259. Lifecycle of Seattle Artists: A Panel Discussion with Local Artists
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Release Date: 06/06/2024
394. Unlearning with Lindsey T.H. Jackson: Misogynoir — The Intersection of Misogyny and Anti-Blackness
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Explore the uncomfortable conversations you’ve been eager for in a space that encourages open and safe expression. Weaving together storytelling, poetry, music, and panel interviews with powerful voices, Unlearning offers the opportunity to address issues like discrimination, social justice, violence, and many other pressing (and often taboo) topics while healing and learning together. Join Lindsey T.H. Jackson, a visionary social activist, podcaster, author, and CEO at LTHJ Global, for this first edition of Unlearning focusing on Misogynoir. Misogynoir is the...
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393. Rob Sheffield: An Era Like No Other — How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Throughout her storied career, Taylor Swift has kept her name in the news with chart-topping hits, aesthetic reinvention, and nonstop global influence. Over the years and across the genres, die-hard fans and scholars alike have chronicled the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift. And long story short, pop music expert and self-described Taylor Swift aficionado Rob Sheffield has been along for the whole ride. In his newest book, Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music, Sheffield dives fearlessly into the labyrinth of Taylor Swift’s extensive...
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392. Opening Doors to the Outdoors: Inclusivity in Climbing
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Access to the outdoors is a basic human need—from the granite under our feet during adventures or simply a breath of fresh air. Yet, that access isn’t equal. In the U.S., more than one in three people lack access to a park within a 10-minute walk of home, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities. The outdoor and climbing industries face similar challenges. Lack of diversity in leadership, limited funding, and gate-kept information make the climb steeper for many. However, climbers of color have risen to become some of the sport’s most accomplished athletes, demonstrating...
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391. Alison Fensterstock with Emily Fox and Rachel Flotard: How Women Made Music — A Revolutionary History
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Celebrate women who rock in a discussion with the hosts of NPR music’s series Turning the Tables as they share their new book How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music. Uncovering the role women have played in shaping the music industry, editor Alison Fensterstock brings long-overdue recognition to female artists, challenging traditional best album lists and highlighting overlooked contributions in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By bringing together material from over fifty years of NPR’s coverage, Fensterstock underscores the enduring impact of...
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390. Trimpin in Discussion with Gary Faigin: The Sound of Invention
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Combining digital technology with everyday salvaged materials, sculptor and composer Trimpin has invented ways of playing everything from giant marimbas to a 60-foot stack of guitars using MIDI commands. Taking inspiration equally from junkyards, museums, and concert halls, Trimpin creates eccentric and interactive instruments from found materials, including saw blades, toy monkeys, duck calls, beer bottles, Bunsen burners, slide projectors, turkey basters, and pottery wheels. Trimpin’s computer-driven musical contraptions defy the constraints of traditional instruments. In...
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389. Tonya Lockyer with Jackson Cooper: Navigating Creative Administration — With Advice from Firsthand Accounts
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
When we think about consuming art, whether reading a book, visiting a museum, or maybe watching an outdoor performance act, we rarely consider the administrative efforts that go into making art possible. Creative administration is an evolving field that considers the innovation and organizational management necessary to create and present art. Artists find themselves having to balance their own vision, with the practicalities of physical production, collaboration, and so many other factors. Artists on Creative Administration: A Workbook from the National Center for Choreography, is a...
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388. Nathan Myhrvold with Bethany Jean Clement: Modernist Bread at Home
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Join Modernist Cuisine founder and author Nathan Myhrvold to explore one of the world’s most beloved (and occasionally controversial) foods: bread. In this conversation that’s sure to be like naan other, Myhrvold will discuss his new book, Modernist Bread at Home, and why now is the perfect time to rise to the occasion and start making bread in your own kitchen. Myhrvold will draw on the Modernist Cuisine team’s extensive research to share some of his favorite insights, tips, and tricks from the book, all the info you knead to make better bread at home. Nathan Myhrvold is...
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387. André Aciman with Marcie Sillman: Coming of Age in The Eternal City — A New Book by the Author of "Call Me by Your Name"
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
The city of Rome is a legacy locale in countless areas of history and culture. For teenage refugee André Aciman, Rome was also a source of life-changing challenges, charms, and connections that would have a place in his heart for years to come. In his upcoming book Roman Year: A Memoir, Aciman recounts the ways his family adapted to the harsh realities of their transition and how he himself fell in love with the poetry and potential of a new home. Roman Year transports readers back to a tumultuous chapter of Aciman’s youth as his Jewish family fled an era of growing political...
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386. Tui T. Sutherland with Ben Clanton: Wings of Fire – The Dragonet Prophecy
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Join us for an exciting event with Tui T. Sutherland, the bestselling author behind the #1 New York Times and USA Today series Wings of Fire. Sutherland discusses the limited edition release of The Dragonet Prophecy, the first book in the series, offering insights into the world of dragons and the captivating characters that have enchanted readers around the globe. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the author herself and dive into the adventure that has sparked imaginations everywhere. is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Wings of...
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385. Louise Erdrich with Karen Russell: Dark Realities and Glimmering Hopes in the Red River Valley
Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series
Can you see the shape of your soul in the everchanging clouds? Your personal salvation in the giant expanse of sky? For the ensemble cast of characters that make up the prairie community at the heart of The Mighty Red, existential questions are constantly close to the surface. In her newest novel, author Louise Erdrich immerses readers in the Red River Valley of the North and the complicated lives of its inhabitants. Argus, North Dakota is a town framed by the 2008 economic crisis, the consequences of climate change, and the dynamics of small-town drama. Thrown into motion by a chaotic...
info_outlineExplore the life cycle of Seattle artists in a dynamic round table discussion hosted by Sarah Traver, director of Traver Gallery.
Join the conversation on transforming artistic practice into a flourishing and creative career within the vibrant artistic landscape of Seattle. Esteemed artists Esther Ervin, Henry Jackson-Spieker, Steve Jensen, Pohlman Knowles, and Jeanne Marie Ferraro all connected with Pratt Fine Arts Center, will share their experiences in developing their practices across diverse disciplines, including glass, installation, jewelry, metal, printmaking, public art, sculpture, and wood.
Gain valuable insights from these working artists as they delve into the unique challenges and successes of navigating the Seattle art scene. Whether you’re an aspiring artist or an art enthusiast, this discussion promises a deep exploration of artistic growth and the diverse pathways to establishing a fulfilling career within the rich cultural tapestry of Seattle.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with the life stories and creative journeys of these influential artists.
Esther Ervin, a visual artist from Somerville, New Jersey, holds a BS in Biology from UC Irvine and an MFA in Fine Art/Illustration from CSU Long Beach. Her diverse experiences include teaching in the Peace Corps in Colombia and later focusing on art, with a particular interest in the environment, politics, and abstraction. Her jewelry has been exhibited internationally. She is an active member of various art organizations, including the Seattle Metals Guild, the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA), and the Black Arts West Alumni Association as an honorary.
Henry Jackson-Spieker is a multidisciplinary artist focusing on sculpture and site-specific installations, combining glass, bronze, steel, wood, fiber, and light. His sculptures explore tension, balance and reflection through the merging of contrasting materials. He creates public art installations at Midtown Commons in Seattle, The Seattle Center, Method Gallery, and Wa NA Wari Gallery. Jackson-Spieker has been teaching glass blowing and bronze casting at Pratt Fine Arts Center for the past seven years.
Steve Jensen has been a working artist for over 45 years. Raised around family fishing boats in Seattle, his art reflects deep maritime roots. His latest “VOYAGER” collection is inspired by his Scandinavian fisherman and boat builder heritage, symbolizing journeys into the unknown. From 2015 to 2023, Jensen exhibited solo at major Washington state venues, including the Seattle Art Museum, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and many others. Featured on Channel 9’s Art as Voyage and Amazon Prime’s The Story of Art in America (episode 10, 2023), his compelling work has garnered widespread recognition.
Sabrina Knowles and Jenny Pohlman (Pohlman Knowles) marked a quarter-century of collaboration in 2018 with the exhibition “SYNCHRONICITY: Twenty-Five Years of Collaboration” at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. They have undertaken six international journeys, morphing their experiences into sculptural stories to share what they have learned about healing, compassion, and the power of the human spirit through assemblages of sculpted glass and fabricated steel. Their work is in the collections of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Henry Ford Museum, Museum of American Glass, and Tacoma Art Museum among others.
Jeanne Marie Ferraro was raised in a working-class family in Cleveland, Ohio, and found her artistic passion in childhood while observing the pouring of liquid metal into steel beams with her father. A storyteller across various media Jeanne’s art has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Canada and Portugal, and is part of private collections. Alongside her artistic endeavors, Jeanne has dedicated forty years to teaching visual art, currently focusing on glassblowing, drawing, and painting at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.
Sarah Traver, President of Traver Gallery
Since joining her father’s business in 2004, Sarah Traver has been the President of Traver Gallery, overseeing all aspects from strategy to installation. With degrees in art and education, she emphasizes the gallery’s mission as a space for learning and idea-sharing. Sarah, beloved by artists and the community, also serves on the boards of Artist Trust and Pratt Fine Arts Center.
Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Pratt Fine Arts Center.
