pastic they mistook for food, is not for the faint of stomach. It presents the immediate and devastating effects of climate change.

Sightline@20 Speaker Series: Chris Jordan, Wed, June 19, 7:30-9pm, Town Hall, 1119 8th Ave, $5

The Future of Health Care

Learn about the brave new, post-Obamacare world of health care in Washington state at this all-day conference, which features speakers from the business, health care and political arenas.

The Future of Healthcare in Washington, Wed June 19, 8:15am-3:45pm, Carlson Theater Building E, Bellevue College, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue, $90 ($45 for students)

And For Today

Cycling Inspiration

Rutgers Professor John Pucher, one of the nation's leading researchers into the question of how to make cycling and walking safer, more enjoyable, and more accessible, will talk about the progress Seattle has made toward becoming a bike- and ped-friendly city and what we still need to do. Pucher focuses on broadening the base of public support for walking and biking through policies that make it possible for everyone, particularly women, children, and the elderly, to get on their bikes and on their feet.

Seattle City Council member Sally Bagshaw will introduce Professor Pucher.

How to Increase Cycling and Walking, Tues, June 18, 6:30pm–8:30pm, University of Washington, Gowen Hall, Room 201, free.

Labeling GMOs

Image: caffepresseseattle.com

Initiative 522, which would require the labeling of genetically modified foods, will be on the statewide ballot this November. Learn why proponents believe you have a right to know what's in your food at this evening conversation at Cafe Presse.

A Conversation about Yes on I-522, Tues, June 18, 5-6:30pm, Café Presse (back room), 1117 12^th Ave, suggested donation $5.22, RSVP required.

Want to see your nerdy event featured on the PubliCalendar?
Send the details to Carryn at publicalendar@seattlemet.com

A Fiendish Conversation with Kris Orlowski

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:21:00 PDT

Image: Courtesy Jenny Jimenez via Facebook

Kris Orlowski, moments away from some bad luck.

There's no magical secret to singer-songwriter Kris Orlowski's success. He's a nice guy who writes nice songs that nice people enjoy. It's a simple formula that's surprisingly difficult for most musicians to pull off, and one that's earned him the respect of his peers. Whether it's collaborating on an album (Orlowski and violinist Andrew Joslyn teamed up on 2012's The Pieces We Are) or rallying to raise money (the band was robbed!), the local music community has his back. Orlowski and crew will play one of their few remaining shows of the year at Hattie's Lot Party on June 23, as part of Seattle's fundraising festival Noise for the Needy (June 20–23 in Ballard). The proceeds from the festival—which also features Portland folk harmonizers Horse Feathers, Juno–winning Canadian indie rock band Said the Whale, and local favorites the Maldives—support the Ballard Food Bank.

For our latest Fiendish Conversation, we chatted with Orlowski about what draws him to benefit shows, preparing for his new album, and almost dying in Calcutta.

It seems like you're tight with a lot of people in the Seattle music scene. The "We Were Robbed" benefit show at the Tractor in April featured a bunch of talented folks (Allen Stone, John Roderick, Shelby Earl, and more) who were just gushing about you. What’s led you to foster such a robust stable of musical friends?

I don’t know, there’s just so many musicians in Seattle. I like certain musicians because of who they are. For example, Shelby Earl, she’s a super sweet songwriter. John Roderick is the funniest guy in the world. Whenever I hang out with him, I’m reduced to giggles...which is pretty embarrassing, so I try not to hang out with him too much. Those types of people—Allen [Stone], the Gervais boys [of Curtains For You]—I really believe in them as people. I kind of just gravitate toward friendships with them, supporting them as musicians. I think it just kind of turns into something where they want to support me too, I guess. I’m always looking for new music to believe in and support, because that’s an important part of this city that we live in. Some people look at it as we’re all competing, but I don’t think that’s the way it should be, nor the way it is.

What up-and-coming local bands should people check out?

There’s a band out here that’s doing well on a national level, but Seattle hasn’t really taken notice yet. Noah Gundersen is going to blow up in the next year, year and a half. I think a lot of people are starting to discover Noah. He’s kind of one of those guys that’s a slow grow, but you look on his Facebook and he’s got 25,000 likes, but still hasn’t totally captured the Seattle audience yet. He still pulls maybe like, 250 to 400 people in Seattle. He’s not a big artist yet, but I think that’s going to change. He’s one of the people I’ve been following, and I’m friends with, so I’m a little biased as well. I knew Allen [Stone] was going to blow up a couple of years ago, before he did. It’s cool to see Noah in that position. The difference between Allen and Noah is Noah doesn’t really have the same kind of niche that Allen did. Allen’s like this blue-eyed soul singer, but I think Noah’s on that same trajectory in some ways.

What your favorite show you’ve seen in the past year?

Unfortunately, I don’t get to see a lot of live shows anymore because I’m playing a lot. I’m a little biased, but Sara Watkins was probably my favorite show. I was on tour with her for about two weeks and she’s just an amazing artist. She played a show in Phoenix at this place called the Musical Instrument Museum. Literally, they have a theater inside this museum that holds like 250 people. The sound in there was amazing, and she had the full band in there. She’s just so polished and she’s got such a beautiful voice.

If you weren’t a musician, what other line of work do you think you'd pursue?

Right after college, immediately after graduating—like, a week after—I hopped a plane to Calcutta, India and did some service work for the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s organization. I totally thought I was going to be doing, for the rest of my life, social justice work in third-world countries. Or at least start then, and then have some like, “We Are The World”–style business, helping to support impoverished youth and women. I did my thesis on poverty in college. I totally thought I was going to go that route. That just wasn’t in the cards. I actually got really sick in Calcutta and I had to fly home. I was hospitalized. They thought I was going to die, and I got through it somehow, and I flew— the story’s a lot more involved and I’m trying to keep it brief—but I flew home and got a job in Bellevue as an office manager and then worked my way up to an analyst role. Then I ended up being a marketing consultant at a firm called Projectline in Seattle. I’ve been there six years. I love doing it, but it’s tough because I can’t do both and do them both really well. It’s definitely a life of sacrifice, working in music, but it’s totally worth it.

Do you feel the appeal of service work leads you to play more charity shows like Noise for the Needy?

Absolutely. The rest of the guys are like that, too; it’s really cool. That benefit we did for MusiCares at the Tractor—we raised $3,600—and since we got most of our gear back, we didn’t take a cent of it. We just gave it all to MusicCares, which is so cool. Those kinds of things make it feel like I’m doing something that still contributes, beyond selfishly getting to play music.

Should fans expect any new material at the Noise for the Needy show?

We’ll probably pull out a new song. We’re working on a record right now. We’re going to record in July and August with a guy named Martin Feveyear; he runs Jupiter Studios. Really exciting. We’ve already got the dates scheduled. That album probably won’t come out until February, but we’ll probably pull out a new song, just because we're not really playing much through the end of the year. We’re doing Bumbershoot, Noise for the Needy, and maybe, like, one more show in November.

We’re going to be doing like this Pledge Music thing, sort of like Kickstarter, for our record. We’ll probably kick that off in two or three weeks. Ivan and Alyosha did one, Mike Doughty, Joseph Arthur, a bunch of people. It’s pretty legit. Ten percent of everything we raise over our goal—or maybe it’s even more than that—is going to go to Invisible Children, another benefit.

Noise for the Needy
June 20–23, various venues in Ballard, $10–$15 (per show)

One Question for Progressives

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:38:00 PDT

One Question

With today's revenue forecast—$121 million in extra revenue coming in the next biennium plus $90 million in savings from an estimated drop in government service caseloads—it's looking likely that, chest puffing aside from both Democrats and Republicans about future debates—the Democrats are willing to sign off on a budget deal and go home, forgoing at least $200 million in new revenue they'd been demanding from eliminating a batch of corporate tax breaks

(To the Democrats' credit they did manage to close a loophole in the estate tax).

The question—for progressives—stands, should they take the money and run?

We put that question to Remy Trupin, the executive director of the Washington Budget & Policy Center, the lefty budget think tank that monitors (and lobbies in) Olympia.

Here's what he said:

No. We still absolutely need revenue. Without it we are still making cuts and punting our current problems to future sessions. A better question to ask is “What does our state need to make our economic recovery work for everyone?” And what we need is to be making investments that expand opportunity, supports the middle-class and creates jobs. That will take revenue.

Sure, legislators can compromise to make the math work, but that will do little to address the challenges we face as a state.
The current revenue gap is now $1 billion—that’s the amount needed to maintain critical investments in public health, safety, and economic security. On top of that, we need to make a significant investment in fully funding education—as much as $1.4 billion in the upcoming biennium. Unfortunately, none of the current proposals measure up—the House invests $839 million and the Senate $760 million in McCleary. Which is nowhere near enough for this year, or for next year.

While the overall economy slowly recovers, we need to recognize that after four years of cuts, we’re leaving too many Washington families behind. Without reinvesting it will be very tough to rebuild the thriving middle class we once prided ourselves in having.

A growing economy will play a major role in our state’s ability to reinvest in important public priorities, but more needs to be done to ensure long-term sustainability.

One option is to end outdated tax breaks, as the house and governor have proposed. Additionally, we can strengthen our state’s revenue system by enacting an excise tax on capital gains, and expanding the sales tax to a broader base of services.

Sure, legislators can compromise to make the math work, but that will do little to address the challenges we face as a state.

By 2018 we must make an additional $4.5 billion investment in our K-12 education system; patchwork budget proposals currently on the table will only ensure that we’re in the same quandary next session, and the next and the next and the next…

Positive Revenue Forecast Boosts Optimism About Budget Deal

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:04:00 PDT

The Washington Economic & Revenue Forecast Council released its revenue update today showing a $121 million increase in revenues for the 2013-15 biennium (plus $110 extra for the current biennium that ends next week) for a total of $231 million in extra money.

With the state facing about a $1 billion shortfall to meet current services plus a state Supreme Court mandate to add about $1 billion to K-12 education (which already gets about $14 billion a biennium), the extra $121 million could ease tensions between the Republican-dominated state senate and the Democratic house, which have conflicting budget proposals on the table.

"So, while today’s forecast may get us closer to a go-home budget, we can’t pretend we’ve solved the long-term problem."—Democratic majority leader, Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-47, Covington)At the revenue forecast press briefing today, Majority Coalition Caucus budget lead Sen. Andy Hill (R-45, Kirkland) said the numbers brought the two sides closer togther: "I would think we can move fairly quickly," he said.

The Democrats are currently looking for about $160 million in new revenue by closing a telcom sales tax loophole and closing an exemption for out-of-state shoppers (they already got the GOP to sign off on closing a loophole in the estate tax for $160 million in new revenue in exchange for passing a Republican bill that environmentalists dislike because it tweaks the state's toxic cleanup fund).

Here's our side-by-side analysis of the two proposals, but the basic breakdown is this: The Democrats' budget would stave off hundreds of millions in cuts to social services contemplated by the senate alternative, which puts more toward K-12, by the way, but which does not come with new taxes.

The Democrats have also proposed ending a batch of other tax loopholes worth $200 million (including giveaways to oil companies and info-economy giants like Google and Microsoft). Meanwhile, the GOP has been pushing a series of policy bills, such as an omniubs education reform bill that focuses on third grade reading requirements and amending suspension policy and a business-friendly workers' comp bill that would make it easier for employers to give injured workers one-time lump sum settlements rather than long-term state-regulated payouts.

“With $480 million more than we had just two weeks ago, there is no excuse for not reaching agreement on the size of the budget box today." MCC leader Sen. Rodney Tom (D-48, Medina)However, MCC senate majority leader Sen. Rodney Tom (D-48, Medina) indicated at a press conference after the numbers came out today that the GOP would be willing to back off on its policy demands if the Democrats back away from new taxes. (The forecast for students and social service caseloads has also dropped, saving $90 million).

As for the possibility of both sides dropping their demands, taking the new revenue to bridge the gap and striking a deal, house Democratic budget negotiator and finance chair Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36, Queen Anne), who's been the lead on pushing the $160 million in new revenue as part of the baseline budget and the $250 million from closing corporate tax exemptions for education, said:

"That's a likely scenario. Leverage on both sides is lessened. But our passion for long-term education funding is stronger than ever."

Tom's MCC colleauge, Republican leader Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-9, Ritzville, had similar face-saving footnote, saying that while the MCC believes changes to workers' comp are "vital," that issue is no longer linked to budget negotiations. (And Tom added: “With $480 million more than we had just two weeks ago, there is no excuse for not reaching agreement on the size of the budget box today." The $480 million is a reference to the $231 million in new revenue, the $90 million in caseload savings, and $160 million from the estate tax deal—which was only possible, by the way, because the longstanding requirement for a two-thirds vote to raise taxes was declared unconstitutional this year.)

Democratic house majority leader Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-47, Convington) indicated that the new money might be good enough for now, if not, perhaps, in the long run.

He said:

This is good news, of course. It shows that our state’s economy is rebuilding and that consumers are starting to buy more products.

But it certainly doesn’t solve all our budget problems. While it may move us closer to a short-term budget agreement, it doesn’t come anywhere near meeting our obligation to fully-fund basic education under the McCleary decision.

We’ve been prevented from taking even small steps toward closing outdated tax exemptions and redirecting resources toward schools. Even loophole closures requested by the affected industries, like the telecom fix, have been rejected.

So, while today’s forecast may get us closer to a go-home budget, we can’t pretend we’ve solved the long-term problem.

Feds Say No Regional Review of Coal Trains; McGinn Testifies

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:59:00 PDT

As we mentioned in Fizz this morning, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program Acting Chief Jennifer Moyer outraged and disappointed environmentalists when she said, in testimony before the U.S. House subcommittee on energy and power, that the Corps did not plan to do a comprehensive environmental study of the impact of transporting millions of tons of coal from Wyoming to West Coast ports on their way to China—something environmentalists and Democrats in Washington state, including Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, have been demanding.

McGinn, along with Climate Solutions director KC Golden, testified before the energy subcommittee in D.C. this morning. In his testimony (as written), McGinn argued that coal train traffic would "clog our railroads, ports, and roads, risk our families’ health, pollute our air and water, hurt local economies and contribute to climate change," McGinn said, "We need an area-wide Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate the local, regional and global impacts of coal export."

That's exactly what the Corps is saying they are unwilling to do. Instead, Moyer said, the Corps would do individual evaluations of each proposed coal terminal without considering their larger environmental impacts.

"The potential change in rail traffic patterns is beyond the control and expertise of the Corps, and requires no involvement from the Corps," Moyer said. "Similarly, the possible future shipment of coal by oceangoing vessels across the Pacific Ocean beyond the limits of U.S. navigable waters, and the possible future off-loading, distribution, and burning of coal in Asia are attenuated and far removed from the activities regulated by the Corps at any of the three shipping facilities. ...

"The Corps has determined that neither a Programmatic nor an area-wide/regional [environmental impact statement] are appropriate when considering the proposed permits."

Translation: The Corps does not believe it needs to do a thorough environmental review of the controversial coal-train proposal.

After his testimony, McGinn fielded a barrage of questions from West Virginia Republican David McKinley (R-1, WV), who set the tone by demanding that McGinn explain why he claimed the coal-train project would benefit from "subsidies."

(McGinn was referring to the fact that local, state, and federal taxpayers pay for improvements to freight mobility, local traffic and economic mitigation, and other community impacts; in addition, the federal government owns much of the mining operations that are the source of the coal in question.)

"I've got a copy of the report, and I haven’t found the word 'subsidy' at all—can you show me where I’d find the word subsidy at all?" McKinley asked, before quickly cutting McGinn off. "There's no subsidy. You know that!"

McGinn wouldn't be bullied in the next round of questioning, though. Rep. McKinley said McGinn's initial testimony "sent a shiver up my spine" when he said we should "keep our coal in the ground where it belongs."

"Did you really mean that?" McKinley asked, feigning incredulity.

"Yes, I did," McGinn responded.

"You believe America should not be mining coal."

"The difference is that we have taken huge quantities of fossil fuels from the earth with potentially devastating impacts for our future—"

At that point, the conversation dissolved into nonsense, with McKinley avowing doubt about whether climate change is "caused by man" and lecturing McGinn on Seattle's supposed status as a more violent city than 94 percent of the cities in the country. "That's not true—" McGinn said, before again being cut off. Given the power imbalance between a public commenter from out of town and a pro-coal-train Congressman obviously intent on making speeches, though, McGinn more than held his own.

In a statement this morning, Beyond Coal spokeswoman Cesia Kearns said, “It is a mistake for the Army Corps to leave us all in the dark about the real-life impacts coal export would cause across the West. But if the Corps won’t undertake an area-wide review, we certainly expect them to follow the law, and for our state leaders and agencies to step up and for them all to do a full and thorough review of the all impacts at each of the proposed coal export terminals."

Enter the Woodman: The Frye Recaps the Career of Eco-Artist Buster Simpson

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:41:00 PDT

Image: Courtesy John Holmberg

Buster Simpson, The Crow’s Nest, 1980, photo documentation of the agitprop performance. Courtesy of Hearst Newspapers LLC/Seattlepi.com/Frye Art Museum.

Can art be pharmaceutical?

Seattle artist Buster Simpson thinks so. He’s the guy who made national news in the 1980s slinging disks of limestone into the Hudson River, an action he titled Hudson River Purge. The news media dubbed the disks—intended to de-acidify the polluted waters—“River Rolaids” or “Tums for Mother Nature.”

Simpson lives at the juncture where environmental activism meets aesthetics. For more than 40 years he’s been turning ideas, found objects, puns, and the detritus of urban life into mind-expanding metaphors. He figures if he can get people to think the way artists do, the planet and its inhabitants will be healthier. Now, in the show Buster Simpson//Surveyor, the Frye Art Museum is attempting to recap a career that has ranged from 1970s guerilla art installations and ad-hoc street performances to nationally celebrated actions and commissioned public artworks.

Buster Simpson, Woodman, 1974, b&w photograph. Courtesy of the artist.

That’s a tall order. Curator Scott Lawrimore collaborated with Simpson to stay as true as possible to the spirit of the work: They ripped through walls and recycled the material into sculpture stands, hand-lettered wall texts and interspersed photo and video documentation with artifacts and mixed-media sculptural work in an effort to familiarize audiences with the wide-ranging scope of Simpson’s career. It’s a handsome show. Yet, as always with ephemeral, site-specific or performance-based art, the museum setting at times chafes against the conceptual foundations of the work. How can you encapsulate the experience of Simpson in his 1970s street performances as Woodman, struggling along near demolition sites with an unwieldy bundle of reclaimed wood strapped on his back? The whole point was to get art out of museums and into real-time interactions with people. Those unfamiliar with Simpson’s work may get bogged down in a preponderance of reading material, video and photo documentation better suited to a book or website. (A catalog of the show is forthcoming later in the summer.)

Buster Simpson//Surveyor begins outside the museum and that’s where this art is most at home. A concrete and tree root sculpture Secured Embrace—a lyrical union of man-made and natural forms—adds drama to the reflecting pond, where a handful of pixilated frog shapes, made from water-sweetening limestone, creep along the bottom. Funky yellow barricades, seemingly crafted from bent iron bedsteads, cradle trees on the parking strip and draw our attention to their silent work as air purifiers.

Image: Courtesy Frye Art Museum

Buster Simpson, Secured Embrace, 2011–present, cast concrete, tree root wads, stainless steel cable. Collection of the artist.

Inside, there’s much elegance and humor to be found, as Simpson plays off art historical icons such as Venus de Milo and The Last Supper (or Judy Chicago’s feminist icon The Dinner Party.) Simpson’s proclivity for crows seems spot-on. Ingenious, provocative scavengers, adaptable to urban environments and revered in Northwest Native cultures (where Earth stewardship is a traditional value) they seem like perfect emblems for Simpson himself.

Buster Simpson//Surveyor
Thru Oct 13, Frye Art Museum, free

Bar Cantinetta Opens Next Month in Madison Valley

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:30:00 PDT

A small slice of this is coming to Madison Valley. Photo via Cantinetta.

Popular ristorante Cantinetta has set its sights on a new space in Madison Valley—the longtime La Côte space at 2811 E Madison St.

Bar Cantinetta will be smaller than its popular sibling restaurants in Bellevue and Wallingford, with a large antipasti menu, several fresh pasta dishes, and perhaps one secondi, or entrée-sized plate.

Co-owner Trevor Greenwood says the new location will be “a small window into what we do” at Cantinetta’s other locations (for proof that the Cantinetta team knows its way around more intimate projects, check out the charming Mercato Stellina pizzeria in Bellevue). Greenwood says he has long wanted to open a place in Madison Valley; he’s also a good friend of La Côte owner Arnaud Guérin, so the two worked out an agreement when Guérin decided it was time to close his corner cafe and creperie.

Bar Cantinetta will open in late July (knock on wood) with a newly open kitchen, a family-style table that seats 12, eight mahogany banquettes, a long bar with seating that runs into the kitchen area, and an open interior boasting chandeliers, ceiling fans, and plenty of recycled wood. On the drinking side of the equation, expect cocktails and lots of Italian and Washington wines.

Unlike other Cantinetta locations, Bar Cantinetta will serve lunch and brunch. “We just want to be consistent with the hours La Côte had.” Cantinetta chef Emran Chowdhury will oversee the menu, and Greenwood says a new location is also a nice change to promote deserving staff members; Ellen Pritchett will come over to manage the new location.

For more on Seattle’s food and drink scene, sign up for Seattle Met’s weekly newsletter Nosh Pit News, subscribe to our RSS Feed, follow us on Twitter @SeattleMet, and visit our Seattle Restaurants page.

Behind the Scenes: Victor Oskar

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:33:00 PDT

We were first introduced to Thanh Vo of recently launched Victor Oskar via much loved local boutique Far 4's Instagram and found ourselves immediately drawn to the graphic jewelry collection. The bold, clean designs combine sterling silver with raw leather and textural stones to create angular jewelry based on crystal formations. (You know about our leather obsession, right?)

Vo, originally hailing from Calgary with a degree in jewelry design from Vancouver BC, is an esthetician by trade and previously cowned a Canadian retail shop with her brother. She's still keeping it in the family with her latest project: Victor Oskar is the phonetic alphabet for Vo's surname. We chat with the designer about her Belltown studio and the violent side of jewelry making below.

Image via Victor Oskar

Shop Talk: What neighborhood is your studio in?
My work/live space is in Belltown. The area is great for entertaining out-of-town guests. But besides that, being in Belltown doesn't really help or hinder my work.

What is your earliest memory of designing?
I've been interested in design and fashion since I was in the 2nd grade, and even before that I was telling people that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. While my friends were pretending to be princesses, I was designing gowns and dresses. I remember drawing pictures & making beaded bracelets and having my classmates sell them on the playground. I guess my entrepreneurial and creative sides were prevalent at a young age.

What do you do to get yourself in a creative or productive headspace when you're feeling stuck?
I take a good long break. Sometimes too long of a break! I find that I can't force the creative process for myself, but I do try to overcome small creative road blocks by focusing on one aspect of my design and just building on that. Usually it'll snowball until I have a good amount of ideas to pluck from.

Image via Victor Oskar

Five things you can't work without:
Good lighting
A sketch book or scrap paper and pencils: I don't always sketch every design, but I find it's a crucial step in creating a cohesive collection.
Saw Blades: I go through these like crazy and need plenty on hand.
Riveting hammers: That's my favorite part of jewelry making...hammering the s*** out of things, even if they're dainty little rivets.
Music: I blast French producer Ninetynine's beats or some good old '90s R&B.

What is your favorite thing about your studio?
A: I love that my home and studio space are one and the same, so I can work throughout the day and night as I please. Even if I'm working on something tedious and frustrating, it's easy to step away for a moment and come back to it after I cook dinner. It can be distracting I suppose, but at the same time I can't stray too far away because the projects I'm working on are right there in front of me at all times.

Where can we find your jewelry, and where would you like us to be able to find your jewelry in the future?
You can find my jewelry at victoroskar.com and at my favorite local store Far 4. I'd love to be in more independent retailers that sell other products and labels that I like. It'd be amazing to have my jewelry displayed beside a pair of Maison Martin Margiela boots.