Inspired by “The Corner,” an art installation at 23rd and Union that went up in 2009 for about a year, the Jackson Place Community Council and several other Jackson St. groups are creating an installation that will celebrate the street’s rich music history. The project will be housed in a vacant lot near the entrance of Blanche Lavizzo Park on Jackson that was recently purchased by the Low Income Housing Institute.
The project’s opening celebration will be part of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center’s “Showcase at Lavizzo Park” concert June 25.
From the press release:
Families from Seattle’s historic Jackson Place neighborhood and the greater Central District area will gather in a day filled with art, live music and entertainment. The occasion; the opening celebration of the Jackson Street Music History Project, a public art installation that honors musicians from the Central District’s rich history of jazz, funk, soul, and hip hop; much of which took place in the music clubs that used to line Jackson Street. Many of these musicians are still alive and active in our community- this event is to pay homage to their contributions in a family-festive environment.
The Low Income Housing Institute recently purchased the vacant lot at 2010 S. Jackson Street and agreed to allow Jackson Place Community Council Co-chair Ryan Curren to use the east half of the lot for a temporary community art installation. Pratt Fine Arts Youth Art Works Coordinator Lily Hotchkiss has matched students from Washington Middle School and Nova High School with local community artists to design, create and install four installations celebrating four genres of music; jazz, funk, soul, and hip hop. Each installation uses a different artistic medium; photography, screen printing, aerosol, and mixed media.
The opening celebration takes place Saturday, June 25th in Blanche Lavizzo Park as part of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center’s “Showcase at Lavizzo Park” music series. The opening ceremony will begin at 2pm with the art installation’s unveiling followed by special guest speaker including Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata. The afternoon will feature performances from funk/soul artists from the Wheedle’s Groove collective, a hip hop showcase from 206 Zulu Nation, DJ Seabefore and jazz groove band Gravity. Lavizzo Park is located half a block southwest from E. Yesler Way and 22nd Ave S. This event is free and open to all ages.
Performance Schedule:
2:30 Opening Ceremony
3:00 DJ Seabefore and Gravity
4:30 Wheedle’s Groove
6:30 Zulu Nation Hip Hop Showcase
With support by Pratt Fine Arts Center, 206 Zulu, Jackson Place, Jackson Street Corridor Association, Casa Latina, Low Income Housing Institute, Goodwill, Casa Latina, Field Roast, LC Jergens, NW Tofu Inc.
For more information go to www.jacksonplace.org/history or log onto: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jackson-Street-Music-History-