Published August 2 2016
Take a lunch break to see art and live performances from local artists.
Artist: Markeith Wiley; Photographer credit: Joseph Lambert / JazzyPhoto
The City of Bellevue kicks off its First Friday Art Walk -- Bellwether -- August 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The City of Bellevue presents art from around the world designed to bring people together. Thirty-two artists herald a growing movement of great ideas and people coming together at City Hall, along the Pedestrian Corridor, and in Downtown Park. The first 50 people to arrive at the City Hall Plaza will enjoy free pizza!
The lunchtime activities include:
- Hear Me Roar poetry readings at 11:30 a.m. in the Pavilion at Bellevue City Hall Plaza with by Seattle's Youth Poet Laureate Angel Gardner, Stranger Genius Award Nominee Shin Yu Pai, Nikkita Oliver, and Suzanne Edison.
- Interactive art experiences by Tracy Rector along Northeast 6th Street.
- Performances by Hallie Aldrich and Markeith Wiley at Compass Plaza.
- Dance and music performances at Downtown Park by Grupo Bayano and others.
These events coincide with the Bellevue Arts Museum's Free First Friday program, which will offer free admission. The museum has extended hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and offers special lectures, tours, presentations, and programming throughout the day.
The next two First Friday Bellwether Art Walks will be from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., September 2 and October 7 and will also include lunchtime performances featuring dance, music, and poetry as well as free admission to the Bellevue Arts Museum.
If you can't break away from the office at lunch, free guided tours of Bellwether are available every Thursday at 10 a.m. for groups of eight or more through October 6. Requests need to be made at least two weeks in advance by emailing cross@bellevuewa.gov, with "Tour" in the subject line. Or, take a self-guided tour with a free mobile app called STQRY that provides easy access to the stories behind the art.
Bellwether is a juried exhibition that features a variety of artworks presented in public places from City Hall to Downtown Park. The exhibition features sculptures and installations from 32 artists from around the world. Bellwether will be on view through October 9. More information is available on the Bellwether Exhibition webpage.
The 2016 Bellwether Juried Exhibition Artists are: Cameron Anne Mason (Seattle); David Middlebrook (Los Gatos, Calif.); Jae Hyo Lee (Gyeonggi-do, Korea); Lisa Chen (Surrey, B.C.); Ruth Beer (Vancouver, B.C.); Carol Gouthro (Seattle); Michael Johnson (Seattle); Leah Gerrard (Vashon Island); Elizabeth Groth (Tyler, Texas); Nicole Shaver (Iowa City, Iowa); Jorge Mansilla (Darlinghurst, Australia); Victoria Heuston (Gainesville, Fla); Brian Narus (Port Orchard, Wash.); Tom Gormally (Seattle); Margery Amdur (Philadelphia); Amanda Salov (Corvallis, Ore.); Barry Scharf (Redmond, Wash.); James Ellingboe (Seattle); Fabrizio Constanza (Guatemala); Chico Santos (Londrina, Brazil); Barbara De Pirro (Allyn, Wash.); Elizabeth Harvey (Alameda, Calif.); Danielle Foushee (Phoenix, Ariz.); Anthony Heinz May (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Alan Fulle (Seattle); John Zylstra (Bellingham, Wash.); Quintín Rivera-Toro (Caguas, Puerto Rico); and John Fleming (Seattle).