It’s Friday! And with Friday comes Friday Favorites. This week we want to make a shout out to Drawing Day 2009, which is tomorrow June 6th, and the celebration of the fabulous weather we have been having here in Seattle!

Drawing Day 2009

Illustrators of the world unite! Tomorrow is Drawing day 2009 so get out your pens and papers (or whatever your preferred medium is) and start drawing. The goal of Drawing Day is to have over one million people upload images that they create on June 6th. At Imagekind we have created a group just for this purpose. Art can be uploaded at any point over the weekend but should be created on June 6th, 2009. To find out more about Drawing Day click here.

Join the Drawing Day 2009 Group Now!

Bring in the Sunshine

Seattle is known as a cold and wet destination, but the last few weeks have been absolutely glorious. We even had a hot weather alert go out this week due to the irregularly hot temperatures. Schools are taking this in stride and there seems to be an abundance of school field trips to anywhere that involves the great outdoors. The office, on the other hand, has been a slightly different story – it is hot and sticky. To help refresh us a bit, I have chosen some great images from Imagekind member artists that celebrate the sunshine and the pleasures of these hot long days.

Have a great weekend!

Eileen

Today, May 16 is Seattle’s annual Starbucks Bike to Work Day. In support of the event, our office will have accumulated nearly 60 miles of bike ridin’ commuter madness by the end of today. It was great fun to get out and enjoy the sun, encourage healthy lifestyles and promote a cleaner alternative for the environment.

Tasha, one of our wonderful Customer Service team members bikes to work nearly everyday, rain or shine (and here, it’s mostly rain, not so much shine). “Biking to work is super!” Says Tasha. “Not only do I park for free, I get to work quicker than when I ride the bus, I get my daily exercise, and I get to stop and take photographs along the way!”

If you are in the Seattle area this weekend, you can see Tasha tearing it up at the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride, complete with bike scavenger hunts, obstacle courses and a huge after party.

Get biking!

Nate

Image: Seattle at Night by Rick Takagi

What?!?! You’re in Seattle and say you’re bored this weekend?!?

In our ever-increasing-attempt to build a genuine arts community we want to try and bring you useful and interesting news and events. We are starting out with just our little home town for now but we hope to soon expand our gaze and reach to bring you info from wherever our members might reside. If it’s another city, state or, yes, even country, we would love to hear about it! So, post a link or let us know!

Read on to see some pretty amazing things happening around the Seattle art scene. All of these were compiled by our newest team member here at Imagekind, our intern Grace! You will probably be hearing more from her in the coming weeks, so take the chance now to say hello!

SEATTLE ART EVENTS

Girls by Boys

Suite 100 Gallery: Reception on Feb. 8^th, 6 p.m.- 10 p.m.. Exhibition thru March 1

Male perspectives of the female form, featuring artists Jonathon Kimbrell, Troy Gua, and James Dormer Schneider.

Open Floor

Henry Auditorium: February 26^th

Join local artists, musicians, performers, and filmmakers in an evening of discussions and debate of creativity.

Trade Bloc: A group show of Global Ambitions

BLVD Gallery: Reception Feb. 8^th, 6-10 p.m.; Exhibition Thru Mar. 8

Featuring work by international artists Kofie, Other, Nishi, Nhon Nguyen, Erik Abel, Hannah Stouffer, Mateu Velasco, and Acorn inspired by conversations about globalism and art: What are the benefits of a truly global art market?

Ellen Forney’s LUST exhibition

Fantagraphics Bookstore /Gallery: Reception Feb. 9, 6-9 p.m. Exhibition Thru Mar. 17

Local artist Ellen Forney showcases published Stranger’s Lustlab cartoons. Also includes interviews with Stranger editor Dan Savage and author Sherman Alexie.

Femme Fatale Ghost Gallery

Blush Studio, Feb. 16th, 8 p.m.

A one night only Group Art Show with a “Femme Fatale” theme; sexy, funny, scandalous art by over 15 local, national, and international artists

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SEATTLE ART CONTESTS:

Sidewalk Artwork Project

Deadline: Friday, Feb. 29, 2008, 11 p.m. PST
Budget: $30,000 all inclusive

One artist will be selected to work with SDOT representatives to develop and integrate permanent art inlays or other designs into city sidewalks at up to three locations. The artist will work with community stakeholders to develop sidewalk artwork that relates to the project sites and enhances the pedestrian experience in Seattle’s neighborhoods. Open to professional artists residing in Washington.

Seattle Streetcar Artwork

Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2008, 11 p.m. PST
Budget: $30,000 for each artist, all inclusive

Three artists will be selected to develop independent artworks for three specific Seattle Streetcar stations. Artists are encouraged to consider the South Lake Union Streetcar Art Plan and opportunities for creating artwork that is physically interactive and/or incorporates light, audio or new media. Open to professional artists working in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia.

City Artists Project

Individual artists and the creative process are the heart of an arts community. Every year, the CityArtist Projects program provides funding to develop and present original work by Seattle artists, with different disciplines in alternating years. Funds may support new works, works-in-progress, or finished works, and all projects must include a public presentation. Funding awards range up to $10,000.

In the 2007 funding cycle, we awarded $200,000 in grants to 31 artists working in the performing arts. The funded projects will involve 445 artists in 147 events throughout the city. Twenty-two of the 31 artist projects funded are first-time recipients, representing 71 percent of the awards, which range from $1,500 to $10,000. Sixty-five percent of the applicants’ requests were fully funded with an average award of $6,451. The program received a record 118 applicants, a 103-percent increase in applications from the previous 2005 funding cycle for performing disciplines.

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