December 2005
Calendar Highlights
Nature is Always Beautiful
Seattle Art Museum's downtown facility is about to close its doors - the last day it will be open is Jan. 4 - and won't reopen until spring 2007, when its expanded digs will be revealed. During that time, all museum exhibits and activities will be at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park.
Until Jan. 4, though, art patrons young and old have a chance to view the exhibit Louis Comfort Tiffany: Artist for the Ages. The exhibit contains roughly 120 objects: glass, paintings, windows, jewelry, furniture and more, all connected by Tiffany's belief that, "Nature is always beautiful." Much of the work in this exhibit is of a fragile nature, and has not been seen outside of the sponsoring institutions.
Tiffany was the son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of the firm that later became Tiffany and Co. He trained as a painter (some of his paintings are in this exhibit). Tiffany then moved into the budding interior design business, working for clients such as President Chester Arthur and Mark Twain. He became interested in glass, and created the style of stained glass that he is famous for. Not one to rest on his laurels, Tiffany continued to explore different mediums and create new methods throughout his career. Louis Comfort Tiffany had extraordinary scope and vision as an artist, and was a person who believed in beauty for beauty's sake. Don't miss this opportunity to view some of the beauty he created.
A family drop-in art making activity inspired by the art of Louis Comfort Tiffany is available in Seattle Art Museum's Brotman Hall 11am-3pm Saturdays and Sundays throughout the exhibit.
10am-5pm Tuesdays through Sundays (Thursdays and Fridays until 9pm), through Jan. 4. Holiday hours: 10am-3pm Dec. 24, 10am-9pm Dec. 26 through Jan. 3, 10am-midnight Jan. 4. $10, $7 students, seniors and ages 7 to 17, free younger than 6, tickets are timed on the half hour. 100 University St., Seattle. 206-654-3100. www.seattleartmuseum.org.
Pacific Northwest Ballet Nutcracker March
Fifty giant decorated nutcrackers have taken command of the streets in downtown Seattle. Each sculpture was decorated by a local artist using a variety of mediums. Inspired by Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker, and produced by the Downtown Seattle Association, the sculptures are made of reinforced fiberglass, weigh approximately 500 pounds and stand about 6.5 feet tall (the king nutcracker) and six feet tall (the prince nutcracker). The nutcrackers will remain on display through Jan. 5, after which they’ll be donated to the local non-profit Northwest Center, which will sell them via online auction next Feb.
Download a digital walking tour of the nutcrackers from the Web site, and learn about each figure while viewing it on a tour of downtown. FREE. Downtown Seattle, from Seattle Center to Pioneer Square, on city sidewalks and in neighborhood plazas and building lobbies. www.nutcrackermarch.com.
Calendar Hot Tips
Issaquah Reindeer Festival
Santa selected Cougar Mountain Zoo for this annual event featuring reindeer, Santa’s sleigh, kids' art project, stories, zoo exhibits and more. 10am-7pm Dec. 1 through 23. $9.50, $8 seniors, $6.50 ages 2 to 11, free younger than 2. 19525 SE 54th, Issaquah. 425-391-5508. www.cougarmountainzoo.org.
ZooLights
Thousands of holiday lights brighten Point Defiance Zoo with depictions of local landmarks, animals, nursery rhyme characters and more. Live performances most nights. 5-9pm through Jan. 1 (closed Dec. 24 and 25). $5 to $7. 5400 N Pearl St., Tacoma. 253-591-5337. www.pdza.org.
The Lights of Christmas
Includes jaw-dropping light displays, live music and drama, pony rides, wagon rides, Bruce the (talking) Spruce and more, on five acres. 5-10pm Dec. 2 through 5, Dec. 9 through 12, Dec. 16 through 23 and Dec. 26 through 30. $10 adults, $8 seniors and active military, $7 ages 4 to 12, free ages 3 and younger. Warm Beach Camp, 20800 Marine Dr., Stanwood. 800-228-6724. www.warmbeach.com.
Dickens Gingerbread Village
Seattle architectural firms and Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers chefs team up to design, bake and build fantastic gingerbread creations reflecting the theme "A Charles Dickens Holiday." Open normal retail hours through Jan. 3. FREE. City Centre, 1420 Fifth Ave., Seattle. 206-624-8800.
Candy Tour
Fond of sweets? Go to the source to see cookies, chocolates and old-fashioned candies being made by hand. Elegant Gourmet, which sells products at upscale retailers such as Nordstrom and Starbucks, offers 30-minute tours of their factory 10am-2pm first and third Tuesdays. Call first to verify dates and hours. FREE. Elegant Gourmet, 15510 Woodinville-Redmond Rd., Woodinville. 425-814-2500. www.elegantgourmet.com.
Teddy Bears and Gingerbread
Stop by the Fairmont Olympic Hotel to view the Teddy Bear Suite, created by interior designer Kevin Bradford. The room displays dozens of fluffy bears, comfortable in a holiday setting. 11am-6pm daily through Dec. 25. Donations benefit uncompensated care at Children's Hospital.
Fairmont's pastry chef Artis Kalsons has created a gingerbread castle on view in the hotel's main lobby through Dec. 25. 411 University St., Seattle. 206-621-1700.
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