Artist of the Week
The Jack Straw Artist of the Week Podcast highlights work created through the Artist Residency Programs at Jack Straw Cultural Center.-
Story-keeping—the UN-[TITLED] Oral History series
“Story-keeping—the UN-[TITLED] Oral History series” is a soundscape of music and oral histories heard during performances of the UN-[TITLED] Project. As a series of offerings and invitations created in collaboration with theater and community artists and architects, UN-[TITLED] is an immersive, multisite-specific project that centers on the ways in which communities are displaced by gentrification. Guests are guided through a series of engagements and reckonings with community meaning, cultural memory, and healing in the Central and Chinatown International Districts of Seattle.
About the UN-[TITLED] Oral Histories: “This is an Oral History series of Seattle residents as part of the UN-[TITLED] project–a space of reflection on where we all fit on the spectrum of gentrification, and the shifting story of home in Seattle. Over the last 25 years, the historically redlined areas of Central and Chinatown International Districts have weathered widespread rapid development that has economically displaced and culturally dispersed the communities that once occupied these spaces. An intergenerational group of community residents who claim deep roots in these districts were invited to participate in this series—to share their experiences and memories of growing up, living, or working in these neighborhoods. It is a chorus of unique voices who claim multiple cultures and heritages, with varying economic backgrounds, jobs, professions, and identities. They each offer charged and moving contributions as story-keepers for their beloved neighborhoods.This series holds space for listening and reflection on where we fit on the spectrum of gentrification, and into the shifting story of home in this city. We are thankful and honor the generosity of every participant who shared what needs to be said and heard about how gentrification has directly impacted them, their street blocks, their families, their friends, their memories, and their sense of place. Together they offer to us a sacred vessel of legacy-keeping and memory-making for displaced and surviving communities.”
Visit the project website to hear, see, and read more about UN-[TITLED].
Oral History Participants, in order of appearance: JM Wong, Karen Akada Sakata, Brandi Li, JM Wong, Gloria Jackson-Neffertiti, Maisha Barnett, Ruby Holland, C. Davida Ingram, Maria Kang
Audio editing: Berette S Macaulay
Music: Seattle Soundscape Symphony by Benjamin Hunter
Photos: Berette S MacaulayUN-[TITLED] is a multisite socially engaged project conceived and organized by commissioning curator Berette S Macaulay. UN-[TITLED] is a National Performance Network(NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by On the Boards (Seattle) in partnership with BRIC (New York). The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Audio recordings and production made possible through the Artist Residency Programs at Jack Straw Cultural Center.
UN-[TITLED] is also supported by fiscal sponsorship with Northwest Film Forum, and administratively by i•ma•gine | e•volve & Third Rail Projects.
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Nada Rosa - Reversal of Fortune
“Reversal of Fortune” is the first single from Nada Rosa’s upcoming album, Nunca Te Olvido, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program. The song speaks to the natural ebb and flow of life, and the inherent cycle of evolution and destruction that we all experience.
“Reversal of Fortune” is available now on all platforms. Nunca Te Olvido comes out this May.
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MANtrio - It's Simply a Matter of Work
“It’s Simply a Matter of Work” will be included on MANtrio‘s forthcoming album, produced through the Artist Support Program. About it, drummer Melanie Sehman writes, “‘It’s Simply a Matter of Work’ was not something we had planned on recording when we came to record at Jack Straw. While in the studio, we needed a quick break from recording our composed pieces so we decided to do what we most enjoy: improvise. This is an improvisation based on three randomly drawn Oblique Strategies cards, and it turned out to be one of our favorite tracks and will be included on the forthcoming album.”
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LaVon Hardison - Walks with Robert
“Walks with Robert” is a selection from LaVon Hardison‘s new album Brown Girls Dream, produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program. Catch LaVon live, and pick up a copy of the CD, at our spring artist showcase on April 1st at Jack Straw.
About this song, LaVon writes, “I wrote ‘Walks with Robert’ in the winter of 2020 and everyone was huddled inside hiding from COVID, and the recent snow seemed to emphasize the stillness and solitude of what everyone was feeling. I remember looking out my front window and feeling the dreamlike state of snowfall. The way it muffles and slows everything down, how it brings everything to a stop. It felt like nothing was happening and I was anxious that I would be put in this holding pattern forever. But looking outside, I was reminded that life was still happening, I just couldn’t see it, and this pause is part of livingness.”
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Artscape - Kofi Anang
This Artscapes radio piece was produced by Jack Straw in 1995 as part of a series highlighting the work of Jack Straw’s resident artists. Jack Straw artist Kofi Anang talks about growing up in Ghana and the inspiration behind his music and performance.
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Tiffany Danielle Elliott New Media Gallery Interview
Jack Straw artist Tiffany Danielle Elliott talks with Carlos Nieto about her Jack Straw New Media Gallery installation I promise I won’t scream.
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Jose Bold - Get Better Nova
Jose Bold (aka John Osebold) performed this version of “Get Better Nova” at Jack Straw’s October 2022 artist showcase. The original appears on his 2012 album Amp Year. Find more music and other projects from John at josebold.com.
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arx duo - Evergreen (I. Fading Light)
“Fading Light” is the first movement of Robert Honstein’s Evergreen, included on arx duo‘s album Ambient Resonances, which was produced through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program and is available now from Origin Classical.
Watch: arx duo live at Jack Straw in October 2021
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James Falzone - The Already and the Not Yet
This improvisation by James Falzone revolving around a medieval advent carol was recorded live in the Jack Straw New Media Gallery on December 21, 2019 at the Jack Straw Winter 2019 Artist Showcase.
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EarthtoneSkytone - Tend Towards Whispers
This performance was recorded live at Jack Straw’s 2021 Fall Artist Showcase. You can catch the band’s full set from the showcase on YouTube. EarthtoneSkytone is currently finishing up their new album, produced with help from the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
