A short documentary about the Pioneer Square Art Walk

I do not own the rights to the music, the opening shot, or the 619 documentary used for this video, though I do believe they fall under the Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, which states that for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research, it becomes fair use.

The Pioneer Square Art Walk is one of the most well-known Art Walks in the country. It began in 1981, with a handful of Gallery owners who wanted to bring art to the people by breaking down the walls of elitism. It is interesting to note, however, the disparity between gallery prices today and the prices that independent artists ask for their work. 

This difference lies in the population that collects an artist's work. For a collector with large amounts of money to spend, it makes sense to purchase from a gallery, because there is a certain expectation that the artist represented by the gallery will produce work that will become more valuable over time. 

On the other hand, collectors who purchase art based on personal taste, hold the innate ability to make a difference in an artist's career.

I came up with the concept for this video because I have been a visual artist all of my life and have sold many paintings. But the sad truth is I have never been able to make a living doing the thing I love most ... painting. I am not alone. There are thousands of artists throughout the country whose only wish is to be taken seriously so that their work can be something they can rely upon as a steady income. 

George Law: Audio

Creativity is something special and it is something that is inside all of us. Without creative people who are willing to take a chance, our world would be mundane. No movies, no games, no photos ... NO ART.

My hope is to produce a series of videos that focus on creatives; their process, lifestyle, challenges, and successes; to showcase their art and perhaps help in their quest to make a living. 

Helen Wheels, Evan Hiett and Zack Stallings

This video is a first attempt, completed with no budget because I had the good fortune of being in film school with many talented people who were motivated to donate their time to the project. 

Lights, Camera, Action

I used source videos and music to help tell the story, in addition to our own video ... so this work cannot be used to make a profit ... but it can be used to generate money to create the series.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Helen Wheels, George Law, Evan Hiett and Greg Kucera

Greg Kucera, who was gracious enough to interview with us and give us some history on Pioneer Square's art walk, as well as some enlightening conversation about the function of a Gallery in the making of a career. 

And to

Kenneth Lee Huntington, fellow artist & filmmaker, who sets up shop at the OK hotel in Studio 107A.

Edd Cox, who has been a mainstay in the independent artist scene for over 20 years.

We used clips from a short documentary by filmmaker Brian Nunes about the 619 Building in downtown Seattle.  

The space was home to hundreds of Seattle artists for three decades before it's "remodeling" in 2016. 

For additional information about the 619 Building and its future see this  King 5 news report 

Other source material includes fan footage of Nirvana playing at another well-known artist's space downtown, which holds a rich history, The OK Hotel.

AND spoken word poetry by Jesse Bernstein one of Seattle's most influential punk rock poets "that you've probably never heard of."

Also, the opening of our video is drone footage found on YouTube.

So there you have it, the first piece in what I hope will be a series about the creative life and the people who have the determination and drive to put it out there.