Arts in the South End: January 2025 Roundup

Ah, January. It's the month when many of us are burned out from winter holiday celebrations and are now faced with a whole new year pregnant with possibility and haunted by gray skies. But this is no time to huddle inside and bat off invitations to things — there is much to do. Be a part of planning a new Black Panther Park, attend Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations, and tune into a lauded author's Town Hall event. 

Think we missed something? Let us know at Arts@SeattleEmerald.org.

Jan. 5–25
The Beacon Cinema
4405 Rainier Ave. S.

The Beacon Cinema's latest screening series is shaped off the momentum of a CEO slaying late last year that captivated a nation. "Potentially Ill-Advised: Films About Assassinating Your Political Leaders" culls together eight works about political assassinations, radical ideology, terrorism, and capitalistic tyranny. I'm most looking forward to David Cronenberg's underappreciated work The Dead Zone, which follows a man with psychic abilities determined to kill a candidate who poses a dangerous threat should he assume power.

Jan. 11, 2–4 p.m.
Skyway Library
12601 76th Ave. S.

Now that they are finally ready to begin construction, Nurturing Roots Farm is hosting a Black Panther Park Community Meeting at Skyway Library, where it will discuss the park's design as well as invite artists and construction contractors to assist in making its vision a reality. 

Jan. 12, 1-4 p.m.
Chinatown-International District Community Center
719 8th Ave. S.

In honor of the Year of the Snake, VietQ Seattle is hosting a celebration of the Lunar New Year with bánh chưng and paper flower workshops, áo dài shopping, and inviting people to play a few games of bầu cua cá cọp. Masks are required, and there is a sliding scale suggested donation with funds going to support an East African elder facing eviction in Seattle. 

Jan. 17, 7 p.m.
Elliott Bay Books
1521 10th Ave.

The world seems to be coming apart at its seams, and love is more important than ever. In activist and educator Dean Spade's newest book, Love in a F*cked Up World, the author explores questions like "How do we divest from the idea that one romantic partner will be the solution to all our problems? How do we bring our best thinking about freedom and justice into step with our desires for healing and connection?" On Friday, Jan. 17, he'll be in conversation with author Angela Garbes at Elliott Bay Books. 

Jan. 17-19, 6–8 p.m.
Little Saigon Creative
1227 S. Weller St., Suite A

Bring in the Year of the Snake in Little Saigon with a weekend of events. On Friday is Saigon Spin, a vinyl listening party featuring pre-1975 Vietnam records curated by Seattle Vinyl Society. On Saturday, come early for a Tết Market with small business vendors and a Lion Dance. Then, on Sunday, come through for a bánh tết workshop, a traditional New Year dish. 

Jan. 20, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Northwest African American Museum
2300 S. Massachusett St.

If you're looking for a distraction from the hoopla of Inauguration Day, dig into community celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Northwest African American Museum is hosting an event featuring a "powerful display of community and Black arts" with two new art exhibitions as well as a community resource fair. This year's theme, Forward Together, is "both a call to action and a promise to the community that NAAM will remain dedicated to serving as the cornerstone of meaningful community engagement."

Jan. 20, 11 a.m.
Garfield High School
400 23rd Ave.

Every year, the Seattle MLK Jr. Organizing Coalition organizes a rally and march on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Central District. Meet at Garfield High School for a rally at 11 a.m. with the march beginning at 12:30 p.m. In the days before, the coalition will host two community discussions on Jan. 18 at Washington Hall and the Northwest African American Museum. And if you're looking to start a new job in 2025, there's a job fair, resume review, and workshops at Garfield just before the rally and march. 

Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Town Hall Seattle
1119 8th Ave. and Online

Percival Everett's latest novel, James, has taken the world by storm. It's a retelling of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but written from the perspective of Jim, an escaped slave who accompanies Huckleberry on his travels. The book was nominated for an esteemed Booker Prize and The New York Times said it "should come bundled with Twain's novel. It is a tangled and subversive homage, a labor of rough love." Tickets to the IRL event have long been sold out, but luckily Town Hall will have a livestream of the event you can tune in to. 

Jan. 25–26
Seattle Center
305 Harrison St.

Now in its 28th year, Tết in Seattle is once again setting up at Seattle Center to celebrate Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The free event will feature lots of traditional Vietnamese food, performances, fashion shows, and an all-inclusive health fair. Make sure to wear red and yellow for good luck in this upcoming Year of the Snake!