by jad

Seeking the Fringe at Folklife

I was broadly aware that by taking a step behind the curtains this year and generally being there in the sleepier, pre-crowd hours, that I’d experience a very different Folklife than usual. I remember thinking about that when I stood in front of this window. There’s a special melancholy to the liminal time before showtime, anticipating the crash after you wrap. x They were recording content for their social media, so I didn’t stop to ask, but does anyone know what this dance is called and where it’s from? x At this point, I was actively seeking out the fringe … Continue reading “Seeking the Fringe at Folklife” →

by jad

A Story in Three Acts (I’m a Maximalist at Heart)

A story in three acts. What’s missing is the shot I didn’t take when I blurted out “whoaaaaaa” after this guy came out of nowhere and kicked the inflatable doll so hard, it flew back a meter or so. x I’m actually a maximalist at heart. x Not unlike an A24 film scheduled to be released tomorrow, you weren’t supposed to see this. x

by jad

Fist Puppets and the Lone Individual in the Crowd

Folklife was mostly grey and dreary the times I was there, so that colored the kinds of photos I took. x These are the fist puppets we left behind after the Samovar Collective led us on a “non-parade” from the Cornish Courtyard to the Center Theatre. I liked how they stood up on their own weight, just like they would at the end of a genuine protest. I’ve been enjoying feeling the different parts of my life and personality cohere into more of a whole through projects like these. It makes me think of something Gramsci wrote about no longer … Continue reading “Fist Puppets and the Lone Individual in the Crowd” →

by jad

Two Years Since the Care Bear Polaroid

And just like that, it’s over. The art’s been struck, the crowds have gone home, and for some reason, I slept even worse now that it’s done than I did in preparation and anticipation; I guess my brain needed time to process it all. I’m very grateful to @nwfolklife for this opportunity and for all the hidden helpers that made this possible. Thank you Ben for inviting us into this novel process. Thank you Emma for taking on such a logistical labyrinth. Thank you Pete for figuring out how to even install this non-traditional art. And thanks especially to Faith … Continue reading “Two Years Since the Care Bear Polaroid” →

by jad

An Anti-Fascist Sing-Along at Folklife

In celebration of a successful collaboration, members of @brivelemusic, @shpilkisseattle, and the wider Samovar Art Collective put solidarity and ubuntu into practice by joining with Seattle @demsocialists in activating our shared exhibit space with a semi-sanctioned parade connecting the sing-along stage at the Cornish Courtyard with the Center Theatre, where you can still see our installation, THE RAISED FIST. Thank you @nwfolklife for accommodating a little bit of anarchy today. This was such a thrill! I loved seeing the wide smiles on your staffers’ faces, despite our making their lives a little more complicated for 20 or so minutes 🌹 … Continue reading “An Anti-Fascist Sing-Along at Folklife” →

by jad

First Day of Folklife: The Raised Fist

First day of Folklife. These are the sleepy hours. x Make sure you pass by the Center Theatre at the Armory this weekend to check out THE RAISED FIST, a project brought together by Seattle @demsocialists’ Arts & Culture team. The project also features artwork by middle schoolers from West Side School, taught by @christine.bingham.art. In the same space, you’ll find an exhibit on “Palestine at Folklife,” organized by the @marchforpalestine.seattle Community Archive Project. Swipe to the end to see my contribution to that project. I love how all these collectives blend together in this space. x First day of … Continue reading “First Day of Folklife: The Raised Fist” →

by jad

Invisible Cities, and Building the Raised Fist

I just finished reading Calvino’s Invisible Cities, that postmodern novel I’ve seen cited and quoted and gestured at for decades in the books about human geography and urban politics I tend to reach for first, and it was only near the very end that I felt a strong resemblance between one of his imagined destinations and Seattle: “Also in Raissa, city of sadness, there runs an invisible thread that binds one living being to another for a moment, then unravels, then is stretched again between moving points as it draws new and rapid patterns so that at every second the … Continue reading “Invisible Cities, and Building the Raised Fist” →

by jad

Erase and Rewind

“Erase and rewind, ’cause I’ve been changing my mind.” Do you remember the video for that song? The walls closing in on the band until the very last second? Does anywhere remind you of that? What I mean to ask is: have you ever lived somewhere that seemed to make your world smaller by the day? Closing in on yourself until you’re more compact and neatly stackable, fitting in by shrinking down? It’s a genuine question. Because I’ve lived places that felt the opposite. Places that didn’t crush you if you stretched yourself out and took up more space. I’m … Continue reading “Erase and Rewind” →

by jad

Collage Party: Prepping the Raised Fist for Folklife

“Are you from here or just visiting?” “I’m from here, but I’m rarely in Queen Anne.” “Well, now you know where we are.” x Seattle @demsocialists hosted a collage party yesterday as part of the final prep work for an installation on the history of the raised fist that will be shown at @nwfolklife. This project is based on research by labor historian and @seattledsa member Daniel Ammons. The main pieces are designed and fabricated by Parker Wrenn, while the installation as a whole will also feature contributions by @christine.bingham.art’s middle school students, as well as a set of very … Continue reading “Collage Party: Prepping the Raised Fist for Folklife” →