For about fifteen years, Phil Kline has been organizing the Unsilent Night art project in New York City, and all around the country. This year, for the first time, the event will also be taking place here in Seattle. Starting at 5:30 pm on Sunday, people will be lining up in Fremont with boom boxes, all playing 4 different parts of Kline’s musical composition. The effect has been described as “beautiful” and “magical”, and you can read about last year’s San Francisco performance over at Laughing Squid (there’s a video, too). Check out the post on upcoming.org for more details.

Saturday, September 8th
911 Media Arts
402 9th Ave. N (Downtown)

For Seattle science / tech geeks there are two great art shows opening up this weekend. The first is happening Friday night (12/7) at the tech collective / art gallery down in Belltown – the McLeod Residence. Cassandra Nguyen has become fascinated with giant squid, and is now creating gigantic stuffed replicas of them. Three of those creatures will be on display at the residence on Friday night. The Seattle Cephalopod Appreciation Society will also be on hand to spread education, enthusiasm, poetry and squidy snacks!

The second event is being hosted by Shelly Farnham and everyone over at Dorkbot Seattle. It’s happening on Saturday night (12/8) downtown at 911 Media. You can expect the usual fare of people doing strange things with electricity. Though this year they’re focusing on interactivity: exhibits that interact with the environment, with the attendees, etc. There are a whole bunch of great artists, and the Dorkbot folks always know how to throw a good party.

Roq la Rue, the pop surreallist art gallery down in Belltown, opened up a new show last week. I was hoping to write up a post for opening night, but, alas, got too busy with the day job. Thankfully, the show is going on all month, so you’ve got plenty of time to check it out before you start gorging on turkey next week.

This month, the gallery is featuring Scott Musgrove’s “Late Fauna of North America”, and Ryan Heshka’s Radio Army. But we’re most excited about Brian Despain’s “B-Side Stories”. A lot of Despain’s work features whimsical, often melancholy robots. It looks like something out of early Asimov stories, mixed with the character design from the Iron Giant.

The show will be in the gallery until December, so check it out now, while you’ve got the chance.

I’ve never been to Burning Man, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t pique my curiousity around this time every year. The festival starts at the end of August, so Dorkbot this month is highlighting Art from the Playa. Presenters will include Simon Winder talking about his “dog dish” art car, Buphalo discussing fire and art (and interesting mixtures of the two), and Mars Saxman will be showing hot to make laser fingers. And, of course, I’m sure there will be lots more Burners on hand Wednesday to socialize and talk about the whole experience.