Story by Scott Schaefer
Photos by Michael Brunk
On Thursday (Dec. 17th), “The Passage,” the large, two-piece Mother/Daughter sculpture by Dan Das Mann that anchored Burien’s Interim Art Space, was de-installed, hoisted by crane, lowered and secured on a flatbed truck in preparation to be carted away, en route back to its “home” in California after spending a year as the centerpiece to an innovated and sometimes controversial experiment in community art.
Co-Curators Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin were there, along with volunteers and hired workers who, over the course of the last two weeks, have removed all pieces from B/ IAS, the one-year art project in a space on SW 150th that once housed Bartells Drugs and its parking lot.
Now devoid of all art, the place will return to its empty parking lot-like self, the chunks of asphalt no longer representing anyone’s artistic vision, but rather an uncertain future for this lot. There will be no more controversial “naked lady statue” (“Paradigm Shift” by Mike McGrath), no more worries by the Fire Department about the use of fire as “art,” no more loud dance music blasting out of speakers, no more smashing pumpkins, and no more “art” here.
Will it house a new cinema? Another section of Town Square? A park of some sort?
Or perhaps…another, new art installation?
Only time will tell, and we here at The B-Town Blog would like to tip our collective hats to all the artists, volunteers, workers, students, community activists, city officials, gardeners, developers, visitors and observers who were all brought together by this idea, and who shared numerous joyous, fun events over the last year.
It seems like it was just yesterday that Photographer Francis Zera captured this time-lapse of the installation of “The Passage”:
Yet here we are repeating that scene, only in reverse – Photographer Michael Brunk stopped by over the last two days and documented the “de-installations” with this Photo Slideshow:
Also, as our salute to the ending of B/ IAS and the exiting of “The Passage,” we present an encore of our artist Danielle Burton’s vision of this sad ending:
And because we enjoyed covering the arts and events at this place, here are other Photo Slideshows and Videos we’ve posted about B/ IAS:
Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow
Click to View Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow
Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow
Click to View Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow
On April Fool's Day, we showed off how much we suck at Photoshop with this lame doctored image of "vandalism" to The Passage. Everyone of course was fooled.
Read our previous coverage of B/ IAS here.
Less than a year ago (Jan. 24, 2009), Burien’s Interim Art Space burst onto the city with a chilly nighttime grand opening celebration of fire, music, dancing, art, artists and more, and on Saturday (Dec. 12th) the dismantling of the temporary art pieces continued, supervised by Co-Curators Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin, with numerous volunteers and artists on hand.
Word is that the largest remaining pieces, the mother-daughter sculpture “The Passage,” will be removed this Wednesday, Dec. 16th, returning the space to what it once was – an empty parking lot.
Photographer Michael Brunk was on hand to capture this Photo Slideshow:
Read our previous coverage of B/ IAS here.
Driving past Burien’s Interim Art Space Friday afternoon, we noticed something was amiss.
No, nobody had cleaned up the chunks of asphalt that everyone complains about, nor had anyone covered up the nekkid lady sculpture.
Rather, a large portion of the colorful, big graffiti-styled painted mural had fallen over. This large piece was created by Sam “Sneke” Swanson and Iosefatu Sua at the 2008 Strawberry Festival, as an on-the-street “competition,” and was installed at B/ IAS in late July.
On Friday afternoon, about half of it was laying on its side.
Was this an act of vandalism?
Or merely from a recent windstorm?
Regardless, we just had to stop and take these pics:
We also sent an email query to Kathy Justin, who served along with Dane Johnson as Co-Curator for Burien’s innovative temporary art space, which will be taken apart over the next three weeks.
Kathy had this to say after we asked her what caused the mural to break:
It is from the wind. We are de-installing it tomorrow.
Kathy
So, the mural will be de-installed on Saturday, Dec. 5th, and we’re sure that if you’re up for helping, they could use some volunteer labor.
In the meantime, we’re going to sit in our cars nearby and cry…
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Mural Created At Last Year’s Strawberry Festival Installed At B/ IAS
- Photos of the Mural Being Painted at the 2008 Strawberry Festival
Sunday, Nov. 1st was a Day of the Dead for more than one way in Burien – it was also the last big event to be held at the Interim Art Space, which hosted “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins” as well as a Dia de las Muertes celebration.
Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture both audio and photos of the day, which he’s combined into the following “SoundSlideshow”:
Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow
Just when you thought that the fun with the skeletons and candy were done, today (Sunday, Nov. 1st) is the official start of Dia de las Muertes, an Hispanic celebration also known as “Day of the Dead.”
We here at The B-Town Blog love this celebration so much that we’ll be at Burien’s only known commemoration starting at 3:30pm, at the Interim Art Space on SW 151st just north of the new Town Square – it’s “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins”!
Sadly, this will be the final event held at B/ IAS before the dismantling begins and the space returns to an empty lot Dec. 31st – all the more reason to come up and celebrate one last time.
In case you’re not familiar with Dia de las Muertes, here’s some info from Wikipedia:
The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls’ Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls’ Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.
Original Artwork by Danielle Burton. Click image to see large version.
The fun begins today at 3:30pm and goes until dark:
- Bring a carved Pumpkin (or more) with a candle to fill the site with 1,000 lit pumpkins (you can also carve one there)
- Bring something for the community Dia de las Muertes altar (photos of the departed, trinkets, symbols of their lives, etc.)
- Walk through the makeshift cemetery
- Dress up in Day of the Dead costumes/makeup (Calaveras, or skeleton costumes are perfect)
- Pay tribute to your departed loved ones and gather with your neighbor over food, drink and dance
- Celebrate your community, your family and friends one final time at this innovative space
- Face Painting
- Flower Making
- Grand Pumpkin Games
- Sand Painting by artist Amaranta Sandys in the lobby of 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.
| Nov ’09 |
| 1 |
| 3:30 pm |
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.
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| 2:00 pm |
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| 12:00 pm |
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| 12:00 pm |
| Sep ’09 |
| 27 |
| 12:00 pm |
Puyallup What? Who needs to drive down way there when, as part of Burien’s Oktoberfest, a carnival with rides, flashing lights, cotton candy, a mini-midway and much more will be right here in B-Town, in the lot next to the Interim Art Space!
Rides open at 2pm Thursday (Sept. 24th) and run to 11pm, then again on Friday/Saturday from Noon to 11pm and Sunday Sept. 27th from Noon to 7pm.
Here are photos taken Wednesday by Scott Schaefer as workers were setting things up:
[NOTE TO ALL OVERLY-CONCERNED PARENTS: Since this is taking place at/near B/ IAS, be aware that the controversial naked female sculpture "Paradigm Shift" will be visible, so be sure to bring blindfolds.]
| Sep ’09 |
| 12 |
| 4:00 pm |
Our friends at Burien ARTS tell us they’re hosting a “Big Figure Draw-In” at B/ IAS from 4-6pm Saturday (Sept. 12th) as a precursor to the Arts-a-Glow Lantern Festival.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring drawing materials to B/ IAS and join friends and neighbors in an outdoor group drawing event.
The Interim Art Space is located in Burien at 5th Ave SW & SW 150th Street, near Town Square and across from Staples.
Burien ARTS will be providing materials for kids.
Questions? Contact Burien ARTS at info@burienarts.org. For more info on Burien ARTS, click here, for more on B/ IAS, click here.
| Sep ’09 |
| 12 |
| 5:00 pm |
Burien’s annual “Arts-A-Glow” festival is coming Saturday, Sept. 12th, from 5pm to 10pm at Burien Town Square as well as the Interim Art Space.
During Arts A-Glow the park will be lit by beautiful and fascinating original, artist-created lantern sculptures starting around 8pm. Everyone is invited to:
“Come explore on this magical evening, make your own lantern and join the procession at dusk! We will have musicians and performers around every corner and treats to be sampled too.”
You can also sign up for one of the upcoming August Lantern Making Workshops at the Moshier Art Center. Lanterns can also be made earlier in the day at Kids Day at the Burien Fire Station.
This year’s Arts-A-Glow festival will feature seven local and regional artists who are creating temporary, site-specific lantern installations. All of the artists have designed around the theme of Gathering! which celebrates the beauty and magic of coming together. The installation artists are:
- Denise Henrikson (Seattle)
- Thaddeus Jurczynski’s (Port Townsend)
- Sarah Lovett (Seattle)
- Oleana Perry (Seattle)
- Deb Shane (Olympia)
- Dana Squires (Olympia)
- Leslie Zenz (Olympia)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
8pm-ish: Lantern Procession at Dusk – Join the fun! Come early and make a lantern, or bring one from home!
5pm-7pm: The Boyd Family Players, Soft Island Sounds, Samual Doesburg juggling, Harp by Jini O’Flynn & more!
6-7:30: Red Dog (bluegrass)
6-9:30: Illuminated Stilt walking by The Cabiri
6:30-7:30: Abyssinian Dance Drum Circle
7:30-8:45: Yellow Hat Band (brass band music from around the world)
8:45-9:45: Boys of Greenwood Glen (zydeco & bluegrass)
AND MORE:
- Magical Face Painting, Lantern Creation Station, Treats and more!
OTHER EVENTS:
- Lantern Open House—Wednesday, Aug 19, 6:30-8:00pm: Everyone is invited to a FREE Open House at the new Burien Library, 4th &152nd. Come meet the artists, get a sneak preview of what’s in store, and learn how you can get involved in making beauty and light for this year’s festival.
- Lantern Making—Kids Day, Saturday, September 12th, 10am-3pm: Find the FREE lantern booth at Kids Day at the Burien Fire Station and make a lantern for the lantern festival! Go to www.BurienFire.org for more information.
- Burien Art Walk—Downtown Burien, Sat, Sept 12, 10am-5pm: Wander downtown Burien and find art in the shops. Sponsored by Discover Burien. Go to www.DiscoverBurien.com for more information.
- The Big Figure Draw In! Sat, Sept 12, 4-6pm: Bring your drawing supplies and a stool and draw the largest figure model you have ever seen! At B/ IAS, 5th and 150th SW. Free and open to the public.
Arts-A-Glow is brought to you by:
- City of Burien
- Burien Arts
- B/ IAS
- Denise Henrickson & Leslie Zenz
- 4-Culture
- Elliott Bay Brewing
Event will happen, art will be created and lanterns will glow, rain or shine. For more information, click here.
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| 1:00 pm |
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| 11:00 am |
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| 2:30 pm |
The “Burien Babes and Toddlers” Meet-Up group will be holding “Sidewalk Chalk Fridays” at the Burien Interim Art Space begining Friday, Aug. 21st at 1pm, then continuing for the next two Fridays.
- Friday, August 21st at 1:00pm
- Friday, August 28th at 11:00am
- Friday, September 4th at 2:30pm
Parents are encouraged to bring their toddlers and friends, along with sidewalk chalk and a snack or two and join the group to decorate the parking lot at the Burien Interim Art Space.
According to an email:
We will be there rain or shine (providing it is a light rain).
The Interim Art Space is located at 5th Ave SW & SW 150th Street; for more info click here.
For more info on Meet-up, click here.
| Aug ’09 |
| 15 |
| 10:00 am |
| Aug ’09 |
| 16 |
| 10:00 am |
Just when you thought the hot part of summer was over comes news that the Burien Interim Art Space is hosting “Pieces of 8,” a FREE “urban concert presented in 8 channels over 2 days and a city block” on Saturday, Aug. 15th and Sunday, Aug. 16th.
That’s right – this is going to be a live performance of compositions written for 8 channels over 8 speaker stacks cranked up and placed throughout the B/ IAS site (see diagram below for details).
So basically, you’re going to enjoy a two-day cutting edge musical “Burien Man”-styled eargasm happening stretched over the one acre site.
This event will not only enable artists to create sound performances on a scale deeper, larger and in a truly unique environment…it will Rock. Burien. Out.
The schedule is:
- Pre-Recorded compositions Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Live 8 Channel performances from 6:30 pm to 11:00 PM both days
Pieces of Eight appears to have been inspired by “The Parking Lot Experiments,” a show that The Flaming Lips did in 1996-97 that was inspired by an incident in Wayne Coyne’s youth, where he noticed that car radios in the parking lot at a concert were playing the same songs at the same time. Coyne created 40 cassette tapes to be played in synchronization. The band invited people to bring their cars to parking lots, where they would be given one of the tapes and then instructed when to start them. The music was “a strange, fluid 20 minute sound composition”.
Pieces of Eight will be playing the Flaming Lips eight channel experiment called ZAIREEKA in its entirety. This is a wonderful opportunity for Flaming Lips fans and experimental music fans to hear this epic piece in its entirety the way it was envisioned.
Here’s a video of one “Parking Lot Experiment” to give you an idea of what to expect (it may look/sound like a buncha noise in this video, but trust us…once you’re there it’ll be an immersive happening…):
Artists will include:
- David Hahn Presents: Virus Cosmos (God as a Virus) With Ellen Mclain and John Patrick Lowrie.
- Nan Avant: World Music
- Scientific American aka C Andrew Rohrmann
- Jim Bartz and his StringStation:
- Doug Zangar
- Peter Comley:Requiem for a Mannequin
- Matt Menovcik
- Jeff Aaron Bryant
- Dave Fridmann & Scott Booker “Flaming Lips” present:ZAIREEKA
- impacttestdummy
- Leslie McMichael:Eight Harps Live
- emrlabs
- David Stutz: Mascheroni Circles
- Marc Barreca: Bronze and Bamboo
- Sean Dunn:Little Jehovah Universe Kit
- Dick Valentine:Double Negative
Here’s a diagram of the speaker placement:
Sustainable Burien is having its next meeting on Sunday, Aug. 9th from 2pm to 4pm at the (new) library.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting
WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 9th from 2pm to 4pm – doors open at 1:30pm
WHERE: The new Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd
INFO:
“Stop by the Burien Interim Art Space near the library and see the temporary garden beds we’ve installed. We’re hoping to find space for a community garden in the Burien area by next year.”
From their website:
Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.
At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.
Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.
And don’t forget that “SuBu” is also having a Garden/Birthday Party at B/ IAS on Sat., Aug. 8th.
Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Sustainable Burien Holding Garden/Birthday Party At B/ IAS On Saturday, Aug. 8th
- Sustainable Burien Installs Community Gardens At B/ IAS
A very large, new mural was installed recently at the Burien Interim Art Space, with some cutting edge graffiti-styled artwork by Sam “Sneke” Swanson and Iosefatu Sua.
The piece was originally painted during last year’s Strawberry Festival, as an on-the-street “competition” between the two artists on SW 146th, across from the skate park.
Here are pics of the artists as they were starting the project on June 28, 2008:
Sneke was born and raised in the Burien area and is now a well-known artist.
Sua is a graphic designer, illustrator and artist based in West Seattle.
Here’s a photo slideshow of the completed and installed mural at B/ IAS, which is positioned west of The Passage and the controversial “Paradigm Shift” naked female sculpture:
| Aug ’09 |
| 1 |
| 6:00 pm |
More art is happening at Burien’s Interim Art Space, and this Saturday, Aug. 1st is no exception – the classic Fritz Lang silent film “Metropolis” will be shown, with a “modern reinterpretation” of the soundtrack by Ludington GT.
Music and BBQ starts at 6pm and the movie at 10pm, and Viewers are asked to BYOC – Bring Your Own Chair(s).
Here are the details:
WHAT: Screening of Fritz Lang’s silent classic “Metropolis” with modern-day “techno funk” live soundtrack courtesy Ludington GT
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 1st; Music starts at 6pm, movie at 10pm
WHERE: Burien Interim Art Space, located at 5th Ave SW and SW 150th (just north of the new Town Square)
COST: It’s FREE, but BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR(S) (and we presume, food to BBQ/eat)!
INFO:
“Join us for a fun night with a new look to the Classic Silent Film Metropolis via Ludington GT Techno Funk Soundtrack! Come join us! and don’t forget your chair!”
If you’ve never seen this 1927(!) silent sci-fi classic, here’s a synopsis from IMDB:
It is the future, and humans are divided into two groups: the thinkers, who make plans (but don’t know how anything works), and the workers, who achieve goals (but don’t have the vision). Completely separate, neither group is complete, but together they make a whole. One man from the “thinkers” dares visit the underground where the workers toil, and is astonished by what he sees…
…and here are some clips (just keep in mind that Saturday’s soundtrack will be different):
Here’s a taste of Ludington GT’s music:
Seattle’s City Arts Magazine recently published a story praising Burien’s Interim Art Space, saying that it “proves any empty lot can become an artistic spectacle.”
The story, written by Virginia Wright, goes on to explain the roles that local residents Kathy Justin and Dane Johnson played, along with the unique partnership of Burien Town Square, Urban Partners LLC, 4Culture, the City of Burien, Ignition Northwest and GGLO — the architecture firm developing Town Square.
Here’s an excerpt:
Rising out of the rubble of Burien’s Town Square construction zone, the one-acre Burien Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) is an innovative concept. On a slab of land that would otherwise have remained fallow for a year, a crop of metal sculptures has sprouted. The pieces exhibit a range of styles and scale, from a conservative piece easily imagined in front of an office building to a delicate metal tree encircled by comfortable seating. The two-story-tall centerpiece of the site is The Passage, by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, which depicts a pair of figures constructed entirely of scrap and recycled metal. The larger figure passes liquid fire to the smaller one through enormous steel fingers…
Read the full story here.
Sustainable Burien has installed four community gardens at the Interim Art Space, with the hopes of developing a place where residents can grow sustainable food.
“Right now we’re just trying to show that this can be done,” said SuBu member John Feeney as he put the finishing touches on some lattice work. “And this garden is open to all residents, especially those who want to grow their own food – just come to one of our meetings.”
Some of the plants growing in the garden now include pumpkin, tomato, corn, mint, lettuce, peppers, chard, onion and others, along with one planter devoted to local, native plants like wild rose and black cap raspberry.
Sustainable Burien’s next meeting is Sunday, July 12th at the new Burien library from 2pm – 4pm. For more information, please visit their website.
Members of Sustainable Burien pose next to their new community garden at B/ IAS. Photo by Rebecca Dare.
Wednesday morning (July 1st), KUOW Radio featured German Urban planner Thomas Sieverts, who will be the featured guest at a “Nosh & Walk” event Thursday night, July 2nd at the Burien Interim Art Space, beginning at 4pm.
Sieverts coined the term “Zwischenstadt,” a book on the dissolution of the traditional European city, and the new form of urban landscape that emerges. The book was later republished in English under the title, “Where We Live Now.”
The term “Zwischenstadt” became popularized to mean an “in–between city,” or the city between the old historical centers and open countryside. He previously taught urban planning at the University of Visual Arts in Berlin and the Technical University in Darmstadt. He has run his own practice since 1978, and in 2000 jointly founded the architecture group, S.K.A.T.
Thursday night at B/ IAS, Sieverts will discuss Burien’s “Zwischedstadt-edness,” which should provide for some interesting discussion since this will be his first trip here.
Here’s an MP3 of KUOW’s interview with Sieverts:
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Burien’s recently-installed, controversial nude female sculpture has become a local media sensation (which we first covered on Monday), and Thursday (June 25th) our B-Town Blog video production crew of Mark Neuman and Bart Bryan dared to actually go near “Paradigm Shift,” the lifelike bronze Mike Magrath statue located at the Interim Art Space, where they shot this video:
If you haven’t yet read our original story, it’s worth a peek since the Comments are quite interesting – click here to read ‘em.
Last week, a new lifesize bronze sculpture of a nude female (pictured above) was installed at the Burien Interim Art Space near the new Town Square and Library, and it’s been stirring up some controversy in our Forums:
LYNETTE: I walked through the new Burien town square today and much to my dismay I came across a bronze statue of a completely nude woman. I may appreciate the “art” in the piece but since it is very realistic it is absolutely inappropriate for a public area where all ages of children can view the statue. If that were a live person she would be arrested for public nudity. The tall woman and daughter that are very abstract are not my cup of tea but they are not realistic. If someone chooses to go into a gallery and see nudes that is their choice. Pieces such as this should not be next to a public library and a busy street. I was planning to bring my grandchildren to town for the Strawberry Festival but I will now direct them away from the city center. Public art should be appropriate for ALL the public, including the children. Thank You Lynette Storer
JILL: Yeah, a woman’s nude body is so offensive. Maybe you should lighten up and join the 21st century.
JARED: Then why do we in the 21st century still require you to be 18 to buy a Playboy?
Part of parenting is censonship. (Careful what you show your kids Jill)
CHRISTY: The human body, male or female, is not offensive when display tastefully in the right setting. In fact, it can actually be very intriguing to the eye. HOWEVER, when dispalyed for all ages it needs to be in accordance to the demographic of the community. The library is right next to the art and during the summer most of the foot traffic is going to be children, most of whom are already filled with questions. The accusation of a nude woman is inaccurate. It is not the art itself, but just simply where the art is chosen to be displayed.
Artist Mike Magrath
The sculpture, a very lifelike, detailed sculpture of a squatting, nude woman called “Paradigm Shift,” was created by Seattle artist Mike Magrath, and was originally on display at the UW’s Henry Art Gallery. Magrath installed it at B/ IAS last week, which, despite comments above, is actually a private art space controlled by Curators Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin.
“I have spent the last decade or so focused primarily on the human subject not only because it offers a hugely accessible front door, but because I perceive something implicit in the body that remains inchoate, relevant, and continuously vibrant with potential,” said Magrath in a statement. “I tell students half jokingly that the human form is the composite total of what our forebears found irresistible…For me study of the specific form and attitude of the model is a way of exploring and understanding the deeper structures of the universe.”
“Good art is often controversial,” said Johnson when he stopped by our booth at the Strawberry Festival. “So when we read or hear comments like this, we feel like we’re doing a good job.”
“And if people don’t like seeing naked sculptures, they should just avoid B/ IAS,” added Justin.
6/24/09 UPDATE: KOMO News did a story on the sculpture (thanks guys for subscribing to our RSS Feed), which you can watch here.
So…what do YOU think? Please take our poll and leave Comments below:
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Students from the Puget Sound Skills Center’s Welding Careers Program, in association with Plumber and Pipefitters Local 32, 
installed “To Be Named Later,” an original sculpture of an eagle swooping down onto a salmon at the Burien Interim Art Space on Friday, June 5th.
“This is where Puget Sound Skills Center students came to Local 32’s Weld shop to learn Welding Skills and Trade Related Confidence,” said Dale Copeland of UA Local 32. “This piece is made primarily out of steel and other materials, and we plan on letting nature create the patina that we are looking for and the movement of the piece. We started with an initial design, but the students have come up with several ideas of there own. All the students worked on the piece, with the students doing most of the work.”
More information on the project, as well as B/ IAS, available at www.interim-art-space.com.
Photos courtesy Dane Johnson.
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12/27/08 UPDATE: Due to weather conditions, the installation of the sculpture The Passage into Burien’s Town Square (BTB Advertiser) has been POSTPONED from Sat. Jan, 3rd to Saturday, January 24th, starting at 3pm
The Passage, a sculpture depicting a Mother/Daughter, will be installed at the Burien/ Interim Art Space, a year-long experiment combining and transforming the concepts of art, temporary green spaces, and community gathering.
According to Kathy Justin:
“The opening ceremnony for the B/ IAS project and The Passage has been postponed because of the weather.
The new date is set for Saturday January 24th starting at 3pm.”
The Passage is a sculpture depicting a mother and child walking together to share and explore life, and 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.
Here are two videos that will give you a better idea of exactly what’s coming to Burien:
The interim art space will occupy a temporarily vacant one-acre parcel of Burien’s Town Square project:
This exciting space will not only showcase art, but will be an energetic gathering place for Burien’s citizens. B/ IAS will be a working canvas that will be transformed by the efforts of both artists and the community throughout the year. The project will conclude a year later when the sculpture is removed and construction begins on another phase of the Town Square.
B/ IAS is a collaboration between Ignition Northwest, Burien Arts Commission, 4Culture, Urban Partners and GGLO.
To Volunteer, Create, or to Work a plot of land on the B/ IAS Project please email info@interim-art-space.com.
For more information, visit the website here.
