Blog - The Project Room

Monday, December 15th at 7:30pmat The Project Room

Musician/performer/comedian Ahamefule J. Oluo’sNow I’m Fineis a genre-spanning pop opera of “darkly funny personal stories about illness, despair, and regeneration.” Stemming from a period in his life in which everything seemed to be falling apart, Oluo’sNow I’m Fineis a creative exploration of how we navigate moments of hopelessness. Join us for a conversation with Oluo about this work, and how it dovetails with The Project Room’s current topic of Transformation.

About the Presenter:

Ahamefule J. Oluo is a composer, comedian, and trumpet player. Oluo was the first Artist-in-Residence at Town Hall in Seattle. A longtime writing partner of comedian Hari Kondabolu, he has performed nationally with bands including Das Racist and Hey Marseilles, and is a fixture in the local and national comedy scenes. His garage-jazz quartet Industrial Revelation won the 2014 Stranger Genius Award. Oluo lives and works in Seattle.

Photograph by Bruce Tom

Two-Hundred and Thirty-Two since we opened in July, 2011! Here is our list of past presenters, podcast interviewees, and contributing writers:

Adrian Michna

Ahamefule J. Olou

Alina Hua

Alicia Eler

Allan Packer

Allison Ellis

Amanda Manitach

Amy Poisson

Amy Schrader

Amy O’Neal

Anastacia Tolbert

Andy Meyer

Angela B. Ginorio

Angela Jane Fountas

Anne Blackburn

Anne Carson

Antoine Wilson

Barbara Dollarhide-Pritchard

Barbara Earl Thomas

Ben Blankenship

Bernadette Bascom

Bill Wood

Bill Horist

Bonnie Hammond

Brangien Davis

Brett Hamil

Brian Emery

Bruce Machart

Bryan Cook

Byron Au Yong

C. Davida Ingram

Cameron Hall

Cameron Anne Mason

Carrie Akre

Charles Mudede

Charles Spitzack

Charlie Matlack

Claire Barboza

Claude Zervas

Corey Blaustein

Dale Dougherty

Dan Webb

Dave Zucker

David Eadington

David Mura

David Henry

David Nixon

David Vaughan

Dawn Losinger

Dean Moore

Derrick Jefferies

DJ Brass

Donald Byrd

Elisabeth Robson

Elizabeth Davis

Elizabeth Kenny

Ellen Forney

Ellen Garvens

Ellie Dicola

Emily Marsh

Emily White

Emma Desjardins

Emmet V Smith

Emmett Montgomery

Eric Olson

Photography by Katie Miller

Thank you to everyone who came out to support donum, our TPR fundraiser! We were honored to feature beautiful work by local artists (learn more about them here, and view studio visitshere). The Project Room continually looks to support innovative makers, and we appreciate their generosity in supporting our work in return. Special thankstoour food sponsor Artusi, and to Britt Rynearson, donum founder, who selected The Project Room for thisyear's event.

The event was a huge success, and we are grateful for all yourgenerosity.

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Photography by Nicholas Strobelt

On September 30th 2014, The Project Room gathered twelve artists and twelve technologists for the purpose of engagingin high-powered yet very brief conversations, under the watchful eyes of twelve"chaperones." The event was called Art & Technology: Speed Dating 2.0.

by Nicholas Strobelt

Thanks to our hard-working chaperones, we have notes from every conversation that took place, and we did our best to tweet as fast as we could during the one-minute break between "dates." We didn't have time to tweet everything--and some handwriting was just too indecipherable!--but we did our best.

Thank you to Siren, our co-host, and our wonderful participants, whose investment and curiosity made this event a success!Read more about structure of the eventin our original invitation. Stay tuned for futureArt & Technology events!

Below are some particularly good responses to a few of the questions we asked:

When do you do your best problem-solving?

Which matters more to you, that your work be critically acclaimed, or that it be wildly popular?

by Nicholas Strobelt

Should your work last forever? If so, how and why?

Icelandic visual artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir aka Shoplifter invited TPR Founder Jess to her studio in New York for a conversation about collecting, making, and our current Big Question, "How Are We Remembered?" Much was discussed beyond these topics as well, including playing between art and fashion. have a listen!

I want to write you all with some big and exciting news:

As of November 3rd, I will no longer be Founder/Director of The Project Room, but will begin my new job as Assistant Director of Exhibition Programs and Gallery Initiatives at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This is an incredible opportunity to bring what I have created and learned at The Project Room to a world-class art institution that has been producing arts programming since 1929!

Although I will be joining a larger institution with a richer history, I will bring with me my love of Seattle and the curiosity of its people that allowed The Project Room to thrive. There were many moments over the past three years when I would conclude an event and think to myself, "People really care about the arts here and are open to weird experiments in creativity- this city is awesome!" In other words, Seattle pride follows me to New York.

Thanks to people like you who have attended events, shared your work, donated money, and followed along from afar, we have produced unique arts programs for free since 2011. We have featured the work of over two-hundred creative leaders, makers and thinkers, and have been able to position the organization to continue beyond my leadership, which is a dream come true.

Moving forward, I will join the TPR Board of Directors and will help transition programs and operations to the brilliant Tia Kramer, who has been working with us as a volunteer since 2012 and has more than earned the title of Director of The Project Room.

Among her many skills, Tia Kramer is an artist, designer and curator who studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Macalester College. She has a special interest in collaborative, socially engaged and site-specific arts programming, and has taught at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Macalester College, and the School of Visual Arts in Minneapolis.

I look forward to keeping in touch with all of you in my new role as a TPR Board member as we continue to work towards realizing the goals of the organization. This is a very special organization to me and, although I would have created arts programming even if no one showed up, having all of you with me has been the best part.

Love,

Jess

From left: Eric Olson, Emmett Montgomery, and Timothy Firth suited up for failure

For those of you wondering what took place at our Failure Variety Show at Bumbershoot, and for those who were there and want to see it once more, take a look at these excerpts of failure, featuring the following brave souls:

Comedian Emmett Montgomery (our unflappable host)

Playwright Kelleen Conway-Blanchard

Singer/Songwriter Carrie Akre

Comedian Brett Hamil

AND: Our Rube Goldberg Machine Creators, Eric Olson & Timothy Firth!

In keeping with the show's theme, the quality of the video is poor, but we think it gives you a sense of the event and how much fun everyone had- enjoy!

In anticipation of donum, our upcoming art and fashion sale, we visited the studios of each of the featured artists to learn more about why they make what they make and where their ideas come from. Enjoy these excerpts and join us for the event!

donum: AContemporary Art and Fashion Sale
November 21st & 22nd 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm each day
location : The Project Room @ 1315 E. Pine, Seattle

About donum:

donumis an annual contemporary art and fashion charitable event. Featuring high quality, artful products made by selected notable local designers,donumbrings together a group of established artists and designers in an effort to present their unique work to consumers and to raise money for a Seattle-based nonprofit. This year's show will supportThe Project Room. Participating artists will donate a portion of their proceeds to the organization. Admission to this event is free. Items for sale will range from $50 to $1000.

Special thanks to talented videographer Daniel Laninga

Jess sits down with artist Juan Pablo Macias to talk about his upcoming show that documents

AContemporary Art and Fashion Sale
November 21st & 22nd 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm each day
location : The Project Room @ 1315 E. Pine, Seattle

The Project Room is honored to be the chosen non-profit organization for this year's Donum fundraiser! Please join us during this two-day event that features some of the best designers working in Seattle today.

donumis an annual contemporary art and fashion charitable event. Featuring high quality, artful products made by selected notable local designers,donumbrings together a group of established artists and designers in an effort to present their unique work to consumers and to raise money for a Seattle-based nonprofit. This year's show will supportThe Project Room. Participating artists will donate a portion of their proceeds to the organization. Admission to this event is free. Items for sale will range from $50 to $1000.

Watch studio visit videos with each of the designers!

Participating Artists & Designers
Tia Kramer, jewelry
Moth and Crowby Dawn Smithson,handbags
ARAEby Britt Rynearson,scarves & shawls
Mia Fioravanti,women'sclothing
Bremelo Pressby Lynda Sherman,letterpress
Pariscope Studiosby Elena Korakianitou,jewelry & ceramics

Scroll below for sample images!

questions about the event? email [email protected]

Tia Kramer Tia Kramer Tia Kramer Moth and Crow Moth and Crow Moth and Crow