Preservation Meets Art

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of architecture and in the history, but preservation is first and foremost about people. It is the people, after all, the community, who create spaces, create and use architecture. Architecture is only telling the story of the community.

I was excited to discover local artist Amy Douglas, who has been transforming Seattle’s landmarks into prints that make you think more carefully about place. These aren’t the landmarks that you’ll find in glossy travel magazines. These are the unintentional landmarks, places that grew their own meaning from their communities. Seattle, as one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, has been demolishing and rebuilding at an uncomfortable speed. Amy reminds us about day-to-day Seattle, places we walk past without thinking about too carefully. But maybe we should. In Amy’s words:

“Think about the unusual structures you see from day-to-day. The focal points of a city whose bizarre buildings, commercial signage, or other landmarks create communities and define a neighborhood’s character. They connect us to one another through personal experiences—no matter where we’re from—and chances are, we all hold peculiar places like these in our memories. We don’t miss them until they’re gone.”  — Amy M. Douglas

Look familiar? Ballard’s Edith Macefield House.

I’m excited that Amy has agreed to team up with me to make this blog post happen. You are invited to visit her debut solo exhibition, PRESENT, October 4 to November 4 at the Phinney Center Gallery (6532 Phinney Ave N). The opening reception will take place on October 14, 7 pm-9pm.

The printing process? Sometimes takes a chance early-morning photo to capture these architectural gems without cars parked in front. Catch a glimpse into Amy’s process from photo to print:

The Details:

PRESENT, showing at Phinney Center Gallery

• Located in the Phinney Center Blue Building, 6532 Phinney Ave. N.
• Show dates: October 5 – Nov. 4
• Opening reception: October 14, 7-9 pm

Head over to Amy’s page for more information. You can catch more about her printmaking here. You can also catch glimpses of her art in progress on her Instagram.