Seattle Culture
Fave Five: Sail, Stream, Donate, Create
Enjoy the sun and find a new hobby
By Heather Lowenthal May 5, 2023
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.
1 DON’T WAIT to sail off into the Puget Sound horizon on a 70-foot yacht. You don’t need your own boat. Just buy a ticket or two online and head down to Pier 56 off Alaskan Way and join a Sailing Seattle Cruise, a company family owned and operated here for 40 years. Bring a jacket and leave your phone behind. The big, beautiful sun is only visible for a few months in Seattle. Before sunset, why not enjoy the city and mountain views from a seat on an ocean racer? sailingseattle.com/sails
Porcelain figurines
Photo by Lynda Sherman / Kobo
2 GIVE SMALL to someone you love. Who doesn’t appreciate compact, well-designed, beautiful, useful things? The smart elegance of a stackable, porcelain creamer and sugar set with a natural cork top makes me smile. Kobo Seattle, open since 1995, offers ordinary beauty inspired (mostly) by Japanese culture. Who can resist a gift category titled “small & unusual”? If you scroll, you’ll find a collection of “Super Tiny Lucky Owls.” Beyond the unusual, there are retro graphic postcards, origami paper, books, home décor, and even surprise vintage items under the category of “Found Objects.” All new items are made by local and international artisans. Visit the store on Capitol Hill or in the International District. Shop online at koboseattle.com
Jean Smart at HBO’s Watchman Premiere Screening at the Cinerama Dome on Oct. 14, 2019 in Los Angeles.
Photo by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock
3 STREAM the HBO Max show, Hacks, featuring the hilarious and talented Jean Smart (born and raised in Seattle). She plays the fictional Deborah Vance, a trailblazing female comedian (very Joan Rivers), who’s about to lose her decades-long Vegas contract. Her agent persuades her to work with a reluctant 20-something sitcom writer, meant to inject her stand-up material with greater relevance. Imagine The Odd Couple characters as women with big egos. The humor is sharp and often crass but honest. You’ll forget that a show about a 70-something woman who’s powerful but likable, flawed, fearless, funny, and the center of her universe is rare. You’ll need to subscribe to watch but it’s worth it. And season three is coming. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacks_(TV_series)
4 DISCOVER or donate cute clothes, shoes, and accessories at Simple & Just. This nonprofit Ballard boutique sells fashionable, pre-loved women’s clothing. It then donates the profits to other nonprofits qualified to help women and at-risk youth recover from the trauma of exploitation. Your clothing donation, purchase, or both, support safe shelters, mental health services, and life skills programs. simpleandjust.org
5 EXPERIENCE midcentury art. In this case, the time refers to the age of the maker rather than the art era. Fogue Studios & Gallery in Georgetown represents the creative works of artists aged 50 and over exclusively. You’ll find a range of styles and media from sculpture and collage, acrylic and multimedia, to found object and even paper mâché. The owner, Kerry Gates, is consciously pushing back on ageism in the art community. She recognizes the strong, creative voices that come from a (long) lived life. Explore the gallery, buy art, ask questions, or sign up for an art class and get started on your own second life. foguestudios.com
CORRECTION: The owner of Fogue Studios & Gallery, above, was misidentified in the original copy. The owner is Kerry Gates.
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