Best of the Northwest/Art 30

Art 30 is the new name for the new incarnation of the summer show that Best of the Northwest is doing. The last few years it's been in Marymoor Park (Redmond) in mid-August. This year it's back at Magnuson Park off Sand Point Way and it's June.

If you're following along to the Best of the Northwest story, we are probably never going back to the old location in the Hangar at the Naval station. The Cliff Notes version is that the building was decaying into such bad shape that the city wanted to sell it to a developer rather than fix it. And then a developer decided to buy it and fix it up. But it was to be for their own purposes and no longer available to be rented out to groups. Lots of protests from the community who wanted access. The deal stood. And then the deal fell through, some financing snafoo. But the building is not habitable and not worth fixing, I guess.

The NW Art Alliance (business name for Best of the Northwest shows) has signed a longish lease at Seattle Center now for the spring and fall shows. So they'll be staying put there. But this summer show is testing the waters back at Sand Point. It's teamed up with Live Arts of Bothell, and it doing this show during the same weekend as the bicycle ride "Artride '09" along the Burke Gilman Trail.

We are going to be at Hangar 30 this time - partly inside and partly outside. The Soapworks booth is outside and luckily it will be sunny and dry all weekend, or so the forecast predicts. It's free admission at the summer shows, and there is free parking right there and we're back in Seattle. All good things, so I'm hoping this version will be successful. Do not expect as many artists though - it's a busy summer and there are lots of shows to choose from, so some of the usual artists didn't want to take a risk for this first-time show, opting instead for the tried and true. Totally expected when times are tough. I think there's about 75 artists scheduled which would still be a nice showing, but I'm not on the inside track.

Deets: Saturday and Sunday, June 27-38, 10am-6pm both days

More info at Art 30

ETA: Linkie fixed