I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately … I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.

The reasons Thoreau once gave for his retreat into the forest near Walden Pond are eerily similar to our own reasons for moving to Spokane last month after ten years spent living abroad. My wife and I wanted a more measured pace of life without sacrificing the arts and culture that enrich our existence. We sought a place that wasn’t stagnant, that was reinventing itself without falling victim to vanity and greed and therefore losing sight of the things that mattered — things like the environment and a strong sense of community. We were looking for somewhere we could easily concentrate on the essentials and not, as that surly transcendentalist dismissively wrote all those years ago, fritter our life away on a headlong rush of insignificant details.

You could be forgiven at this point for snickering at our naiveté. Deliberate living? Arts and culture? Spokane? There’s a prevalent strain of thought that will grant the city just one concession when it comes to positive attributes: “It’s a good place for families.” In other words, it’s quaint. Predictable. Stodgy. Dull. And, for better or worse, maybe it is. This city could certainly use a few more bookstores, bands, and exhibitions.

But right now there’s a week-before-Christmas kind of vibe in Spokane, a feeling that something’s on the verge of happening; or maybe it’s already been happening for a while and the effects are only now starting to become apparent: the Main Market Co-op and the larger slow/organic food movement, the push for bike- and pedestrian-friendly “complete streets,” the resurgence of community-oriented and sustainability-minded businesses such as Roast House, the one hundred blocks of free Wi-Fi coverage at the city center, the development of the long-dormant and dilapidated Kendall Yards area, the moves to protect the aquifer.

To us Spokane appears to have, for the first time since the mid-’70s, the requisite impetus and desire to reflect and decide precisely what form it will take in the twenty-first century. And unlike those enduringly beguiling destinations of Seattle and Portland, whose powerful cultural tractor beams continue to entice some of Spokane’s finest away (I’m looking at you, Sherman Alexie et al.), this city still has the ability to do just that, to collectively re-imagine itself in whole or in part. Its reputation and fate are not yet so fixed.

That’s a unique position for a city of this size to be in. It has the opportunity to maintain the back-to-basics qualities that attracted us in the first place and still adopt the very best amenities that cities such as Seattle and Portland have to offer: bike lanes, arts funding, music and film festivals, architectural highlights, the proliferation of public parks. And it can grow and evolve in this way while resolutely avoiding what are so often viewed as the inevitable by-products of progress: a grotesque sprawl at its periphery, a blight of exclusive upmarket condominiums, a wanton pursuit of white-collar job creation that often succeeds only in raising the cost of living, poorly planned traffic thoroughfares and expensive public transportation.

Spokane is indeed a diamond in the rough, and we’re excited about the ways it’s begun to shine. If it were to take the right steps and channel the right resources, Spokane could exert a cultural influence to rival that of its more cosmopolitan coastal cousins. Stem that creative drain and it won’t be long before this city shakes off its parochial stigma altogether. A vibrant creative class attracts a vibrant business class. Which in turn cultivates a vibrant middle class. A city like that doesn’t need to woo location scouts and CEOs; they come of their own accord.

To truly live deep and suck the marrow from life… that would be a challenge even in Eden itself. But to live simply, to live deliberately; to live in a place where your farmer has a Facebook page, where you can drop in unannounced at a specialist coffee roaster and be invited to “cup” before they even learn your name, where you can stroll down to the most popular citywide annual event and not have to fight for a front-row spot, where more than ten cars at a stoplight constitutes heavy traffic, where the symphony orchestra plays to an annual audience almost as large as that of the Oregon Symphony operating out of Portland, where there’s a local public radio station for every 100,000 inhabitants, where the historical buildings haven’t been razed or yuppified, where there’s a postcard-perfect waterfall and rapids running right through the heart of downtown, for heaven’s sake — these are the things that drew us to Spokane. And as this city in flux attempts to augment those qualities with much-needed technological, creative, and environmental assets, our active support is with those who will ensure that any changes are carried out for the sake of those existing qualities and not at their expense.

Three weeks and countless innocent make out sessions later, The Priest pulled the plug. The Priest had admittedly gone too far. After making out with me for what turned out to be the last time, The Priest told me that, up until then, he had never been so sure that becoming a priest was his life’s calling. ZING!

As I wallowed in self-pity, I realized that three weeks with The Priest had enabled me to ponder the role spirituality plays in my life. While I don’t advocate cruising the local temple or church for the next Mr. or Mrs. Right, I do recommend checking out the religious “scene” in Spokane. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Spokane offers some pretty cool environments that cater to the spiritually devoted, or spiritually curious, 20-30 year olds in the area.

Contact St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on the South Hill to find out what nights they hold Theology on Tap; a casual gathering at a local pub where points of religion are discussed over a pint. The Porch located on Broadway in the West Central neighborhood has a laid back, coffee-house-feel to the traditional idea of “church” Sundays at five and Pastor Deb, of Liberty Park United Methodist, holds small group gatherings for young adults outside of the traditional bible study format. Or for a more radical, non-traditional service, check out one of Whiskey Dick Mountain’s next gospel infuse shows which is sure to rock the devil right out of you.

Regardless of where your spiritual quest may lead you, I pray that the good Lord bless you with peace, love and a smoking hot soul mate in your near future.

As for the rest of you Spokanites, we need to have a serious talk. Only 54 percent of ya’ll are registered to vote. Of that 54 percent only 51 percent of you voted in the last election. That leaves about 72 percent of the population that isn’t voting. What’s up with that? Perhaps you don’t think it matters. If that’s the case, consider this: In 2008 John Driscoll beat my personal nemesis, John Ahern by 74 votes. That would mean that if only 74 people hadn’t voted John Ahern would be in office. I’ll let you imagine the consequences.

Have I convinced you? Probably not, so here’s my secondary pitch:

This weekend at Elkfest in Browne’s Addition, NextUp (Greater Spokane Progress) and the Washington Bus have jumped on the voter engagement band wagon. There will be popsicles in exchange for the completion of a civic engagement quiz and the opportunity to dunk an elected official if you register or pledge to vote. This isn’t a partisan deal, we are trying to engage every citizen in government so we all have the right to complain when things go wrong.

The NextUp/ Washington Bus Booth will be at Elkfest, 1931 W. Pacific Ave., all three days of the festival. You can check Elkfest out on Facebook or last.fm. Did I mention that Elkfest is a music festival, too? Put on your dancing shoes. Oh yeah, did I mention that it’s free? ‘Cause it is.

See you there!

From the EWU Flickr photostream.

But what does it say about a culture when the heart of that society resides in a shrine to sex-driven conspicuous consumption?* Since there are few public meetings that take place in the mall, maybe it isn’t fair to say that RPS is the heart of Spokane. All political activity has been sequestered behind the sign-in desk across the street at City Hall. If the park is the recreational center, the mall is the commercial center, and City Hall is the civic center, I would like to posit that the Museum of Arts and Culture be recognized as our region’s cultural center.

While this is an obvious statement to some, I don’t think enough people see the museum in this way. It is interesting to think about the effects of these four areas of society being separated in terms of physical space, but my real purpose here is to invite you to participate in BeGin! at the MAC, tonight from 6-8pm. BeGin! is a series of open house-style happy hours to celebrate the resources that the museum provides to the public, and to remind folks that the museum depends on their support.

With live music, appetizers, drinks available and good people, these events are a guaranteed good time. They are similar in demographics to the Spokane Metro Magazine parties that were wildly popular until the publication’s eventual demise. Let’s not allow our precious museum to experience the same fate. BeGin! is also part of an effort by the museum to cultivate new audiences and foster an environment of participation that helps the institution stay responsive and relevant to the public’s interests.

I believe that at this time The MAC is in a sort of courtship with the younger generation of Spokane. We’re trying to find new ways to speak their language…to let people know that their voice matters and that the MAC is listening. Creating an environment where the public feels welcome – where they feel like they are a part of something – is a huge step in the right direction. In my opinion, establishing this atmosphere is just as important as the programs we promote or the exhibits we choose, as we journey towards our goal of becoming a cultural hub for the Spokane Community. -Ginger Ewing, Museum staff organizer.

Whether you’re going for the party or going to support an essential cultural institution, at least you will be there for BeGin!

• The Museum of Arts and Culture on Facebook.
• RSVP to BeGin! on Facebook.

*Small locally owned and operated businesses like Anemone paper flowers are a notable exception. I’m referring to chains like Abercrombie & Fitch.

Spokane’s P-Jammers at the last MLK Jr. Day march.

The P-Jammers (or PJAMRS, standing for the Peace and Justice Activist Musical Rascals of Spokane) are a rag tag bunch of folks that love to get out and be the life of any social or economic justice party. They often accompany events organized by the Peace and Justice Action League, and can also be heard at a smattering of other relevant political gatherings.

In no small part due to our vigorous sports culture and our position as  a hub to hundreds of small rural towns, marching bands are actually still a pretty big deal around Spokane. But they tend to be of a stiflingly traditional nature that emphasizes militaristic uniformity to the detriment of personal creativity and expression. Not so with the P-Jammers! This funky bunch fashions itself after the Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band, and members often make their own uniforms by hand out of reused materials.

While I might cringe a bit at some of the comments made by the crazier bards in this video, you’ve got to hand it to them for entertainment value. When people talk about a city being “vibrant,” for me this is the pinnacle of good old fashioned public fun.

Apparently these Honk! Fests aren’t unique to Seattle, they take place in a small number of cities all around the country. Not to wax nostalgic about Portland or anything, but in the brief time I lived there I encountered several Honk! style groups. There was the No War Drum Corps, a percussion booster band that often plays for the Rose City Rollers, and the unforgettably talented March Fourth, to name a few.

If we ever made a cultural asset map in Spokane and came up with indicators to measure our local creative health, I think the number and vitality of Honk! bands could be used as one of the canaries in our culture mine. They require a high degree of coordination dedication and guts, and thus would do well in reflecting our creative surplus. So cheers to the day when our people can go to Seattle to represent without the inevitable comment, “I didn’t know you had [insert cultural/social whatever it is] in Spokane!”

• Apologies for not mentioning the recent Musical Freedom Rally in Riverfront Park. Apparently it was a big success.

The purpose is to educate local art consumers about the diversity and accessibility of local original art, elevate the status of collecting local art, and cultivate critical taste among Spokane’s growing art community.

Design by Nick Tibbets

It’s been said that the key to persuasion is to “show not tell.” I hope New Originals will create an atmosphere in which everyday people can realize the value of supporting local artists as a means of personal expression.  For the price of a pair of designer jeans (or less) you can replace that tacky poster in your apartment with something that challenges, inspires, and lasts a lifetime.

Artwork by Jeremey Vermilion

Unlike many of the other First Friday exhibits that will open tomorrow night, New Originals: Collections, Champs, & Champagne is a one night only event. There will be live boxing, performances by several popular local bands, and general revelry in a part of town that too often doesn’t get its fair share of love. For the nay-sayers who like to think they’ve seen and done it all, the exhibit will also include a large body of new work by emerging artist Jeremey Vermilion. It warms my heart that our art scene is sophisticated and altruistic enough that it can offer a deserving new artist what amounts to a debut show.

Artwork by Jeremey Vermilion

Unlike the two paintings I’ve included here (couldn’t resist giving in to this curious interpretation of Spokane fetishism), most of what will be on display will not be your run-of-the-mill ho-hum traditional Spokane art. Expect a lot of pop art, photography, and things heavily influenced by graphic design. There will be some graffiti inspired paintings, things that look like they could be tattoos, and an all around eclectic mix of styles. Like KYRS on canvas.

Not only does this show represent collaboration between a few different social spheres that were previously more separate from each other, it represents several decades of local “alternative” art history.

Thanks goes to the organizers, the artists and these local sponsors:
Community-Minded Enterprises, Audio Affiliated, Silhouette Lighting, Spokane Boxing, Platform Booking, Caterina Winery, Big Sky, TheSomShow.com, Aaron Schaber Design, Mojo Reprographics and Object Space.

• RSVP and invite your friends to New Originals on Facebook.

We’ve pumped thousands of dollars back into Spokane’s own local economy, preferencing businesses with sustainable and socially responsible practices. We swapped closets, made our own deodorant, and helped to inspire and support new community groups. We even went on a retreat and drafted a mission statement:

The Shrinking Violet Society is a dynamic social co-op of fresh-minded individuals sustaining creative endeavors. We are dedicated to:

• Promoting Localism
• Building Intentional Friendships
• Affirming Sass & Independence
• Nurturing Artistic Abundance
• Circulating Our Passion

At its core, the Shrinking Violets are a group of people learning to genuinely trust and value each other. Slowing down and taking time to be accountable and present with anyone who seeks out their company. In our crazy-making world this is often easier said than done. But something about the resolve of this group makes it possible. There are no committees, no obligations, and no structure that binds the organization together. It is simply a longing for a functional community in which to contribute and become enriched.

You are invited to celebrate this venture with the Shrinking Violets at our first annual Birthday Bash. Tickets can be purchased online and RSVPs can be made here and on Facebook. Think of it as Spokane’s own Ladyfest.

The event will feature an art show, local vendor fair with over 30 businesses, nonprofits and artisans represented, live entertainment, free child care and delicious home made cupcakes, all in the funky warehouse space at Silver Auctions. We hope you will be able to join us for this special occasion!

Can you name every mural in this video? Do you recognize all the different neighborhoods? I love how uniquely Spokane this is, yet the pavilion and clock tower are nowhere in sight.

How cool is it that this band held their last CD release party at a grange out in Colville? I want to go!

• Spokane “The Band”
• Ghost Mice by The Finger
• Riverfront Park by Ajax Starglider

The next four months are packed with more community-produced shows than the the last few years combined. The ambitious Transcendence Project is on its way, there is the Young Spokanites Art Extravaganza, the Shrinking Violets are exhibiting at the end of February, Earth Day is becoming more arty this year, and interesting things involving boxing gyms and live theater are brewing out on East Sprague.

All of this energy will come to a head on February 5-6th, when an arts party celebrating a whole new level of sophistication will take place at the Empyrean. Get ready for the RiverSpeak Launch.

What is RiverSpeak, you ask? It is a dedicated group of young people who are determined to create a comprehensive online arts forum for Spokane. This will include a feature rich website that will allow local artists from all different genres to showcase their work to the world in customizable online portfolios.

There are several advantages to this effort. Many local creatives do not have the technical savvy or financial means to build their own personal websites. With RiverSpeak, people will have a simple way to put their work in front of a large viewing audience without the hassle of set-up, tear down and scheduling.

Social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook have fulfilled this role to some extent, but their emphasis is on the person, not the work, and they are chronically cluttered with all kinds of other irrelevant content. In terms of the end user experience, trying to use those platforms is not unlike trying to exhibit a Lorinda Knight show in a cluttered pawn shop.

Why not rely on DeviantArt or Etsy, you ask? The answer is simple. Not only do those two websites have highly defined aesthetics that don’t match up with the diverse work that is being produced here, they are both designed primarily for visual art and have no connection to a real geographic place.

The advantage of a Spokane-based network is that local businesses and buyers can browse through this comprehensive directory of work and find just the thing for their lobby, living room, wedding or holiday party without the $3,000 shipping fee, or travel and lodging expenses. People in Spokane may not lead very well integrated lives online, but they do adopt technology if it is reinforced in the brick and mortar world. The existence of LaunchPad in Spokane is a good example of this. In any other large city professionals are satisfied with LinkedIn or other specialized trade networks. In Spokane we need a little extra social push and then are willing to jump in on one big community-wide bandwagon.

For RiverSpeak, this interactive reinforcement will come in two forms. First, the un-tapped energy of local arts enthusiasts will be harnessed in an editorial board of volunteer reviewers that will highlight and comment on work they choose to feature in their genre or medium of specialty. Second, an events page will provide one stop shopping for all of the interesting local events that various organizations and grassroots groups are looking to advertise.

As an organizer I can see how this will be valuable to a large number of people putting on events and viewing the site. With Terrain we thought a website would help lend us legitimacy, but after the fact we realized there was a lot of start-up inertia with driving web traffic to a brand new destination. I can’t tell you how painful it is to receive a flier to a neat art event, like an open house, and know that I don’t have the time to forward it on to the people who would like to know about it.  Without a centralized forum like RiverSpeak, events are overly dependent on word of mouth for their success as opposed to their own creative merit.

Doughnut Parade by Seth Ramirez, RiverSpeak member.

What will make RiverSpeak stick? For one it is a non-profit non-print publication, and therefore won’t be dependent on ad sales to bring in revenue for production. Secondly, the group driving the effort is full of bright energetic creative folks who are determined to make it a success. Ringleader Brook Matson has enough gumption to move mountains AND teach at M.E.A.D. alternative high school. (That is a lot of gumption, I know because I graduated from there!)

If you’d like to meet these awesome organizers and lend your support in advance of the official launch, come on down to the Community Building (35 W. Main Ave.) next Sunday at 3pm for a Stomp and Craft party. People will be helping to assemble zines and compilation CDs for the big event.

Sometimes people don’t realize what is in their own back yard:

1801 W. Sunset :: Browne’s Addition :: Spokane, WA

• Full in house sound/stage
• New paint/design
• Local art monthly
• 200 capacity
• 21+/Full bar
• 4 pool tables
• Huge patio
• Parking
• Sprinklers throughout!
• Basement venue/65 capacity

If this sampler lineup doesn’t entice you, nothing will. (All shows are 21+ and start at 9pm unless otherwise noted at this new neighborhood venue.)

1/6/10: TheSomShow.com & Platform Booking present: Whammy Wednesdays w/SUPERVILLIAN – Rotating DJ sets, Open turntables, Live podcasting, FREE!

1/8/10: 2nd Friday Art Show Featuring new work by Ruben Villarreal. Reception 7-9pm, FREE. Music starts at 9pm – O’Neill/Long Family Showcase Featuring Annie ONeill, Kevin Long, Brandon ONeill, Curren Long, and more! (rock/blues/acoustic) $5

1/9/10: Buffalo Jones and Plastic Saints (alt. rock) $5

1/13/10: Whammy Wednesday w/DJ DESEURE – Rotating DJ sets, Open turntables, Live podcasting, FREE!

1/15/10: Dearly Departed and Hillstomp (gypsy punk) $5

1/16/10: Mon Cheri w/Picture Radio (pop/alt. jazz/folk) $5

1/20/10: Whammy Wednesday w/PETER PARKER – Rotating DJ sets, Open turntables, Live podcasting, FREE!

1/22/10: One Gun Galleria and The Missionary Position (rock) $5

1/23/10: Belt of Vapor, Space Opera 77, Beluga (prog rock) $5

1/27/10: Whammy Wednesday w/LOCKE – Rotating DJ sets, Open turntables, Live podcasting, FREE!

1/29/10: Silver Treason w/ TBA (country/rock) $5

While it’s unfortunate this new local music rollout is not all-ages, select all-ages shows will still happen at various locations around town as support and demand allow. So for those of you who are under 21, (and those of you who understand the value of all-ages music) get busy lobbying the local music powers that be and turning your friends out for shows.

The on-again-off-again availability of all-ages music in Spokane suggests the need for a nonprofit approach to providing this valuable community asset. For those interested in making the all-ages magic work, I suggest scouring “In Every Town: An All-Ages Music Manualfesto,” an excellent guide on how to make the stars align around a successful all-ages venue in Anywhere, USA.

• TheSomShow.com, “The Sunset Junction: It’s not just for strippers and drunks anymore.”