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.