Around Town

Awarding Arts
At May’s First Thursday Art Walk, revelers, tipsy on cheap wine, streamed out of the galleries and made their way to the newly minted Caffé Vita near Pioneer Square, where City Arts hosted the second installment of the monthly Best Of Art Walk Awards. City Arts contributor, curator of his own Best Of blog and all-around wonderful guy Joey Veltkamp emceed the evening, which culminated in a five-hundred-dollar no-strings-attached check awarded to Anna Wetzel for a work she exhibited at Some Space, which was voted Best Of Art Walk by all in attendance. See Veltkamp’s interview with Wetzel on page 12, and don’t miss the next installment at Capitol Hill’s Grey Gallery on June 10.

Photography by Sarah Jurado.

Veltkamp, right, conscripted Sharon Arnold and Cable Griffith – two of Seattle’s most discerning artists – to help him select the three finalists for the Best Of award. In addition to Wetzel’s work, the trio also chose pieces by Christopher Martin, showing at Linda Hodges Gallery, and Lorraine and Howard Barlow, showing at Punch Gallery.

Daniel Carrillo, who has captured the image of so many of the city’s top artists with his amazing mezzotints, finds himself on the other side of the lens.

Show up, get a token; buy a beer, get another token. Vote at will. This is what art democracy looks like.

Art wasn’t only appreciated at this month’s awards; it was made. The on-the-spot artist with the best drawing walked away with a cool fifty dollars.