The World of Wearable Art at MoPop

World of Wearable Art exhibit at Seattle’s MoPop

I recently wrote about the Yves St Laurent exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, but there is another fashion exhibit currently showing in the city at the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly known as the Experience Music Project).  A friend and I went to see the World of Wearable Art show which features winning looks from New Zealand’s international design competition.  The fashions all were constructed using unconventional materials — fiberglass, wood veneer, plastic, old tires, etc.  These artists’ imaginations are off the charts!  I loved the hybrid offerings, a marriage of art and fashion.  Here are a few samples:

The venue, a building designed by Frank Gehry, is as stunning as the exhibits in the show:

The Museum of Pop Culture is on the grounds of the Seattle Center.  Just look for the Space Needle, which stands as sentry over the grounds.

Space Needle

 

Fourteen Views of the Seattle Space Needle

Seattle Space Needle viewed from Kerry Park

The Space Needle, built for the 1962 World’s Fair, is still one of Seattle’s icons.  I didn’t intend to have this image dominate my sightseeing spree around the city with my sister and her husband, but once I noticed its reflection in the glass creations in the gardens of Chihuly Garden and Glass, I was captivated by its presence.  Here are 14 photos of the Space Needle out and about Seattle:

Space Needle from the glass house at Chihuly Garden and Glass

Space Needle from the fountain at the Seattle Center

Space Needle from Calder’s Eagle at the Olympic Sculpture Park

 

 

What Do You Do with Out-of-Town Guests in Seattle?

Olympic Sculpture Park, Space Needle with Calder’s Eagle

My siblings are a far-flung bunch, and I always enjoy their rare visits to Seattle.  Out-of-town guests give me an excuse to play tourist in my home town and to re-visit my favorite places. It’s no surprise that I’ve blogged about most of these excursions already (links to past posts included below).

Here’s a list of things I did with my sister and brother-in-law — what else would you have included?

• Explore the backdoor of the city by walking along the Ship Canal and the Elliott Bay trail, with a stop for breakfast at the Bay Cafe in Fisherman’s Terminal
• Walk through the Olympic Sculpture Park
• Tour Chihuly Garden and Glass
• Have a picnic at Golden Gardens and watch the sunset over Elliott Bay

Watching the sunset from Golden Gardens beach

• Visit Jello Mold Farm in the Skagit Valley
• Ferry to Whidbey Island and hike on Ebey’s Landing
• Spend a morning at the Pike Place Market with a stop at the Gum Wall

Flowers at the Pike Place Market

Busker outside the original Starbucks store in the Pike Place Market

• Savor the flavors of the Pacific Northwest.  We enjoyed lattes from Zoka’s Coffee Shop, salmon, steamed clams, fresh peaches and cherries from the Olympia Farmer’s Market, dinner at the Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant, Fran’s chocolate Gold Bars and truffles, homemade blackberry pie, and pizza at Tom Douglas’s Serious Pie (among other things).

Morning lattes from my neighborhood Zoka’s

In the Garden: Chihuly Garden and Glass

View of the Seattle’s Space Needle from Chihuly Garden and Glass

The garden part of Chihuly Garden and Glass is varied, colorful, and as visually arresting as the glass sculptures inside.  I tried to pay particular attention to the juxtaposition of the plants and art, and I imagine that there will be new points of interest as the flowers, foliage, and trees move through their seasonal changes.

Lily with orange glass forest

Blue spires and fallen logs

Greens in foliage and glass

Detail, garden sculpture

Silvery leaves and glass ball with metallic colors

In the garden at Chihuly Garden and Glass

Glass like a vine

And glass like a slender tree trunk

Chihuly Garden and Glass sculptures among the plants

Detail, blue glass in the garden

The price of admission included a return ticket to the garden in the evening.  We were tempted to skip the evening return visit, but we were so glad we made the effort to go back.  At night, the garden is a magical place.  The sculptures are lit and create an enchanted atmosphere.

Glass House at night. Lighting shows off the 100-ft. suspended sculpture.

New view of the Seattle Space Needle

Hall of chandeliers by the outdoor patio

Chihuly Garden and Glass at night

Monumental outdoor sculpture, Chihuly Garden and Glass

In the garden at night

Glowing glass sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking the Color Wheel: Seattle’s Summer Oranges

“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.”
— Kandinsky

Orange lilies

Sneezeweed

 

Striped umbrella, outdoor dining

Orange calendula

Orange poppy

Honeysuckle in oranges and pinks

More reddish-orange lilies

And yet another photo of a lily

Salmon filets, Pike Place Fish Market

Fishmonger from Pike Place Fish Market shows a young man a fresh Dungeness crab

Dahlias, Pike Place Market

The Space Needle (painted orange for the 50th anniversary of Seattle’s World Fair) seen beneath Calder’s Eagle, Olympic Sculpture Park

 

 

 

 

 

Seattle Space Needle is 50 Years Old

This year is the 50th anniversary of Seattle’s 1962 World’s Fair.  That means the Space Needle is also celebrating its 50th birthday.  Here are some photos of that iconic structure — it seemingly hasn’t aged a bit!

Seattle’s Space Needle at 50 years of age

Space Needle

Space Needle (1962) and Experience Music Project building (2000)

Space Needle over the Experience Music Project building

Experience Music Project building, designed by Frank Gehry, and the Space Needle

 

In with a Bang!

New Year's Eve at the Space Needle

Midnight fireworks at the Space Needle

Bringing in the new year with fireworks

First minutes of 2012 in Seattle

For once in my life I was wide awake last night as midnight approached, and I convinced my husband to throw on a jacket and drive to Kerry Park with me to view the New Year’s fireworks celebration at the Space Needle.  As always, there was a big crowd.  We parked blocks away and walked down to the Kerry Park viewpoint, where we joined the throngs waiting to welcome the New Year.

It was a mild night.  I’m glad we went this year.  I may never be awake enough to do it again!

Another Public Labyrinth

New public labyrinth outside the Experience Music Project

Labyrinth with Spaceneedle looming

Seattle has a new labyrinth that is open to the public every day.  I am drawn to the idea of labyrinths, walking mediations, and contemplation, so I made a point to check out this new installation.  It’s located adjacent to the Experience Music Project at the Seattle Center.

I did walk the labyrinth, but never fully settled into the flow of the experience.  Perhaps its location in the midst of one of Seattle’s most popular tourist sites was too distracting.  It felt more like a playground than a sanctuary.

But it’s always interesting to look at the unusual architecture of the nearby Experience Music Project, designed by Frank Gehry, which seems to change its colors depending on the weather.

Monorail track and Experience Music Project

Spaceneedle reflected in the Experience Music Project building