It’s the second week of December which means it is time for the Capitol Hill Art Walk Thursday.  Check capitolhillartwalk.com for this month’s venues, but two things to be aware of is that the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict and Capitol Hill Housing will be presenting Porous Public Space: Climate Adaption through Public Space Design at the 12th Ave Arts Building as part of the art walk and the Annex Theatre will be hosting its variety show, Spin the Bottle, after the art walk wraps up.

For other things to do this week check out the below events and visit the CHS Calendar.

For gift ideas, holiday events, and deals from local merchants, check out Shop the Hill.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11:  The Northwest African American Museum and Hugo House will be presenting a tribute to the legacy of James Baldwin (1924 – 1987).  Baldwin was born in Harlem where he grew up and his known for may works on racial, sexual, and class distinctions, such as Notes of a Native Son and Giovanni’s Room.  There will be readings and remembrances from Anastacia-Renée, Ebo Barton, LaNesha DeBardelaben, and Seattle Civic Poet Jourdan Imani Keith. Northwest African American Museum, 7 PM – 9 PM.

Starving artists may be a cliché, but every industry has its challenges and the art world more than some. The Gage Academy of Art is bringing three Seattle artists together to discuss the variety of options that are available in today’s world, from DIY spaces to social media, as alternatives to the traditional gallery system.  Admission $5. Town Hall, 7:30 PM.

THURSDAY, Dec. 12:   December’s Capitol Hill Art Walk will also feature a popular night for you to add some local creations to your holiday gift lists. This year’s Guilty Holiday Pleasures at Chophouse Row will feature drag queen carolers, shopping, mulled wine, holiday tree lighting, and of course, a bad santa photo booth. Chophouse Row, 6 PM – 10 PM

Guilty Holiday Pleasures at Chophouse Row

You’ll also want to check out the 13th Annual Holiday Mini Art Exhibit as another year of small, affordable art returns to Capitol Hill’s Ghost Gallery, 5 PM – 9 PM.

The 2019 graduates of the Vera DJ program will be celebrating their accomplishment with music – and ice cream!  The Vera Project engages the public and youth through music production and community organization with a focus on young people ages 14 to 24.  Come celebrate with as the music is free, but you pay for the ice cream. Full Tilt, 6 PM – 9 PM

Seattle journalist and author, Sam Howe Verhovek, will be presenting Invisible People: Stories of Lives at the Margins, which is a posthumously published collection of the works of Alex Tizon.  Tizon (1959-2017) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Seattle Times and taught at the University of Oregon and was known for gravitating towards outsiders of all types.  Elliot Bay Book Company, 7 PM.

The Holiday season is meant to be a joyous of year, but for some it can be quite the opposite.  Ruben Mendez and Abigail Swanson have organized an event, Depression Fest, to offer the opportunity to lift your spirits and donate some money to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.  There will be musical acts and readings from a variety of artists. Donations start at $10. Fred Wildlife Refuge, 6 PM – 12 AM.

FRIDAY, Dec. 13: Gather for A Service of Readings and Carols at St. James Cathedral.  “O come, all ye faithful! Music and readings from Holy Scripture combine in joyous proclamation of the Advent of Christ’s birth. The Cathedral youth and adult choirs, organ, and brass offer music for Advent and lead the congregation in carol singing, including Silent night in the glow of candlelight.”   It is recommended that you arrive early so you can find seating as this is a popular event.  This event is free to the public.  St. James Cathedral, 7:30 PM – 9 PM.

Additional choral music can be found as the Prime Voci of the Seattle Girls Choir will be performing Carmina Angelorum: Songs of the Angels.  The night will include Benjamin Britten’s, A Ceremony of Carols.  General Admission is $15 and $10 for Seniors, Students and Service Members.  St. Joseph Church, 8 PM.

In the event that music isn’t your thing, but books are, poet Elizabeth J. Coleman will be reading from Here: Poems for the Planet at the annual Copper Canyon Press Showcase and Holiday Book Sale.  She will be among several readers – and there will be some music present as the Glass Heart String Choir will be performing.  Hugo House, 7 PM – 9 PM.

SATURDAY, Dec. 14: Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing is offering its monthly Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing Overview & Tour in Seattle where you’ll get a chance to have your questions about cohousing answered and see how those who are doing it live.  Afterwards there will be a Cohousing 101 workshop session that delves further into the aspects and benefits of cohousing.  Meet at Schemata Workshop next door to the CHUC. CHUC, 10 AM – 12 PM.

The Gundersen Family Holiday Show is an open floor concert experience that allows for quiet picnics during the show and the presence of children – just keep in mind the quiet policy.  The Gundersen Family opened the first show of the Cathedrals Concert series in 2011 and will be performing the 30th concert in the series tonight.  General Admission is $30, Children under 10 are free.  St. Mark’s Cathedral, Doors open at 6:30 PM and the show begins at 7:30 PM.

Still hunting for gifts or just want to get yourself a little something?  The new art space, Museum of Museums (MoM) is hosting Mall with MoM, a small market for local businesses.  903 Broadway, 11 AM – 5 PM.  

SUNDAY, Dec. 15:   The Seattle Analytic Philosophy Club will be hosting a discussion on Idealism and the Nature of Reality to be moderated by Jon Cohen.  Idealism speaks to the idea that reality is a mental construct and at odds with science and the physical world, but the discussion will present evidence that may offer new ideas on the subject.  Capitol Hill Branch of The Seattle Public Library, 1:30 PM.