For 1 weekend out of the year, Downtown Bellevue becomes a city fully immersed in the celebration of art and creative expression. From July 23rd – 25th, 3 different art fairs filled the streets with artist booths, music, and live performance. The weather proved a perfect match for the annual outdoor festivities, which are all free, and a reminder of how lucky one is to live in the area.

The 6th Street Fair, produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association, took over the thoroughfare of NE 6th Street as and 106th Ave NE, lining the street with vendor tents showcasing over 130 artists. The mediums included glass, jewelry, printmaking, photography, pottery and sculpture, textiles, and woodwork. Crowds could wander freely through the open-air galleries and talk directly with the artists about their pieces. Dozens of specialty food and concession stands were available for people to discover new products and enjoy the fine art of enjoying a meal under a sunny afternoon sky. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the permanent sculpture display at the Bellevue Galleria was a stage area where live entertainment played on for all 3 days of the 6th Street Fair. Over a dozen performers with genres ranging from bluegrass, to folk, to flamenco, and soul came to entertain the crowds.

Wandering 1 block over, crowds gathered at the Bellevue Festival of the Arts, produced by the Craft Cooperative of the Northwest. This juried arts and crafts fair is organized from a grass roots movement to raise funds to support local and global charities, while giving artists a venue to present their work. Held in the parking lot of Cost Plus World Market off NE 8th Street, the Bellevue Festival of the Arts composed a vibrant outdoor gallery of original art, from sculpture and paintings to wearable pieces like jewelry and clothing, weaving its way through the outdoor shopping area.

At the center of the art celebration is Bellevue Arts Museum’s annual BAM artsfair. Now in its 64th year, it’s 1 of the largest art fairs in the Pacific Northwest, attracting hundreds of artists from the region as well as from across the country. Walking through the winding rows of booths that take over the lower covered parking level of the Bellevue Square Mall, one can see where each artist traveled from, whether it’s just across Lake Washington from a studio in Seattle or all the way from New York. It also provided visitors with the opportunity to meet and talk with the winners of this year’s Carol Duke Artist Awards of Excellence, celebrating unique vision and creativity.

Along with the artist booths, there were several interactive and performance areas meant for all ages. Chalk artist Brian Major gathered crowds as he recreated beloved pieces by Botticelli and Degas on the cobbled pavement surface in front of BAM. The museum opened its doors for free admission on all 3 days and converted its entrance and back area into a creative adventure for children where they could create masks, sock puppets, and art cards. Attracting crowds of all ages was the glassblowing demonstration outside of the artist booths, displaying the power of intense heat combined with skilled hands, which can form such delicate, colorful creations. Inside the mall, a stage hosted dozens of performances, many from local schools, showing that art and creativity is an enriching experience.

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July 23rd – 25th Downtown Bellevue will play host to the annual Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair, 6th Street Fair, and the Bellevue Festival of the Arts. Each fair is free and has its own unique arts and events:

Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair
This year marks the 64th annual Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair. The Artsfair is the largest juried arts event in the Pacific Northwest, with over 300 select artists from all over the country and 350,000 visitors annually. There are several family-friendly programs throughout the weekend.  Events and activities include: a demonstration station, Chalk Mural, Kidsfair, Sound & Movement Stage, & Chalk It Up!

The fair takes place throughout the Bellevue Collection on Friday and Saturday, from 9:30am – 9:30pm and Sunday, from 9:30am – 6pm. The Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair is largely sponsored by Microsoft and Overlake Hospital.

6th Street Fair
The 6th Street Fair, which is produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association, has a 40-year tradition in Downtown Bellevue. This year’s fair is expected to have over 130 jury-selected artists and over 300,000 fair-goers. The fair hours vary a bit from the Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair; it’s from 10am – 8pm Friday and Saturday and then on Sunday from 10am – 6pm.

The 6th Street Fair also features some great food and refreshments. The event will be located at NE 6th Street and 106th Ave NE near the Galleria.

Bellevue Festival of the Arts
The Bellevue Festival of the Arts is located in the Cost Plus World Market parking lot across the way from Bellevue Square, where the Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair will be taking place simultaneously. The event is in its 26th year and features 180 talented artists and crafts people in the Northwest and beyond. The hours of this event are 10am – 8pm on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday from 10am – 6pm.

Highlighted as one of the great art events of the summer, this year’s Bellwether 2010: Art Walk Bellevue has contributed to the many public art pieces you will find right now around the city. From Bellevue City Hall to Meydenbauer Bay, the sculpture exhibition adds to the summer scenery in the Downtown Bellevue core. There are 26 total installations, and 9 of them are on display in Bellevue’s Downtown Park.

Bellwether 2010 artists are mostly from the Northwest, but a few are from as far as Australia and South Korea. An installation that’s hard to miss is the ‘Ghost Trailer’ on Bellevue Way, sitting on the corner of 4th St. in the old Safeway parking lot. Its title is pretty self-explanatory, as it’s an elevated trailer made from driftwood and moss whose passengers are appropriately absent. It is an eerily enchanting piece, as if from some forgotten fairytale.

If you formally walk the Art Walk yourself, there are audio descriptions of each sculpture available via cell phone by dialing the phone number displayed on the individual installations. The best part about this Walk is that it’s free, open to the public, and focuses on sustainability. The exhibition runs through October 17, so you’ll have plenty of time to see everything.

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Pictures © 2010 Hal Itzkovics

The first week of the series will begin with Jazz at Skyline Tower on July 6th, followed by Falmenco Soul at Bellevue City Hall on July 7th.

Enjoy the concerts in outdoor plazas throughout Downtown Bellevue every Tuesday and Wednesday; Thursday concerts can be found at Bellevue Galleria’s Compass Plaza.

Live at Lunch concerts will also host sign-ups for BDA’s Walk Downtown Bellevue campaign – it’s a fun way to be active and explore the Downtown Bellevue. Participants will receive a free starter kit, pedometer, water bottle, walking map, reusable shopping bag, and more.

The annual Rockaraoke contest will be held on August 19th. The winner will receive lunch for 2 for 1 year at Tap House Grill.

2010 Live at Lunch Concert Series Schedule

All Wild Summer Nights will charge a $5 cover and take place from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. All ticket sales go directly to benefit Hopelink. Tickets are available for purchase at The Bravern’s concierge desk or at the event itself.

SCHEDULE
June 24: James Baumgart Trio
July 1: Das Schwa
July 8: Dan Rapport
July 15: Ty Bailey B3 Trio
July 22: Darrius Willrich

Future musicians will continue to be announced over time.

If the weather does not allow for outdoor music, the music, appetizers, and beverages will move inside of Wild Ginger beginning at 8:00pm. All purchased tickets for any evening will be honored on a different date if one chooses not to attend due to rain.

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The following musicians have been added to the calendar:

Jul 29 – Eli Rosenblatt
Aug 5 – How Now Brown Cow
Aug 12 – Ty Bailie B3 Trio featuring “End Summer Hunger” event
Aug 19 – Alisha Roney
Aug 26 – Geoffrey Castle
Sept 2 – Soul Kata
Sept 9 – James Baumgart
Sept 16 – Dan Rapport

Less than 2 weeks after the pre-construction phase was complete, the Tateuchi Foundation is gifting $25 million towards the creation of what has long been known as Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE). With the generous donation also come the naming rights of the performing arts center, which will now be known as the Tateuchi Center.

The project has now raised $60 million of the $160 million goal. Fundraising hasn’t come as easily as organizers had once thought. The hope is with this large contribution that other donors will now be encouraged to donate as well. The 5-story, 135,000 square-foot Tateuchi Center is planned to break ground in the summer of 2011, which would put the project on track to open in the first half of 2014.

According to the Seattle Times the $25 million donation ranks among the biggest gifts to an art organization in the area, matching the $25 million donation to the Seattle Art Museum from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and surpassing the $20 million the McCaw family donated to McCaw Hall at Seattle Center.

Headliners including Grammy-winning musician Terence Blanchard, The Bad Plus, Pat Martino, Bill Charlap, and Renee Rosnes, and more will perform at Meydenbauer Center. Additionally there will be 30 free concerts at Downtown Bellevue restaurants, hotels, and cultural spaces.

For more information, details on performances, and to purchase tickets visit BellevueJazz.com.

Featured Artist Schedule:

• Thursday, June 3: 7:00pm Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, also featuring Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars (tickets: $10 – $20)
• Friday, June 4: 7:00pm The Bad Plus (tickets: $20 – $30)
• Saturday, June 5: 2:00pm Pat Martino (tickets: $20 – $30); 8:00 pm Terence Blanchard Quintet (tickets: $40 – $50)
• Sunday, June 6: 2:00pm Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes + Sachal Vasandani Quartet (tickets: $30 – $40)

According to a release, the Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) has announced that all pre-construction documents and activities have been filed with the City of Bellevue. This concludes the 36-month design and planning phase of the project that would be located in Downtown Bellevue at the corner of NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE.

PACE has raised nearly $35 million of the $160 million in capital needed. According to John Haynes, PACE executive director and CEO, they will need to complete funding and financing in order to break ground in 14 months. Once the project has broken ground, construction will take 24 months to complete. Following construction, another 6 months will be required to install, test, tune, and commission theatrical systems within the building. According to these timelines, PACE could be on schedule to open in the first half of 2014.

PACE’s plan would allow for a 5-story, 135,000 square-foot performance venue. The Concert Hall is planned to seat 2,000 people and is also flexible for smaller, intimate events for as little as 250 people. Once complete, PACE hopes to attract musicians, dancers, actors, and entertainers to the Eastside.

• Music by DJs Jesse Milden and Josh Greenberg
• Cash cocktail bar and complimentary appetizers
• Fashion show
  - Featuring local designers Built for Man, Bri Seeley, Jolie Poirier, Last Wear and Neodandi Couture
• 3 new exhibits
  - 7pm: High fashion pumps, stilettos, and flip flops by Beth Levine; on the (mis)perception of value by Lisa Gralnick: The Gold Standard; everything glass in Eyes for Glass: The Price Collection
• Gallery tours
  - 6pm: Eyes for Glass with Seattle-based art collector John Price
  - 8pm: The Gold Standard with Director of Curatorial Affairs, Stefano Catalani
• Shoe contest
  - Take a picture of the shoes you’re wearing at the event, post it on BAM’s Facebook page, and the BAM staff will pick the best pair. You could be the lucky winner of a surprise gift!

Tickets are $10 for non-members, $7 for seniors and students, and free for members.  You can buy tickets online now if you don’t want to wait at the door.

The event that’s in its 3rd year will have tickets for sale beginning March 11th at bellevuejazz.com.

The 2010 Featured Artists include:

• Terence Blanchard Quintet
• The Bad Plus
• Pat Martino
• Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes + Sachal Vasandani Quartet
• Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra also featuring the Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars

The Bellevue Jazz Festival will feature more than 30 free performances and jam sessions led by local artists throughout Downtown Bellevue. These locations and artists will be announced in April.

Featured Artist Schedule:

• Thursday, June 3: 7:00 pm Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, also featuring Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars (tickets: $10 – $20)
• Friday, June 4: 7:00 pm The Bad Plus (tickets: $20 – $30)
• Saturday, June 5: 2:00 pm Pat Martino (tickets: $20 – $30); 8:00 pm Terence Blanchard Quintet (tickets: $40 – $50)
• Sunday, June 6: 2:00 pm Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes + Sachal Vasandani Quartet (tickets: $30 – $40)