FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 1, 2018
Contact: Wendy Malloy
Museum of History & Industry PR
media@mohai.org
206 324 1126 Ext. 150
Get Out Of The Rain And Cold At MOHAI! Family And Community Day, Black History Month, History Café, Maker Days And More
January 1, 2018
All events take place at the museum in Lake Union Park
Seattle, WA – Escape the dark, cold Pacific Northwest days and visit Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI). Enjoy dynamic public programs, exhibits, and special events that explore many aspects of Seattle’s past and present, from history and culture to technology and innovation.
Explore the museum’s ongoing programs including the popular History Café, Maker Days, and our special Family and Community Day on Saturday, January 13. Experience a rare peek into legendary Seattle photographer Al Smith’s historically significant collection that chronicles Seattle’s African-American community during the mid-20th century in the special exhibit Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith on view through June 17, 2018. Celebrate Black History Month in February with MOHAI’s special programming and important discussions.
Due to popular demand, the Hammons House will remain on display until June 17. See this local miniature favorite in the museum’s special exhibit gallery.
Also, mark your calendar and get ready to party at MOHAI’s Hepcat Ball in April! Please check the website soon for updated details.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND EVENTS:
Details are subject to change, and additional programs and events may be added.
SAT JAN 13
Seattle on the Spot Family and Community Day
10 am—5 pm
MOHAI
Free for MOHAI members / Included with admission
Join MOHAI as it celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of our community with a day full of live music, craft activities, and more inspired by Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith exhibit. Bring your family, friends, students, kids, and parents for this all-ages event —there will be something for everyone!
WED JAN 17
Preserving Neighborhood Stories through Oral History
6:30 pm
South Lake Café
Free
Throughout most of the twentieth century, the Central District was the only Seattle neighborhood in which African Americans were allowed to own or rent property. Today, the Central District is undergoing rapid transformation. Hear the stories of those who call the Central District home and how two oral history projects are not only helping to preserve this legacy but may influence the way in which we imagine our city’s future. History Cafe is co-presented with MOHAI, The Seattle Public Library, and HistoryLink.org.
SAT JAN 20
Hear My Voice
1 & 2 pm
MOHAI, Joshua Green Foundation Theater
Free for members; included with museum admission
How long was the fight for women’s suffrage? Follow Jessie as she learns about the history of the women who started the movement for women’s right to vote, the new generation continuing the fight, and those who oppose it including her parents. Living Voices combines live theatrical performances with archival film, turning history into a moving personal journey. This performance will take place in the Joshua Green Foundation Theater on MOHAI’s second floor.
MON JAN 22
Start-up Seattle: Lessons Learned from the Seattle 10
7 pm
MOHAI
$10 MOHAI and GeekWire Members/$25 General Public
What does it take to be a successful start-up company in Seattle? Join John Cook, Co-Founder of GeekWire, as he moderates a panel of past Seattle 10 winners to find out where they are now and the lessons they have learned. Gain insights into Seattle’s innovative start-up culture and discuss start-up strategies at this panel and networking event.
TUE JAN 23
Local 76-493: Jazz and the Racial Integration of Seattle’s Musician Union
7 pm
MOHAI
$5 MOHAI and NAAM Members/$10 General Public
Mid-century Seattle possessed a rich music scene that was sharply divided along racial lines. Barred from playing in many of the big clubs, members of Seattle’s Black Musicians’ Union–the 493–created a vibrant jazz scene along Jackson Street. Enjoy live jazz, and hear from long-time union members about the significance of this musical moment and the ensuing racial integration of the Musicians’ Unions. Presented in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM).
SAT JAN 27
TeachersWhoTech: DIY guitars
12 pm
MOHAI
Free for members; included with museum admission
Seattle has an amazing jazz history that originated in the Central District. Come to Maker Day and learn more about our city’s musical roots with TeachersWhoTech while making your own acoustic jazz guitar out of recycled materials. No musical experience required—just come, build, and have fun! TeachersWhoTech is a learning community that aims to support the promotion and growth of real-world project-based learning and design thinking in STEAM.
SAT FEB 3
First Saturday of the Month through June
11 am & 1 pm
MOHAI
Free for MOHAI members / Included with admission
Dive deeper into the world captured in Al Smith’s photographs with 30 minute gallery talks on the first Saturday of the month. Speakers will share their memories and personal connections to the histories recorded by Al Smith’s camera, bringing these vibrant images to life.
SAT FEB 10
The Right to Dream
1 & 2 pm
MOHAI, Joshua Green Foundation Theater
Free for members; included with museum admission
Witness the struggle and sacrifice for civil rights in America through the eyes of an African American student in Mississippi during the 1950s and 1960s. Learn how the fight against prejudice has shaped our history. Living Voices combines live theatrical performances with archival film, turning history into a moving personal journey. Suitable for guests ages 12 and up.
TUE FEB 13
7 pm
MOHAI
$5 for MOHAI and BHS Members/$10 General Public
Join historians Mary Henry and Jacqueline E.A. Lawson as they share their work documenting the history of Seattle’s Black communities. Learn about Seattle’s Central Area as it was in the mid-20th Century, as well as the significant African Americans who have shaped our region. This program is presented in partnership with the Black Heritage Society of Washington State (BHS).
SAT FEB 17
We are History Keepers: A Workshop on Preserving the Cultural and Historical Record of Our Community
12—5:30 pm
Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), Seattle
Free. Registration required (includes admission to NAAM)
This afternoon of workshops at the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) provides the skills and knowledge to preserve your own historical records. Presented in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum and the University of Washington Libraries. This program takes place at NAAM. Visit MOHAI.org to register.
WED FEB 21
Minority Men and Tradeswomen’s Fight for Access to Building Trades Jobs and Apprenticeships
6:30 pm
South Lake Café
Free
Civil rights and labor activists in the 1960s and 1970s broke down barriers for women and workers of color in the construction industry, opening a pathway to long inaccessible jobs. Join UW Labor Archivist and Labor Archives head Conor Casey to learn how Seattle workers fought for justice on the job through the lens of the historical collections that document this history. History Cafe is co-presented with MOHAI, The Seattle Public Library, and HistoryLink.org.
SAT FEB 24
Back to the Block: A Theater and Jazz Experience
7 pm
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, Seattle
$20 MOHAI Members/ $25 General Public
Experience the richness of Seattle jazz in this immersive performance of live music and monologues. Local artists engage with Central District history, as recorded by photographer Al Smith in Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith. Join them to celebrate the legacy of jazz in the city from past to present. Presented in partnership with the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas and LANGSTON. This program takes place at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute.
SAT FEB 24
Makerlab NW
12 pm
MOHAI
Free for members; included with museum admission
Build and experiment with fun flying contraptions! Enjoy flights of fancy for the family with Makerlab NW as you test your creations in a wind tube. MakerLab NW is a learning organization dedicated to sharing knowledge, building relationships, and fostering entrepreneurship, especially in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (S.T.E.A.M.).
TUE FEB 27
The Black and Tan: Reimagining Seattle’s Legendary Jazz Club
7 pm
MOHAI
$5 MOHAI Members/$10 General Public
The Black and Tan Club was the heart of Seattle’s legendary Jackson Street jazz scene and welcomed people of all races during a time when segregation prevailed. The newly founded Black and Tan Hall in Hillman City draws on that history, using a cooperative-ownership model to resist displacement. Join jazz historian Paul de Barros, author of Jackson Street After Hours as he moderates this exploration of the Black and Tan past and present. Hear from one of the founders of the new Black & Tan Hall, and enjoy live jazz music. Presented in partnership with the Black and Tan Hall.
THURS MARCH 1
5th Avenue Theater: Rosie the Riveter performance
6 pm
MOHAI
Free
MOHAI and the 5th Avenue Theater are pleased to offer a free performance of Rosie the Riveter. During World War II, manufacturing plants that produced munitions and war supplies were in desperate need of workers. “Rosie the Riveter” became a cultural icon representing the female worker—loyal, efficient, and patriotic. Enjoy the can-do spirit of the Pacific Northwest in the 1940s in this fast, funny musical that follows the adventures of young Rosie.
TUE MARCH 6
Denny Lecture: Makah Voices & the Sea with Dr. Joshua Reid
Tuesday, March 6, 7 pm
MOHAI
$10 MOHAI Members/$15 General Public
MOHAI’s annual Denny Lecture presents the very best in regional historical scholarship. This year, Dr. Joshua Reid discusses the historical context around modern Makah whaling and how this tribal nation maintains the surrounding marine waters as theirs, defining a traditional future for their people. A member of the Snohomish Indian Nation, Dr. Reid is associate professor of History and American Indian Studies at the University of Washington and author of The Sea is My Country: The Maritime World of the Makahs (Yale University Press), recipient of four major book awards.
SAT MARCH 10
Womxn Who Rock (un)Conference: Claiming Space in a Changing City
10 am – 5 pm
MOHAI
Free. Registration required (includes museum admission)
Join musicians, media-makers, performers, artists, scholars, and activists during the 8th annual (un)Conference. Build community, learn how current artists are claiming space in a changing city, and explore the role of women in creating Seattle’s historic jazz scene. The (un)Conference is participant-driven and centered around issues of gender, race, class and sexuality. Activities include skill-sharing workshops, performances, children’s activities and a tour of MOHAI’s special exhibit, Seattle on the Spot: the Photographs of Al Smith. Visit MOHAI.org to register.
TUE MARCH 13
Segregated Seattle: From Redlining to Gentrification
7 pm
MOHAI
$5 MOHAI and NAAM Members/$10 General Public
Seattle is a segregated city. While redlining is now illegal, our city is currently grappling with the racial divides caused by gentrification and economic displacement. Learn about the ongoing impacts of historic segregation in shaping the experiences of all who live in this region. Presented in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM).
SAT MARCH 17
Segregated Seattle: Bike the Infamous Red Line
10 am and 3 pm
Leaves from the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM)
$5 MOHAI and NAAM Members/$15 General Public
Ride along the infamous “red line,” hallmark of racial inequity and housing segregation in Seattle. This slow-paced 10 mile ride, led by Merlin Rainwater, highlights the lingering physical impacts of redlining in our city. The 3-hour tour begins at the Northwest African American Museum, includes a meal break and is suitable for riders of all levels. Presented in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM).
WED MARCH 21
Capturing Bertha & The Biggest Tunnel in the World through Film and Photography
6:30 pm
South Lake Café
Free
Photographer Catherine Bassetti captured one-of-a-kind photos and videos of the SR 99 tunnel project, from hundreds of feet up in the air to hundreds of feet underground. Bassetti’s images capture the larger-than-life machinery, the rescue and return of the cutterhead, the emergence of Bertha, and the complete disassembly of the tunnel boring machine. Bassetti will join HistoryLink‘s Jennifer Ott for a discussion about the many stories she documented with her cameras and a sampling of still images and video clips. History Cafe is co-presented with MOHAI, The Seattle Public Library, and HistoryLink.org.
SAT MARCH 24
Segregated Seattle: Walk the Infamous Red Line
11 am and 2 pm
Leaves from Mt. Zion Baptist Church
$5 MOHAI and NAAM Members/$15 General Public
Walk along the infamous “red line,” hallmark of racial inequity and housing segregation in Seattle. This family-friendly walk, led by Merlin Rainwater, highlights the lingering physical impacts of redlining in our city. The 1.5-hour tour begins at Mt. Zion Baptist Church and includes a meal break. Presented in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM).
Janet Neuhauser, Photographer
12 pm
MOHAI
Free for members; included with museum admission
Al Smith photographed Seattle’s Central District, documenting the neighborhood and the people who inspire him. Join photographer Janet Neuhauser to learn about the history of pinhole photography and build your very own pinhole camera to take home to photograph your own neighborhood! Janet Neuhauser is a photographer and educator based in Seattle. As a photographer, she is an omnivore, in love with all types of photography and processes.
SAVE THE DATE:
SAT APRIL 20
8 pm
MOHAI
Swing into a jazz party at MOHAI! Celebrate the landmark exhibit, Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith, with 1940’s-style live jazz, dancing and performances. Please check the website soon for updated details.
Location, Hours and Admissio
MOHAI is located at 860 Terry Ave. in Seattle. Exhibit gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free on first Thursdays to MOHAI’s regular galleries and open until 8 p.m. Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith and MOHAI’s popular miniature Hammons House, are accessible at a special rate on first Thursdays of $8 for adults, $6 for student/senior/military. Admission to Seattle on the Spot: The Photographs of Al Smith is included with regular MOHAI admission of $19.95 for adults, $15.95 for seniors (62 and above); $13.95 for students and military (with ID); free for children 14 and under (when accompanied by an adult) and MOHAI members. As part of the Museums For All program, low-income families can visit MOHAI for a minimal fee of $2 per person with the presentation of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. For more information, call (206) 324-1126.
About MOHAI
MOHAI is dedicated to enriching lives through preserving, sharing, and teaching the diverse history of Seattle, the Puget Sound region, and the nation. As the largest private heritage organization in the State of Washington; the museum engages communities through interactive exhibits, online resources, and award-winning public and youth education programs. For more information about MOHAI, please visit www.mohai.org or call (206) 324-1126.