Seattle Gay News
Issue 38, Volume 43, September 18, 2015
Fall Arts & Travel Art AIDS America : Groundbreaking exhibition debuts at Tacoma Art Museum on October 3
Politics, sex, religion, loss, and beauty – all of the topics that you can’t talk about over dinner but can at a museum – are open for discussion in Art AIDS America, an exhibition that reveals for the first time how the AIDS crisis forever changed American art. It debuts at Tacoma Art Museum on October 3. Since the first reports of mysterious illnesses in the early 1980s, HIV and AIDS have touched nearly every American in some way, and operated as an undeniable (though often unacknowledged) force in shaping politics, medicine, and culture. Art AIDS America presents the full spectrum of artistic responses to AIDS, from the politically outspoken to the quietly mournful. Art AIDS America is a story of resilience and beauty revealed through art, and the community that gathered to bring hope and change. While recognizing and honoring loss and grief, it refutes the narrative that AIDS is only a tragic tangent in American art, exploring how artists’ responses to the crisis and its legacy continue to inform contemporary American art. These artworks offer a vibrant representation of community, caring, creativity and activism. And, Art AIDS America will serve as a vivid reminder that the crisis is not over; HIV infections are increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV. A decade in the making, this exhibition is co-curated by TAM’s Chief Curator, Rock Hushka, and Jonathan D. Katz, PhD, Director, Visual Studies Doctoral Program, University at Buffalo. “AIDS fundamentally changed American art, remaking its communicative strategies, its market, its emotional pitch and, not least, its political possibilities. But we’ve repressed the role of AIDS in the making of contemporary American culture, as we’ve repressed the role of AIDS in every other aspect of our lives. This exhibition underscores how powerfully a plague that is still with us has changed us,” says Katz. “Art AIDS America creates spaces for mourning and loss, yes, but also for anger and for joy, for political resistance and for humor, for horror, and for eroticism.” The exhibition assembles 130 significant works in a wide range of media. The artists are diverse, including the internationally acclaimed such as Robert Gober, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Martin Wong, and those not yet as widely celebrated such as Luis Cruz Azaceta, Chloe Dzubilo, Derek Jackson, Kia Labeija, and Joey Terrill. The works date from 1981 to today, and some, like Catherine Opie’s photographs of the 1986 AIDS/ARC vigil in San Francisco, will be on public view for the first time. Works by Northwest artists Michael Ehle, Keith Lewis, Steve Miller, and Darren Waterston will be included in the exhi-
Alon Reininger (born 1947), Ken Meeks, PWA 1985. Archival pigment print, 20 × 24 inches. Courtesy of Contact Press Images, New York.
bition. Other artists with Northwest connections include Patte Loper, Bill Jacobson, Jim Hodges, and Charles LeDray. “Art reflects and reacts to social, cultural, and political climates, and in the past 30 years, HIV and AIDS has been a constant presence,” says Hushka. “So many of us recall friends, family, and partners we have lost and the terror of the early years of the crisis, while younger people are just learning this story. We seek to create a deeper understanding of the legacy of HIV/ AIDS in contemporary American art, and encourage our visitors to see their experiences in these works.” Works in the exhibition will generally fall into two categories: art with a clear tie to AIDS, and art that requires the viewer
to look beyond the surface to understand its connection to HIV/AIDS. Some artists addressed the AIDS crisis through activist works, community projects, graphics, and direct political statements. For example, the collective ACT UP NY/Gran Fury’s installation “Let the Record Show…” sears the words of public officials whose actions [or inactions] inflamed the crisis, including the silence of President Ronald Reagan, who would not speak publicly about AIDS until 1987. Other artists use camouflage, coding, misdirection, symbols, or other covert strategies to address the social, political, and physical impacts of HIV. An example is Robert Sherer’s beautifully rendered “Sweet Williams,” a basket of cut flowers, painted in HIV-negative and HIV-
positive blood, about the untimely deaths of so many young men. The exhibition will be organized roughly by works created pre- and post-cocktail (in this case, “cocktail” refers to the combination of drugs and therapies used to manage HIV and prevent the development of AIDS). “Tacoma Art Museum is a safe space where people are able to address important and challenging issues. We are proud to present Art AIDS America. It is fitting that the exhibition debuts in Tacoma, the city that established the nation’s first government-sanctioned needle exchange program in a proactive approach toward controlling the spread of AIDS,” said Stephanie Stebich, TAM’s Executive Director. “TAM also has the scholarship to support this exhibition through our chief curator Rock Hushka and the exhibition’s co-curator Dr. Jonathan D. Katz, who also co-curated the award-winning Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, which we brought to TAM in 2012.” The Art AIDS America catalogue is a significant component of the exhibition, with 15 contributors, nearly 300 pages, and more than 200 illustrations. It is published in association with the University of Washington Press of Seattle and London and designed by Marquand Books, Seattle. Art AIDS America is organized by TAM in partnership with the Bronx Museum of the Arts and will tour nationally. See it first at TAM, on view October 3, 2015 through January 10, 2016. The exhibition will then travel to Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, GA, and The Bronx Museum of the Arts, NY. ART AIDS AMERICA TOUR SCHEDULE Tacoma Art Museum October 3, 2015 - January 10, 2016 Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, Georgia February 9, 2016 - May 21, 2016 Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York June 23, 2016 - September 11, 2016 Art AIDS America is organized by Tacoma Art Museum in partnership with The Bronx Museum of the Arts, and co-curated by Dr. Jonathan D. Katz, Director, Visual Studies Doctoral Program at the University at Buffalo (The State University of New York) and Rock Hushka, Chief Curator at Tacoma Art Museum. The exhibition is made possible by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. Additional support provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Tino Rodriguez (born 1965), Eternal Lovers, 2010. Oil on wood, 18 × 24 inches. Private collection.
see Art aids america page 16
2 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 3
Fall is a great time to visit Palm Springs
Pool Party – Courtesy of visitpalmsprings.com
by Ed Walsh SGN Contributing Writer The fall is a great time to visit Palm Springs. The Southern California desert city’s 110 degrees plus days give way to the 80s and 90s, the crowds aren’t as big and the hotel rates are less than in the late winter and early spring, which is Palm Springs’ busiest time. The flight from SeaTac takes just 2.5 hours but the arid climate and desert landscape feels like a world away. A couple of big LGBT events punctuate the fall: Halloween and Pride (http:// pspride.org/). Halloween is marked by a block party in downtown Palm Springs, on E. Arenas Road, the city’s Gayest street. That’s followed by the city’s Pride celebration that happens on the first full weekend of November (November 6-8). Organizers picked early November for Pride because daytime temperatures are generally perfect for a parade. But you don’t have to wait for a special event to go. There is always something very Gay going on in Palm Springs. The city is estimated to be about 40-50% LGBT. Palm Springs’ mayor and the majority of the city council are Gay or Lesbian. One of the biggest draws for LGBT visitors to the city are the nearly two-dozen Gay resorts that run the range from Lesbian and couple-oriented resorts to ones that are very sexually charged.
Desert Adventures (http://red-jeep. com/) offers a number of guided tours throughout Palm Springs, including the Indian Canyons, Joshua Tree National Park, the San Andreas fault, the city’s famed windmills, and a tour of past and present celebrity homes. Former San Franciscan Bob Gross runs a fabulous LGBT-oriented tour through Desert Adventures that includes the Gay history of the city as well as drive-bys of Gay and Gay icon celebrity homes. If you prefer to explore on your own, Palm Springs is making it easier to get around without a car. A free shuttle bus service began last fall. Palm Springs Buzz runs every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday-Sunday. The colorful buses make various stops in a loop around the city. A detailed map and app can be found on the site http://www.buzzps.com/. One of downtown’s newest attractions is the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edward Harris Pavilion (http://www.psmuseum.org/). It’s located at 300 S. Palm Canyon Drive. The epicenter for change in Palm Springs is two blocks away at the corner of S. Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way. On one corner, you will find the city’s new visitors center. The opposite corner is the construction site where the new Museum Market Plaza, including a 155-room Kimpton Hotel, is slated to open in the Fall 2016. The new plaza will give visitors a view of the Palm Springs Art Museum from Palm Canyon Drive.
ATTRACTIONS To visit Palm Springs without taking a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (http://www.pstramway.com/) would be like going to Egypt and not checking out the pyramids. The tram whisks visitors from the desert to the peak of Mount San Jacinto in 10 minutes. The round trip fare is a reasonable $23 or, if you would like to include lunch at a restaurant on the summit, $36. Be sure to bring a jacket. It can get cool on the top and it snows in the winter. There are a series of hiking trails at the summit and if they get enough snow, you can cross country ski there or go sledding. The Indian Canyons (http://www.indian-canyons.com/) are well worth a visit. The most popular of the Indian Canyons, Andreas Canyon, is just a 10-minute ride from downtown and includes an ever-flowing stream along a grove of palm trees. You can take a self-guided one-mile loop train along stunning rock formations and palm trees that line the stream or you can take a scheduled guided tour at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. A series of grinding holes can be found on the rocks adjacent to the visitors’ parking lot. Each inch of depth in the grinding holes is equivalent to 100 years of grinding. Some of the holes were worked by generations of Native American families for more than 500 years.
ACCOMODATIONS Palm Springs has more Gay resorts than any other place in the world and there are a wide variety of resorts that can satisfy just about anyone. All the resorts are marketed toward Gay men except for the Lesbian resort, Casitas Laquita (http://www.casitaslaquita.com/). After the recent closing of the Queen of Hearts Inn, Casitas Laquita is now the only Lesbian resort in Palm Springs. Most of the Gay hotels include a continental breakfast and free Wi-Fi is standard. Casitas Laquita and the East Canyon Hotel and Spa (http://www.eastcanyonps.com/) are the only Gay properties that don’t allow nude sunbathing. Some of the men’s properties are very sexually charged while others cater more to couples or singles looking at the resort as more of a place to relax and socialize. Most of the city’s Gay resorts are constantly upgrading and keeping up with the sometimes-finicky tastes of the LGBT market. The biggest concentration of Gay resorts is found in the Warm Sands neighborhood, conveniently located less than a mile from downtown. Another cluster of Gay resorts can be found nearby on E. San Lorenzo Road. InnDulge (http://inndulge.com/) resort always draws a crowd even in the slowest
4 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
times of the year. That will come as no surprise to anyone who stays there. The property was already in excellent shape when owners Jon Jackson and Sandy Miller bought it in 2010 but the couple did an excellent job of updating the property while maintaining its mid-century modern appearance. The free nightly cocktail hour is a great way to meet new friends. Sandy always seems to remember everyone’s names and makes everyone feel like family. The Vista Grande (http://vistagranderesort.com/) is another first-rate Gay resort. Guests often say it is a place you never want to leave. The resort serves an expanded continental breakfast and a light lunch that is included in the rate. The fabulous property includes the largest hot tub of any of the Gay resorts, a cool plunge and waterfall, two large pools and a dry and wet sauna. The front office is staffed 24 hours, so there is always someone to help if you lock yourself out or need anything. One of the property’s best features is its huge table where you can sit and enjoy a meal or a movie on the giant flat screen TV as you get to know your fellow travelers. By the way, both the Vista Grande and InnDulge have a great benefit for all guests:
regulars feel like family. They are resident owners and very active in the community. If you seek more privacy, the resort offers the best of both worlds. You can rent the adjacent home, including your own pool and hot tub, and you can also use the main hotel grounds when you want to socialize. The La Dolce Vita Resort and Spa (http://www.ladolcevitaresort.com/) is another property that keeps guests coming back time and time again. The hotel has two pools and two hot tubs because it used to be two properties that were eventually joined together. If you want to get a taste of a Gay resort but aren’t ready to commit, you can sign up for a spa treatment and then hang out for free before or after your appointment. The East Canyon Hotel and Spa (http:// www.eastcanyonps.com/) is one of Palm Springs’ most upscale Gay properties. The spa is also open to non-guests. The owner, Richard Weiss, makes sure all the guests are well looked after. The hotel has a liquor license and serves guests free alcoholic drinks poolside. InnExile (http://allworlds.com/) in the Warm Sands neighborhood is a very cruisy hotel that is now being run by the owners of the All Worlds Resort. It was most recently
Andreas Canyon – Courtesy of visitpalmsprings.com
While you are staying there, you can use one of the world’s Gayest gyms, the Work Out Gym (http://www.workoutgymps.com/) for free. The gym is open to everyone but unabashedly promotes itself to Gay men. It is small but has all the equipment you need and is never over crowded. The friendly gym includes free coffee and snacks. The Triangle Inn (http://www.triangleinn.com/triangle-inn-palm-springs) is a good example of why the Gay resorts are so popular in Palm Springs. The couple who have owned the property for 15 years, Stephen Boyd and Michael Green, make all the
called the La Joya Inn but when All Worlds took it over last fall, it changed it back to its old name. It has the best workout room of any of the Gay resorts, with free weights and aerobic machines. The aforementioned Casitas Laquita (http://www.casitaslaquita.com/) is owned by longtime business and life partners Joanna Funaro and Denise Roberson. The upscale property has a Southwestern theme and all the rooms have kitchens. One of the hotel’s suites has its own private outdoor hot see palm springs page 15
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 5
6 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Miami Beach is for sunseekers and fun-seekers
Trump International Beach Resort’s lower pool – Photo courtesy of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, MiamiandBeaches.com
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer Like many cities, Miami Beach has had Gayer days. Gentrification and an influx of nightlife catering to a straight or mixed clientele has cooled what used to be an LGBT hotspot. But I still think it’s pretty Gay. I mean, where else can you see a drag show on the sidewalk of a major street? Or beefy strippers parading around a bar with “P.A.R.T.Y. in the USA” blaring in the background? Or a hotel nestled between a busy shopping area and quiet residential district called “Gaythering”? This in addition to all the boys in their Sunday best who peoplewatch from the Palace Bar patio. And two Gay circuit party giants, the Winter Party Festival and White Party, held here annually, plus its four Gay bars that sponsor themed events every night of the week, thus ensuring there’s never a dull moment in Miami Beach. So it appears, Gay days are here again for Miami Beach. Here is information and tips to consider for your future escape to this sunny, bustling destination. For trip planning, visit http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/ ABOUT MIAMI BEACH Miami Beach is its own city, yet part of the Greater Miami area. It is detached from the mainland, but accessible by multiple bridges, running nine miles long and one mile wide. It is home to nearly 90,000 residents, and throughout the year welcomes millions of visitors from everywhere, most commonly South America, Europe, Canada, and every U.S. state. Always attractive, if not darn right sexy, Miami Beach is like the Beverly Hills or Malibu of the East Coast; many celebrities live here year-round or have second homes in one of the city’s luxury high-rise condo buildings, while other A-listers visit frequently to soak up the sun and party at some of the hottest clubs on the planet. The city is also widely known for its art deco style, seen vividly in the pastel-colored buildings along its main arterials, like Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue. Openly Gay designer Leonard Horowitz descended upon Miami Beach in the late ‘70s and quickly co-founded the Miami Design Preservation League, which began transforming aging office towers, hotels, and restaurants in the South Beach neighborhood into little pieces of art. Miami Beach has been used as a setting or backdrop for a multitude of films, TV shows, and set locations, including “Miami Vice,” The Birdcage, and the famous Calvin Klein Obession ad by photographer Bruce Weber that was shot on the backside of the Hotel Breakwater. GETTING THERE
Traveling to South Florida takes as long, if not longer, than going to Hawaii. The only non-stop flight from Seattle is to Fort Lauderdale (Alaska Airlines), about 30 minutes from Miami Beach. An alternate option is flying into Miami via Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, or another airline hub. The non-stop flight is about 5.5 hours on the outbound leg, 6 hours on the return, while an itinerary with two flights and layover will take about 7 to 8 hours minimum. Once you arrive in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, I suggest pre-booking a shuttle to your hotel in Miami Beach as taxis are expensive. Uber is available in Miami, but not in Fort Lauderdale. Also offered at the Miami airport is public transportation; the #150 bus will take you directly to Miami Beach with multiple stops for $2.25. Follow the “MIA Mover” and “Metrorail” signs inside the airport to the ticket kiosks and bus/ train platforms. Getting around Miami Beach is easy. You can do it on foot, though the heat can be unbearable at times. Public buses and the affordable South Beach Local bus run the length, or a portion, of the resort city. Rental bikes are popular with tourists and residents alike, and of course, there is Uber, which I recommend to taxis. If you want to hop over to Miami, the same methods – public transportation, Uber – will get you to and from affordably.
of blood red and jet-black colors. My room, a Double King, measured between 400 to 437 square feet and was equipped with 40” HDTV, two wing-back reading chairs, two side chairs, coffee table, work desk, lamps, closet, and shower-only bathroom with liquid soap and body gels. On-site amenities include the Men’s Self Spa, a self-service spa complimentary to all guests with Jacuzzi, aroma steam room, aroma hamam/mud lounge, dry cedar sauna, showers, changing rooms, and day lockers. After a long day of swimming in the ocean, exploring the sights of Miami Beach, and sore muscles – the aftermath of rolling your luggage through airports and on airplanes – a little indulgence feels appropriate. The Gaythering Bar, adjacent to the lobby, is a central meeting point for guests and locals, hosting daily Happy Hours and weekly/monthly events, such as bingo, trivia night, and a bears-themed social. The Library, on the opposite side of the lobby, is a communal space to read, relax, work, mingle, or go online with your personal electronics, as WiFi is complimentary throughout the hotel.
GAY NIGHTLIFE There are four prominent Gay bars in Miami Beach – Palace Bar, Twist, SCORE, and Gaythering Bar. The first three are within a few blocks of each other, the fourth is a 10-minute walk from all of them. Palace Bar (http://palacesouthbeach.com/) is the most notable because of its location, on the heavily trafficked Ocean Drive, an attraction itself for pedestrians and passersby on wheels. Daily drag performances happen nightly on the sidewalk in front of Palace Bar that draw onlookers by the hundreds; local drag stars such as T.P. Lords and Missy Meyakie LePaige work that sidewalk every evening in fashionable outfits while lip-syncing to the hottest tunes. “Brunchic” at Palace Bar is definitely where to be on Sundays between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. with unlimited mimosas and a show, followed by a Sunset T-Dance at 4 p.m. Twist (http:// www.twistsobe.com/), on Washington Avenue, dates back to 1993 and is comprised of seven bars and three dance floors, plus hunky men parading around in briefs or Speedos at the backside Bungalow Bar. You might also want to drop by on Saturdays for the weekly amateur strip contest, starting at Midnight, awarding $100.00 to the winner. SCORE Nightclub (scorebar.net), also on Washington Avenue, is the spot to get your groove on, a premiere dance club but a lounge as well for anyone just needing a cocktail in an energetic ambiance. “WTF
Thursdays” with a hot body contest emceed by Daisy Deadpetals gets going at 10 p.m. and “Electric Sheep Sundays” with DJ Sushiman and the Housewives of Piss heats up at 10 p.m., too. Worth mentioning again is Gaythering Bar at Hotel Gaythering, where nightly social events in a fun, friendly atmosphere draws a mix of boys from MiamiDade County and visitors from all over. LGBT RESOURCES AND EVENTS A good starting point for your Miami Beach vacay is the LGBT Visitor Center (http://www.gogaymiami.com/), on the 1st floor inside the former City Hall building, on Washington Avenue, where you can grab LGBT newspapers, magazines, business directories, and visitor information. It’s centrally situated footsteps from major streets and the 12th Street Beach (the Gay beach). The staff is very helpful in answering questions or providing useful information on the local community and area. For over 23 years, the Winter Party Festival (http://www.winterparty.com/) has been bringing together upwards of 10,000 people from around the world to a huge weeklong dance party featuring some of the top DJs, including Brett Henrichsen, Dani Toro, Isaac Escalente, and DJ Abel. Routinely, the Winter Party Festival happens in early March and benefits South Florida organizations supporting the LGBTQ community and the National LGBTQ Task Force. Miami Beach Gay Pride (https://www. miamibeachgaypride.com/) held in April each year attracts more than 130,000 people over a three-day period with a parade and festival that boasts four separate stages in addition to exhibitors and local merchants. TV actor and personality Mario Lopez served as the Grand Marshall for this year’s festivities that stretched one mile along Ocean Drive. The Miami and Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, newly christened MiFo (http://mifofilm.com/) has grown from a three-day event with 25 films to a ten-day gala showcasing more than 65 LGBT-themed films with screenings held mostly in the historic South Beach neighborhood, though also in and around MiamiDade County. MiFo is South Florida’s premiere showcase for LGBT films producing a large-scale festival in Miami (April) and Fort Lauderdale (October).
WHERE TO STAY Unique to Miami Beach, or anywhere for that matter, is Hotel Gaythering (gaythering.com). Opened in February 2014, this 25-room, three floor property is situated near Biscayne Bay at the far end of Lincoln Road, a shopping and entertainment corridor with blocks upon blocks of designer shops, brand name retailers, restaurants, lounges, movie theaters, and outside patios to wine and dine. Hotel Gaythering is a Gay hotel, operated mainly by a Gay staff and catering to a Gay clientele. Rooms are categorized by Petite King, Large King, and Double King. The decor is a wonderful collision of art and kitsch – creative, unique, interesting, and acPeople paddle boarding during sunset in South Beach – centuated by the use Photo courtesy of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, MiamiandBeaches.com
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 7
Frye Art Museum presents Genius / 21 Century / Seattle
Jim Woodring. Still from Frank in the 3rd Dimension, 2015. Pen drawings by Jim Woodring, 3D conversions by Charles Barnard. 3D digital video. Courtesy of the artist and Fantagraphics Books.
Genius / 21 Century / Seattle is an unprecedented, large-scale celebration of exceptional multidisciplinary and collaborative artistic practice in Seattle in the twenty-first century. It features the work of over sixty visual artists, filmmakers, writers, theater artists, composers, musicians, choreographers, dancers, and arts organizations. The exhibition presents numerous artworks, installations, and collaborations; music, dance, theater, and durational performances; changing exhibitions, forums, and workshops. Many are specially commissioned by the Frye Art Museum. Genius has no limiting paradigm. It relinquishes the idea of an exhibition that does not change, that has a beginning and an end, and embraces instead the idea of a living exhibition that is in constant transformation. The exhibition and its more than thirty-five events will run from September 26, 2015, to January 10, 2016. During the sixteen weeks of the exhibition, Genius features twenty-five commissions and premieres, immersive installations, durational performances, and collaborations across disciplines, and also presents film and literary festivals. A specially designed, shape-shifting environment in the Frye’s largest gallery space will host live music, dance and theater performances, literary readings, video exhibitions, public forums, and rehearsals. The installations, works of art, performances, workshops, events, and festivals in Genius offer a variety of perspectives on the social, political, and cultural flux shaping Seattle and the global community. They address the complexities, discrepancies, and contradictions of issues such as unrestrained urban growth, social and racial inequity, and the threat of natural catastrophe. Genius expresses the shared concerns of the artists and citizens of Seattle while imagining alternative visions for the future.
Briggs, Rebecca Brown, Drew Christie, Web Crowell, Valerie Curtis-Newton, Robinson Devor, Ellen Forney, Frye Art Museum, Lori Goldston, Wynne Greenwood with K8 Hardy, Megan Griffiths, Gary Groth, Victoria Haven, Lesley Hazleton, Implied Violence, Industrial Revelation, C. Davida Ingram, The Intelligence, Chris Jeffries, Marya Sea Kaminski, Eyvind Kang, Ben Kasulke, Jessika Kenney, Lead Pencil Studio, Susie J. Lee, Stacey Levine, James Longley, Heather McHugh, Jeffry Mitchell, Zia Mohajerjasbi, Cary Moon, Charles Mudede, Paul Mullin, On the Boards, John Olson, John Osebold, Pacific Northwest Ballet, DK Pan, Linas Phillips, Jonathan Raban, Susan Robb, Sarah Rudinoff, David Russo, Alex Schweder, Seattle School, Michael Seiwerath, Shabazz Palaces with Nep Sidhu, Lynn Shelton, SuttonBeresCuller, Rodrigo Valenzuela, Velocity Dance Center with Cherdonna Shinatra, Jim Woodring, Maged Zaher, Jennifer Zeyl, and zoe | juniper.
– Practical Lighting Design with Rich Bresnahan – Workshop (On the Boards, Lower Queen Anne) 07 Saturday @ 2 pm – Literary Festival – The Embarrassment of Genius – Heather McHugh and Maged Zaher 08 Sunday @ 2 pm – John Osebold – City Light – Performance 12 Thursday @ 12–6 pm – zoe | juniper – We were. – Durational Performance 13 Friday @ 3 pm – Velocity Dance Center with Cherdonna Shinatra – Cherdonna Shinatra, Patron Saint of Velocity – Performance 14 Saturday @ 1 pm – Seattle School – Strikethrough – Performance 15 Sunday @ 2 pm – The Intelligence – Performance 17 Tuesday @ 11 am – Web Crowell and Stacey Levine – Eclipse Tower I – Video Exhibition Opening (runs through December 13) 19 Thursday @ 6 pm – Susan Robb – In the Form of a Hummingbird – Sound Work 21 Saturday @ 11 am-5 pm – Public Forum – Future Seattle: A People’s Forum – Cary Moon 21 Saturday @ 11 am – Yesler Community Center/Frye Art Museum Project – Susie J. Lee – Exhibition Opening 22 Sunday @ 11 am-5 pm – Public Forum – Future Seattle: A People’s Forum – Cary Moon
Forney 25 Sunday @ 2 pm – Marya Sea KaminDecember 2015 ski – The Mysterious Others – Performance 03 Thursday @ 12–6 pm – zoe | juniper 29 Thursday @ 5 pm – On the Boards – We were. – Durational Performance – Practical Grant Writing – Workshop 03 Thursday @ 8 pm – Eyvind Kang 31 Saturday @ 11 am-5 pm – Public Forum – Future Seattle: A People’s Forum – and Jessika Kenney – Viscous Circle – Performance Cary Moon 05 Saturday @ TBA – Film Festival – Drew Christie and Megan Griffiths – Film November 2015 01 Sunday @ 11 am-5 pm – Public Fo- Screening 06 Sunday @ TBA – Film Festival – rum – Future Seattle: A People’s Forum – Ben Kasulke and James Longley – Film Cary Moon 05 Thursday @ 12-6 pm – zoe | juniper Screening – We were. – Durational Performance 05 Thursday @ 6 pm – On the Boards
see Genius page 23
CALENDAR OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS September 2015 26 Saturday @ 11 am – Jim Woodring – Frank in the 3rd Dimension – Video Exhibition Opening (runs through October 18) 26 Saturday @ 12-4 pm – zoe | juniper – We were. – Durational Performance
THE ARTISTS Artists participating in Genius were selected by leading arts writers and the Seattle artistic community to be recipients of The Stranger Genius Award. The Frye Art Museum is itself a recipient. Genius continues the Frye’s inquiry into the role of the museum in the twenty-first century and its place in the cultural and intellectual life of the city. Among the distinguished artists, collaborative groups, and organizations participating in Genius are (in alphabetical order): Sherman Alexie, Sarah Bergmann, Matt
October 2015 03 Saturday @ 1 pm – Gallery Talk – Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker, exhibition curator 03 Saturday @ 3 pm – Jonathan Raban – Literary Reading 09 Friday @ 3 pm Industrial Revelation – Decade – Rehearsal 09 Friday @ 7 & 9 pm – Industrial Revelation – Decade – Performances 10 Saturday @ 2 pm – Literary Festival – Break the Genre – Matt Briggs, Gary Groth & John Olson 15 Thursday @ 3 pm – Pacific Northwest Ballet – Choreography by Ezra Thomson – Performance 16 Friday @ 7 pm – Chris Jeffries and Sarah Rudinoff – MIX/WORRY – Performance 17 Saturday @ 2 pm – Chris Jeffries and Sarah Rudinoff – MIX/WORRY – Performance 20 Tuesday @ 11 am – Rodrigo Valenzuela – Prole – Video Exhibition Opening (runs through November 15) 24 Saturday @ 2 pm – Literary Festival – Why Seattle? – Rebecca Brown and Ellen
8 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Shabazz Palaces. Malcolm’s Smile 7B, 2015. Concept: Ishmael Butler and Nep Sidhu. Design: Nep Sidhu. Wool, poly-cotton, aluminum. 150 x 96 x 15 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 9
10 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Counter-Couture captures the energy and character of the 1960s and 1970s through the era’s handmade fashion and style Counter-Couture: Fashioning Identity in the American Counterculture on view at Bellevue Arts Museum September 4, 2015 - January 10, 2016.
Counter-Couture: Fashioning Identity in the American Counter-Culture examines the American counter-culture of the 1960s and 1970s through the lens of the era’s fashion and style. Often referred to as the hippie movement, this cultural force swept away the strictures and conformism of the previous decade by embracing a lifestyle defined by an alternative visual identity. The effects of the movement still resonate today. From the beginning, the counter-culture rejected materialist and consumerist interpretations of the American Dream, embracing ideals of self-sufficiency and selfexpression. With the Vietnam War protests and the civil rights movement as a backdrop, counter-culture youth shunned the cultural standards of their parents, embraced the struggle for racial and gender equality, used drugs to explore altered states of consciousness, and cultivated a renewed dimension of spirituality. Fashion – and more essentially, personal style – celebrated everyone’s hands, minds, and intuition, proving itself to be a means toward self-realization, enlightenment, and freedom from conventions. The exhibition, which opened earlier this month at Bellevue Arts Museum, is curated by Seattle-based designer, Michael Cepress, whose practice has been largely inspired by his fascination for 1960s and 1970s style. Counter-Couture exhibits more than 100 works comprised of clothing, jewelry, accessories, and ephemera of American makers who crafted the very reality they craved, on the margin of society but yet at the center of epochal change. Featured in the exhibition are pieces by Alex & Lee, Kaisik Wong, and K. Lee Manuel, and selected loans from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH and
worked professionally as a designer and educator for 10 years. An intense interest in the cultural impact clothing can make has led Cepress to focus on the design and production of his own fashion label and theatrical costumes, and he has written on clothing’s relationship to gender and popular culture. An Instructor in the University of Washington’s School of Art, he has developed curriculum on multiple facets of fashion design, wearable art, and the history of style and clothing. Growing up, Michael had a particular fascination with the 1960s and 1970s. In high school he discovered Native Funk and Flash by Alexandra Jacopetti in his local library, which documented the fashions of the era, all of them handmade. Years later, he befriended Jacopetti, and began traveling around the West Coast searching out remote communities where notable figures from the era now reside. The exhibition is based on his years of research and the discoveries he made along the way.
Mary Ann Schildknecht – Embroidered Top and Skirt Photo: Jerry Wainwright As pictured in Native Funk and Flash (Scrimshaw Press, 1974)
the de Young Museum in San Francisco, CA. “Counter-Couture encompasses the ethos of a generation who achieved change by designing and crafting their own identity by sewing, embroidering, and tie-dyeing the fiber of their lives,” said Stefano Catalani, Bellevue Arts Museum’s Director of Art, Craft, & Design. Counter-Couture captures the energy and character of the style and period through four lenses: Funk & Flash, Couture, Performance, and Transcendence. Each section tells a piece of the greater American
Kaisik Wong – Red Ray and Orange Ray, 1974 Photo: Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Visit us online www.sgn.org
story and how clothing takes on different roles – creating social statements for political change, basking in freedom from trend, celebrating the body, and highlighting the true beauty of authentic personal style. Counter-Couture: Fashioning Identity in the American Counterculture is organized by Bellevue Arts Museum and curated by Michael Cepress. ABOUT MICHAEL CEPRESS Holding a BA in Art from the University of Wisconsin and an MFA in Fibers from the University of Washington, Cepress has
ABOUT BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM Bellevue Arts Museum is a leading destination in the Pacific Northwest to experience art, craft, and design. BAM engages the community through exhibitions, programs, and publications, featuring regional, national, and international artists. Bellevue Arts Museum (510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue WA) is open Tues-Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m., FREE First Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., daily tour at 1 p.m. Admission: $12 adults with family, senior, student, military and teen tix discounts. Bellevue Arts Museum is easily accessible by Metro Transit a short walking distance from Bellevue Square and the Bellevue Transit Center. www.bellevuearts.org. Courtesy of Bellevue Arts Museum
100% Birgitta (Bjerke) Ibiza, 1969 Photo: Karl Ferris
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 11
BAM brings provocative Camp Fires exhibition to the United States Camp Fires: The Queer Baroque of Léopold L. Foulem, Paul Mathieu, and Richard Milette on view November 6, 2015 February 14, 2016
This fall, Bellevue Arts Museum will showcase the work of three influential Francophone Canadian artists: Léopold L. Foulem, Paul Mathieu, and Richard Milette. These artists have been making their distinctive mark in the world of ceramics for more than three decades, exhibiting internationally, writing publications, receiving numerous awards, and teaching. Traveling from the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Camp Fires addresses subversive ideas about Queer identity through clay. After traveling to Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Musée McCord in Montreal, Quebéc, the exhibition will make its first and only stop in the United States at Bellevue Arts Museum. “Camp Fires will resonate with many people who have – like the artists – felt their life experiences and sexuality have been excluded from mainstream contemporary culture,” said Stefano Catalani, BAM’s Director of Art, Craft, & Design. “We strive to make Bellevue Arts Museum an inclusive and safe environment to discuss issues of identity. The themes at play in Camp Fires align perfectly with this goal.” The exhibition explores the concept of “Camp” as manifested in the works of Foulem, Mathieu, and Milette. “Camp” has been identified as a concept, an aesthetic sensibility, and a form of oppositional critique central to Gay and Lesbian culture. The exhibition presents a survey of the artists’ work spanning their careers, including a consideration of their subversive historicism, their conceptual use of clay, and Queer identity and sexuality. Camp Fires deploys the concept of “Camp,” not as a fixed attribute of specific objects, but as an inherently political Queer-signifying practice, strongly associated with performative identity and with subversive appropriation. As suggested in the exhibition’s subtitle, the works on display evoke a Baroque sen-
Paul Mathieu – Crucifixion Bowl, 1984 Porcelain, bronze. 31 x 28 cm. – Raphael Yu Collection Photo: Ferruccio Sardella
sibility. As the exhibition’s curator Robin Metcalfe explains, “All three artists were raised in Catholic culture which is steeped in the Baroque, which itself was appropriated in the construction of Queer identity: aristocratic and aesthetic sensibilities were appropriated in the 19th century by people constructing a new homosexual identity.”
gests people, particularly parents, preview the provocative objects on the website first at bellevuearts.org/exhibitions/camp_fires. html.
Arts Museum (510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue WA) is open Tues-Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m., FREE First Friday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., daily tour at 1 p.m. Admission: $12 adults with family, senior, student, military and teen tix ABOUT discounts. Bellevue Arts Museum is easily BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM accessible by Metro Transit a short walking Bellevue Arts Museum is a leading des- distance from Bellevue Square and the Beltination in the Pacific Northwest to experi- levue Transit Center. www.bellevuearts.org. WARNING ence art, craft, and design. BAM engages Camp Fires features adult content and the community through exhibitions, proCourtesy of Bellevue Arts Museum explicit sexual themes. Due to the sugges- grams, and publications, featuring regional, tive nature of the objects the Museum sug- national, and international artists. Bellevue
Leopold L. Foulem – Pair of Two Male Couples in Pseudo Rococo Setting, 2012 Ceramic and found objects 57.5 x 39 x 19.5 in. – Collection of the artist, courtesy of David Kaye Gallery, Toronto – Photo: Richard Milette
Richard Milette – Guasparre, 2000 Ceramic. 23.5 x 26 x 10.5 cm. Collection of the artist – Photo: Richard Milette
12 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 13
14 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Against the Grain/MEN IN DANCE presents new CHOREOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE 2015
Project 44 / Gierre J. Godley – Photo by Steven Truman Grey
AGAINST THE GRAIN/ MEN IN DANCE CHOREOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE 2015 VELOCITY DANCE CENTER October 16 & 17
Seattle’s Against the Grain/MEN IN DANCE, producers of the popular biennial Festival of Men in Dance, in its 21st year, is moving forward with a new “off-year” event to be presented October 16 & 17 in the intimate Velocity Dance Center (1621 12th Avenue) on Capitol Hill. This new event is in response to many audience requests, and gives Men in Dance a yearly production that allows the non-profit organization to further
palm springs continued from page 4
tub. The hotel has a very unique feature in Palm Springs, a wine cellar basement that is used for special events and as an entertainment venue. Vacation home rentals are becoming a more popular option in Palm Springs. Depending on the price point, vacation home rentals can offer visitors a good value. If you are traveling with a group, you can often save money by renting a home and dividing the cost among your fellow travelers. For a complete list of what is available, check out the city’s official website at http://www.visitpalmsprings.com/.
duet piece, “Dance is not a Code” composed of speech, text, and movement. Seattle’s Jamie Karlovich, Laura Rodriguez, and Dylan Ward also create works for the evening. Karlovich premieres a new trio “set to a rhythmic, modern version of an almost square dance inspired piece of music.” Rodriguez adds a group piece inspired by the Tron movies and video games, which guide her dancers through a grid of restrictions. And Dylan Ward creates a quartet using significantly different physical types “…who explore the uneven power dynamic between gay and straight male friends.” The five choreographers work will be presented at Velocity, after which a panel of three, chosen from the local Seattle arts community, will give live feedback. The audience will also have the opportunity to provide written feedback. It will be an eve-
its mission, by continuing to put male dancers at the center of the spotlight. This year’s roster consists of individuals and companies that have not been previously produced by Men in Dance. The featured choreographers continue to be both male and female. The choreographers come from the Seattle, Walla Walla and New York City dance communities, representing modern, jazz and contemporary style techniques. Gierre Godley of Project 44 in NYC, brings “The twins & misfit,” “…inspired by the culture shock of moving to NYC…. and the idea that we are all alike on this rat race to survive, achieve, and thrive.” Peter de Grasse of Walla Walla, choreographs a
NIGHTLIFE The biggest concentration of Gay nightlife is in downtown Palm Springs on a block of E. Arenas Road between S. Indian Canyon Drive and S. Calle Encilia. The newest Arenas Road hangout, Chill Lounge and Video Bar, opened on New Year’s Eve. It is in the space where the old Rainbow bar and restaurant was but it has been completely redone in a modern open-air motif. The bar’s patio and wrap-around windows give this beautiful bar a very open feel. The other Arenas Road bars include Chill’s neighbor, the video bar, Spurline; the unabashedly dive bar, Score; and the local and karaoke favorite, Streetbar. Hunter’s is the largest Gay nightspot on the block with
ning of performance, process, and artistic growth through open discussion. At least one of the choreographers will be chosen to participate in the next festival, slated for September/October 2016. Tickets will be offered from $15-20 (a new discount applies if purchased in advance) and can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 or at http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/2163079. Tickets will be available at the door as well, with debit and credit cards or cash being accepted. For more information, visit www.menindance.org. Courtesy of Against the Grain/MEN IN DANCE – dancing against the grain since 1996.
Peter de Grasse – Courtesy of the artist
a main bar and a disco space that is open on weekends. Toucan’s Tiki Lounge is at the north end of Palm Springs and draws a good mix of people for drinks and dancing. It is popular with women and straight folks that like partying with the Gays. Since the closure of Delilah’s in 2007, there are no full time Lesbian bars in Palm Springs but Toucan’s and most of the Gay bars in Palm Springs are women-friendly. For more information on parties and special women-oriented events check out the Web site L Spot Palm Springs (http://www.lspotpalmsprings.com/). The biggest Lesbian event is The Dinah held in the Spring (http://thedinah.com/) which is followed by the mega Gay men’s circuit party, White Party ( h t t p : / / w w w. j e f freysanker.com/). The two bear/ leather bars are Tool Shed on E. Sunny Dunes Road and Barracks Bar in Cathedral City. By the way, the other two Gay bars in Cathedral City are the lounge and piano bar, Studio One 11 and the popular locals bar, Digs. The only Gay hotel in Cathedral City also doubles as a nightspot. The Cathedral City Boys Club Resort Hotel, known as CCBC (http://www.ccbcresorthotel.com/) is open 24 hours a day and regularly hosts sexy special events. A barbeque lunch on Wednesdays is in-
cluded with the discounted $18 day pass. (The usual 12-hour day pass is $23 but if you show your key from another Gay resort, it costs just $15 to get in.)
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 15
COOL FOOD IN THE DESERT Pinocchio in the Desert (http://www.pinocchiops.com/) in downtown Palm Springs is famous for its huge portions of delicious American and Mexican comfort food. It is open for breakfast and lunch and offers $3.95 bottomless champagne. Trio (https://triopalmsprings.com/) continues to be one of the city’s most popular restaurants. It is open for lunch and dinner and offers a three course $19 prix fixe meal if you eat before 6 p.m. Trio’s newer sister restaurant is the Purple Room (http://www. purpleroompalmsprings.com/), known for delicious food served up in a traditional 1960s supper club style. Entertainer Michael Holmes is famous for his Sunday Judy Garland shows. In the heart of downtown Palm Springs, Lulu California Bistro (http://www.lulupalmsprings.com/) serves gourmet food with patio seating with some of the best people watching along Palm Canyon Drive. The Tropicale (http://www.thetropicale. com/) draws a big crowd for happy hour drinks and finger food and its full service restaurant. The backyard patio space is the place to be on warm Indian summer nights. Wangs in the Desert (http://wangsinthedesert.com/) continues to be the place for Asian food in Palm Springs. Its famed Friday night Boys Night Out happy hour packs ‘em in. Oscar’s Cafe and Bar (http:// oscarspalmsprings.com/) hosts a very popular late-afternoon tea dance on Sundays. For more information, check out the city’s official web site http://www.visitpalmsprings.com/.
Casitas Laquita owners Joanna Funaro and Denise Roberson – Photo by Ed Walsh
Visit us online www.sgn.org
art aids america
tions of Japanese woodblock prints on the West Coast. TAM recently welcomed a gift of 295 works of western American art in the Haub Family Collection, one of the premier collections in the nation and the first major About Tacoma Art Museum western American art museum collection in Celebrating 80 years, Tacoma Art Mu- the Northwest. seum has become an anchor in the city’s downtown and a gathering space for conHours: Tuesdays–Sundays 10 am–5 pm. necting people through art. TAM’s collecAdmission: Adult $14; Student (6-17), tion contains more than 4,500 works, with Military, Senior (65+) $12; Family $35 (2 an emphasis on the art and artists of the adults and up to 4 children under 18). ChilNorthwest and broader American West. dren 5 and under free. Third Thursdays free The collection includes the world’s largest from 5–8 pm. Members always free. retrospective museum collection of glass art Location: 1701 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly on contin- WA 98402 ued view, the world’s largest collection of Information: 253-272-4258, http:// jewelry by Northwest artists, key holdings www.TacomaArtMuseum.org in 19th century European and 20th century American art, and one of the finest collecCourtesy of Tacoma Art Museum
continued from cover
Thomas Haukaas (born 1950), Tribal Affiliation: Sicangu Lakota, More Time Expected, 2002. Handmade ink and pencil on antique ledger paper, 16 ½ × 27 ½ inches. Tacoma Art Museum, Gift of Greg Kucera and Larry Yocom in honor of Rock Hushka, 2008.10.
16 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Joey Terrill (born 1955), Still Life with Forget-Me-Nots and One Week’s Dose of Truvada, 2012. Mixed media on canvas, 36 × 48 inches. Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, Foundation purchase.
Deborah Kass (born 1952), Still Here, 2007. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 45 × 63 inches. Private collection, © 2015 Deborah Kass, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 17
18 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE TO PREMIERE NEW DANCES BY WHIM W’HIM’S OLIVIER WEVERS THIS NOVEMBER Captivating program features works by Martin, Weinberg, Schreker, Engel and Kattenburg, and songs from the Vilna ghetto. MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE “LA REVUE DE CUISINE” ILLSLEY BALL NORDSTROM RECITAL HALL BENAROYA HALL November 8 @ 3 p.m.
Music of Remembrance (MOR) launches its 18th season with “La Revue de Cuisine” at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 8 at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall (3rd Avenue & Union St.). The concert features MOR’s first collaboration with the talented and innovative choreographer Olivier Wevers and his provocative Whim W’Him Contemporary Dance Company. Wevers’ dance score accompanies Bohuslav Martinů’s jazzy 1927 ballet “La Revue de Cuisine.” With dazzling wit, the dances depict the amorous entanglements of four kitchen utensils brought to life. The
music captures the exuberance that made 1920s Paris so alluring to artists and intellectuals from everywhere. The program also includes Franz Schreker’s early chamber work “The Wind,” inspired by a poem by ballerina Grete Wiesenthal for her own now-lost dance score. Like Martinů, Franz Schreker also suffered under the Reich. Schreker was forced to resign as director of the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, in part for resisting demands to carry out discriminatory policies against Jewish faculty members. The program also features a selection of songs from the Vilna ghetto performed by soprano Roslyn Barak, one of the foremost interpreters of Jewish song. Against impossible odds, Vilna’s Jews held out in a proud struggle to defend a unique heritage, and within the ghetto’s walls poetry and music took on special importance. These songs
Whim W’Him company in “The Road to Here” – Bamberg Fine Art
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Olivier Wevers – photo courtesy of Whim W’Him
embody the courageous resilience of those who bared their souls through music. We’ll also introduce our audience to the powerful and poetic music of Mieczyslaw Weinberg. With the German invasion of his native Poland, the young Weinberg fled eastward with the hope of finding safety in the Soviet Union only to face mistreatment there as well. Weinberg’s lively “Capriccio” and meditative “Aria” exemplify why his works have recently enjoyed a well-deserved revival. Tickets are $45 ($30 for under 30 years of age) at www.musicofremembrance.org or 206-365-7770.
programs at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall featuring leading musicians and world-acclaimed guest artists • “Sparks of Glory,” a series of free concerts-with-commentary at the Seattle Art Museum and other community settings • Educational outreach, live performances and multi-media presentations to schools and colleges • Six CD recordings produced for Naxos, the world’s leading classical music label • The Boys of Terezin, MOR’s 2011 documentary film, continues to be screened by film festivals around the globe MOR also commissions and premieres new Holocaust-inspired works by today’s leading composers, building bridges across generations and sharing stories that underline the Holocaust’s urgent moral relevance for us now. www.musicofremembrance.org Courtesy of Music of Remembrance
About Music of Remembrance Founded in 1998, Music of Remembrance (MOR) fills a unique cultural role in Seattle and throughout the world by remembering the Holocaust through music with concert performances, educational programs, recordings and commissions of new works. Their programs include: • Mainstage concerts and innovative
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 19
20 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Theatre22 presents Water by the Spoonful opening October 23
Photo courtesy of Theatre22
WATER BY THE SPOONFUL THEATRE22 (AT WEST OF LENIN) October 23-November 14 In the Seattle premiere of this 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Elliot has returned home from Iraq and is struggling to find his place in the world. Somewhere in a chat room, with liberal doses of humor and confrontation, recovering addicts help each other navigate the broken terrain of their lives. The boundaries of family and community are stretched across continents and cyberspace as birth families splinter and online families collide. Written by Tony Award nominee Quiara Alegria Hudes (In the Heights) and receiving its much-anticipated Seattle debut, Water by the Spoonful is a heartfelt meditation on lives on the brink of redemption. The production will run Thurs, Fri, and Saturday 10/23-11/14 @ 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees 11/1 & 11/8 @ 2 p.m. at West of Lenin (203 N. 36th St.) Tickets: $25 general admission; $18 senior/military/student. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/907138 In conjunction with Theatre22’s production of Water by the Spoonful, eSe Teatro, Theatre22 and ACT Theatre will collaborate to explore the trilogy of plays written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, and to bring this material to audiences in both English and Spanish language as readings. ACTLab, eSe Teatro and Theatre22 copresent: THREE READINGS, TWO VENUES, ONE AUTHOR: Exploring the trilogy of plays by Quiara Alegria Hudes Saturday, October 3 @ 8:00 p.m. – ACT Theatre (700 Union St.), reading in Spanish Agua Por Cucharadas – Tickets: $15/$10 at www.acttheatre.org Monday, Novmber 3 @ 8:00 p.m. – West of Lenin (203 N. 36th St.), reading in English Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue – Tickets: $15/$10 at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/1810123 Wednesday, November 11 @ 8:00 p.m. – ACT Theatre (700 Union St.), reading in Spanish Elliot, Fuga de un Soldado – Tickets: $15/$10 at www.acttheatre.org
Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue is the first play in Hudes’ beautifully textured trilogy. Tracing the legacy of war through three generations of a Puerto Rican family living in Philadelphia, the play explores the stories of nineteen-year-old Elliot, returning from Iraq with a leg injury and some difficult questions about his life, his father who served in Vietnam before him, and his grandfather who served in Korea. The English language reading of this play will take place on November 2 at West of Lenin (203 N. 36th St.) and will include a special Day of the Dead (Dia de lost Muertos) remembrance. The Spanish language reading of this play Elliot, Fuga de Un Solado (translated by Rose Cano) will take place on Veteran’s Day, November 11, at ACT Theatre (700 Union St.) and will honor those who have served our country, especially people of color. There will be post-play discussions after both performances focusing on minority experiences in the American military led by Iraqi war veteran Carol Lynn Castillo. Water by the Spoonful is the second play in the trilogy. To reach an even greater audience with this material, eSe and T22 present a Spanish language reading of the play Agua Por Cucharado (translated by Laura Isabel Martinez) on October 3 at ACT Theatre (700 Union St.). The cast for the readings includes Rose Cano, founder and artistic director of eSe Teatro. Also featured are Jany Bacallao, Yesenia Iglesias, Fernando Cavallo, Michael Blum, Carole Lynn Castillo, Kerry Skalsky, and Gregory Award winner and 12-year OSF performer, G. Valmont Thomas. The director for all three readings is Julie Beckman, who is also directing the production of Water by the Spoonful fully produced by Theatre22. ROSE CANO INTERVIEWS JULIE BECKMAN Rose Cano: Why did you choose to direct this play, Water by the Spoonful, by Quiara Alegria Hudes at this time? Julie Beckman: I read Water by the Spoonful about eighteen months ago and was so moved by it that I immediately knew that I wanted to direct it. Fortunately, when I brought the script to Corey McDaniel of Theatre22, he welcomed the suggestion, and that led us into an exciting conversation with eSe Teatro about working together to
Visit us online www.sgn.org
bring as much of the trilogy to Seattle audiences as possible. The play feels very relevant to me because it portrays a group of beautiful, broken people who are struggling to make their way in the world. It touches on issues of addiction, the burdens carried by vets, the challenges of our ties with our families of origin, and the power of community. The play raises questions that feel real and visceral, but rather than just profiling human failings, it shows us a light – makes us realize that like these characters, we can have hope – we can move forward. Rose Cano: This play is part of a trilogy of work by Quiara Alegria Hudes. What significance does this body of work have within the greater “American” theatre? Julie Beckman: With the Elliot Trilogy, I think Quiara Alegria Hudes has contributed a number of unique things to American theatre. Firstly, the plays explore characters that traditionally have been ignored and brings fresh insight into the American experience. The creation of a trilogy of plays following one family’s stories is also unusual. The character of Elliot provides the through line, and though each of the plays explores individual issues and stands on its own, the three plays inform each other and provide overlapping insights. Another thing that makes the plays in the Elliot Trilogy unique is the way the playwright explores musical forms in the presentation of the stories. In the first play Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue, she presents the similar, overlapping stories of three generations of soldiers in the form of a fugue that has themes and melodies that layer and build on each other. In Water by the Spoonful, the second play in the trilogy, she explores the vibrant quality of jazz music, and the way this music can find beauty by pushing the edges, by embracing dissonance. And the last play in the trilogy, The Happiest Song Plays Last uses Puerto Rican quatro music to support the parallel journeys of Elliot and Yaz, each moving forward in their lives while carrying the traditions and melodies of the past. Rose Cano: Have you ever directed a play by a Latina/o author before? What do you see as the challenges? Julie Beckman: I have directed readings and short plays by Latina authors but this is my first full production. I am very interested in new voices in American theatre, especially women playwrights. One of the things that is so compelling about this play is that it explores a range of “American”
September 18, 2015
characters – three Puerto Ricans living in Philadelphia, an African American living in San Diego, a Japanese woman who grew up in Maine returning to Japan for the first time in her adult life, an Arab American university professor. The playwright has woven the stories of all of these characters together into a beautiful and seamless cloth. My job as a director is to get inside each of these characters and to help the actors tell this story in the best way we possibly can. It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with such rich and powerful material. Rose Cano: You are also directing the Spanish language reading of Water by the Spoonful translated by Laura Isabel Martinez of Puerto Rico for eSe Teatro at ACT Theatre. [October 3 – http://www.acttheatre.org/Tickets/OnStage/ExploringtheWorkofQuiaraAlegriaHudes] Why do you feel this is important? How do you see this enriching or affecting your experience as a director? Julie Beckman: I think Quiara’s plays have a powerful resonance and I would like to help them reach as many people as we can. By doing the Spanish language readings, we have the opportunity to welcome a group of people who may not have found their way to this story otherwise. For me, having immersed myself in the stories for many months, the experience of hearing them in Spanish provides a new level of insight. The plays are so musical, and I find that the Spanish language versions allow me to hear this musicality in an exciting new way. Rose Cano: Have you ever directed actors in a language other than English before? Julie Beckman: No! It is challenging and exciting. It is extremely helpful for me to have had a full year of working on the plays in English before venturing into them in Spanish. Rose Cano: Do you think there is a cross over audience between eSe Teatro/ ACT and Theatre22? Do you think eSe audiences will see the English language production at West of Lenin? Do you think Theatre22 audiences will come here the Spanish language reading at ACT? Julie Beckman: I can certainly imagine that audiences from eSe, ACT and Theatre22 will all share an interest in these powerful and beautifully written stories, and hopefully the connection to all three theatres will expand the number of people who hear about it. In the words of Theatre22’s artistic director [Corey D. McDaniel], “There seems to be a hunger for diversity in theatre, and Seattle audiences want very much to support the organizations and plays that will provide this.” I certainly welcome the cross fertilization provided by the combination of English language and Spanish language readings and production, and there is no doubt in my mind that those who experience these plays in more than one way will be glad they did! Rose Cano is a founder member and the artistic director of eSe Teatro. Courtesy of Theatre22
Seattle Gay News 21
22 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
genius
continued from page 8 10 Thursday @ 2 pm – Lor i Goldston – Pollen – Rehearsal 11 Friday @ 2 pm – Lori Goldston – Pollen – Rehearsal 12 Saturday @ 1 pm – Gallery Talk – Erika Dalya Massaquoi, exhibition curator 12 Saturday @ 2 pm – Lori Goldston – Pollen – Performance 12 Saturday @ TBA – Film Festival – Lynn Shelton and David Russo – Film Screening (Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill) 13 Sunday @ TBA – Film Festival – Linas Phillips – Film Screening 15 Tuesday @ 11 am – Wynne Greenwood with K8 Hardy – New Report, Artist Unknown – Video Exhibition Opening (runs through January 10) 17 Thursday @ 6 pm – Artist Talk – C. Davida Ingram January 2016 07 Thursday @ 6 pm – Artist Talk – Ishmael Butler and Nep Sidhu 08 Friday @ TBA – Shabazz Palaces – Performance COMMISSIONS AND PREMIERES Commissioned Works (in chronological order) • Thereafter by Lead Pencil Studio. An earthwork in an empty gravel lot behind the Frye recalling Seattle’s regrades: equal parts homage, abstraction, and reenactment. September 26-January 10. • Studio X by Victoria Haven. A twochannel digital video projection of dual viewpoints from the artist’s studio in South Lake Union. September 26-January 10. • Avatar: Fanon & Decca by C. Davida Ingram. A two-channel video projection of ersatz interviews with the artist’s avatars, Fanon Brown and Decca Jones. September 26-January 10. • We Were by zoe | juniper. An immersive environment with video projections and sound. September 26-January 10; durational performances September 26, November 5 & 12, December 3. • Malcolm’s Smile by Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces and Nep Sidhu of The Black Constellation. A large-scale installation and soundscape commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Malcolm X. September 26-January 10. • Tsunami Capable Tide Stations >
West Coast by DK Pan. A video document of 39 tide station locations on the West Coast of the United States. September 26-January 10. • You Always Leave Me Wanting More by SuttonBeresCuller. A large-scale sculptural installation. September 26-January 10. • Götterdämmerung by Jeffry Mitchell. A suite of twelve woodblock and stencil prints with watercolor and ink on gampi. September 26-January 10. • Everything is Temporary by Vital 5. Documentation of thin, opportunistic moLead Pencil Studio. Under the Surface, 2008. Charcoal on heavy paper. 72 x 84 in. Courtesy of the artist. ments when build• City Light, a new work written and November 2015 ings can be activated for culture. Septem- performed by John Osebold. November 8. 07 Saturday @ 2-3:30 pm – The Ember 26-January 10. • In the Form of a Humming Bird by barrassment of Genius with Heather • Occasional poems in Arabic and Eng- Susan Robb. A sound work and rumina- McHugh and Maged Zaher. lish by Maged Zaher. Commentary on tions on Wild Times. November 19. paintings in the Frye Founding Collection. • Viscous Circle by Eyvind Kang and Curated by Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker, diSeptember 26-January 10. Jessika Kenney. A set of compositions for rector of the Frye Art Museum, and Erika • [Title TBA] by Pacific Northwest Bal- an ensemble of 10–15 players who are si- Dalya Massaquoi, an independent curator, let. A new work choreographed by Ezra multaneously instrumentalists and vocal- Genius builds and expands upon the prinThomson and performed by dancers of ists. December 3. ciples of past Frye cross-platform projects PNB. October 15. • Covenant by Lori Goldston. A suite such as Mw [Moment Magnitude], 2012, • MIX/WORRY by composer/lyricist of three compositions offered as two open and Your Feast Has Ended, 2014, and Chris Jeffries and performer Sarah Rudi- rehearsals and a culminating performance. imagines and makes real a museum that not noff. An evening of repartee and song. Oc- December 11, 12, and 13. only exhibits art, but also supports its protober 16 & 17. • A new composition by Ishmael Butler, duction. • Prole by Rodrigo Valenzuela. A vid- performed by Shabazz Palaces. January 8. An interactive microsite and scholarly eo work on the decay and decline of lacatalogue will accompany the exhibition bor unions in contemporary life. October Premieres (in chronological order) and together provide, for the first time, a 20-November 15. • Now I’m Fine by Robinson Devor, comprehensive overview of individual and • The Mysterious Others by Marya Zia Mohajerjasbi, Charles Mudede, and collaborative artistic practice across all disSea Kaminski. A multi-media solo perfor- Michael Seiwerath. A work-in-progress ciplines in 21 Century Seattle. mance conjuring and then casting out the feature film on the life of Ahamefule Oluo. Admission to the Frye Art Museum is demons of her brother’s mental illness. Oc- September 26-January 10. always free and there is no charge for any tober 25. • Frank in the 3rd Dimension by Jim Genius special events and programs. • Eclipse Tower I by stop-motion ani- Woodring. A 3D video exhibition of illusDue to limitations of space, however, mator Web Crowell and writer Stacey trations. September 26-October 18. some events will require advance tickets, Levine. A rumination on human beings vis• Decade by Industrial Revelation. which will be available on a first-come, a-vis built environments. November 17-De- Open rehearsal, live performance, and re- first-served basis at fryemuseum.org/gecember 13. lease of the album. October 9. nius. Check the website for announcements • Cherdonna Shinatra, Patron Saint on ticketing. of Velocity by Velocity Dance Center with Unless otherwise indicated, all special Cherdonna Shinatra. A work-in-progress events and programs take place at the Frye performance. November 13. Art Museum. All programming and dates • Angels Are Made of Light by James subject to change. Please visit fryemuseum. Longley. A work-in-progress documentary org/genius for current information on Gefilm made in Kabul, Afghanistan. Decem- nius. ber date TBA. Frye Art Museum is located at 704 Terry Avenue. Hours: 11-5 Tues-Sun; 11-7 Thurs; closed Mondays. Admission and LITERARY ARTISTS parking FREE. 206-622-9250; http://fryAND LITERARY FESTIVAL Literary artists are represented in Ge- emuseum.org/ nius through Flash Fiction, Interventions in Response to the Frye Founding Collection, Genius / 21 Century / Seattle is a RayniManifestos, and in a three-day Literary er Institute & Foundation exhibition orgaFestival. nized by the Frye Art Museum and curated by Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker and Erika Dalya Massaquoi. The exhibition is funded Flash Fiction – Sherman Alexie by the Frye Foundation and the Raynier InInterventions in Response to the Frye stitute & Foundation through the Frye Art Museum | Artist Trust Consortium. GenerFounding Collection – Maged Zaher ous support was provided by The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, Seattle Office Manifestos • “Fear and the Creative Process: A of Arts & Culture, 4Culture/King County Manifesto for Creative Survival” by di- Lodging Tax, Douglas Smith and Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Riddell Williams P.S., rector Valerie Curtis-Newton. • “An Agnostic Manifesto” by writer Nitze-Stagen, and Frye Art Museum members and donors. Seasonal support provided Lesley Hazleton. • “Sonnet Manifesto, in the Vein of by ArtsFund. Print media sponsorship proFellow Stranger (but also Actual) Ge- vided by The Stranger. Broadcast media nius, Sherman Alexie” by playwright Paul sponsorship provided by KUOW 94.9 FM. Mullin. Courtesy of the Frye Art Museum Literary Festival October 2015 10 Saturday @ 2-3:30 pm – Break the Genre with Matt Briggs, Gary Groth, and John Olson. 24 Saturday @ 2-3:30 pm – Why Seattle? with Rebecca Brown and Ellen Forney.
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 23
Cincinatti is cooler and LGBT-friendlier than you might think
Cincinnati – www.alsglobal.com
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer Something is happening in Cincinnati. It’s called change. A dramatic change, actually. On the exterior, several districts – Over The Rhine, The Banks, Northside – have undergone, or are undergoing, major redevelopment, resulting in new condo buildings, public parks, retail shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Particularly in Over The Rhine, or OTR, a considerable amount of aging homes and commercial spaces are being renovated, altering not only the landscape, but also the energy from dormant to vibrant. The transition is happening inside as well with the LGBT community digging its heels into the city’s political and social scenes; Cincinnati elected its first openlyGay councilmember, Chris Seelbach, a few years ago and numerous Gay-owned and/or Gay-friendly businesses, from independent shops to upscale eateries, have created a more comfortable, safe, and community atmosphere. While visiting this Midwest city, I sensed it was going through a rebirth, one that appears necessary, or crucial, to even compare itself with other urban destinations in the same region, like Chicago. Cincinnati might not be at the top of your travel destinations, however; but if you’re looking for a new place to discover with great food, diverse neighborhoods, live entertainment, major sporting events, and a strongly united and inviting LGBT community, consider it for a long weekend or a pit stop to the East Coast. For trip planning, go to CincyUSA.com.
Red Bike; bike rental is an affordable and fun method to explore the destination. For bike rentals, go to cincyredbike.org, or look for a Red Bike station scattered throughout. ACCOMMODATIONS An alternative to staying in brand name accommodations is the 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati (21cmuseumhotels.com/ cincinnati) in downtown. Its location puts you directly in the thick of things, within walkable distance to restaurants, shopping centers, sports stadiums, and just a few blocks from the trendy Over The Rhine neighborhood, which is like a combination of Seattle’s Capitol Hill and Fremont districts, though not as developed. The 21c hotel brand was launched in Louisville nine years ago and has expanded to various cities rapidly, turning run-down buildings into hip, sophisticated places to stay; the Cincinnati property was its second opening. With 156 rooms and modern amenities – 42” HDTVs with full cable listing, work desks, luxurious and firm beds with crisp linens, Nespresso brewing systems, Malin + Goetz bath essentials – 21c is perfect for travelers wanting contemporary accommodations in a less crowded environment. Visual art is a focal point of this hotel, itself a museum with 8,000 square feet of exhibition space. Permanent and rotating exhibits are displayed – from the lobby “Floor Module Table,” doubling as the check-in counter, to the stairway up to the spa on the top level, where San Francisco artist Ryan Wolfe’s “Field of Grass” is posted on
GETTING THERE Delta Air Lines (delta.com) offers the only non-stop flights between Seattle and Cincinnati, at just under 5 hours on either the outbound or return leg. Otherwise, you’ll have to connect through LA, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Detroit, or another Delta hub. The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is in Hebron, Kentucky, allowing you to step foot in that state for the first time, if you’ve never been. If not arranging a shuttle or rental car from the airport to Cincinnati, I recommend Uber, Lyft, or a newer personal car service called Drivr (godrivr.com) that will transport you wherever you need to go in a Tesla, because why taxi when you can Tesla? Should your itinerary keep you downtown, or near the city core, you can easily get around on foot, or bus, though light rail is unfortunately not available. You might also want to consider
24 Seattle Gay News
a high wall. The second floor galleries with current exhibits like “Transforming Transformation: Cuba, In and Out” are open 24 hours. Close to the elevators, en route to the first floor restrooms, you’ll notice the groovy “Healing Tiles” display that is also part of the hotel’s collection. On-site amenities include The Spa at 21c, a full service spa with three treatment rooms that offer a variety of massages, body scrubs, body wraps, facials, and more. Metropole Restaurant & Bar, on the main floor, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a beautiful, bistro-style setting with original floor tiles and crown molding. And, the Cocktail Terrace on the rooftop level is an excellent spot to have cocktails with spectacular views of the city, or can be reserved for private events, such as bachelor/bachelorette parties and wedding receptions. WINING AND DINING So many good restaurants, so little time. My visit to Cincy lasted four days, yet it still wasn’t enough to tackle the city’s up and coming food scene. At the top is Sotto (sottocincinnati.com), a rustic Italian ristorante in downtown. Every dish we ordered was superb, from the Chicken Liver Mousse w/Pistachio Bruschetta to the Bavette con Botarga (pasta tossed with tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and Habanero oil) to the short rib cappellacci (small pasta dumplings with shallots, Amish butter, thyme, and short rib). All seats at Sotto were occupied on the weeknight we dined, proving that it’s one of the most sought-after dining attractions
in town; if you won’t take my word for it, then ask tennis star Serena Williams and hip hop beau Drake, who had dinner there a week after we did. Another standout is The Littlefield (littlefieldns.com), a bourboninspired bar and restaurant with a casual atmosphere, indoor and outdoor seating, and a menu of “Bites” vs. large, full meals. The Pigs in a Blanket – house made pork sausage wrapped in pastry with mustard and fennel apple sauce – are a must, a matured version of the childhood treat, yet still fun to eat. The Meatloaf Sandwich with tasso ham and gravy between two slices of artisan 16 Bricks bread is also recommended, as is The Littlefield’s signature Bourbon Pecan Pie. The Contemporary Arts Center’s Collective Cafe (contemporaryartscenter.org), on the lobby floor of the Contemporary Arts Center, next door to 21c Museum Hotel, deserves a suggestion. Familiar favorites with a twist, such as Kentucky Croque, Greens and Eggs (with sauteed kale), Biscuits and Vegetarian Gravy, or the Breakfast Ciabatta, along with regionally roasted coffee in an ample, neatly designed space with communal tables and complimentary WiFi will start your day off right. Somewhere else to begin the day is Coffee Emporium (coffee-emporium.com) with four locations, although the cafe at Walnut Street and East 12th is the most popular and offers abundant table, counter, and couch seating in a relaxed ambiance where everyone from students to Kroger and Macy’s executives (each of their headquarter offices just blocks away) gather for coffee, pastries, and organic deli food. You don’t travel across the country to eat fast food, but when in Cincinnati a stop at one of the many Skyline Chili (skylinechili.com) diners for a three-way is in order. Cincy’s version of chili is soupy and thin, like a sauce, that can be eaten in a bowl, though most of the chain’s loyal patrons prefer it over a hot dog or spaghetti with shredded cheese and onion – that’s a three-way. The more toppings, the more ways (i.e. three–way, four–way, five–way). Skyline is a must-do, if at least once. For drinks, Sundry & Vice (sundryandvice.com) is an apothecary-inspired lounge with everything cool – cocktails, bar space, peeps. It was a good mix of Gay men, straight guys by themselves or with girlfriends, and young women just out of college on the night I visited, yet they all appeared to be Cincinnatians and OTR folks; my cosmopolitan, by the way, was on the mark. Nada (eatdrinknada.com), smack in downtown, is a two-level restaurant serving
Cincinnati Music Hall – en.wikipedia.org
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
simple Latin cuisine with bar counters on both floors; usually packed, it pulls in visitors and locals alike. EXPLORING A lot of money isn’t needed to discover Cincinnati; in fact, some of the exploring requires just two feet and a pair of eyes. A stroll through Over The Rhine will introduce you to a bevy of independent shops, selling items from vintage posters to vinyl records to hand-crafted donuts; Holtman’s Donuts (holtmansdonutshop.com) has been making fresh donuts since 1960 and draws worshippers of the disc-shaped snack all day to its three storefronts, including its Vine Street location. Park + Vine (parkandvine.com) is an eco-friendly general store with natural, organic, and raw items worth checking out, if not to buy anything than to have a bite to eat inside its cafe. Findlay Market (findlaymarket.org) has been around since 1852, and though much smaller than Pike Place Market, this artisan shopping arcade has been the launch pad for many restauranteurs and shopowners. Vendors selling fresh meat, seafood, salads, Asian hot dishes, desserts, and prepared carry-out meals is what you’ll come across inside. And outside in the surrounding blocks are more shops to purchase chocolate, pho, hand-picked fruits and vegetables, and sandwiches. Two public parks should go on your itinerary, the first is Washington Park (washingtonpark.org) that stages outdoor movie nights, free fitness workouts, “Yappy Hour,” and other events during the year and is right across the street from the Cincinnati Music Hall (cincinnatisymphony.org), home of the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Ballet, and Cincinnati Opera. The second is Smale Riverfront Park (mysmaleriverfrontpark.org), right on the riverfront and running the length of Paul Brown
Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Great American Ballpark, where the Cincinnati Reds play. The park has playground attractions for both children and adults, including a giant foot piano, as well as trimmed lawns to picnic on and from which to watch the riverboats passing through the Ohio River. LGBT COMMUNITY AND SCENE Chris Seelbach made history in 2011, becoming the first openly-Gay, city-wide elected member of the Cincinnati City Council. Prior to this, he pushed for and helped win a campaign to repeal Article XII, the anti-Gay law that cost the city more than $25 million in lost revenue. Despite two big colleges in the area – University of Cincinnati and Xavier University – Cincy has for many years leaned conservative, but Seelbach’s seat on the council is part of the transition to trend more progressively. The Greater Cincinnati HRC chapter (hrc.org/steering-committees/cincinnati), incorporating the regions of Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky, is a strong resource for the local LGBT community and has been leading the effort in providing information and guidance for the recent Kentucky Gay marriage dispute. Cincinnati Pride (cincinnatipride.org) is a weeklong event in late June culminating with a parade and festival along the riverfront halting at Sawyer Point/Yeatman’s Cove. Next year’s date has already been set for June 25, 2016. Among the Gay bars, or “Gay-friendly” as they bill themselves, is Below Zero Lounge (belowzerolounge.com) in the OTR. It’s your best opportunity to socialize with a vast clientele of Gay men, though directly above is The Cabaret (cabaretcincinnati.com), owned by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Penny Tration and home to some of the most talented drag entertainment in the Midwest. Tillie’s Lounge
Visit us online www.sgn.org
21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati – Photo by Albert Rodriguez
(facebook.com/TilliesLounge) is named after a famous circus elephant, and it’s the only place on earth I know of that pairs premiere cocktails with macaroons. Glitzy decor with piano and chandeliers, swervy bar counter, miniature lamps, and imported throne chairs give the joint a swanky feel, while an interactive, friendly staff and a series of themed nights (trivia, karaoke, etc.) has made it a gathering spot for those primarily living in the now-hipster Northside district. Across the river in Northern Kentucky, the longstanding Rosie’s Tavern (facebook.com/RosiesTavern) is your vintage dive bar that brings together a non-
pretentious, very local crowd in the town of Covington, a 10-minute drive from downtown Cincinnati.
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 25
26 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Celebrate your love at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Washington Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, ready to pop the big question, or creating unforgettable memories by exchanging your vows, Fort Worden, located on the scenic Olympic Peninsula in the beautiful Victorian seaport of Port Townsend, is a venue where your dreams will come true. If an exceptional wedding is in your future, imagine your idyllic day in Fort Worden’s breathtaking setting, surrounded by spectacular landscapes with endless possibilities and inspiration. Are you envisioning a charming outdoor ceremony or an upscale evening affair, intimate or expansive? Select from the simple and elegant chapel, the 275-seat Wheeler Theater, a stunning outdoor vista on a bluff, or the beach overlooking the Salish Sea and the Olympic and Cascade Mountains. Fort Worden’s wedding planner will assist you with all the details to make your special day easy and perfect for the two of you. The stellar culinary team offers delicious, elegant menus featuring Northwest artisan-inspired, seasonal products, tailored to your theme and your budget. A “preferred vendors list” will connect you to local professionals, including photographers, florists, musicians, sound and lighting technicians, and other specialists. Spend your wedding night, honeymoon or anniversary in Alexander’s Castle, built in 1883 by Rev. John Alexander to reflect the style of castles from his homeland of Scotland. It features impressive views from the first and second floors. Or stay in the Bliss Vista, a lovely one-
bedroom cottage on the bluff overlooking Port Townsend Bay and Admiralty Inlet. It boasts dazzling vistas of sunrises and offers a sweeping panorama from Mt. Rainier to Mt. Baker. An array of charming historic houses, cottages, and two campgrounds are also available for your special stay, as well as for your friends and family joining you to celebrate your love for one another. If a romantic getaway is on your horizon, there’s so much to see and do at Fort Worden! Take a stroll handin-hand along the sand beach. Hike up to the bluffs and explore the historic batteries. Marvel as you gaze across Puget Sound to the mountains and islands with cruise ships, freighters and ferries plying the seas. Bring your mountain bikes and bomb down exciting single-track trails. Go mushroom hunting in the fall. Rent a kayak in the summer, exploring the local waters up close and then learn about the near-shore marine habitat at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Discover the history of Fort Worden at
Visit us online www.sgn.org
Port Townsend – Photo by Christina Pivarnik
the Coast Artillery Museum and the Commanding Officer’s Quarters. Check out the exciting and diverse workshops in the arts occurring throughout the year at Centrum. Take a yoga class at Madrona MindBody Institute and top off your busy day with a massage. Drive five minutes to the historic district in Port Townsend where you’ll find fantastic eateries to indulge your foodie cravings. Find a keepsake of art for your home in
one of the galleries and shop for distinctive items in unique, boutique stores. Whatever you choose to do when you come to Fort Worden in picturesque Port Townsend, you’ll discover this has always been a place for love, a place where you’ll feel welcome and right at home. For more information, go to www.FortWorden.org, call 360-344-4400 or go to www.EnjoyPT.com.
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 27
THE GLORIOUS OLYMPIC PENINSULA Relax, reflect, play on the Highway 101 Loop Drive Only a ferryboat ride away!
The Olympic National Forest (http:// www.fs.usda.gov/olympic/) covers over 633,000 acres with more than 200 miles of trails, many of which will take you through ancient, old-growth forests. Dogs are welcome on all Olympic National Forest lands! You’ll need a Northwest Forest Pass to park at most locations. The cost is $30 for an annual pass, which can be ordered online at www.discovernw.org.
Olympic National Park – Photo courtesy of Visit the Olympics
On the Olympic Peninsula you’ll find extraordinary scenic beauty and outdoor activities of all kinds to pursue. Enjoy delicious Olympic Coast cuisine and explore the Waterfall Trail. Pursue the Whale Trail to test your luck in seeing these magnificent creatures, or drive the Highway 101 Loop circling through small communities with special events and festivals plus local activities to enjoy. Stay at one of the National Park lodges, find a cozy B&B, or settle into other accommodations to just relax and unwind and/or to establish a base from which to explore. Soak in a natural hot spring, hike a trail, visit the rainforests, enjoy a meal and find the excitement or relaxation you need for a change of pace from your city life.
UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. UNESCO stands for United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization. Other examples of UNESCO sites are the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; the Great Wall of China; the Pyramid Fields, Egypt; and the Taj Mahal!
FIND YOUR TOWNS AROUND THE PENINSULA TO EXPLORE Port Ludlow is the first stop on the “Magical Misty Tour” of the Olympic Peninsula Waterfall Trail (http://www. olympicpeninsulawaterfalltrail.com/). Port Ludlow Resort, on the Culinary Loop, has a lovely marina, and resort accommodations. Ludlow Falls are a short walk from the parking lot. Explore more waterfalls around the Olympic Peninsula for yearround adventures and dramatic beauty. A sweet little summer trickle can be a thundering torrent during spring run off. Port Townsend has been named one of the “Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in Amer-
http://newdungenesslighthouse.com/keeper-program/ From Port Angeles, the largest town on the Peninsula and home to the upcoming famous Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival, October 9-11 (http://www.crabfestival. org/) and to Esprit, one of the nation’s largest Transgender conferences – next year’s conference will be held May 8-May 16, 2016 (https://www.espritconf.com/) – the Hurricane Ridge road winds 18 miles from the Park Visitor Center to stunning views of the mountains, San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island, Canada. This is the closest you can drive into the interior of the mountains. (http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-hurricane-ridge.htm) Thirty minutes from Port Angeles, the Loop passes along the shores of Lake Crescent with its crystal clear, blue water. Stop here for photos! Marymere Falls is a short walk from Lake Crescent Lodge. You’ll find roads to Olympic Hot Springs (undeveloped!) and Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort (open seasonally and a good base for finding Sol Duc Falls) both short drives from Port Angeles. If the salmon are spawning, stop at Salmon Cascades on the
DRIVING THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA HIGHWAY 101 LOOP Counter clock-wise from Seattle via the Bainbridge Island Ferry (http://www.wsdot. wa.gov/ferries/), the Highway 101 Loop is an approximately eight-hour scenic drive all the way around without stopping, but you’ll want to stop and even stay along the way to explore the natural beauty and enjoy the charming communities and their amenities that make up this beautiful corner of Washington state just across the water from Seattle. OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK From the Highway 101 Loop around the Olympic Peninsula a million acres await you! Explore this three-parks-in-one playground – 600 miles of trails; 73 miles of pristine, wild Pacific Ocean beaches; mossdraped rain forest valleys; and peaceful, alpine meadows at the doorstep of glaciercapped mountains. Renowned for this ecosystem diversity, Olympic National Park (http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm) is a
View from Lotzgesell – Photo courtesy of Visit the Olympics
Pretty impressive company! Several times a year, National Park entrance fees are waived. September 26 in September and Veterans Day weekend in November are the next opportunities. (http://www.nps.gov/olym/)
Taken from Scenic Byway Hwy 112 – Photo courtesy of Visit the Olympics
28 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
ica” by Budget Travel, FOX News, NBC News and Yahoo Travel! One of only three Victorian seaports on the National Register of Historic Places, Port Townsend will have you coming back again and again. Festivals and arts, shopping and food recognized on the Culinary Loop will delight almost any traveler looking to skip the big city for a more laid-back vibe. Further along Highway 101 is the town of Sequim. Want to be sure you are pronouncing the name correctly? Check out this YouTube video and enjoy the locals’ senses of humor. http://tinyurl.com/saysequim Known for Lavender Weekend in July, the Dungeness Valley is rich in agriculture tradition. The Dungeness Spit with a lighthouse at the end is an attraction not to miss. This sand spit is 5.5 miles and the longest naturally occurring sand spit in North America. The New Dungeness Lighthouse Keeper Program provides you, your family and friends a rare opportunity to spend a week at one of the best-restored light stations in the country. You truly get to be the lighthouse keeper! For info on becoming a Lighthouse Keeper, check out this website:
Sol Duc Road. Nature at its finest when the fish find their way back upstream. Forty-five minutes from Lake Crescent is Forks, known most recently as the setting of the Twilight books setting. Before you actually get to Forks proper, stop at John’s Beachcombing Museum. This oneof-a-kind museum represents decades of collecting. (Open off-season, open by appointment or “when John is around”! Call 360-640-0320.) Historically known for its logging history, check out the Forks Timber Museum next door to the Visitor Center on Hwy 101. The next “spoke” road into the Olympic National Park leads to the Hoh Rainforest, the other-worldly, moss-draped forest. Take time to wander the Hall of Mosses and be sure your camera is charged. Enjoy the clean air and silence of the forest. If possible, take a ranger-led walk to learn about this unique place. (http://www.nps.gov/ olym/planyourvisit/visiting-the-hoh.htm) Further along the Loop is Ruby Beach and Kalaloch. Both great places to walk the beaches, get sand between your toes and sink into a Pacific Ocean sunset!
Celebrating 41 Years!
Lake Quinault is the next stop along the Loop. There are several good places to stay with the Quinault Innkeepers group. Explore the Quinault Rainforest. A different fairyland than the Hoh Rainforest. Many falls from the Waterfall Trail are located in this area. Along Hood Canal in Brinnon and Quilcene on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula, roads lead to hiking trails from day hikes to longer, backpack excursions into the Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest. Oysters are the prizes of the Culinary Loop from these waters with several places along Highway 101 to purchase them and places to harvest them directly from the shore. If you are harvesting, be sure to follow the harvest regulations and leave the shells on the beach. UPCOMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER Sept 25-26: Dungeness River Festival • Sequim • Railroad Bridge Park • 10AM • 360-681-4076, DungenessRiverCenter.org Sept 25-27: 16th Annual Port Townsend Film Festival • Port Townsend • 360-3791333 • PTfilmfest.com Sept 26: National Park Free Admission Day • NPS.Gov/FindaPark/FeeFreeParks. htm OCTOBER Oct 2-4: North Olympic Fiber Arts Festival • Sequim • FiberArtsFestival.org Oct 2-4: 33rd Annual Kinetic Skulpture Race • Port Townsend • 360-379-4972 • 360-385-7306 • PTKineticRace.org Oct 7-10: Hickory Shirt Heritage Days • Forks • ForksWa.com Oct 9-11: Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival • Port Angeles Waterfront • 360452-6300 • CrabFestival.org
Oct 16-18: Rain Forest Mushroom Festival • Lake Quinault Lodge • 360-2882900 • OlympicNationalParks.com NOVEMBER Nov 7-8: Harvest Wine Tour • Olympic Peninsula Wineries • OlympicPeninsulaWineries.org Nov 11: National Park Free Admission Day • NPS.Gov/FindaPark/FeeFreeParks. htm NATIONAL PARK LODGES Lake Crescent Lodge – 360-928-3211 or 888-732-7127 Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort – 866-4765382 Kalaloch Lodge – 866-662-9969, open year round Lake Quinault Lodge – 800-562-6672, open year round Log Cabin Resort, Lake Crescent – 888896-3818 Hurricane Ridge Lodge – day use only https://www.nationalparkreservations.com RESOURCES Olympic National Park Visitor Center and Wilderness Information Center: 360565-3130 for information and backcountry permits. http://www.nps.gov/olym Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau: 360-452-8552, olympicpeninsula.org Additional Lodging: OlympicPeninsula.org/places-to-stay Bed & Breakfasts, Inns of Excellence facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/innsofexcellence?fref=photo Shellfishing: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/ The Whale Trail: http://thewhaletrail. org/
Merriman Falls – Photo courtesy of Visit the Olympics
Courtesy of Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 29
30 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!
Visit us online www.sgn.org
September 18, 2015
Seattle Gay News 31
32 Seattle Gay News
September 18, 2015
Celebrating 41 Years!