After having visited the incredible folks in Portland we made our way to the snow cap mountain encrusted town of Seattle. We came, as a large contingency representative of the Black Rock Arts Foundation, to see just what the movers and shakers in this neck of the woods were movin' and shakin'. We were treated to a tour of Rainier Vista, a new housing project which may prove to be the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the country. Our guide, Brenna, mentions "27 languages are spoken here," as a woman from Senegal, wrapped in a paradox of traditional fabric and stereotypically western fashion, passes beneath newly blossomed cherry trees as she saunters the length of a central park.
We are here because of this park, whose construction has been halted by a lack of funds. Much of the cement has been poured, but that's about it. The basketball courts, tetherball court, and play areas are all still just a myth surrounded by hurricane fencing. However, the Seattle Housing Authority, in conjunction with other neighborhood partners, aims to raise funds to complete the Rainier Vista Central Park by summer's end. And some of our friends in the region are looking at the possibility of installing some community based/created interactive artwork in the area. Very interesting indeed!
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