♪♪
-Hi, there, and welcome to the show.
I'm Nancy Guppy, and this week, we are coming to you
from the wonderful Columbia City Gallery on Rainier Avenue South.
Opened in 1999, Columbia City Gallery
is a collective for artists by artists
who are empowered to drive the programming
and operations of the gallery.
Artworks exhibited here cover a wide range of mediums,
including painting, ceramics, printmaking, glass,
sculpture, mixed media, jewelry, and more.
♪♪
In addition to featuring members of the collective,
the gallery has a community exhibit area
that invites artists from all walks of life
to showcase their work.
Highlighting these creatives
is a crucial component to the gallery's mission
of amplifying underrepresented voices
and bringing in new perspectives.
Put it all together, and the upshot is this.
Columbia City Gallery is a dynamic hub of lively
and diverse exhibits, performances,
and public art programs designed to support
and sustain artists and, equally important,
to inspire and connect residents and visitors.
Doesn't get better than that.
The gallery is currently accepting applications
for membership into the collective,
as well as proposals for community exhibits.
For more information on how to apply,
go to columbiacitygallery.com.
We've got a terrific show for you,
including an inspiring and inclusive choir...
-Resounding love has turned into a space
where people maybe felt powerless,
that they feel empowered.
-...a brand new outdoor walking guide...
...and music from singer-songwriter Ethan Tucker.
-♪ Well, back in the day, summertime would never end ♪
♪ And all this talk of growin' up ♪
♪ It was just pretend, you see ♪
-And we'll begin with the very talented artist and designer
Shogo Ota.
♪♪
-How do my art communicate to the world?
You know, people create something,
and that visual affects people's feelings and memories.
And, you know, art and mural doesn't talk,
but it speaks to you, and it have some kind of communication.
My name is Shogo Ota.
I am an artist, designer,
in Camano Island.
I have been printed with my art
into scarves, jerseys, wine bottles.
I recently did a gin and vodka for a local company,
silkscreen printed posters, mugs.
Yeah, everything, everything you see, yes.
My hometown is Gifu Prefecture.
I actually wanted to go to university in Japan,
but I failed all exams.
Went to Idaho and started studying English.
Never thought about it being a professional artist or designer.
Five years later, I moved to Seattle
for this internship for graphic design company.
I made a poster for just fun.
I submit it to the local newspaper called "The Stranger"
in Seattle, and then they used it for cover art.
Then I started my own studio.
I decided to use the name,
the name of the guy, Tireman, and Tireman Studio.
And it's been like about 12, 13 years.
Lots of people ask me my style,
which I do not have just one style.
One person called me, "Oh, you have a style like a chameleon."
I have drawn chameleon before, yes.
There's a big mural in SODO.
It's like 100-foot-wide big chameleon piece
on the warehouse.
I do love making things to surprise people, yes.
I like their reactions,
and I like my art becoming their memories and surprise moments
and, you know, even like small gift,
you know, make them a little happy, you know?
I love that.
I work with Sounders and Krakens,
Seattle Krakens, and now Seattle Reign.
When my art becomes jerseys and scarves,
yes, I feel really special
and being a part of the community and the team
at the same time.
That's, you know, one of the, you know, achievements
every time I work on it.
♪♪
So, I have done World Cup poster,
Seattle poster that was competitive work.
So I have to submit my portfolio and a sketch first,
and I heard over 200 people submitted.
I was really proud and surprised that I got selected
and won that competition.
So this is my original sketch.
You know, I usually write down the theme
and what they're looking for and key, you know, words.
That's the orca tail with Lumen Field arch on top part together
and then Seattle map inside in really abstract way.
I like those visual ideas that gives you answer right away.
So it almost communicates right away,
and then, "Oh.
I think that's one of the biggest achievements I've done.
World Cup is I think one of the biggest sports events
in the world. Means a lot,
and I feel really lucky about that.
I do love seeing my art actually in the real world.
Sometimes I see people wearing it
randomly in the city.
That makes me really happy and feels my art is alive.
Going to FIFA World Cup was definitely one of my bucket list
you know, since I was little. Many people will see that
and then, like, especially for younger kids,
might come visit Seattle for the World Cup
or sightseeing around that time.
If my poster became their kind of visual memories,
like, you know, 10, 20 years later,
"Oh, I remember I went to Seattle with my parents,
and the World Cup was going on, and I saw that orca whale poster
and I used to have that in my room," you know?
So my art can create that kind of memories for small kids
or, you know, any people.
I think that's really amazing.
So, this mural project is for the city of Bellingham.
I'll be working on that next couple weeks.
I'm thinking some kind of cool, high contrast,
like, Pacific Northwest animals in there.
The movement of pencil helps me a lot.
It's almost conversational process.
I can use that visual for giving myself some feedbacks
and then draw something new and then edit a little bit
and make it better and better little by little.
I think it's pretty close to that sketch.
I didn't change the concept much.
It's just the little details.
So, it's like a big circle shape,
and there's two animals, a big salmon on the bottom.
You know, tail is on the top,
and then Mount Baker because this is Bellingham,
a little sun there, and the eagle's flying over.
People usually check our works like on a cellphone or computer.
But if you actually be there and then see how big it is,
and the energy from the art is totally different from screens.
Yeah, I love what I do. That makes me keep going and happy,
because I cannot do this by myself.
I always need to work with the team
or clients or community, you know?
And all my projects are different,
but always with someone.
So I love the connections and teamwork and the results.
Already, like, people, you know, they're kind of walking by here
and gave us lots of good compliments,
like, "Oh, that looks so cool."
They already taking photos of it.
Yeah. [ Laughs ]
Art is really part of the community and people's life
and good inspirations and everything,
like really good vibes. Yeah.
♪♪
-Learn more about Shogo at tiremanstudio.com
and pick up Shogo's World Cup poster
through the official FIFA website.
Many voices coming together in song
can be a powerful experience for both singers and the listeners,
which is certainly the case with the Resounding Love Choir.
-♪ So many troubles ♪
-♪ The troubles of this world ♪
-♪ I can't hear you singin' 'bout it ♪
-Resounding Love is a choir that sings gospel,
that sings spirituals,
that sings songs of protest.
And so we try to bring all those things together
so that we can be the change that we want to see in the world
-♪ As we, we fight so hard ♪
♪ Don't stop fighting ♪
-There is so much richness and diversity and expression
of the human experience, right?
And we all bring those things together,
and we create this magical sound
that I call the Resounding Love sound.
-I would also say that it's,
for some people, it's a space of safety.
For some people, it's their space for release.
It's community.
It's where they come to, uh, get away from it all, right?
They come. They're able to use their voice to sing, to sing,
to actually use your voice for something good.
-♪ I believe that today ♪ -♪ I believe that today ♪
-♪ It will be ♪ -♪ The best day of my life ♪
-♪ I believe ♪ -♪ I believe ♪
-I think Resounding Love is a work
that I cannot measure in time,
because it is something that is such a big part of our life.
It's hard to quantify it in time.
What I will say is it requires a great deal of time.
-It does. -And it is also a careful dance,
because we have a product
that we have to create and perform,
but we also have to make sure
that the people are enriched by the product,
that they are seen, that they are felt,
that they feel respected and honored in their diversity.
Like, we're not trying to shove any kind of spirituality
down their throat. We're just literally trying to say,
"Hey, come in into this space of love."
And it takes a great deal of work for that to take place.
[ All singing warm-up vocalizations ]
Resounding Love has turned into a space
where people have maybe felt powerless,
-that they feel empowered. -Yes.
-They feel like they're not alone in their frustrations,
in their anger, in their spaces where they feel,
"I'm not able to do enough,"
they get to be joined with other people, like-minded.
-On this journey we call life. -Yes.
-♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
-Hallelujah.
-♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
-Hallelujah.
-♪ Hallelujah ♪ -Halle!
-♪ Hallelujah ♪
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
♪ Hallelujah, amen ♪
-That's the focus that we're required
for every single part of singing that we do.
-Yes. -Have a seat.
♪♪
-We met in church, and I was just visiting.
You know, I didn't know that I was going to meet a friend,
'cause that's how we started off, as friends,
as a brother, as somebody who -- 'cause I was new to the area.
-And through our conversation,
we realized that we had so much more in common.
Our worldviews were aligned.
How we looked at music was aligned,
just making sure that it was equality.
But I will say there have been many, many nights
in our development together
where we sat right on the couch behind us,
and we just had profound conversations.
And there was a time when he did say,
"You know, I could see myself falling in love with you."
And I was like, I wasn't ready for that.
But I was.
Our proposal was at the 2024...
-Benaroya. -...Benaroya concert.
I proposed to him in front of over 500 people at that concert.
And I did that because I felt like there was a greater chance
that he would say yes
and not embarrass me in front of 500 people.
So it worked in my favor.
-Truth is, I told him, I said, you didn't have to do that.
We could have just -- You could have said it that morning.
"Hey, let's go get married." We would have went
to the justice of the peace, got it done.
But, you know, it was wonderful.
They surprised me. I do not like surprises.
They got me good.
-One, two, three.
-♪ Lift every voice and sing ♪
-I think love means
that I look beyond the things that divide us.
I acknowledge them,
but I also look beyond them and see what connects us.
I want to see a part of myself in you,
'cause if I can see myself in you,
then I don't want to do harm to myself.
-There you go. -I have to value you
as I value myself.
I think love also means telling the truth,
because we understand that this is not perfection.
We're not perfect.
But how we deal with injury makes us profoundly loving.
-Yeah.
[ All singing indistinctly ]
-We are one another's strengths.
And I trust that --
what I like to pray to is divine love in this space,
that divine love is already here,
already manifested
in the beauty of each and every one of you.
This is the sound of belonging.
-Mm. -Listen!
-This is what it sounds like to belong.
-♪ Walk on the water ♪
♪ Don't be afraid ♪
♪ I am here always ♪
-What this world needs is healing.
And everybody is deserving of it.
And if they can get into a space where they are impacted
by the message of the songs that we sing
and the spirit that we bring,
and it causes a transformation in them
that makes them better, stronger, more loved,
more cared for, more seen,
then that is what we want.
♪♪
-♪ Yet ♪
♪ Begun ♪
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
The change happens with you. It happens with you.
-More about the Resounding Love Choir,
including a schedule of upcoming performances,
is on their website.
-♪ Don't be afraid ♪
-Our musical guest this week is Ethan Tucker,
performing his original song "Every Moment"
from the stage of the Sunset Tavern.
♪♪
-♪ Well, back in the day, summertime would never end ♪
♪ And all this talk of growin' up ♪
♪ It was just pretend, you see ♪
♪ We broke our neighbor's fence to make our fort ♪
♪ We'd wake up in the afternoon and ride our skateboards ♪
♪ Never gave a second thought to where the time went ♪
♪♪
♪ Never gave a second thought to the money we spent ♪
♪♪
♪ And every moment's like a dream ♪
♪ And this life's a flowing stream ♪
♪♪
♪ Of memories, it seems ♪
♪♪
♪ And time never stays the same ♪
♪ But don't call it a shame, shame, shame ♪
♪ Just embrace the change ♪
♪♪
♪ And don't give up now, don't give up on yourself ♪
♪♪
♪ And don't fear to put your heart back on the shelf ♪
♪♪
♪ Because you only live this moment once ♪
♪ So don't fear to have some fun ♪
♪♪
♪ And a good friend told me that change is a law of life ♪
♪ She said don't fear no pain and don't fear no strife ♪
♪ Because, 'cause all this bad will be gone pretty soon ♪
♪ When you pray, give thanks for the earth and moon because ♪
♪ Because this planet is a home for you and me ♪
♪ It's a home for the grass, and it's a home for the trees and ♪
♪♪
♪ And don't fear to show some love, love, love ♪
♪♪
♪ And don't fear to have some faith in the above, child ♪
♪♪
♪ 'Cause every moment's like a dream ♪
♪ And this life's a flowing stream ♪
♪♪
♪ Of memories, it seems ♪
♪♪
♪ And time never stays the same ♪
♪ But don't call it a shame, shame, shame ♪
♪ Just embrace the change ♪
♪♪
♪ And every moment's like a dream ♪
♪♪
♪ And this life's a flowing stream ♪
♪ Of memories, it seems ♪
♪♪
♪ And time never stays the same ♪
♪ But don't call it a shame, shame, shame ♪
♪♪
♪ Just embrace the change ♪
♪♪
-[ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you.
-For more about Ethan, including upcoming performances,
go to ethantuckermusic.com
and listen for Ethan's original song, "High Time,"
in the Netflix series "Ransom Canyon."
♪♪
Finally, spring is upon us,
which means spending lots more time in the great outdoors,
and a new book from Maria Dolan and Kathryn True
will help us to do just that.
"Seattle Field Guide: Explore Nature in the City,"
published by The Mountaineers,
features 38 lovely, nature filled treks.
Tightly written with beautiful color photographs,
the guide highlights diverse destinations
throughout the city -- beaches, boat rides, forests,
gardens, vistas, along with descriptions of the terrain,
tips on accessibility,
and special instructions of what to see where.
Don't miss the heron colony
near the Ballard Locks. "Seattle Field Guide"
is available in your favorite indie bookstore, online,
and through the Mountaineers website,
and Maria and Kathryn have a number of upcoming live
and local events, including a presentation
and guided nature walk on Saturday, May 2nd at 2:00 p.m.
at the Downtown Seattle Public Library,
and on Saturday, May 16th at 1:00 p.m.
at the Seward Park Audubon Center.
And that's a wrap.
Big thanks to Columbia City Gallery for hosting us.
And a reminder to check out their two current exhibits,
"Community, Culture, and Soul" and "Representation Abstraction"
running through April 19th.
Hours and location are at columbiacitygallery.com.
And thanks to you for watching.
Have a great week, and we'll see you soon.
Alright. So, of course, the "Seattle Field Guide,"
there are 38 nature walks in this book.
I want to point out one in particular.
It is number 12, Commodore Park Heron Colony.
We're very close to that. I want to show you how to get here.
First of all, you can come from the Ballad side
through the Ballard Locks,
which is what we did. Just go all the way through,
which is kind of a fun, little adventure.
Or you can come through Magnolia on Commodore Way,
which is right over here.
But instead of going that way,
we're going this way to the herons,
which are right down this path.
Through this little stand of trees,
very beautiful little spot.
And when we get down here, Cameraman George
is going to do a beautiful, sweeping panoramic shot
of the trees.
And keep in mind that big clumps that you see up there,
like sticks and whatever, those are the nests, okay?
So here we go. Nice and slow.
[ Birds chirping ]
♪♪
Now, what you can't really see is the parents are up there,
many of them. And, I mean, there's obviously eggs,
and maybe some of the babies have pecked out of those eggs
or those shells, you know? Who knows?
But that's about what they're doing right now
is they're starting to hatch.
Another thing just to note is there's a bunch of information
over here against the fence.
And that just gives you a lot of information about the herons,
how they nest, you know, kind of the stages
of the little babies up to the point
where then they fledge. They fly away.
So, "Seattle Field Guide" number 12, heron colony.
You want to check it out.
♪♪