A Region of Makers

We are a region of makers, artists, renegades, foodies, and punks. When you throw all that together we have some of the best markets to explore all that can be imagined! From the bigger markets like Renegade Craft, Urban Craft Uprising, and The Great Junk Hunt to more localized markets like Georgetown Night Market, Chinatown ID Night Market, and Black Arts Love.

Tacoma Night Market at Alma Mater

Some of my favorite markets have been the night markets in Tacoma and Gig Harbor. Summer is also the best time to check out artisans at the summer festivals like Magnolia Summerfest and Lake City Summer Festival. Feeling really adventurous head down (or up) to Portland Night Market in Portland, Oregon or Richmond Night Market in Richmond, BC!

Want to get creative at the library? Join us at these events!

Mighty Powerful Cactus: A 3D Ornament: Learn about the fascinating world of Cacti by making a 3-D felt ornament with local teaching artist Amaranta Sandys. Observe 3 different types of live cactus before as you plan your project. Then create a quick sketch with pencil as a reference as you learn basic embroidery stitches to form a small cactus ornament that will be filled up with fluffy white stuffing. For ages 13+.

Felt Craft Fun: Interested in learning how to make felt crafts? Come to the Library’s free craft workshop! We will provide supplies and patterns. Music will be provided by a local DJ. Best for ages 8 and up.

Art Workshop With Romson Bustillo: How does life begin to change when we get involved with one another? Join Seattle artist Romson Bustillo for his beautiful exploration of togetherness and social change in “Proximity Modifier Project IV,” a community project uniquely designed for select SPL library branches. Bustillo’s art looks at how neighbors and organizations, like libraries, share space together. Drop by to make art with Romson and to find out how libraries can be places where we get to know one another by getting creative!

Art on the Plaza: Get ready! This August the Central Library’s 4th Avenue plaza will have four incredible FREE art programs on select Wednesdays. Don’t miss great music, dance performances, drop-in art making, an exciting selection of summer reading and entertainment. All ages.

       ~posted by Kara P.

Seattle Rep’s TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS: Beyond the Theatre

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Nia Vardalos, adapted from the book by Cheryl Strayed from May 17 to June 23, 2019. Librarians at Seattle Public Library created this list of books and films to enhance your experience of the show.

Before she wrote a runaway bestselling memoir of solo hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, before she was portrayed on the big screen by Reese Witherspoon, Cheryl Strayed gave advice to strangers. From 2010 to 2012, she wrote an anonymous advice column, Dear Sugar, for the online magazine The Rumpus, which was collected in Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar in 2012.

Strayed’s book inspired actor and playwright Nia Vardalos’ adaption of the same name which opens at the Rep next week. You may be familiar with Vardalos from her sleeper hit 2002 film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. But you may not know that she’s also written a funny and poignant memoir about her experiences as an adoptive parent, Instant Mom.

 For more suggested reading and viewing before the play, check out this resource list.

~posted by Abby B.

 

Seattle Rep’s NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN: Beyond the Theatre

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN by Christina Ham from April 26 to June 2, 2019. Librarians at Seattle Public Library created this list of books, music and films to enhance your experience of the show.

Nina Simone’s “Four Women” is a haunting, critical exploration of racial stereotypes and the legacy of slavery through the lives of four black women: Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Thing and Peaches. In NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN, playwright Christina Ham brings these characters and Simone herself to life as they gather in the ruins of the 16^th Street Baptist Church the day after 4 young black girls died in a terrorist bombing. This tragedy profoundly impacted Simone, prompting her evolution from artist to artist-activist and inspiring her to write and perform powerful songs such as “Mississippi Goddamn,” “Young, Gifted and Black” and of course, “Four Women.”

‘Tis the Season for Hanami

Spring has sprung in the Pacific Northwest and the cherry trees are putting on quite a show! One of the more popular attractions in Seattle for cherry blossom viewing, also known as Hanami, is our cherry trees located at the University of Washington Quad.

Although the origin of the trees is debated, according to The Daily:

“In 1912, Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki donated cherry trees to the United States, which marked the growth in friendship between the United States and Japan. The trees were distributed around the country, with 34 of them planted in the Washington Park Arboretum. Because of construction [of State Route 520], the trees had to be relocated, and 31 of them were relocated to the UW, where they are now planted in the Quad.” –The Daily of the University of Washington

The Daily – Takae Goto

They just reached peak viewing on March 29th. However, there is still time to celebrate! ParentMap has a list of other locations in Seattle and nearby to enjoy cherry blossom viewing.

Money Smart Week: Get Started Investing for Retirement Now – It’s Really Not Hard

Judy Hucka, editor of the BetterInvesting Puget Sound Chapter Newsletter is our guest blogger today. BetterInvesting is a national, nonprofit association whose mission is to provide sound investment information, education, and support to help create successful investors. Instructors are volunteers and receive no monetary or financial payment or gain from your participation. BetterInvesting and the Puget Sound Chapter offer in-person and online classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced investors. For more information about BetterInvesting: www.betterinvesting.org.

OK, OK, you’ve probably heard this before. But it’s important! According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office, about half of households age 55 and older have no retirement savings—and up to two-thirds of workers may not have saved enough to maintain their standard of living in retirement.

You can start now to improve your chances of being in the one-third who do have enough to be financially secure when they retire.