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July 2008

art

Pratt Fine Arts Center – Annual Garden Art Sale
July 19 – 27. Experience local hand-blown glass, forged ironwork and functional art among the 5 acres of lush gardens at Swansons Nursery. All art sales benefit Pratt Fine Arts, a nonprofit arts and education resource center. Free and open to the public. Daily 9am-6pm. Swansons Nursery, 9701 15th Ave NW. Info at 206-328-2200 or www.pratt.org.

Pacific Northwest Quiltfest
Fri. – Sun. Aug. 8 – 10. Largest quilt and fiber art exhibit in the Pacific Northwest promises to “take the quilt out of Grandma’s cupboard and move it into the Art Gallery” with over 200 juried quilts on display. Special exhibits feature quilts from Canada, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa along with lectures and workshops. Fri.-Sat. 10am to 6pm; Sun. 10am to 5pm. Washington State Trade and Convention Center, 7th & Pike, downtown Seattle. Association of Pacific Northwest Quilters, 425-558-1983. www.apnq.org

book and poetry readings

Reading: Barbara Ehrenreich
Thurs. July 17. Social critic and best-selling author of Nickel and Dimed, reads from her latest work, This Land Is Their Land: Notes from a Divided Nation. Free. 7pm. Seattle Public Central Library, 1000 4th Ave, 206-634-3400. www.spl.org

Reading & Signing: J.A. Jance
Tues. July 22. Perennial best-selling author and local favorite reads and signs from Damage Control, latest in her popular Joanna Brady series. Free. 7pm. Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, 206-366-3333. www.thirdplacebooks.com

Reading: Elizabeth Ellen & Kathy Fish
Thurs. Aug. 21. Two of the featured authors read from A Peculiar Feeling of Restlessness, a new collection of short shorts, many of them prizewinners. These flash fiction stories of 1,000 words or less have been called “tiny little stories that cast huge shadows over everything.” Free. 7 pm. University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE, 206-634-3400. www.bookstore.washington.edu

events

Wedgwood Art Festival
Sat. July 19. Original jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery, garden art, woodworking and glass from local artists along with many other activities including musical performances by the 85th Street Big Band, Dukes and a Diva, Deja Blue and High Class Brass. Free. 10am - 5pm. 35th Ave NE and NE 84th St. wedgwoodfestival.googlepages.com

Ballard SeafoodFest
Sat. & Sun. July 26 & 27. Feast your inner Viking on alder-smoked barbecued salmon at this 34th annual event with three stages of great music and entertainment, juried craft fair, food booths, Washington Wine Garden, Beer garden (featuring Ballard’s own Maritime Pacific) and more. Free. NW Market St. @ Ballard Ave. NW. Sat. 11am-8pm; Sun. 11am-7pm. www.seafoodfest.org

UmojaFest 2008
Fri. – Sun. Aug. 1 – 3. Oldest and largest African American community festival in the Northwest celebrates culture, education and community building with African drum & dance, live jazz, gospel, soul, reggae & hip-hop, food/crafts vendors and community resource & education booths. Saturday parade begins at noon. UmojaFest is the largest outreach project of the African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center “Museum Without Walls” programming. Free. Judkins Park, 23rd Ave. S. & S. Judkins. www.umojafamilyfest.com

fund-raisers

FareStart Benefit: Guest Chef on the Waterfront
Wed. July 9. Fun, carnival-style summer tasting event featuring nearly 100 talented chefs from Seattle’s top restaurants, along with fare from local wineries, breweries, fine food and spirit purveyors and live jazz. All proceeds directly benefit job training and placement programs at FareStart. $60 per person. 6 - 9 p.m. Bell Harbor’s Elliott Hall, Pier 66, Seattle waterfront. Tickets and info at www.farestart.org.

lectures & film

Northwest Film Forum presents: Harold and Maude
Tues. & Wed. July 8 & 9. Black comedy and cult classic from the early ‘70s with the late Ruth Gordon as a role model for aging with passion. NWFF is a nonprofit center for the film arts, embracing film production as well as exhibition, with two cinemas (46 and 120 seats), production and post-production facilities, equipment, educational workshop space and a filmmaking library. Shows at 7:15 & 9:30pm. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave. (Capitol Hill). 206-329-2629. www.nwfilmforum.org

Women’s Retreat: Finding Balance
Fri. July 25. Spend a day reflecting on finding balance during midlife years and beyond. Speakers will focus on ways to explore your potential and make wise choices to create a more fulfilling life. $100 includes lunch and snacks. 8am - 5pm. Robinswood House, 2430 148th Ave SE, Bellevue. Register at 425 643-3880 or www.groupwyse.com.

Lecture: The Art of Self-Care
Thurs. July 31. Learn about how self-care can offer physical, emotional and spiritual benefits with a special emphasis on self-care through serious illness, caregiving, the loss of a loved one and caring for families. Free and open to the public (sign-up required to attend). 7-8:30pm; light refreshments at 6:45. Gilda’s Club Seattle, 1400 Broadway, 206-709-1400. www.gildasclubseattle.org

music/dance

KPLU Jazz Brunch Cruises
Sun. July 13 & July 20. After a two-year hiatus, the series of summertime cruises – hosted by KPLU on-air personalities – is back with jazz pianist and grammy-nominee Jessica Williams with her trio on the 13th, and Gail Pettis, jazz vocalist and winner of a 2007 Earshot Golden Ear Award, on the 20th. Enjoy breathtaking views, a scrumptious brunch and great live jazz! All seats reserved and assigned in order received. 10:30am - 1pm. Departs & returns at Seattle’s Pier 56. Info and tickets at 1-800-677-5758 or kplu.org.

Seattle Dance Project: Project One
Fri. & Sat. July 25 & 26. After sold-out performances at ACT Theatre, the company’s nine dancers are featured in four Bellevue premieres using the traditional, rigorous ballet training of its dancers as a jumping-off point for exploration of contemporary movement approachable to both dance enthusiasts and newcomers alike. $28-$35. 8pm. Meydenbauer Center Theatre, 11100 NE 6th St. Bellevue. Tickets and info at 206-325-6500 or www.seattledanceproject.org.

networking

Women Business Owners Power Luncheon
Thurs. July 24 & Thurs. Aug. 28. Monthly opportunity to meet other professional women and make beneficial contacts for your business and personal life! WBO helps women at all stages of business be more connected, empowered and successful with its business referral network, monthly meetings and events, insightful business education and online connectivity and visibility. 11:30am-1:30pm. Washington Athletic Club, 1325 6th Ave. 206-575-3232. womenbusinessowners.org

theater

GreenStage presents: Shakespeare in the Park
July 11 thru Aug. 16. In its 20th year, this summer features two of Shakespeare’s greatest hits: Hamlet, directed by Susanna Wilson and Twelfth Night, directed by longtime GreenStage company member Amelia Meckler. Both shows will run from parks in and around Seattle including Volunteer Park, Discovery Park, Woodland Park, Magnuson Park, Seward Park, Lincoln Park and Camp Long. Free. Complete schedule at www.greenstage.org.

ACT presents: Intimate Exchanges
Aug. 15 – Sept. 14. Seattle favorites Marianne Owen and R. Hamilton Wright in Alan Ayckbourn’s “laugh-out-loud” farce which explores the consequences of our tiniest everyday decisions. On any given night there are four possible endings depending on crucial decisions the characters make. “A riotous investigation of fate and free will – a blast for audience and cast alike.” $10-$55. Pay-what-you-will: Sun. Aug. 17, 7:30pm and Thurs. Aug. 28 2pm. A Contemporary Theatre, 700 Union St. 206-292-7676. www.acttheatre.org