It's fast, but is it pretty?
Two stories in the news today are on a topic near to my heart: public art.
Before exercising great restraint in sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of Sound Transit construction methods, Seattle Times reporter Mike Lindblom offers a fun preview of the space-age art that will greet Beacon Hill boarders as they wait for their ride. Video of the Hubble Space Telescope, subliminal messages, purple starfish, green jellyfish, stars on the ceiling.
Even wierder is the project profiled in the LA Times, with the city of Seattle hiring an artist-in-residence to work in the northeast tower of the Fremont Bridge. To start, she's collecting stories about the historic drawbridge, from those who curse its fickle, traffic-stalling ways to a woman who'd lived her whole life nearby and allegedly figured out how to fulfill her dream of riding it on the way up. (Read more about the project on the artist's blog.)
As a reporter at the Seattle P-I, I liked writing about public art (here and here, for example). It was a good excuse to roam the city on foot, and I happen to believe that art and aesthetics in the public realm matter.
Seattle vs. Vancouver: The Great Urban Debate
It's the argument of the century: which is better, Seattle or Vancouver?
It's an issue near and dear to many of our hearts. And this week, two of Cascadia's most provocative thinkers (and friends of Sightline) will duke it out in a no-holds-barred, anything-goes debate.
OK -- that might be an exaggeration. But I bet they will have some interesting things to say on the issue. Gordon Price (from Vancouver) will be arguing for Seattle, and Peter Steinbrueck (from Seattle) will be arguing for Vancouver.
The details:
Vancouver debate:
- When: Tuesday, June 16 7:00-8:30 (debate), 8:30-9:30 (reception)
- Where: Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street
Seattle debate:
- When: Thursday, June 18 6:00-7:30 (debate), 7:30-8:30 (reception)
- Where: Seattle Public Library, Microsoft Auditorium, 1000 Fourth Ave
