There is a new art walk in the Intl District. Through Feb. 28th, local artists are using vacant retail spaces in the Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District neighborhoods to display their artwork, house their creative enterprises and establish artist residencies. One of our favorite parts is the painting of a reflection of our very own King Street Station (which SDOT has under rennovation), that you can see at the Bush Hotel site windows, number 9 on the Storefronts Seattle http://storefrontsseattle.wordpress.com/visit/ map. This stroll through the neighborhood will give you good exercise and good views.
Another point of reflection: vacant storefronts can be discouraging, but Seattle Storefronts helps them be an opportunity. These artists got creative and helped create community or try something new until the economy turns around. There is an architecture school for out of work architects and pinball gallery. Storefronts Seattle promotes neighborhood vitality by bringing art and creative enterprise to available storefronts. The program began in early 2010, when community members from the Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District neighborhoods sought solutions for the lack of foot traffic and a decrease in community engagement associated with the growing number of vacant storefronts in the area.
Keep your eye out for a new round of installations to be featured in mid-March. Storefronts Seattle, in partnership with the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, should have a call for artists going out soon.