Washington Hall House Party
May 1 – 2, 2010
RSVP!
What’s one hundred and two years old, rejuvenated and set to embark on its next decades of service to the Central District and Squire Park neighborhoods and to artists and arts organizations seeking venues for presenting their work? Well, of course it’s Washington Hall, the 1908 Danish Brotherhood Lodge 29, built originally as a settlement house and gathering place for Danish immigrants. Many of you know Washington Hall as the first home of On the Boards, the region’s premier contemporary performance presenter, which occupied the Hall from 1978 to 1998, when it moved to Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance in lower Queen Anne.
After On the Boards vacated the building, Washington Hall began a slow decline, never finding a stable long-term tenant who could generate sufficient income for the building’s owners to adequately maintain the aging structure. In 2006, Washington Hall faced the wrecking ball. A commercial real estate developer made an offer to buy the building for the value of its land, planning to demolish the Hall to make way for new condominiums. Out with the old, in with the new? Not this time! Historic Seattle and 4Culture, with encouragement from Stephanie Ellis Smith, then Director of CD Forum, approached the building’s owners, the Sons of Haiti, an African American fraternal lodge, with a plan to save the building. Our community is fortunate to have a dedicated preservation organization with the experience, skill, vision and courage to take on a project as potentially perilous as saving Washington Hall. Kudos to Historic Seattle.
Washington Hall pulses with history. Now we invite you to celebrate its rebirth. On May 1st and 2nd, after many months of advocacy, planning and building stabilization – 4Culture and Historic Seattle are delighted to invite you to a FREE community celebration and grand re-opening for Washington Hall. The two-day party will bring together Seattle’s arts, preservation and heritage communities. This beloved community center will once again be filled with music, dance and theater from a diverse array of artists. Stop by and see Washington Hall in action.
Bring cash for Dante’s Inferno hotdogs and veggie sausages, cheap brews/wine and your very own Washington Hall t-shirt and poster.
Read a preview in the Seattle Times, “Washington Hall, Seattle’s cultural Ellis Island, reopens with a house party
Join us!
Saturday May 1, 7-11PM:
7 pm – The hall opens with a jazz set featuring local legend Hadley Caliman and his jazz quintet
8 pm – A showcase of local dance, theater and music
• Lori Larsen
• Black Stax
• Richard Svensson
• Dayna Hanson with Dave Proscia, Paul Moore and Maggie Brown, and special guest Shannon Stewart
• Jim Kent, Mark Haim & Ben Maestas
• Cristina Orbé
9:30PM – Hidmo Entertainment Presents: Live @ Washington Hall, a collaborative jam featuring Central District all-stars:
• Audio Couture
• Sukutai (Zimbabwean drum & dance)
• Laura “Piece” Kelly
• Yirim Seck
• JusMoni
• Brothers from Another
Emcee, Felicia Loud
House DJ, Vitamin D
Sunday, May 2nd, 1 – 4PM
Fun for the whole family, music, storytelling, heritage activities and dancing with:
• Alley Oop
• Savoy Swing
• Casey MacGill’s Blue 4 Trio
• Kibibi Monié (Nu Black Arts West Theatre)
• Jimmy and Grace Holden
The Washington hall House Party is presented by Historic Seattle & 4Culture, in association with Hidmo Entertainment
Lead support provided by
KeyBank, The Boeing Company, RAFN Company
Additional support from provided by
SMR Architects and Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Historic Seattle and 4Culture thank our in-kind supporters for the Washington Hall House Party
KBCS 91.3FM Community Radio, The Stranger, Georgetown Brewing Company, Caffé Vita, Jackstraw, J&J Music, The Nordic Heritage Museum, KidsQwest, and many many volunteers!
