Upcoming in September

Art Walk returns September 7

Janet Wilson - "Pagoda in Rain"

If three years running is sufficient to qualify as a "tradition" then Art Walk has now become a traditional late-summer event in Madison Park.  What was inspired by a one-time MadArt event in 2009 has now become an annual opportunity for area artists to display their works in the neighborhood's retail spaces during Madison Park Art Walk, now in its third iteration.

Debra Thompson Harvey - oil pastel sketch

This year's event is scheduled to begin with an evening reception at Starbucks on September 7 (6-9 pm) and continue on the walls of various Madison Park shops, restaurants, banks and commercial spaces through the end of the month.

Barbara Lenfesty - watercolor

More than 30 artists will be participating in Art Walk this year, and their works will be shown at a like number of venues throughout the business district.  Details on the artists and venues are available at the Art Walk website, as well as on the Art Walk Facebook page.

O-tsukimi celebration at Japanese Garden

It's also a tradition about this time of year to head over to the Arboretum's Japanese Garden and view the moon---assuming that the moon is visible.  It's all part of the traditional Japanese o-tsukimi celebration, which--fortunately for those of us in cloud-enshouded Seattle--involves a lot more than mere observing of a full moon.  To quote from Seattle Parks' press release:

"During Moon Viewing, the garden is magically lit with lanterns, luminaria and floating boats. In Japan, people hold o-tsukimi or moon viewing festivals to welcome and celebrate the arrival of the full moon.


The evening includes performances by Lunar Hare, a dance by Joan Laage and Consuelo Gonzalez (Kogut Butoh), classical and contemporary koto music by Silk Strings, a selection of traditional Japanese dances by the Fujima Dance Ensemble, and Okinawan folk and traditional music by Mako and Munjuru.

Haiku Northwest will read haiku inspired by the beauty of the moon. Come prepared with a haiku of your own, and enter our Moon Viewing poetry contest! Winning poets will have their haiku read during Moon Viewing, and will receive a prize.

View the full moon, weather permitting, through telescopes provided by the Seattle Astronomical Society."

Moon Viewing will take place from 7 to 10 pm on Saturday, September 1, and tickets are $15 (plus $10 for an optional traditional Japanese tea ceremony).  More information is available here.

[Photo by Pierro Sierra on Flickr.com.]

Epiphany Choir does Taize

Madrona's Ephiphany Church Choir will be presenting a program in late September of music and readings in the Taize style, which is described as a relaxing, contemplative kind of performance as pioneered by the ecumenical monastic community in Taize, France.  This candlelight event will be held at the Church on September 26, beginning at 7:30 pm.