We are delighted that Dr Lorraine McConaghy, Public Historian at the Museum of History & Industry, Seattle, is proposing that University District Museum Without Walls work with her class on a new project in early 2011. Her UW Museology class, "Oral History Research Methods," scheduled for Winter Qtr, 2011, will give students the chance to conduct an oral history project to document the experiences and perspectives of people who live and work in the U District. Students will conduct digital video or audio interviews of about one hour each which will be transcribed and with rights assigned to the Seattle Public Library. Interviews will conform to the standards set by the Oral History Association and the Society of American Archivists.

     The UDMWW committee will assist the class in developing categories of perspectives and experiences that should be represented and in identifying individuals willing to be interviewed. The library will house this collection at the Main and University Branches along with the oral history DVD already produced by Museum Without Walls. Additionally, Museum Without Walls may extend the project by continuing to record interviews or by producing a DVD, documentary, podcast, publication, walking tour, signage or exhibit.

     Beyond these goals, we hope to generate a sense of community, identity and ownership within the University District through the participation of a group of its citizens. Ideally, the first phase of the project will end with a reception for all participants to meet one another.

The Open to Question exhibit was first moved close to Meany Hall and then onto Red Square on the University of Washington campus. It's situated outside the Undergraduate Library near the air duct towers. Many thanks to Prof Kristine Matthews and Theresa Doherty for negotiating the move. The exhibit will be in place at least through December 2010.

    Our exhibit, Open to Question, has won an Award of Excellence from this year's UCDA Design Competition. The UCDA (University and College Designers Association) awards the best works created either for or by educational institutions. Congratulations to Prof. Kristine Matthews and her Fall 2008 design students for their achievement.

    After negotiations with the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the University of Washington Office of Regional Affairs has taken ownership of the Open to Question outdoor exhibit as of September 5, 2009. It has been moved to the breezeway between the two Allen Library buildings (west of the HUB and east of Red Square) where it will continue to be open to the public at no charge through Winter quarter.

    Three hundred copies of the Open to Question oral histories DVD have been made and are being distributed. The Seattle Public Library has cataloged 6 copies and shelved them at the Main, University and Green Lake Branches. These interviews with 12 residents who were peace and anti-war activists during the 1960's and 1970's are also available online at YouTube.

    An Educator's Guide to the Open to Question outdoor exhibit is now available to teachers of high school and college students. For copies, please contact Layla Taylor or William Larrimore.

The photo shows Nancy Amidei leading a discussion of activism during this summer's University District Street Fair.

On April 25, Layla Taylor, Programs Project Manager for U District Museum Without Walls, led a public screening and round table at University Heights Community Center. The meeting began with a very engaging short sampler of Dawnee Dodson's video oral history, Open to Question: Voices From the University District, followed by one hour of hearty musings on activism movements in the 60s and what is going on today. Those audience members who stuck around and contributed to the conversation brought in some thoughtful questions and ideas about what works and doesn't work when groups and individuals attempt to create change today. All in all, it was a good continuation of a conversation we started with the Open to Question Exhibit and we hope everyone took away with them ideas and discussion points to continue debating in their own circles.

Our next event will be Taking it to the Street Fair! on May 17. This will be a civic-engagement project in which Nancy Amidei will lead U District activists from the past and present in an engaging impromptu conversation. Jump in and share your own stories. 1:00pm and 3:30pm at the University District Street Fair (Brooklyn Avenue NE and NE 42nd Street.)

The opening night reception for Open To Question, Activism in Seattle's University District, was held on April 3rd at the UW Tower and was free and open to the public. More than 200 people attended the event which featured wine and refreshments and a program in the mezzanine theater.

Councilmember Larry Gosset opened the program by talking about his part in the founding of the Black Student Union at the UW during the time the exhibit addresses. Mr. Gosset, a prolific writer, dynamic speaker, administrator and political activist is dedicated to the cause of equal rights and economic freedom for all people.

Following Mr. Gossett, Teresa Lord Hugel, Director, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, welcomed visitors to the opening and she was followed by Susan Coleman, Karen Ko and Patty Whisler who acknowledged the work of the University District Museum Without Walls Steering Committee.

Next, Layla Taylor, Exhibit and Programs Manager, introduced Paul Dorpat who presented a slideshow of some highlights in the history of Seattle and the U District specifically. Three of Mr. Dorpat's thirteen publications are collections of his columns that have appeared weekly in the Sunday Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine since Jan 17, 1982. His interesting slideshow was enlivened by spontaneous comments from the audience.

Upcoming free public programs include

• April 25, 2:00 to 4:30pm: Screening of Open To Question: Voices from the University District. Watch interviews with University District activists from the '60's to the present and share your own stories about neighborhood changes over the years at a community roundtable.
• May 17, 1:00 and 3:30pm: Taking it to the Street Fair! Civic engagement project leader Nancy Amidei leads U District activists from the past and present in an engaging impromptu conversation. Jump in and share you own stories. University Street Fair, Brooklyn Ave NE and NE 42nd Street.
• May 28, 12:00 to 2:00pm. Activist for a New Century. Join Nancy Amidei in a conversation exploring the new roles and ways of activism today. University Heights Center, University Way NE between NE 50th and NE 52nd Streets.

Outdoor Exhibit and Oral Histories Capture Spirit of Community Activism in University District

University District Museum Without Walls (UDMWW) presents

Open to Question: Activism in Seattle’s University District, April 4 – May 30, 2009

Seattle – A piano fell from the sky, thousands took to the streets to protest racial inequality and an endless war, a street fair was born, and an underground rag called the Helix covered it all and more. This snapshot of how two turbulent decades – the 1960s and '70s – left their mark on Seattle history is more relevant today than it has been in years.

A new outdoor exhibit highlights a critical period of social and political activism in Seattle's University District neighborhood, and asks viewers to examine the impact that history has on the present. The exhibit, Open to Question: Activism in Seattle’s University District, opens to the public on April 4, 2009, at the north plaza of the University of Washington (UW) Tower (corner of Brooklyn Avenue N.E. and N.E. 45th Street). Using historical images and an innovative graphic presentation, Open to Question tells a story of dissent and reconciliation that has shaped one of Seattle's most vibrant communities. Designed by visual communication design students at the UW, it will be on display until May 30.

A free, public opening-night reception will be held on April 3 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at UW Tower. At 6 p.m., King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, a founder of the UW Black Student Union, will kick off the reception. At 6:30 p.m., Paul Dorpat, noted Seattle photographer and historian, will present a retrospective slideshow highlighting his years in the University District as an editor of the Helix.

A preview of video oral histories documenting some of the most outspoken voices in Seattle's social and political movements, will also be on view at the reception. The oral histories will be compiled on DVD as a companion piece to the exhibit, and will be made available online, at the Seattle Public Library, and as part of a UDMWW archive. The compilation includes a dozen interviews; subjects include Matt Fox, director of operations at ROOTS; Ray Chinn, the first Asian American to be voted into University District Rotary; Meghan Cornish, one of the first women hired by Seattle City Light; and Stephen Herold, former owner of the anarchist Id Bookstore.   

To complement Open to Question, a series of free public programs that further explore social activism in Seattle and the University District are scheduled throughout April and May:

• April 25: Screening of Open to Question: Voices from the University District. Watch interviews with University District activists from the '60s to the present, and share your own stories during a community roundtable about neighborhood changes over the years. 2-4:30 p.m., University Heights Center (University Way N.E. between N.E. 50th and N.E. 52nd Streets).

• May 17:  Taking it to the Street Fair! Civic-engagement project leader Nancy Amidei leads U District activists from the past and present in an engaging impromptu conversation. Jump in and share your own stories. 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., University District Street Fair (Brooklyn Avenue N.E. and N.E. 42nd Street).

• May 28: Activism for a New Century. Join Nancy Amidei in a conversation exploring the new roles and ways of activism today. 12-2 p.m., University Heights Center.

The Open to Question exhibit and oral history project are funded by the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, University District Rotary, University of Washington Office of Regional Affairs, University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences, and Simpson Center for the Humanities. They are projects of the University District Museum Without Walls (UDMWW), which is sponsored by the Greater University Chamber of Commerce and the University District Arts and Heritage Committee.

For details on the Open to Question exhibit and oral-history project, visit OpenToQuestion.org.

For more information about the University District Museum Without Walls (UDMWW) and related projects, visit UDistrict Museum Without Walls.

Exhibit, oral histories, public programs part of " U District Museum Without Walls"

April, May 2009 

Seattle—Community history is the focus of several upcoming projects driven by the University District MuseumWithout Walls (UDMWW). 

An outdoor exhibit highlighting the history of social and political activism in the University District during the 1960s and 70s opens to the public on April 4, 2009, at the north plaza of the University of Washington Tower (corner of N.E. 45th Street and Brooklyn Avenue N.E.). The exhibit, Open to Question: Activism in the U District, Opening Doors From the 60s to the Present , uses historical images to tell a story of dissent and reconciliation that has shaped one of Seattle's most vibrant communities. The outdoor exhibit was designed by visual communications design students at the University of Washington and will be on display until May 30. 

Video oral histories, documenting some of the most outspoken voices in various social and political movements of the past several decades, will accompany the exhibit, and will be made available online and as part of an archive. Over a dozen interviews have already been conducted with members of the University District community.  

Free public programs, including an opening reception and presentation by Seattle historian Paul Dorpat, a facilitated oral history panel and roundtable featuring notable figures in University District history, and two brown-bag lunch discussions about the importance of social activism today, will be held during April and May. 

UDMWW has been funded by a Department of Neighborhoods Large Projects Matching Fund and a donation by the University District Rotary, with additional support from the University of Washington and the Greater University Chamber of Commerce. UDMWW is a project organized by the University District Arts and Heritage Committee.

University District Museum Without Walls (UDMWW)

wants your artwork on our exhibit poster

Put your styles to work for a community cause.

Check it out!

Youth Poster Contest: Call for Submissions

The Exhibit: Open to Question: A History of Social, Political, and Community Activism in Seattle’s University District, April and May 2009, University Tower

Open to Question is a temporary, outdoor exhibit that uses historical photographs, oral histories, and interactive displays to tell the story of activism in the University District from the 1960s to the present. Viewers will learn how the neighborhood’s current reputation for openness and tolerance for a variety of lifestyles stems from the period during the 1960s and 1970s during which the University District community was quite active in demonstrating for social justice, equality, and peace.

The Poster: Create a drawing or collage inspired by the one or more of the questions below or your own reflections on social activism in the University District. Use any combination of pencil, black pen, color markers and paper. Use images, words, and symbols to communicate what you want to say. Go deep. Be bold. The winning drawing will be chosen by members of the University District Arts and Heritage Committee and a jury of artists/designers in January 2009. The winning drawing will be featured on the Open to Question exhibit poster, which will be on display throughout the U District, as well as on public relations and interpretive materials. Important note: All submissions meeting the guidelines below, will be on public display at the Open to Question exhibit opening reception in April 2009. All artists will be invited to attend.

What do you have to say? Reflect. React. Realize.

What causes were worth fighting for yesterday? What causes are worth fighting for today?

What ways can people show they care about an issue?

What does the word "activism" mean in 2008?

Contest Guidelines

• You must be between the ages of 15-21

• Use any combination of pencil, black pen (any width), color markers (any width), and paper

• Artwork must fit onto 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of white paper

• Each artwork must be accompanied by a completed Artist Information Form

• Maximum two drawings per person

• Cannot accept three-dimensional artwork

• Pornographic, graphically violent and derogatory content toward any race, ethnicity or gender will not be considered

Your Submission(s)

How: Place each drawing and Artist Information Form together in large envelope. DO NOT FOLD YOUR DRAWING. One drawing and form per envelope.

When: All submissions are due by December 31, 2008

Where: Mail or bring your submissions to University District Neighborhood Service Center, ATTN. UDMWW Youth Poster Contest, 4534 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Hours: 10am to 6pm, M - F, and 10am to 2pm on Saturday.

Why: Because you believe in something. Because you have something to say. Make a statement.

For more information and electronic copies of the Youth Poster Contest Call for Submissions and Artist Information Form, please contact Layla Taylor, Exhibit and Programs Project Manager at LaylaSTaylor@gmail.com.

What: University District Museum Without Walls  - Community Meeting - Learn more about upcoming social activism exhibit, oral histories collection project, and other programs and events. Get involved! Bring your friends. Refreshments provided.

When: Tuesday, November 18, 7-9pm
Where: Hotel Deca, 4507 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Directions on Hotel Deca website: http://www.hoteldeca.com/deca_directions.aspx

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Layla Taylor laylastaylor@gmail.com
Exhibition and Programs Project Manager
University District Museum Without Walls

Committee awarded over $60,000 in grant money to fund project

Seattle—The University District Arts and Heritage Committee has been awarded $54,912 from the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and $6,000 from 4Culture to execute an interdisciplinary project known as “Museum Without Walls” that will draw together the history and cultural life of Seattle's University District.

A Department of Neighborhoods Large Projects Matching Fund will fund the University District Museum Without Walls project as it launches its first year of exhibits, events, and other projects. In spring 2009, Museum Without Walls will install a temporary exhibit on the outdoor plaza of the University Tower (formerly Safeco Tower) called Open to Question: Social, Political, and Community Activism in Seattle’s University District. A number of associated programs, open to the public, will occur in conjunction with the exhibit that will encourage community participation in a discussion about the historical and contemporary meanings of activism in the University District.

The Department of Neighborhoods award will also fund the recording of a number of new oral histories with University District residents. The Museum Without Walls project will use oral histories to explore and showcase the diversity of the neighborhood and will capture some of the most interesting and hidden stories in the University District. The oral histories will be available online starting this winter at museumwithoutwalls.udistrict.org/.

4Culture has awarded $6,000 to the Museum Without Walls project to create a set of collectible, tradable cards, highlighting the history of the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition. The cards will be distributed at AYP commemoration events and other community events in the spring and summer of 2009.

In addition to $60,000 in grant money, the University District Museum Without Walls project has also raised $7,500 from a generous donation by the University District Rotary Club. The Rotary money will be used to fund the oral history recordings and the collectible cards, as well as sculptural tribute to the AYP in summer 2009.

The University District Arts and Heritage Committee welcome volunteers to help with Museum Without Walls. Please contact susancoleman2@aol.com for more information.