Anyone in the Seattle area with an Instagram may have seen ads in the last few weeks for House of Spirits: Tale of Vaughan Mansion, a Haunted Cocktail Soirée. Intrigued by the images of a candlelit, creepy costume ball, my friends and I got tickets for Halloween night. In our finest macabre attire, we trudged through the rain over wet red and brown leaves plastered to cobblestones, our heels clacking through puddles, to the historic Rainier Chapter House in Capitol Hill, a recreation of George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

“Tell me your name, pronouns, and anything that’s going on with your body today.” The instructor begins, tacking on a question of the day. This practice and sameness at the start of each class grounds me, bringing me into my body and preparing my mind to solely focus on sweat, bruises, and cheering on the successes of me and my classmates as we learn together.

For an extra special (and extra spooky) Halloween treat, Benaroya Hall hosted a unique double feature presentation of the classic Bride of Frankenstein and Mel Brooks’s parody of the franchise, Young Frankenstein. The hook? Orchestral accompaniment for the Bride! The Seattle Symphony performed Franz Waxman’s iconic gothic score under the guidance of conductor Nicholas Buc, who also conducted the world premieres of the live performances of several of John Williams’s movie scores, so he is no stranger to Hollywood orchestral maneuvers.

“NebTech has tracked energetic anomalies in the geographic vector that houses the Georgetown Steam Plant. It’s almost as if their spirits are stirring in the air around us. We believe, with the right number of souls present, we may be able to finally discover what happened to these intrepid mystics, and even open the portal itself. Will you be one of those souls?”

Singer-songwriters Charli XCX and Troye Sivan played their final show right here in Seattle, WA. On October 23rd, 2024, the duo performed at the Climate Pledge Arena. The tour kicked off September 14, 2024, in Detroit, MI, making its way through the country with two stops in Canada. As a fan of both musical artists and their latest albums Brat and Something to Give Each Other, I got the fortunate opportunity to attend.

Seattle is not often the first place that enters one’s mind in thinking about the fashion industry. When it comes to getting dressed, a casual style is widely accepted. The city has contributed greatly, however, to the business side of things. It is the headquarters of several world-renowned retailers with a legacy in local manufacturing, like Filson (est. 1897), Nordstrom (est. 1901), Eddie Bauer (est. 1920), and REI (est. 1937). Despite not being a fashion capital, even with so many “heritage brands,” Seattle is recognized as a creative city.

There’s a sense of dread when you watch an ensemble film about a landmark birthday. The tension you assume is that the grim reaper is the last guest and the party is a way to tell everyone you love that death is imminent. Yet, Blue Lights subverts and twists this tension into something else. People who bring baggage to the party in one way, leave with new, but healthier baggage at the end.

OUT is a beautifully sandwiched film that brings the viewer through the coming-of-age story and the uneasy, relationship-driven plot. From beginning to end, the viewer is gifted with strategic pictures, impactful dialogue, and truth from the acting. While the subjects and explicit nature of the film may not be for everyone, it holds true to the story of what growing up queer can be like today: to jump into gay culture, make new queer friends, and grow distant in former relationships.

“The public has a right to art, art is for everybody.” -Keith Haring

Art and history seamlessly coincide in the Keith Haring exhibit at the MOPOP. Haring (1958-1990) is most renowned for his colorful art and unique shapes, which he often used as a vessel to bring light to social issues that were taboo or not widely spoken of during his time.

Loneliness and heartbreak go hand in hand. We try to stave off heartbreak by solving the problem of loneliness. Not being alone never solves loneliness, of course, but we fail to realize that at the time and often leads to more heartache.

That is where we meet Lourenço (Marco Pigossi) at the beginning of the film High Tide. His mood is sedate and atmospheric with the specter of Lourenço's ex-boyfriend hanging over his head. It's the end of summer and the beaches are clear, enter Maurice (James Bland) the balm on Lourenço's fresh wound.

SQFF’s Fright Night! was a great reminder that queer horror is an incredibly varied genre. Each short stood out not only as a horror piece, but also as queer art. Sapphic stories stood hand-in-hand with narratives about gay men; there were queers who cruised and queers who wanted a homestead.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda as it is known in the Philippines, made landfall in November of 2013, yet as seen in Asog, the effects and devastation that Yolanda caused are ongoing. There are many stunning aerial shots composed by director Seán Devlin and cinematographer Anna MacDonald. They show forests of coconut trees flattened, cargo ships in the middle of neighborhoods, roads that have become impassable, and homes that are unlivable.

Do you ever think about what you will dream before you ultimately fall asleep?

In Seattle poet Seth Jani’s poetry collection Night Fable, Jani guides the reader on a journey through a world of ethereal dreams, both playful and melancholy. Through these poetic dreams, the reader sifts through their own self-reflection while gaining new discoveries about the world. Jani serves as a herald and guardian through the extensive and vast dream world.

The film asks us to remember the early days of isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic, to recall times when we felt particularly isolated from our communities. One particularly poignant section of the film asks us to consider, in those early days, what it felt like to try and hold someone from afar, to try to build connection when physically coming together and sharing space was impossible.

Before attending the interactive experience, Leave Only Footprints, I was unsure about what to expect: A haunted house? A murder mystery? But this spooky, fun, campy, mystery experience by The Emilys (Emily Pike and Emily Sershon), along with a dynamic cast of 40+ performers and multiple writers, did not disappoint.

Since the dawn of humanity, music has been a vital condition for what it means to be human. From animal skin drums crafted by the neolithic people to every instrument which has followed since, we as a species have sought to give voice to the parts of us words cannot express. We danced to communicate emotion and what little understanding we had of the world. We sang wordlessly long before language bound us to its form. We made music: The thump of the drum like a heartbeat, the trill of the flute like hope, and the deep drawl of the cello like despair.

. POTUS… is an in-your-face farce, a dramatic comedy filled with crude jokes and slapstick bits. Fillinger probably wrote this play during the shutdown either as a reflection of American society’s relationship to women or as a gift of permission to laugh in the face of extreme anxiety. And because many of us are gripped by the haunting return of all those feelings as we anxiously careen towards this November’s election where (and you can’t make this stuff up!) the very guy who caused all the aforementioned horror and chaos is on the ballot and wants to be president… again!

Art comes in many different mediums, bodies, and passions. Art is Everywhere offered people new ways to allow them to experience creation and its many forms on their own terms without it turning into an overwhelming and strenuous process. Instead of making one rise to the challenge, art meets a person where they are, not where they will be. Whether you are an artist, an art critic, or art appreciator, Pacific Place’s Art is Everywhere offered an enthralling experience centered around inclusivity and community. Art may be everywhere whether you look for it or not. A key component I learned while spending my time at Pacific Place is that because art is always everywhere, art is and should be accessible for everyone.

There are people who exist within human society who wear the mask of respectability, but are in actuality monsters.  Most of these people will never face their reckoning, but those who live their lives and work as public figures will eventually have a light shown on their behavior. In 2017, the social media movement #MeToo sought to oust the monsters from the shadows in every industry, but especially the monsters of the arts. 

The dance floor was brimming with people grooving to the beat, but making sure to give each other enough space to move around easily. As Tokita shifted smoothly between lilting, airy disco and harder, grittier techno, people in the crowd took turns coming up on stage to swing a red lamp that hung above the DJ table in what appeared to be a longstanding tradition. People’s faces were lit up in the red glow of the stage lights. A glittering disco ball swung overhead. Beyond these details, there was minimal decoration. The emphasis was on the music.