Burien’s Interim Art Space’s space in time is nearing its completion, with a Dec. 31st deadline fast approaching, and it’s fitting that the final big bash will be a special Day of the Dead “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins” celebration on Sunday, Nov. 1st.

Everyone’s invited to bring carved pumpkins and a candle to the B/ IAS site (beginning at 3:30pm), or carve one there to fill the area with illuminated jack o’ lanterns.

Bring something for the community Dia de las Muertes altar, walk through the cemetery, pay tribute to your departed loved ones and gather with your neighbor over food, drink and dance. Celebrate your community, your family and friends!

And be sure to bring your carved Pumpkin with a candle to fill the site with 1000 lit pumpkins.

The fun begins at 3:30pm and goes until Dark:

• Pumpkin Carving for Adults and Kids
• Face Painting
• Flower Making
• Grand Pumpkin Games
• Sand Painting by artist Amaranta Sandys at the Burien Library
• Traditional foods and vendors
• Community created Altars

PERFORMERS:

• 4:30 to 6:30: Trio Lucero del Norte on the B/ IAS Site (Roots Music / Regional Mexican / Folk); 
Trío Lucero del Norte play traditional/regional Mexican music from the Huasteca. Specialists in son huasteco and huapango, they are currently the only local group who play son huasteco with the complete ensemble: violin, jarana and quinta huapanguera. Son huasteco is the zapateado style of Mexican son from the Huasteca region. It formed the basis for many styles of huapango that became popular throughout Greater Mexico. The Huasteca region encompasses the plains region of six states: Hidalgo, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Veracruz and Tamaulipas.
In addition to sones huastecos and huapangos, Trío Lucero del Norte interpret sones de costumbre for Day of the Dead and Carnaval, sones and cumbias in Náhuatl and Huastecan regional stylings of polkas, canciones rancheras, boleros and cumbias. The three members: Jose Hernández (violin), Modesto Antonio Hernández (quinta huapanguera) and Kim Carter Muñoz (jarana), met when Kim posted an add in the El Paisano, a Mexican Carnicaría/Grocery in White Center.
Kim traveled to Mexico for several years to study son huasteco and sones de costumbre for her graduate studies in Ethnomusicology. After playing with well-known son huasteco musicians in Mexico, including Los Cantores de Pánuco, Soraima y Sus Huastecos, Trio Chicóntepec, Los Caporales de Pánuco and others, she wanted to form her own trío in Seattle. 
• 5:30 to 6:30: Los Flacos At the Burien Library; Join with Los Flacos for a musical celebration of El Día de los Muertos. This Latino music group performs a blend of the traditional sounds of Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. Using a variety of instruments, some indigenous to the Americas and others of European and African origin, they create their own renditions of the songs of Latin America. Gather together with friends at the Burien Library to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have died. For More info on Los Flacos.
• 6:30 to 7:30: Pyrosutra on the B/ IAS Site; Pyrosutra is a fire dance collective based out of Seattle, Washington. We combine choreographed bellydance, breakdance and stilt walking with a wide range of professional fire performance techniques and innovative tools.
• 7:30 to 9:30: La Banda Gozona on the B/ IAS Site

Tapetes de Arena or Sand paintings
These “murals” are typically made of sand, sawdust, seeds, flower petals, and pigments. Traditionally, a tapete is made in the home when there is a death in the family. After a period of mourning, the tapete is swept up and entombed with the body of the deceased. Tapetes are also created all over Oaxaca for the Días de los Muertos celebration, and judged along with the ofrendas in the Concursos de Altares de Muertos.

Amaranta Sandys is been collaborating in the making of sandpaintings with Latino artists in Seattle for the last 10 years @ SAM and Tacoma Art Musuem.

We think that if you dig Tim Burton or Danny Elfman, or love Hispanic culture (or even just good ol’ fashioned dead people), you’re sure to enjoy this event (and we can assure you, we’ll be there…).

All pumpkins will be composted through a gift from King County Solid Waste.

Here’s info on B/ IAS from their website:

The Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) is a year–long experiment that expires Dec. 31st. Founded by residents Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin, B/ IAS combines and transforms the concepts of art, temporary green spaces, and community gathering.

B/ IAS at Town Square displayed Burien’s first major temporary art piece, “The Passage,” a sculpture depicting a mother and child walking together to share and explore life. This artwork was first created by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito for the 2005 Burning Man Arts Festival. The figures stand a dramatic 30′ and 20′ tall and are fabricated out of recycled and scrap metal.

B/ IAS is located just north of Burien Town Square; Phase I of the project is now under construction. This exciting space not only showcase art, but is an energetic gathering place for Burien’s citizens. B/ IAS is a working canvas being transformed by the efforts of both artists and the community throughout the year.

The art space celebrated its opening on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 with the installation of “The Passage.” The project will conclude a year later when the sculptures are removed.

B/ IAS is a collaboration between Ignition Northwest, the Burien Arts Commission, Urban Partners and GGLO.

Danielle Burton is an Artist who recently relocated to Burien from Bellingham, where she attained a degree

Danielle will be roaming around B-Town, creating illustrations, comics and stories for us (and oftentimes a combination of all three), and today we’re proud to introduce her first work, which is her take on how the Burien Interim Art Space’s “The Passage” sculpture will be leaving soon:

Sometime within the last 24 hours, vandals apparently drove a racing green Mini Cooper onto Burien’s Interim Art Space area, hooked a tow line up and pulled over the “Mother” portion of “The Passage,” which was unveiled on January 24th.

Here’s an exclusive photo, taken by Contributing Photographer Francisco Beigh around 3:45pm Wednesday, April 1st:

Photo courtesy Francisco Beigh.

“To tell you the truth,” said Officer Brent Calvin, “nobody noticed anything different about this place until some dude with artsy glasses and a girly ponytail starting screaming like he was having a seizure around 15:30 hours. He called 911 on his cute red iPhone, so now we’re stuck here investigating. And I was just about to head down to The Tin Room for happy hour. Sheesh.”

Burien Police and King County Sheriff’s investigators are on the scene now, and are warning curious residents to avoid the area, as there are shards of artistic asphalt and metal everywhere, as well as brightly colored sculptures and paintings that could harm the retinas of citizens used to the normal drab scenery of Burien.

The suspect Mini Cooper was last seen at the drive-through of the neighboring Burger King, where the older male driver ordered a BK Kid’s Meal cheeseburger with ketchup only, apple fries and a small chocolate shake, then sped off towards Des Moines. According to the manager, they may return to retrieve a forgotten toy, which this week is from the hot new 3-D movie “Aliens vs Monsters.” A Port of Seattle S.W.A.T. team is now staking out the fast-food restaurant.

If you’ve seen a green Mini Cooper with a white roof, driven by an older white male with a sated young male with blond hair in the back seat scrambling around looking for a missing toy, you are encouraged to call police immediately.

According to local artist I.I. Dinka Hefeweizensen, who is the new director of the B-Town Interactive Artists Coalition House (aka B-IACH):

“Rather than re-build this sculpture, we’re going to leave it as is and just re-name it ‘What Happened to My Mama?’”

This story is developing, and rest assured we will post continuing-exclusive updates as soon as they come in, whether you like it or not.

Tuesday night (Feb. 24) at the monthly Arts Commission meeting, Mayor Joan McGilton (right) presented the Burien Community Leader Award to Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin. The presentation was given early because Dane and Kathy will be on vacation when the Awards Dinner takes place Friday March 6th.

by Gina Bourdage

Founders of the year-long Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) experiment, combining and transforming the concepts of art, temporary green spaces, and community gatherings, Kathy Justin and Dane Johnson have thrown open the doors of Burien, welcoming in the arts community.

“The goal is to get everyone more involved. All groups from different walks of life are invited to be creative and take advantage of the space.” Said Johnson.

Kathy and Dane hope that community members, groups and artists will bring their “out of the box” interpretations for use of the space. The Interim Art Space is just the kick off as they hope to continue to bring more art for display on the streets and parks of Burien.

“We want artists to know Burien is very accessible to the artist.” Said Dane.

“The allure of a city is that your voices are more readily heard in a community this size.” Said Kathy.

Their persistence while working on Burien’s’ 15th anniversary celebration provided building blocks for a great relationship with the city, while opening dialogue that has helped grow the local arts community.

Both Dane and Kathy said that they are grateful to receive the 2009 Community Leader award, and while they will not be able to attend the awards presentation, they will be speaking as representatives of the National Burning Man Association in San Francisco on the night of the event.

Kathy and Dane are looking for volunteers and participants in the arts planning committee as event planners and coordinators, artists and more. If you are interested or to learn more visit www.interim-art-space.com.

Here’s what the award committee had to say about Dane and Kathy:

“With their amazing energy, collaborative effort and never ending persistence, they brought together artists, business owners, community members and city staff to create a temporary art space, the first of its kind in the US.

Their vision and countless hours of work have given the Burien community an incredible space that will continue to develop over the next year; planned an opening celebration that made locals and outsiders rethink Burien, and a stream of publicity that is putting Burien on the map as an arts city.”

Here’s a video (shot by Steven Bradford) of the results of their hard work from the opening night of B/ IAS on Jan. 24th:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’ve had the pleasure of seeing these two talented residents in action working like dogs, and we’d like to extend a hearty-yet-arty “Way to Go!” to them from The B-Town Blog!

Kathy Justin and Dane Johnson, the driving forces behind the innovative Burien Interim Art Space, sent us this email about an upcoming planning meeting for the site on Monday, Feb. 9th at 6:30pm at the Moshier Art Center (map below):

Hello Everyone,

We are having our first planning meeting for the B/ IAS site next Monday the 9th at Moshier Art center at 6:30pm. Its a potluck so bring some nosh or beverages

We are looking for input, volunteers, fund raising ideas and energy. Please help us keep this momentum happening!

thanks,
Kathy Justin and Dane Johnson

check out www.interim-art-space.com

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Hot Art Heats Up A Cool Burien On Saturday
• VIDEO: Time Lapse Of Thursday’s “The Passage” Installation
• Sculptures Installed At Interim Art Space For Sat. Unveiling
• PHOTOS: “The Passage” Makes Safe Passage To Burien
• Ground Broken For Town Square Sculpture “The Passage”
• UPDATE:”The Passage” Installation Postponed To Jan. 24th

View Larger Map

Dan Rosenfeld of Urban Partners presented an update on Burien Town Square at Monday night's City Council meeting.

by Gina Bourdage

Monday night’s Burien City Council meeting was rescheduled on behalf of two Council members having personal emergencies. Without a quorum (the minimum number of required members for a valid meeting) the council could not officially convene.

Presentations were allowed to be made, the first of which was from Dan Rosenfeld of Urban Partners, the real estate planning and development firm responsible for BTB Advertiser Burien Town Square. Rosenfeld addressed the challenges, progress and future of the project in the changing economic climate as well as praising the grand opening event held Saturday Jan. 24th unveiling Burien’s first Interim Art Space.

“Saturday was homegrown, local, grassroots, avante-garde and the first of what we hope will be many arts and cultural events in Burien,” said Rosenfeld.

In light of the current economic slowdown, the council was assured the progress of the Burien Town Square will move forward in the coming moths as planned.

“It will get built. It will get finished.” said Rosenfeld. “There have been many challenges along the way and every time Burien has passed the test. We just have to be optimistic that we will pass this test as well.”

Ninety percent of the first building is complete and expected to open in the second quarter of 2009. Residents and developers have been hard at work completing the interior selections for each unit. Hard tours can be given to those interested in seeing the progress of their new home.

For residents interested in attending the rescheduled meeting, it will be held on Monday February 2nd, 2009 in the Educational Resource & Administrative Center (ERAC), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW, next to Hi-Line Lanes, at 7pm in the Board Room. Some of the items on the agenda will be community concern regarding street maintenance during snow conditions, North Highline Annexation concerns and motions to adopt propositions on taxes and regulations on multi-family residences.

Saturday afternoon saw chilly temps but warm hearts set aglow by numerous innovative and often fiery sculptures, art pieces and artists at the grand opening of Burien’s Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) at Burien Town Square. Slideshow photos by Maureen Hoffmann and Scott Schaefer.

The celebration consisted of numerous elements imported from The Burning Man Festival (with the major element of course being fire), local dignitaries, artists, DJs, dancers, residents, several local firefighters (on hand just in case) and, did we mention…fire?

Lots of fire.

The day was basically our own “Burien Man Festival,” with firewood-stoked intricately-carved cauldrons (used to keep attendees warm), a computer-controlled “Fire Pod” sculpture that shot fire out to techno music (with dramatic sudden bursts of propane-powered flame), numerous smaller pieces, and of course the centerpiece sculpture “The Passage,” whose co-creator, Dan Das Mann, was on hand.

The art will remain on the site until the end of the year, and you can bet that it will most certainly light up numerous times for upcoming celebrations. B/ IAS is located on SW 150th near 5th Ave SW, almost directly across the street from Staples.

UPDATE 1/25/09: Here are some more excellent photos of the event, taken by Maureen Hoffmann:

Fire drips from the hand of the “Mother” figure into the hand of the “Daughter” in “The Passage” sculpture.

Closeup detail shows lit kerosene drippinginto  the “Daughter’s” hand.

Even the dancers heated things up with fire.

Closeup detail of the intricately carved scenes and messages in a fire cauldron, which was stoked with wood.

We’ll be posting more video and photos soon, and if you have any pics you’d like to share, please email us or upload them to our Flickr Group.

More info, including how you can take part, available at the Burien Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) website.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• VIDEO: Time Lapse Of Thursday’s “The Passage” Installation
• Sculptures Installed At Interim Art Space For Sat. Unveiling
• PHOTOS: “The Passage” Makes Safe Passage To Burien
• Daily Journal Of Commerce Digs Burien’s Interim Art Space
• Ground Broken For Town Square Sculpture “The Passage”
• UPDATE:”The Passage” Installation Postponed To Jan. 24th
• VIDEO:Impressive Sculpture Coming To Burien Town Square

[flashvideo filename="http://b-townblog.com/wp-content/media/thepassagetimelapse.flv" /]

Time-lapse video courtesy of Francis Zera Photography / zeraphoto.com

Here’s a schedule of events for Saturday’s Grand Opening ceremonies, which start at 3pm:

3pm: Opening Ceremonies at Burien Town Square (BTB Advertiser) office, located at 455 SW 152nd Street in downtown Burien (see map below for locations)

4pm: Drum band procession

 to the B/ IAS site

4:20pm – Block Party B-Boys hip hop dancers

4:40pm – Public ceremony – thanks & introductions

5:00pm – Lighting of the Passage

5:15pm – Spinergy fire performers

5:30pm – Ludington GT

6:30pm – DJ Randy Engstrom and Firepod

7:30pm – Abyssinian belly dancers

7:30pm – Firepod

View Larger Map

In preparation for Saturday afternoon’s official unveiling, numerous pieces of art and sculptures were installed Thursday afternoon (Jan. 22) at the Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS), located on the southeast corner of the Burien Town Square on SW 150th.

B/ IAS is a year-long experiment to showcase art and serve as a community gathering place, and artists and volunteers have been digging footings and assembling sculptures while cranes have been lifting sculptures into place.

Described as a “artist P-patch”, B/ IAS represents a creative solution to a common problem caused by the current stalled development industry. The one-acre parcel of land, to be developed into condominiums by Urban Partners, would have sat empty for at least a year until construction on the company’s delayed project resumed, if not for the vision of Burien Arts Commissioners Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin and a number of community partners coming together to make it happen.

Urban Partners has donated the lease of the space. GGLO, the firm who designed Burien Town Square where B/IAS is located, contributed to the project by hosting a design charrette to explore how to turn the former asphalt parking lot into a dynamic space that engages people. Other partners include Ignition Northwest, the City of Burien and 4Culture as well as numerous community volunteers.

At the center of the interim art space will be a dramatic 30-foot-high sculpture called The Passage. Originally debuted at the Burning Man Arts Festival in 2005, the sculpture depicts a mother and child walking together “to share and explore life.” Created by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, the dramatic figures are fabricated out of recycled and scrap metal, as seen in this photo taken when the piece first arrived on Jan. 20th – check out the dreadlock hair made of re-used chains:

Other sculptures installed Thursday include:

• The Fire-Pod, an 11-foot-high steel sculpture with six claw-like tendrils and 12 firing points that shoot out flames (that also debuted at Burning Man).
• Synapse Naust, a 16-foot-high fire cauldron designed by Charlie Smith, Jamie Ladet and a group of Seattle artists, into which you can toss logs and the burning fire illuminates the detailed patterns cut into the sides of the structure.
• Tree Spire, a 15′ tall tree with a circular bench around the base of the tree created by the Iron Monkeys.
• The Nemata, a hollow-formed bronze sculpture.

WHAT: The Passage along with the Fire-Pod and Synapse Naust will be set ablaze amidst a festive community celebration; community leaders, art enthusiasts and Burien neighbors will gather to listen to the music of local musicians and watch as the burning sculptures are lit.

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 24, beginning at 3pm at the Burien Town Square offices, then moving to the outdoor space at 4pm.

WHERE: B/ IAS space, which is located on SW 150th, across from Staples (map below).

COST: FREE

For more information, visit the B/ IASwebsite here.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• PHOTOS: “The Passage” Makes Safe Passage To Burien
• Daily Journal Of Commerce Digs Burien’s Interim Art Space
• Ground Broken For Town Square Sculpture “The Passage”
• UPDATE:”The Passage” Installation Postponed To Jan. 24th
• VIDEO:Impressive Sculpture Coming To Burien Town Square

View Larger Map

“The Passage,” the unusual Mother/Daughter sculpture made of recycled and scrap metal, made safe passage to Burien from California Tuesday night on a semi-truck to the Interim Art Space at the Town Square. The Grand Opening Party is this Saturday, Jan. 24th at 3pm, starting at the Burien Town Square office.

As you can see in this closeup, the “Mother” figure of the sculpture has “heavy metal” dreadlock hair made of re-used metal chains.

Evidence of artwork is already visible at the B/ IAS site, as all the light poles have colorful art on them.

Proof that artists have already been active on the site is seen in the photo above.

Be sure to make it to the grand opening party this Saturday, Jan. 24th at 3pm.

Here’s more info on B/ IAS from their website:

The Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) is a year–long experiment, combining and transforming the concepts of art, temporary green spaces, and community gathering.

The Interim Art Space at Burien’s Town Square will be kicked off by displaying Burien’s first major temporary art piece, “The Passage,” a sculpture depicting a mother and child walking together to share and explore life. This artwork was first created by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito for the 2005 Burning Man Arts Festival. The figures stand a dramatic 30′ and 20′ tall and are fabricated out of recycled and scrap metal.

Previous coverage here:

• UPDATE: ”The Passage” Installation Postponed To Jan. 24th
• VIDEO: Impressive Sculpture Coming To Burien Town Square

More info on B/ IAS here, including ways you can donate!