Post navigation

Prev: (06/05/15) | Next: (06/05/15)

Here’s the real reason this black metal box was installed at 10th and Pike

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could just project queer images on the side of the buildings that are going up!”

Why, indeed, is there a black metal box on a pole at 10th and Pike?

Pike/Pine business owner — and occasional CHS contributorKaryn Schwartz wants her neighborhood to look more queer this Pride.

“This project actually came out of one of the many conversations that are happening in the neighborhood about open space and safety,” she tells CHS. “I want the neighborhood to be more gay during Gay Pride.”

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could just project queer images on the side of the buildings that are going up!”

Ideally, the project could fall somewhere between projection protests we have seen around the neighborhood and the rock venue-style special effects of Capitol Hill Block Party. Schwartz said that she and artist Joey Veltkamp have been working on curating queer and LGBT-positive imagery for a Pride projection project but the attempt to recast the development of Pike/Pine in the colors of Pride is facing a challenge on the technology and hardware end of things.

With their experience installing projection projects in Seattle and its online capabilities for crowd-sourcing content, Schwartz said she was excited when the partners behind the Deehubs startup said they would make her vision a reality on the streets of Pike/Pine.

She was surprised to see that a projector box was suddenly installed in front of Neumos — not exactly the kind of backdrop she had in mind when she envisioned the project.

SDOT said the installed equipment was not permitted and that it was “in discussions with those responsible for the non-compliant object.” Deehubs partner Giorgi Gurgendize contacted CHS to tell us he is working to get permits worked out for the installation and that he is eager to support free speech.

But with Pride 2015 events on Capitol Hill underway, time is short to figure out a plan to queer-up the buildings of Pike/Pine.

Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

18 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
p-patch
p-patch
8 years ago

I still don’t quite get it. Although I haven’t seen the box in person, it looks like the box itself is lower than the average human head. In other words, projected images are as likely to be on some drunks forehead as they are the buildings across the way. It seems that mounting projectors on rooftops or upper windows is a better vantage point and won’t involve SDOT. Otherwise, kind of a cool idea. :)

Keen Observer
Keen Observer
8 years ago

There are some serious legal and copyright issues here as well as general visual pollution.

Tyler
8 years ago

@keen observer, I believe the visual pollution is all the monied bros I now have to see when I go to my office or try to enjoy a night out. You don’t know if there are copyright issues, and we Queers have not always stayed on the right side of the law, thats how we gained visibility and demanded our rights. If you can’t handle a Queer projection installation for Pride month, get out of the neighborhood we spent years making a safe space for our community.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
8 years ago
Reply to  Tyler

Yeah, no kidding. What “serious legal and copyright issues”? You don’t even know what they’ll be projecting. Are you clairvoyant?

dc
dc
8 years ago
Reply to  Tyler

Seriously. I hope the curator takes a cue from Pony and makes this imagery way too much for the average neighborhood tourist bro.

Queer It Up
Queer It Up
8 years ago
Reply to  dc

Yes, that would be awesome! I hope there are plenty of trans and POC folks included as well. Show the bros how unabashedly gorgeous we all are!

sugarpill
8 years ago
Reply to  Queer It Up

The beauty of this whole thing is that YOU will be able to submit your own images and messages. We are not curating, but rather co-creating an interactive platform for the entire queer community to participate in showing every gorgeous aspect of who we are. Stay tuned…

Ryan on Summit
Ryan on Summit
8 years ago

Sounds like a good idea but I hope it’s not just rainbows.

neighbor
neighbor
8 years ago
Reply to  Ryan on Summit

No, they’ll have some Judy Garland videos as well ;-)

Soccermomdoom
Soccermomdoom
8 years ago

Unless its not relevant to our neighborhood I don’t see why it is a bad idea. If its a good content up above I’d love to be seeing it. Would be fun to see all bros staring at queer pictures projected there.

SugarPill
8 years ago
Reply to  Soccermomdoom

That is EXACTLY what made me think to do this! I just wanted to see gorgeous, positive images everywhere! Stay tuned for an invitation to participate – the content will be generated by anyone in the community who would like to share their own image of pride, of fabulous queerness, of the neighborhood history & our community.. and for the doubters – there are no legal or copyright issues with that.

Danny
Danny
8 years ago
Reply to  SugarPill

How does one “stay tuned”?

sugarpill
8 years ago
Reply to  Danny

We’ll be providing a link SOON, which we are hoping will be shared widely, where you can offer up your own image and/or message about being queer – whatever that looks like or means to you – in this moment, in this place, or how you came to be here. We want to see the most beautiful, diverse, honest and challenging representation of our whole community, our history and our hopes for the future.

Genessa
8 years ago

This is brilliant. Important. Relevant. Connecting. And righteous. Queer is here baby. Bring on the projected images! Thank you Karyn Schwartz and Joey Veltkamp!

SugarPill
8 years ago
Reply to  Genessa

#stillherestillqueer

Oh
Oh
8 years ago

I guess I’m just a bit disappointed to learn that it isn’t an aPodment for little people.

Danny
Danny
8 years ago
Reply to  Oh

Hahahahaha