Tag: community

by jad

Comrades, Freedom Fighters, and Reclaiming Shared Reality

Moments past midnight, after a whirlwind three-night spree spent with comrades old and new. x I loved this moment and was honored to spend time with this freedom fighter in the pistachio power suit. x “Reclaiming our shared reality is the first step. Getting into spaces like this, unpacking the trauma and what they have done to us, because it is a full frontal assault – on our minds, on our bodies, everyone that we know… every living creature on the planet.”—@fababs speaking at UW, featuring a poignant moment I captured at SIFF Uptown the next day. x

by jad

Abby Martin’s Seattle Premiere (and Joyous News)

I just heard joyous news that’s not mine to share, but I will say that it’s making me weep to a degree I did not expect. x Abby Martin is a tour de force both on and off the screen. She spoke with such passion last night at the unofficial Seattle premiere of her latest @empirefiles film, EARTH’S GREATEST ENEMY, co-sponsored by @seattledsa and @ydsa_uw, and if you managed to grab a ticket for tonight’s sold-out show at SIFF Uptown, you’ll see exactly what I mean. See you there. x We spoke a little about “hope” on our way to … Continue reading “Abby Martin’s Seattle Premiere (and Joyous News)” →

by jad

The Community Archive at Pipsqueak

More scenes from Saturday’s pop-up exhibit at Pipsqueak. x This is Jordan, one of the core organizers of the community archive project. This is also the first Polaroid I took on Saturday in hopes of adding new layers to this living palimpsest of memory by documenting the documenters, so to speak. I used the Reclaimed Green 600 film that Seattle’s polaroid queen @sarahlatour_ gifted me last May because I can imagine it looking pretty cool in a future display with all the other photos. Plus, there’s something “meta” about portraits in duochrome for a project like this—like a time out … Continue reading “The Community Archive at Pipsqueak” →

by jad

Polaroids, Palestine, and a Pop-Up at Pipsqueak

Saturday was a first for me. Polaroids I took at the @marchforpalestine.seattle in May 2024 ended up in a pop-up exhibit at @pipsqueak.seattle by way of Instagram, @circadies’ kind invitation, and @elderandyarrow’s artful arrangement, as part of an ongoing project to archive that historic community action. I’d been on the periphery in the lead-up to this preview of a larger exhibit planned for Spring and could barely visualize how it would all come together. “I can’t believe this is real,” is all I could muster up when I walked in. The piece itself, which I called “Assemblage for Gaza” when … Continue reading “Polaroids, Palestine, and a Pop-Up at Pipsqueak” →

by jad

Minis, Meet-and-Greets, and the People’s Forum on AI

A few more quiet moments from Christine’s meet and greet at Northwest Tastings. I have to laugh when internet photographers dump on photos where “nothing is happening.” x In the words of the infamous Prince of Pop, “you got to be startin’ somethin’,” and @seattledsa’s ecosocialists are doing just that with the People’s Forum on AI. We wrapped up the second session yesterday on labor, power, and control, and are already thinking about the next steps. x Christine still has a bunch of these “minis” for sale, but not The Devil – the last one was purchased by a generous … Continue reading “Minis, Meet-and-Greets, and the People’s Forum on AI” →

by jad

Finding Inspiration in the Mundane (and a Muralist’s Secrets)

A post that @onemonthtwocameras made about finding inspiration in the everyday when every day feels exactly the same, and a conversation with my acupuncturist, who is low-key morphing into my talk therapist, conspired to spring this idea into my head. A simple trick for extracting a new perspective from the mundane. Ever since we moved to this neighborhood, we traded chaos for calm and lost a little bit of stimulation along the way. I also haven’t really felt like stepping very far out of our bubble unless absolutely necessary, and that’s meant a little bit of mental stagnation. That’s the … Continue reading “Finding Inspiration in the Mundane (and a Muralist’s Secrets)” →

by jad

Election Night and the Metaphysics of the Movement

The next 24 hours are going to be electric for a lot of people across the country; many will be celebrating a hard-won victory, having talked the talk and walked the walk under a crimson banner for a long time. I’d also guess that a good number will finally find the courage to google “democratic socialism” and join the movement. The next 24 months might bring many more highs and just as many lows. Some might look back at this evening with bitter disappointment, as lofty expectations are inevitably dashed against the rocks of compromise. Many will withdraw altogether, but … Continue reading “Election Night and the Metaphysics of the Movement” →

by jad

Two Wolves at the Arundhati Roy Lecture

We went out to see the formidable Arundhati Roy speak at the opening night of @seattleartsandlectures yesterday. This was thanks to a generous gift of two tickets and two books from a dear friend and colleague whom we only realized once we walked in is an SAL patron. So, the seats were pretty good. She’d offered me the tickets after hearing me wax passionately about how Roy’s famous speech on “the other 9/11” had become a pillar I built my worldview on since I first read it in college. I think I’ve paraphrased her comments about Palestine in that piece … Continue reading “Two Wolves at the Arundhati Roy Lecture” →

by jad

Hype at the Madison Park Art Walk

“We’ll hype you up.” That’s what Erica told us when we called it a night and left the Madison Park Art Walk where @christine.bingham.art’s showing her “Pacific Lore” at Sotheby’s Realty. Hype, you say? Oh I’ve got plenty of hype… Thanks @friendsofmadisonpark.seattle for putting this together. Our second year attending; Christine’s first year showing ✨ so proud! x

by jad

Where the People Are

I took part in today’s “Hands Off” National Day of Action in the Seattle Center, and I have to say, it wasn’t until I got closer to the rally site that I realized how big of a thing it was going to be. A friend earlier that morning told me everyone on the bus she’d taken was heading in that direction, and trying to find another friend later that afternoon proved to be a little difficult, given the signal jamming with the sheer amount of people there. The bus we took getting back was standing room only. All I’m saying … Continue reading “Where the People Are” →