Arts and Entertainment

If your exposure to Seattle is limited to postcards and reputation, then you know it for the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, coffee and rain. But today’s Seattle is ever evolving, filled with colorful neighborhoods beyond the museum-studded central districts. The University District, or U District, is home to more pioneering and enduring businesses than just about any other neighborhood. The Burke Museum and Henry Art Gallery are mentioned.

For the dance course "Activating Space," students danced in public spaces across the University of Washington's Seattle campus this spring.

Looking for book or podcast recommendations? We asked faculty who've been featured in Perspectives newsletter during the past academic year to suggest a personal favorite. 

Earlier this month, Spotify announced that it would be raising the price of its premium memberships, with its “individual” subscription going from $10.99 to $11.99 a month starting in July. This is the second price increase users have seen in a year. Gabriel Solis, professor of music and Divisional Dean of the Arts at the UW, is interviewed.

The UW is delighted to announce the recipients of the 54th annual University of Washington Awards of Excellence! The awards honor outstanding alumni, faculty, staff, students and retirees who contribute to the richness and diversity of our University community.

From "Hamburger Hill" to "The Sympathizer," veteran actor Kieu Chinh discusses how her career shaped Vietnam War memories. Linh Thủy Nguyễn, assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is quoted.

Markus Teuton, a musician and citizen of Cherokee Nation, explores contemporary Indigenous music through his academic work and as host of “Indigenous Jazz,” a radio show.

Doctoral student Lorin Green (flute) was featured recently on NPR's Live Sessions in a video performance from Classical King’s “Northwest Focus Live” with host Sean MacLean, performing "I Catch On Fire," by Jake Heggie, with mezzo Myah Rose Paden, and pianist Joe Williams.

Music Education alumna Caitlin Sarwono's ('23 BM, Music Ed) passion for musical theater and her involvement with the UW Stage Notes theater student organization has led her to professional stage roles at Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theater. 

Though the economic reality of being a professional musician has long necessitated that they work side jobs, the loss of performance opportunities during the pandemic shutdown made portfolio careers even more necessary for artists. Percussion Studies Chair Bonnie Whiting and alumna Leanna Keith ('17 MM, Woodwinds) are featured in this article from Seattle public radio station KNKX.

Tacoma-based chamber orchestra Northwest Sinfonietta performed a variety of concerto excerpts with UW piano students April 12, conducted by senior artist in residence David Rahbee. The UW School of Music is mentioned.

Every January, the Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency program invites an up-and-coming Black artist to exhibit new work and carry on the legacy of the late Jacob Lawrence. This year, the exhibition showcases Simon Benjamin, a Jamaican multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in New York. The School of Art + Art History + Design is mentioned.

Nearly a year after the Hollywood writers' strike started, the entertainment industry remains in flux. Daniel Bessner, assistant professor of international studies at the UW, says TV and film writers are feeling the brunt of the changes.

Jordan Jones has been appointed as the next Director and Curator of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, to begin in April 2024. In her role as Director and Curator, Jones will provide curatorial, programming, and administrative leadership and oversight in a newly renovated state-of-the-art exhibition space within the School of Art + Art History + Design at the UW Seattle campus. 

“For me, art has always been, more than anything, a container for conversation … I want [this gallery] to be a space where folks can meet and have a really vital, productive kind of social experience," said Jordan Jones. Getting to know Jacob Lawrence Gallery’s new director and curator.