After a violent weekend of stabbings, shootings and bomb scares, how about a turn to the artful? Here are two interesting, public and highly accesible projects underway on the Hill.

First, an effort to create art in an unlikely location — above the dog park.

We at Capitol Hill Housing own a building in the neighborhood called the Villa Apartments, at the corner of Pike and Boren (home of Tango, Goods and Seattle Tattoo Emporium.) The northwest side of the building overlooks the Plymouth Pillars dog park. (Some years ago, the Parks Department painted the wall orange when they redeveloped this park.) We’ve long been thinking that this wall would be a great place for a work of public art.

We will be moving ahead this Winter and Spring to raise funds for a permanent installation. In the meantime, a local gallery owner has offered us a great trio of art panels that are, by nature, designed to be installed for the short term. (They’re put up with wheat paste, and will wear over time.) We hope that by the time they’re ready to come down, we’ll have a plan for the permanent work.

In the meantime, we’re hosting a brief meeting this Wednesday evening at Tango to hear your thoughts about the art. We’ll have a few photos of the art there that night.

Please see the attached flyer and come by. We’d love to meet you and hear your thoughts. (And thanks to Travis of Tango for helping us host this meeting in his beautiful restaurant.)

Betsy

Betsy Hunter, Director of Real Estate Development Capitol Hill Housing

Meanwhile, Sound Transit’s START program has removed the Broadway installations in the light rail construction zone but is still active on the Hill with the Capitol Hill Story Project.

We are a group of artists who have been inspired by some of the buildings on Capitol Hill where the new Sound Transit light rail station is being built.

Our intention through this project is to collect the stories, prayers, and hopes of the people who know and love this neighborhood and release those thoughts and prayers in a way that gives them power.

You are invited to make an object or write a story to place inside the lanterns to burn as part of a public honoring ceremony.

You can see one of the lanterns and add your own stories at Vivace Brix or send mail to [email protected] contribute to the project.