Sitting across the way from Franklin High School, the Mt. Baker Lofts can been seen as yet another series of apartments sprouting up in a city filled with smart-growth high-rise residency. Now take a closer look. From a table inside Campadre Coffee tucked in a street-level corner of the building, you can turn your eyes away from your steaming mug to look at some gorgeous mosaics, locals mingle with some artists amongst low-key electronic beats and dreamlike illustrations exploring existential philosophy. It’s evident these lofts have something unique. Here, photographers, jazz musicians, and painters coexist, all part of the thriving art scene of the 206. Continue reading Mt. Baker Complex Acts as Haven for Local Arts Community→
The sun shines down in warm, inviting patches as gusts of wind sweep through, rippling the sea of blue plastic tarps, and bringing with it a bone-deep chill. Rolling clouds cast shadows and shapes on dozens of domed nylon structures, and bits of green peek out here and there, traces of the previously empty grass lot now covered in dozens of temporary homes. On this temperamental but hopeful early spring day, I am at the newly established Camp Dearborn, a name adopted by the former residents of Nickelsville after their eviction from that location on March 11. Continue reading Like A Phoenix: The Death and Revival of Camp Dearborn→
When Ben Hunter and I arrived in Memphis, TN for the 32nd annual International Blues Challenge, we were one of 94 different acts set to compete in the Solo/Duo category. While we knew little about the Blues Foundation or the history of the Challenge, we were definitely proud to be there representing the Washington Blues Society. Each round of performances was audited by 3 judges whose job was to assess every act on their instrumental prowess, vocal skills, performance abilities, and “blues content.” Continue reading Bringing the South Seattle Blues to Memphis→
by Marcus Harrison Green (published jointly with YES! Magazine)
On a frigid January morning, a tour through Portland’s Dignity Village follows the same path its “villagers” are required to travel. All were, or are, homeless.
By Stephen Hegg (This article originally appeared on kcts9.org and has been reprinted with permission)
What is the most dangerous road in Seattle, perhaps in all of Washington State? One might guess Aurora Avenue, especially after last fall’s deadly collision of a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle and a bus. But it’s not. It’s Rainier Avenue South, which runs 8.5 miles through Rainier Valley in South Seattle.Continue reading Fixing Rainier Avenue→
The only time Marissa Janae Johnson ever doubted the interruption heard ’round the world came not long after she left a crowd of irate and disappointed Bernie Sanders supporters in a fury at downtown’s Westlake Park.
She was walking from the stage when she received a text from Deray McKesson, a leading figure in the Black Lives Matter movement. It read: “This was a bad look. I can fix it . . . ”
In early 2015, Kelly Welker began to notice that the gritty air she was accustomed to breathing near her home on Flora Avenue South, in Georgetown, was grittier than usual. Within a few minutes of leaving her house, it would get into her eyes and burn. It would get into her sinuses and burn. It began searing her throat and coating her tongue, leaving a chalky, metallic aftertaste. The sinus pressure went from her face to her ears at night, and the burning feeling settled deep in her chest. “I even went in for a CT scan,” she says. “I felt like I had to take a running start to breathe.” (Read more at the Seattle Weekly)
Featured photo by Morgan Schuler
Amplifying the Authentic Narratives of South Seattle
