For Kathy McAllister, the earthquake in Haiti isn’t a news story that’s faded. It takes shape every time she sees her husband—a Haitian who was stuck in a building that collapsed, the sole survivor pulled from the rubble. Or when she hears from her sister-in-law, caught in a world that “has been turned upside down, with no end in sight.” It’s tales of tent cities and a collapsed government, of people living outside their homes for fear of an aftershock.
But it’s also the stories of spirit and hope in the face of extreme adversity: a young boy pulled from the rubble on his birthday, and the raucous block party thrown in his honor. “I don’t want to focus on the doom and gloom,” says McAllister, a former Peace Corps volunteer. “But the need is so great, and the day-to-day hasn’t improved.”
McAllister will return to Haiti in May—she left just days before the quake—to help build latrines and dig wells, but in the meantime, she’s organized a multi-media benefit tonight and tomorrow at the Photographic Center NW to raise awareness and celebrate the arts and culture of the country.
An exhibit of cut-metal sculptures, photographs, Haitian paintings, and beaded drapo vodou (ceremonial flags) opens at 2pm today, and will stay open through 8pm Saturday. The art will sold by silent auction, with proceeds going to Haiti-Partners in Health, micro-credit program Fonkoze, and the Haitian Sustainable Development Foundation, cocreated by McAllister.
Also tonight at 7: an informal lecture on Haitian art and vodou (Haiti’s traditional religion) by Anneke Wambaugh.
Tomorrow from 6-9pm: a celebration with food, wine, and Haitian music. Silent auction closes at 8pm.
Consider stopping by to celebrate Haiti and its people. For more info, email Kathy@sustainablehaiti.org or go to sustainablehaiti.org.
More local A&E organizations rally to send aid to earthquake victims.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jan 28, 2010 at 08:00AM0 Comments
ON SALENOW
A Hootenanny For Haiti, February 28
This benefit concert at the Showbox has a stellar lineup, featuring Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Guns N’ Roses’s Duff McKagan, Kim Virant, Kristen Ward, Kim Warnick, Mark Pickerel, Star Anna, Chris Friel, Gary Westlake, Jeff Rouse, Justin Davis, Ty Bailie and friends. All ticket sales and Ticketmaster fees go to Partners in Health’s Stand With Haiti campaign; PIH is one of the largest health care providers in Haiti, and was among the first responders after the earthquake hit. $15, 7:30pm; ticketmaster.com
JANUARY 28
Northwest Film Forum holds a benefit screening at 7pm of Michelange Quay’s Eat, for This is My Body, a 2007 Sundance feature film that looks at the colonial relationship between an elderly white woman and young black boys in her charge in Quay’s native Haiti.
Tickets are $10, and all proceeds go directly to the hard-hit city of Jacmei, home of the Ciné Institute. This center for film studies is currently working to document the earthquake’s aftermath, though its staffers aren’t immune to the hardship. Nathalie Brunet recently posted her reflections on CI’s website, after flying to New York via Santo Domingo, San Juan, Miami and Fort Lauderdale:
“The disconnection from Haiti is pretty traumatic in itself, or is that what they call post-traumatic stress? … Then came the phobias. Airport terminals (where the ground shakes a lot) got me very nervous and I broke down in tears at the Fort Lauderdale airport yesterday. I can imagine what walking above the subway will feel like later today. Getting mentally ready. Every time the apartment’s wooden floor cracks, I shake! I’m realizing that we, the survivors of the earthquake, are so deeply scarred that we will need assistance for decades to come… I’m so exhausted that I can’t get enough sleep.”
[Read the full text here.]
Local bands The Maldives,Sweet Water,Vince Mira,Classic Crime,Memphis Radio Kings, and Mike Herrera of MXPX have already signed on to perform at the Moore Theatre in what could be the biggest local benefit this month. All proceeds from this concert and a silent auction will go to the Red Cross, with the goal of raising $20,000 for aid for the people of Haiti. Concert organizers Cody Rossen with Maker’s Mark, the Seattle Theatre Group and a host of local businesses are updating on the event’s website, SeattleHelpingHaiti.com , so check it now for the latest lineup and ticket information. 8pm, $15.
Consider stopping by The Pike Brewing Co before the concert for Washington for Haiti, a benefit organized by Seattle Greendrinks, Seattle Microfinance (SeaMo), ReVision Labs, Global Washington, and Seattle Works. Donations ($20 suggested at the door) will go to microfinance institute Fonkoze, ’Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor.’ Representatives from Fonkoze will discuss their relief projects, and Sunday Evening Whiskey Club will provide entertainment. 6-9pm, $20.
At 4pm, Town Hall sponsors a free “briefing” on the current situation in Haiti, with eyewitness accounts of the quake by activist/teacher Jesse Hagopian and health educator Sarah Wilhelm. Local legislators will also weigh in on how Seattleites can help the people of Haiti. The two-hour program includes presentations by Rep. Jim McDermott, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, local NAACP Director James Bible, immigrant rights advocate Sandra Aguila, UW International Studies professor Matthew Sparke, and more. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave.
FEBRUARY 1
Do the Lindy hop for Haiti at Sonny Newman’s Dance Hall. The Savoy Swing Club will host a night of live music by Seattle jazz band the Careless Lovers, dancing, contests, and raffles, with money raised going to disaster relief. $5, 9:30-12:30am, 201 N 85th Ave.
FEBRUARY 4
Neumos and Seattle’s hip hop community join forces for the Haiti Relief Benefit Show, featuring Common Market, The Physics, Dino Jamz, SOL, break crew Flying Sneakers, and hosted by Haitian-American Khingz of Abyssinian Creole. Advance tickets ($10) are on sale at Moe Bar, Rudy’s Barbershops, select QFCs, or online here. All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders. All-ages show; doors open at 7.
ONGOING
Artist Jeff Antebi, whose photograph of the Haitian slum Cite Soleil is on display in wall space gallery’s New Directions 2010 exhibit, will donate all money made from the sale of those prints to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam. Photographer Emily Nathan also just agreed to donate proceeds from Green Sea to Doctors Without Borders. Email gallery@wallspeaceseattle.com with questions. $25, 206-330-9137.
The Seattle Office of Film and Music is also constantly updating its list of benefits around the city. Click here for the latest roundup.
More local A&E organizations rally to send aid to earthquake victims.
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jan 20, 2010 at 10:00AM1 Comments
Emily Nathan, Green Sea, 2009; prints for sale at wall space gallery. Proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders.
A 6.1 magnitude aftershock rocked Haiti early this morning, just days after a 7.0 earthquake destroyed its capital and left an estimated 3 million people without food, water, shelter, or medical assistance.
To put this in perspective, the earthquake that destroyed San Francisco in 1906 ranked a 7.9. The one that started the 2004 tsunami was a 9.1, though the death toll in Haiti could be comparable, news outlets are reporting.
Haiti needs our help more than ever. Local arts and entertainment organizations continue to rally to send aid—here’s the latest lineup of benefit concerts and events:
JANUARY 20
The Stranger reports that Re-bar will host a benefit concert with sets by DJs Robwhy, Recess (Shameless), Queen Lucky, and more. Proceeds from the door and PBR sales will be divided between the Red Cross and Yele Haiti. 8pm, $8 or $5 with a nonperishable donation.
The Seattle jazz community rallies behind one of its own to organize a series of live jazz acts at seven University District venues, from 9pm-midnight. Checks, cash, and emergency donations will be accepted and will go straight to Haiti, thanks to David Pierre-Louis, owner of LUCID Jazz Lounge who just flew to Haiti to check on his mother (she’s okay) and plans to return ASAP to provide aid. For more information and a complete lineup of bands, click here or visit LucidSeattle.com.
JANUARY 25
Gethsemane Lutheran Church and Happy Hour Concerts will co-host a classical music benefit at the church’s downtown location (911 Stewart Street) at 7pm. Suggested $25 donations be forwarded to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) International Disaster Response.
JANUARY 28
Local bands The Maldives,Sweet Water,Vince Mira,Classic Crime,Memphis Radio Kings, and Mike Herrera of MXPX have already signed on to perform at the Moore Theatre in what could be the biggest local benefit this month. All proceeds from this concert and a silent auction will go to the Red Cross, with the goal of raising $20,000 for aid for the people of Haiti. Concert organizers Cody Rossen with Maker’s Mark, the Seattle Theatre Group and a host of local businesses are updating on the event’s website, SeattleHelpingHaiti.com , so check it now for the latest lineup and ticket information. 8pm, $15.
Consider stopping by The Pike Brewing Co before the concert for Washington for Haiti, a benefit organized by Seattle Greendrinks, Seattle Microfinance (SeaMo), ReVision Labs, Global Washington, and Seattle Works. Donations ($20 suggested at the door) will go to microfinance institute Fonkoze, ’Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor.’ Representatives from Fonkoze will discuss their relief projects, and Sunday Evening Whiskey Club will provide entertainment. 6-9pm, $20.
FEBRUARY 4
Neumos and Seattle’s hip hop community join forces for the Haiti Relief Benefit Show, featuring Common Market, The Physics, Dino Jamz, SOL, break crew Flying Sneakers, and hosted by Haitian-American Khingz of Abyssinian Creole. Advance tickets ($10) are on sale at Moe Bar, Rudy’s Barbershops, select QFCs, or online here. All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders. All-ages show; doors open at 7.
ONGOING
Artist Jeff Antebi, whose photograph of the Haitian slum Cite Soleil is on display in wall space gallery’s New Directions 2010 exhibit, will donate all money made from the sale of those prints to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam. Photographer Emily Nathan also just agreed to donate proceeds from Green Sea to Doctors Without Borders. Email gallery@wallspeaceseattle.com with questions. $25, 206-330-9137.
The Seattle Office of Film and Music is also constantly updating its list of benefits around the city. Click here for the latest roundup.
Local A&E organizations host benefits for the earthquake victims (updated).
Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jan 15, 2010 at 05:00PM0 Comments
Jeff Antebi, Cite Soleil 3, 2009, digital.
UPDATED 1/18/10. Seattle arts and entertainment organizations are rallying all week to send disaster relief to Haiti. Here’s what we know:
The Seattle Symphony will accept donations on behalf of the Red Cross at its free community concerts. Performances of Samuel Jones’s Benediction on January 15 at South Seattle Community College and his Elegy on January 19 at Mercer Middle School will be dedicated to the victims of Haiti’s earthquake.
On Monday, Fremont’s Nectar Lounge will host a concert, “Haiti We Stand!”, with proceeds from 42Below Vodka sales going to the earthquake victims through Convoy Of Hope. Expect performances by DJ Supreme La Rock, DJ B Mello, DJ DV One, and DJ Vitamin D, with Sonny Bonoho emceeing. 7pm, $10 suggested donation.
The Stranger reports that Re-bar will also host a benefit concert on Wednesday, January 20, with sets by DJs Robwhy, Recess (Shameless), Queen Lucky, and more. Proceeds from the door and PBR sales will be divided between the Red Cross and Yele Haiti. 8pm, $8 or $5 with a nonperishable donation.
Also on January 20: The Seattle jazz community rallies behind one of its own to organize a series of live jazz acts at seven University District venues, from 9pm-midnight. Checks, cash, and emergency donations will be accepted and will go straight to Haiti, thanks to David Pierre-Louis, owner of LUCID Jazz Lounge who just flew to Haiti to check on his mother (she’s okay) and plans to return ASAP to provide aid. For more information and a complete lineup of bands, click here or visit LucidSeattle.com.
Photographer Jeff Antebi, whose photograph of the Haitian slum Cite Soleil is on display in wall space gallery’s New Directions 2010 exhibit, will donate all money made from the sale of those prints to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam. $25.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church and Happy Hour Concerts will co-host a classical music benefit at the church’s downtown location (911 Stewart Street) on January 25 at 7pm. Suggested $25 donations be forwarded to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) International Disaster Response.
Before joining Seattle Metropolitan, Laura Dannen covered all things A&E as deputy editor of Time Out Singapore. She’s an award-winning reporter and editor whose team of entertainment junkies delivers daily doses of news, reviews, and interviews.
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