2025 Reflections: Looking Back at Arts & Culture

When it comes to the arts, Seattle is lucky. We've got options galore. Of course, there are the big shows: Ai Weiwei had a blockbuster exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, and even now you can see Weiwei's "Water Lilies" at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. This summer, Lady Gaga brought out all her monsters for a little mayhem. And for the balletophiles, there's the current production of "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker."

But art comes in many sizes, not to mention shapes, and some of the art worth seeing this past year was right in the South End. The Emerald, I'm happy to report, still believes in robust Arts & Culture coverage. Many of the shows and experiences we told you about were on the more affordable end of the ticket-price scale — and some were even free. Because everyone, regardless of how many coins are clinking in your change purse, should be able to enjoy a nice, artsy time.

So, here are a few Emerald pieces that not only helped expand how we envision Arts & Culture, but also showed that South End arts can entertain as well as educate:

If there's one topic we could all learn more about, it's affordability — or, more specifically: Why do homes cost more in one neighborhood than the next? Enter arts reporter Jas Keimig and their piece on "The Wealth Walk," a theatrical walking tour of Mount Baker and the Rainier Valley that was one part immersive experience, one part history lesson, and 100% fascinating.

No matter your family background, chances are your ancestors played board games. So, when Emerald photographer Alex Garland heard someone was teaching folks how to play Kōnane, sometimes called "Hawaiian checkers," he went to Marination in Columbia City to investigate. The teacher was Uncle John Kaohelauli'i, and Alex's visit resulted in a fabulous photo essay full of dynamic imagery and faces etched with concentration. 

Remember Y2K? We spent a lot of time fretting about our tech going whacko — yet nothing happened. Well, something happened to Japanese American teen Ami: She found herself on the verge of disappearing. Then, there was her discovery that her grandfather created MSG. And that's just part of what arts writer Bri Little took in when she reviewed Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play, a humorous theatrical production at Theatre Off Jackson that took viewers on a time-traveling trek that touched upon family, grief, and seasonings.

Let's be honest: Walking around in stilettos ain't easy. Yet some people — namely, drag queens – can make it look effortless. Or at least make it look good. Former arts editor Mark Van Streefkerk found that Atasha Manila, the "OG Drag Queen" of Beacon Hill, is about more than looks: Her drag is buoyed by a personal story that lends her performances potency. And if you really wanna see her werk a room, fabulous photos from Emerald photographer Susan Fried prove that Atasha knows how to slay.

Rosette Royale is the managing editor of the South Seattle Emerald. A journalist since 1995, he has worked as a reporter and editor at Real Change and focuses on elevating voices that often go unheard.