Powerbox Murals

These graphic-intensive murals showed up in downtown Seattle over the past few months along the First/Second Avenue retail core. By my count there are about 15 of them... here are a few favs...

They rock.

Rolling Huts – Architecturally Significant Camping

A weekend at The Rolling Huts in Mazama, WA is a sublime experience in contrasts. Thank you Mother Nature and Olsen Sunberg Kundig Allen architects... The structures themselves are amazing; the setting is breathtaking; and it's easy to forget you're in a "rustic" cabin given the aesthetic accomplishment.

I'm not sure "microwave oven" and "rustic" can be used in the same sentence, but there is a lack of indoor plumbing. There is a small refrigerator, electricity and a state-of-the-art wood stove, but a porta-potty, too. There is also a "firewood fairy," as the kindling and logs just seem to appear out of nowhere.

Down the road a bit... 20 miles or so... is Twisp, a town that's fun to say and visit. I'm not sure how I missed seeing these sculptures on my last visit - I can only guess they weren't there - perhaps Twisp has a sculpture fairy who rolls in the oversized, iron orbs under cover of darkness?

And, naturally, there's a signature coffee roaster within easy reach - Blue Star Coffee!

I Love Sculpture

There are, along Elliott Ave, a few(!) new buildings nearing completion. These properties abut the BNSF rail lines and look out over the working railcars, the grain elevator and Elliott Bay.

I was very excited to see a new installation of some large scale sculptures on the lawn connecting two of these buildings. I don't know the tenants, but I'm guessing biotech. Interesting, too, that it's right down the street from the Olympic Sculpture Park.

One of the pieces (Source, mounted on the concrete platform)) is by Canadian sculptor Sorel Etrog (Romania 1933). The others are unidentified.

Now it turns out that Des Moines, IA, loves sculpture, too!

Are YOU happy? Why not??

"Silly" theatre isn't typically my bag, but I had a great time at Arts West last night seeing Measure for Pleasure - a "restoration comedy" of British tradition full of quadruple entendre and nearly as many story lines.

It really is a fun romp - the theatre space is great - and if you can stand it, there's even a heartfelt injection of serious philosophy a bit too explicitly spelled out at the conclusion. But no matter - if you enjoy theatre, comedy, sex and lightning fast rhyming - get there (thru Nov 14)