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Montlake Unabridged Retrospective 2015

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From late May to September’s end, the artists, musicians, and writers of Montlake offered our community their creative gifts. Sixteen artists, 6 musical acts, and 5 writers entertained us in downtown Montlake. Their artworks, performances, and presentations appeared in our Montlake Library and businesses (Café Lago, Edward Jones Investments, FUEL, Glam & Tonics Aveda, Mr. Johnson’s Antiques, the Montlake Bicycle Shop, and Traveler Montlake.) The events were generously supported by other businesses (Coven, the Montlake Boulevard Market, and Mont’s Market). All this was underwritten by your Montlake Community Club (MCC) and planned by its Arts & Culture committee. Count yourself lucky if you had the opportunity to enjoy any of these art shows, musical performances, or evenings with writers across the four months. Please, let your MCC Board know your thoughts.

Email the Montlake Community Club Board

Enjoy the retrospective slideshow below, composed of photos taken by Jonathan Phillips, the official Montlake Unabridged photographer.

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Travel Book Tips From Audrey: A Hit

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IMG_1129Audrey Weitkamp brought her trove of travel memory books and her useful tips for self-publishing to a Montlake Library audience Monday evening, Sept 28. A successful free-lance author and long-time Montlake resident, Audrey talked about how she turned her writing knowledge toward authoring accounts of travels to all parts of the globe with husband, Bill Weitkamp. Her audience appreciated seeing examples of her travel books, from the earliest using glued-in photos by Bill and simple Word-based documents, to the most recent taking advantage of on-line publishing programs (and Bill’s continuing photographic skills). Audrey offered her listeners encouragement to give memory book creation a try, whether for travel accounts or important special occasions, or family histories. Let’s see how many of them follow her example and show off their products to family and friends in the coming years. Or maybe they’ll share them here on the Flyer–beginning with Audrey.

Montlakers were welcomed to the evening program by Yvonne Nguyen Werner, Montlake Community Club Board Member, and Kathyrn Jennings, Montlake Librarian, representing the two sponsoring organizations. This engaging program concluded the summer 2015 Montlake Unabridged writer series, and was photographed by Jonathan Phillips. (See selected photos in the slideshow below.)

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Manos’ Advice-Seeking Letters Draw Laughs At Library

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IMG_0152 (1)Our Montlake neighbor, Dr. Peter Manos, brought out the chuckles on Monday evening (Sept 24), when he read selected letters and responses from his witty book, Dear Babalu: Letters to an Advice Columnist. The Montlake Library meeting room bubbled with laughter in its various degrees: titters to chortles to guffaws, as Manos took on the personas of the advice seekers with abnormalities way beyond the average. Babalu’s responses were less complicated, but always pithy and evenly offered by a character who must, surely, draw in some small way on Dr. Manos’ own real-life therapeutic counseling style—though he insists everything about the book and its characters is from his imagination. We’ll leave it up to you to decide when you check out his book at the Montlake library or pick up a copy in a local bookstore or on-line.

Following the reading, Peter chatted with the audience about his earlier writings as well as this current publication, shared on screen several of the illustrations from the book, and answered questions from a delighted audience. Enjoy the slide show photos below of Peter Manos and his well-entertained audience as captured by Jonathan Phillips.

This event was the 4th in a series of Montlake authors’ appearances co-sponsored by your Montlake Branch Library and your Montlake Community Club.

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Coming Monday! Your Montlake Neighbor & Writer: Margot Kahn Case

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kahn48472Montlake Unabridged spotlights the talents of our neighbor and writer, Margot Kahn Case on

    Monday, May 4 at the Montlake Library from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.

Margot reads from her biography:

    Horses That Buck: The Story of Champion Bronc Rider Bill Smith

She will then talk about the 15 years of research and relationships that led up to and followed the hardcover publication in 2008 by the University of Oklahoma Press. Its 4th edition is newly released in paperback this month.

Margot Kahn Case spent seven years on the ranch and behind the bucking chutes to write Horses. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s MFA program and a recipient of numerous awards, including a CityArtist award and a grant from 4Culture. She is currently an artist- in-residence at Franklin High School. About the Bronc Rider, she says: “Bill Smith saw rodeo as his only ticket to escaping a life in the coal mines. Without money, talent, or a rodeo family to help him along, he went down the road with nothing but “want to” and, over the course of a twenty-year career, became one of the greatest saddle bronc riders of all time.”

Phinney Books will have copies of the book to sell Monday night, and we bet Margot will happily autograph your copy. The Library Staff will welcome you. The Montlake Community Club will provide refreshments. Why not come over to the Montlake library to hear your talented neighbor read, talk with her about what it takes to research and write a biography, and get your own autographed copy to take home? Montlakers have talent; let’s enjoy it on Monday night, the 4th!
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Artists, Authors & Musicians Wow Montlake Again

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2nd Annual All-Montlake Art & Music Happening

2nd Annual All-Montlake Art & Music Happening

What a delicious treat! The 2nd annual All-Montlake Music & Arts Happening really happened on Sunday!

Montlake’s artists and authors showed off their amazing talents for community residents and friends who streamed through the Community Center throughout the sunny afternoon. And Montlakers in that crowd were also lucky to be there to hear the fine music of the Mother Pluckers Ukulele Band; the jazz groups–Layered System and Jazz Hands; the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society singers; Max Mondzac, and Clark Snyder & Co. The music was terrific from every one of them.

Kids had the chance to make their own art projects at the arts table, while adults visited the Montlake Community Club business table to vote on next year’s MCC Board officers and members.  And then, to top off the experience,  bounteous refreshments were served, compliments of Montlake’s “uptown merchants:” Cafe Lago, FUEL, Mont’s Market, Montlake Blvd Market, and Traveler Montlake. (Say thanks by giving them your business & a hello. )

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Our official AMMAH photographer, Jonathan Phillips and his afternoon associate, John Kemple, took so many great photos that we had a hard time choosing–so take a look at our slide show here. And, finally, thanks to the volunteers from the MCC Board who made this all happen by planning, recruiting, communicating, cajoling, setting up, welcoming, serving, staffing, cleaning up, and doing a ton of other tasks that go into such events.

AMMAH is just one of the many ways your MCC Board members are working on your behalf.  “Community” is our middle name!

All-Montlake Music & Art Happening Sunday, May 18th

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Mother Pluckers Ukulele Band

It’s the All-Montlake Music and Arts Happening THIS Sunday, May 18th at the Montlake Community Center. Stroll on over for the afternoon-2:00 to 5:00. Our Montlake artists and authors will display their creations for your viewing enjoyment, while our musical groups and soloists bring you auditory delights.

Our neighborhood businesses are chipping in with refreshments too (Cafe Lago, FUEL, Traveler Montlake, Monts Market, Montlake Blvd Market). With all these talented folks on hand, and refreshments as well, you just can’t stay away!  Visit the Montlake Community Club Business table to vote for next year’s board, watch your kids doing some art explorations, and check out the new playground equipment MCC helped Montlake Family Fitness fund.

So, Come One; Come All; Come on Out; Come on Down; Come on In. Come See the Musicians, Artists, and Authors named below and bring your family and friends.

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The Musicians Play Times 
At the Entry and in the Big Room, you’ll want to hear them all.

2:00-2:30 Layered System – jazz classics, R&B (Big Room)
2:00-2:55 Max Mondzac – finger-style guitar (Entry)
2:40-3:10 Mother Pluckers Ukulele Band – listen and sing-along (Big Room)
3:00-3:55 Michael Memmo – British Isles vocals & 12-string guitar (Entry)
3:20-4:15 Jazz Hands – jazz standards, Gypsy, Latin, and blues (Big Room)
4:00-4:55 Clark Snyder & Co – Americana vocals, guitar & djembe (Entry) 4:20-5:00 The Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society – tunes from The Mikado (Big Room)

The Montlake Artists
Whose new works you’ll enjoy in The Big Room

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Montlake Elementary School Students (various ages and media)
Elise Bernard – Oil Painting
Rosie Cashman-McCann – Demonstrating Rainbow Loom jewelry
Mary Freiburger – Exquisite Jewelry
Sarah Hauschka – Wearable Knitted Creations
Anna Haworth – Henna  Body Tattoos on You
Victoria Martinsen – Paintings
Robert Milnor – Nature Photography
Chris Oldham – Watercolor Paintings–trains in natural settings
Cynthia Phillips – Photography
Jonathan Phillips – Photography (and AMMAH event photographer)
Elizabeth Sandvig – Monotypes and oil paintings
Daisy Schreiber – Demonstrating Crochet, felt, and fairy creations
Briana Schwartz – Wire sculpture, fabric fantasy clothing and found art
James Sutherland – Fanciful Polychromatic bas-relief
Barbara Bishop Sand – Wood Block Prints
Bill Weitkamp – Abstract & Impressionist Paintings, Sculpture
Gail Wong – Plein aire Sketchworks (watercolor over ink line drawings)

Montlake’s Famous Authors Sharing Their Works

Steve Cummings – Photographic Travel Books
Judy Cobb Dailey – Murder Mysteries
Arthur Dorros – Children’s Literature
Arthur Lee Jacobson – Trees and Wild Plants
Lensey Namioka – Children’s Literature
Eugene Smith – Montlake History
Jennie Spohr – Historical Fiction
Audrey Weitkamp – Travelogs and Travel Tales

 

Come to the 2nd All-Montlake Music & Arts Happening May 18th

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2013 AMMAH photos by Jonathan Phillips

Join us Sunday, the 18th (2:00 to 5:00) at the Montlake Community Center (1618 E. Calhoun Street). Neighbors, we’ve got great musicians and talented artists and authors ready to bring you an afternoon’s enjoyment.

BE WELCOMED at the door by acoustic music of guitarist, Max Mondzac, by vocalist & 12-string guitarist Michael Memmo, and by Folk Commotion (Clarko & Moss) a vocal, guitar, djembe drum duo.

TAP YOUR TOES in the Big Room to music from Layered System, The Mother Pluckers Ukulele Band, Jazz Hands, and the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society.

NEW THIS YEAR, BROWSE the books of Noted Montlake Authors of

* Prize-winning Children’s Books
* Murder Mysteries
* Historical Fiction
* Montlake’s History
* Travelogs
* Plants & Gardens

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BE AMAZED by Artistic creations:

* Art work from students at Montlake Elementary School
* Creations and demonstrations by budding artists in henna, Rainbow Loom, and crochet
* Paintings in oil, watercolor & acrylic by artists whose works appear in fine galleries and by some who are yet to be discovered
* Sophisticated sketches and renderings
* Photography, monotypes, block prints, sculptures by well-known names and by some whose talents are still secret.
* Knits and skillfully crafted fabric creations
* Jewelry
* And other visual arts surprises.

SO BE THERE to greet old and new friends, enjoy the books, art and music.

SIP AND SAVOR refreshments from Cafe Lago, FUEL, Mont’s Market, The Montlake Blvd Market, and our new Montlake Traveler.

VISIT the Montlake Community Club business table to vote for next year’s Board and donate to fund MCC events and projects to serve you.

We said it before, but it’s true, “Montlake’s Got Talent! Let’s Enjoy It!”

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Calling All Montlake Artists, Musicians, & Authors

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Join in our 2nd ANNUAL  “All Montlake Music, Arts & Authors Happening” 

That’s right, once again we’re looking for our neighbors to step forth, (or nominate neighbors and friends) to entertain and delight us all on Sunday afternoon, May 18 at the Montlake Community Center.

  • To celebrate and enjoy the talents of our many Montlake neighbors–professionals and amateurs, children and adults;
  • To meet and greet your neighbors;
  • To continue a wonderful new tradition.

We invite artists to display paintings & drawings, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, fiber art, photographs, woodworking, and other artistic creations.

We invite musicians — soloists to small groups; folk to jazz to classical; vocals and instrumentals; wacky to inspiring.

And this year, we’re inviting authors to show off their works.

If we’ve caught your interest, e-mail AMMAHappening@montlake.net to get a few more details and/or put yourself or your group on the potential participant lists. If you know any bashful artists, authors, or musicians in Montlake whom you’d like to see celebrated at the event, please let us know so we can encourage them to sign on. We can only do this event if our talented folks join in.

And finally, if you’d like to be part of the Montlake Community Club planning committee or help staff the event on May 18th, contact us at the same address.