DESIGN IN PUBLIC‘S ANNUAL TWO-WEEK CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS DESIGN HAPPENS SEPTEMBER 6-21, AND GRAY IS RETURNING AS MEDIA SPONSOR. This year’s SDF theme explores how we design for TRUST. We’ve compiled an expert guide on what to see and do during the fest, including outdoor installations, dinners, and the epic opening night party, co-sponsored by us, naturally. There’s something for everyone in the festival’s extensive list of events, so check them out and mark your calendar!
Opening Night Party at The Collective September 6, 7-10pm
Slip on your party shoes and join GRAY for the Seattle Design Festival’s opening night soirée, hosted at SLU new members-only community space The Collective (read about it in the current issue of GRAY). $25 suggested donation.
Block Party September 8 & 9
As a perennial favorite event, the family-friendly Block Party takes over Occidental park with two days of performances, activities, and exhibits, sparking conversation about the 2018 theme: TRUST. Architecture, engineering, and design firms create structures that invite attendees to interact and participate.
Power of Trust Installation September 8 and 9, times vary
A collaboration between artist Jill Drllevich, Signal Architecture + Research, creative trio Electric Coffin, and local builder Dovetail, this site-specific installation at Pioneer Square’s Occidental Park will prompt a larger examination of public trust and consequence. It’s sure to be a conversation starter.
Chromatic Dinner September 9, 13 and 14, 7 to 10 p.m.
A feast for the senses: The Chromatic Dinner, held at Mutuus Studio in SoDo (9/9) and at coworking space Galvanize (9/13, 9/14), is a five-course dining experience wherein each course is designed to play with the senses. Organized by Gather Seattle and presented by a team of Dutch designers, expect a combination of visual, taste, sound, texture and smell with each dish, which will examine if that combo can spark an emotional response from you, the eater, and create the ultimate culinary adventure.
Dance Church September 11, 8 to 9:30 p.m.
Practice your dance steps during this 90-minute, all-abilities movement class at Velocity Dance Center, during which the talented dance artist and choreographer Kate Wallich guides you via a series of movement cues. You’ll be sweating and swaying to a curated playlist of pop music from an array of genres.
Collaborative Companies and Louise Durocher Studio Tour September 11, 6 to 9 p.m.
Walk neighboring studios of Collaborative Companies and sculptor Louise Durocher, where they’ll feature design concepts that address Seattle’s growing pains and show how design can bring communities together.
Georgetown Self-Guided Design Tour September 11, 2 to 8 p.m.
Spend the day traversing the many design-, art- and architecture-related haunts in Seattle’s creative-heavy industrial Georgetown neighborhood, including Seattle Design Center, Equinox Studios, many of its great vintage shops, and even the GRAY magazine offices. Organized by Illuminata Glass.
Arcade Launch Party September 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Fête the release of Arcade’s fall 2018 issue “Seattle’s Ethos: Changes in Our Common Space” at Good Weather Bicycle & Cafe on Capitol Hill. With a $20 suggested donation at the door, you’ll snag a copy of the issue, drinks and light bites.
Rainier and Jackson Complex Block Party September 14, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The Rainier Oven Building Complex has been hosting its creative community of designers and artists for 20 years and its annual block party, hosted in part by SHED Architecture & Design, will toast the anniversary with eats and drinks aplenty.
Design Lecture Series with Bonnie Siegler September 21, 7 to 9 p.m.
Civilization Design Lectures kicks off the 2018/2019 season with Bonnie Siegler, founder of Westport, Conn., design studio Eight and a Half who was voted one of the 50 most influential designers working today by Graphic Design USA. Her free talk at Seattle’s Central Library will center on findings from her recently released book, Signs of Resistance — A Visual History of Protest in America. Siegler is co-curating an exhibition of the same name in Civilization’s Non-Breaking Space in SoDo, which will be on view next month through November 14.