Okay — literally how is November here already?! I swear I was just writing the April roundup yesterday! In any case, we’re about to enter the thick of holiday season with many cultures celebrating renewal, harvest, and the new year.
There will be opportunities for you to check out a play that reckons with identity and the violent legacy of government boarding schools on Indigenous people, an art exhibition that asks people to touch the art, a kooky puppet show, and lots of mariachi. I should note that November is Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month and also features Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20.
Think we missed something? Let us know at Arts@SeattleEmerald.org.
Now–Jan. 4, 2025
ARTS at King Street Station Gallery
303 S. Jackson St.
Gallery and museum shows have the reputation of having one golden rule: Do not touch the art. But in “Please Touch: Together, Breaking Barriers,” organizers are inviting visitors to touch the heck out of the paintings and sculptures on display. The show raises accessibility awareness for blind and low-vision people in the arts, while also opening up a path for another type of engagement with art. “Please Touch” features work from artists like Emily Counts, Mary Coss, Stoned Patti O, Sean Hennessey, and Tom Haddy and has a variety of objects: costumes, animal skeletons, abstract imagery and sculpture, and more.
Nov. 2, 12–6 p.m.
Seattle Center
305 Harrison St.
Diwali (Festival of Lights) is one of the biggest cultural events in India and happens every fall. According to the event website, the holiday “symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.” Indians celebrate Diwali by putting lamps, oil lamps called “diyas,” and candles in houses and businesses and worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. This event at Seattle Center will feature talks, folk and classical dances, music, storytimes, puppet shows, and lots of food. Come wearing new clothes and bring your loved ones!
Nov. 7–Dec. 5, opening reception on Nov. 7 from 6–8 p.m.
Gallery 4Culture
101 Prefontaine Place S.
Painter and sculptor JoEllen Wang’s new show at 4Culture, “Marginalia,” focuses on just that — the objects that exist on the periphery of our consciousness as we move through the city. Tarps, errant tires, discarded trash — all are excellent fodder for Wang’s work. (You might recognize her public installation that went up on Beacon Hill during the summer.) In the show, her paintings, soft-sculpture eco blocks, and bunny rabbit sculptures all speak to the places and people who don’t receive the attention they deserve.
Nov. 9, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (day program) and 7–10 p.m. (night program)
Seattle Center
305 Harrison St.
The Hmong New Year coincides with the end of the harvest season, giving thanks to ancestors and welcoming new beginnings. Traditionally, the new year is celebrated for 10 days, but at this Seattle one-day celebration, there will be no shortage of traditional food, dance, dress, and music.
Nov. 9, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
104 17th Ave. S.
This Kwanzaa event will feature a special performance of short play A Royal Reminder of the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, community discussions, and a marketplace of youth entrepreneur vendors.
Nov. 9, 12 p.m.
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
5011 Bernie Whitebear Way
The Veterans Day Powwow at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center celebrates Native relatives and loved ones who have served. There will be lunch as well as tables for nonprofit organizations and vendors. Grand entry is at 12 p.m., and all dancers and drummers are welcome.
Nov. 9–10
Seattle Conference Center
800 Pike St.
GeekGirlCon is an inclusive convention that celebrates and honors underrepresented groups in science, technology, comics, arts, literature, game play, and game design. There will be a fun mix of panels and workshops on a variety of topics featuring industry experts. Additionally, expect cool exhibitors with handcrafted wares as well as tons of gaming tables and meetups. Don’t forget to cosplay as your favorite character! Please note: This event is fully masked.
Nov. 14 and 16
Rainier Arts Center
3515 S. Alaska St.
The Odunde Festival traces its roots back to a Yoruba celebration of the New Year. While it’s a tradition now mostly maintained by the African diaspora, it’s an excellent time to reflect, celebrate, and gather with loved ones. At the ADEFUA Odunde Festival, there are two guest artists: master drummer Baba Mosheh Milon and Afro-Caribbean dance and music group Grupo Bayano. Come through to watch them perform and check out an African marketplace on Nov. 16.
Nov. 14–16
On the Boards
100 W. Roy St.
Performer Timothy White Eagle is presenting his latest work, “Indian School,” at On the Boards. The performance grapples with the legacy of government boarding schools and assimilation camps that Native children were forced to attend, undergoing severe punishment and torture for speaking their Native language or practicing Native traditions. Pulling from his own experience as an Indigenous child adopted by a white family, White Eagle also weaves his grandfather’s experience as a boarding school survivor into a story about identity, trauma, and resilience.
Nov. 15–16
Theatre Off Jackson
409 7th Ave. S.
In Fussy Cloud Puppet Slam Volume 26: “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?”, nine PNW artists are coming together to put on a super weird and unforgettable puppet variety show. Interested? Here’s more from the event description:
With acts that range from the darkly comic to the whimsically bizarre, this show is an exploration of the worst-case scenarios we all fear – and what happens when things go off the rails. Whether it’s a penguin attempting to recite poetry, a sloth murderer, or a ventriloquist duet about a collapsing ceiling, this show promises a night filled with inventive puppetry and unpredictable twists.
Fussy Cloud Puppet Slam
Nov. 19, 7 p.m.
Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave.
You saw Vee Hua’s short film Reckless Spirits and you absolutely loved it. Now, Hua is kicking off their first fundraiser to turn their kooky metaphysical comedy into a feature-length film with a big party! Come through to see a drag performance by Uh Oh, a tarot pop-up shop by Ghost Gallery, clothing from Wolf Delux, astrology readings by Mari Shibuya, and a short film screening and other video snippets! (Note: Hua used to be managing editor at the Emerald!)
Nov. 21, 6–9 p.m.
Hugo House Theatre
1634 11th Ave.
The Serica Initiative and ALL ARTS is bringing together some of the biggest AA&NH/PI names in Seattle food — journalist Tan Vinh, cookbook author Hsiao-Ching Chou, chef Melissa Miranda, chef Rachel Yang, poet Jane Wong, food writer Kat Lieu, content creator Ken Tan, author Meilee Chou Riddle, restaurant owner Karuna Long, filmmaker Yixuan Pan — for a panel, performances, light bites, and fun as they try to map where the future of Asian American food is headed in the PNW.
Nov. 22–24
Various locations
The Seattle International Butoh Festival will be a fun mixture of workshops, performances, and film screenings at various venues across the city. This year’s special guests include Mari Osanai from Japan, Eugenia Vargas from Mexico, and Tebby Ramasike from South Africa and France.
Nov. 22–24, 7:30 p.m.
Rainier Arts Center
3515 S. Alaska St.
“Sitting in Circles with Rich White Girls” is Chad-Henry Goller-Sojourner’s funny, bittersweet solo performance about his experience being the first man — at the age of 15 — in the U.S. to be insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield to enter eating disorder rehab in 1986. With wit and deep insight, the show dives into and reclaims his experience as a fat, gay, bulimic, mentally ill, Black boy with white parents.
Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Moore Theatre
1932 2nd Ave.
I literally cannot imagine any better way to welcome in the Christmas season than with José Hernández’s lauded Mariachi Sol de Mexico band. Mariachi is the perfect art form, in my book. Hernández and his band will play a mix of mariachi favorites as well as Christmas music from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite.” Do not miss this!
Nov. 29–April 27, 2025
MOHAI
860 Terry Ave. N.
25 years ago, the World Trade Organization (WTO) conference in Seattle sparked one of the largest political protests in our city’s history. “Teamsters, Turtles, and Beyond: The Legacy of the Seattle WTO Protests” explores the legacy of the mass demonstration through artifacts, immersive images, and statements from those present. More from the event:
From the origins of the WTO to the legacy of these events on activism, policing, and global trade policy, visitors are invited to consider multiple perspectives and reflect on their relationship to democracy—an issue at the heart of the WTO protests of continuing relevance today.
MOHAI
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