Surprises and Delights
The man was in a hurry. He had his cell phone pressed to his ear and appeared to be having a very serious conversation. As he listened intently to the other person on the line, he opened the door to exit the office building.
The man came to an abrupt stop and blinked in amazement. Then a huge smile spread across his face.
The sidewalk was jammed with people wearing colorful masks, headpieces and full-body outfits made out of all sorts of materials—ribbons, empty pill bottles, shredded plastic bags, A stilt walker covered in what looked like neon silly string carefully made his way through the crowd. People waved flags and danced to a brass band and drumline.
It was not your typical Thursday evening in downtown Seattle. It was May 5, and a parade of musicians and people showing off their wearable art kicked off March to the Center of the Earth: Community Night Out.
The man was just one of many people I saw who were first shocked and then awed by the spectacle snaking down First Avenue. It was really fun to watch people’s reactions as their daily routines took a little detour.
The wonder continued with the Nick Cave Soundsuit invasion at the 4Culture galleries and scheduled performance at SAM. When the Spectrum Dance Theater dancers wearing the Soundsuits came out of the auditorium for a procession through the museum, the awaiting crowd roared in greeting. The Soundsuits were treated like rockstars because they are rockstars. The Nick Cave exhibition closes June 5. Do not miss it!
A big thank you to the diverse group of organizations and businesses that participated in Community Night Out:
4Culture, The Alexis Hotel, Ancient Grounds, Community Partners, ArtsEd Washington, BOKA KITCHEN + BAR, Chief Sealth High School, Colorific Kids, Creation Station, Fran’s Chocolates, Frye Art Museum, Goldmine Design, Honk Fest West, Hotel 1000, James & Janie Washington Jr. Foundation, Junior Asha, Langston Hughes Arts Center, Nathan Hale High School, Pala Pala Dress Boutique, Parent Map, Pratt Fine Arts Center, SAM Teen Advisory Group, sandylew, Seattle Center, Seattle Girls’ Choir, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Seattle Parks & Recreation, The Service Board, Spectrum Dance Theater, Sustainable Seattle, Tanjavur Dance School, Target, University of Washington Museology Program, University of Washington Costume Society, Watson Kennedy and Voices Rising.
See photos from the incredible night in our Facebook album.
-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager