ELVISTRAVAGANZA!: 2012

Tuesday

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50 years ago, in 1962,
we celebrated the Seattle World's Fair.
50 years ago, the King of Rock and Roll
visited Seattle and made the film
"It Happened at the World's Fair".

In honor of these two momentous occasions,
Bumbershoot 2012 - Seattle's Music & Arts Festival
is proud to announce the Return of The King to the Seattle World's Fair
and the Seattle Center in an ELVISTRAVAGANZA of art, music and performance.

Saturday through Monday, Sept 1st, 2nd and 3rd see The King in all his many personas at ELVISTRAVAGANZA! See them all, the handsome young singer, the King of Rock and Roll,
the Army private, the Hollywood Movie Star, the Hawaiian E.P., and the later Las Vegas King.

The story of Mr. Presley is a heroic tale of lost innocence, of success, excess, and the chronicle of
the rise and fall of an American icon, and his final redemption. Celebrate legendary royalty with us!

Join us Labor Day weekend Sept 1-3, 2012 at Seattle Center Pavilion for ELVISTRAVAGANZA!

The special Mayor's Arts Awards Day and free public preview
and artist reception party for ELVISTRAVAGANZA! is on
Friday August 31st, 2012 - noon until 9pm.

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ELVISTRAVAGANZA! is curated by:
Marlow Harris and Jo David
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and Featuring an Elvis Inspired
Pop Up Gallery curated by:
Annie Adjchavanich
www.anniea.com
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illustration by
Rod Filbrandt

• JOIN our Facebook Event Page for Daily Elvisy-Good Updates •

High Resolution PRESS PHOTOS
can be found HERE in our Flickr Set Artists of Elvistravaganza!
Go to the "Original size", found in "View all sizes"

• CONTACT US •

Monday

Elvistravaganza at Bumbershoot 2012

Here's a delightful video recap mash-up of Elvistravaganza at Bumbershoot 2012

shot and edited by Marlow Harris

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Friday

• ELVISTRAVAGANZA ARTISTS •

Here's a quick link to the full list of
ELVISTRAVAGANZA ARTISTS
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Thursday

King5 Evening Magazine coverage of Elvistravaganza!

Sunday

• ELVISTRAVAGANZA ARTISTS •

Scott Aho

David Amoroso

Bruce Andersen

Shannon Andersen
Arqo

Crystal Barbre

Barry

Joey Bates
Susanne Melanie Berry

Bill Blair

Jim Blanchard
Chris Bradley
Kevin Bradley
Laura Brodax

Laurie Lee Brom

Michael Brown

Tubby Brown
Christopher Bruns
Lisa Buchanan
David Burbu

Charles Burns
Liz Carroll
Matthew Causey

Diem Chau
D. Ciesielski
Collide-O-Scope
David Cowles

James Crespinel

Charles Cross

Chris Crites

Jo David

Jim Dever
Jim Demetre
Ron English

Dorothy Feeney

Scott Fife

Rod Filbrandt

Howard Finster

Roy Finster
Ellen Forney

Alan Fulle
Paul Gallagher

Janet Galore

Art Garcia
Gillian Gaar

Kurt Geissel
Marty Gordon

Troy Gua
Nancy & Joe Guppy

Laura Jane Hamilton

Robert Hardgrave

Marlow Harris
John Hawkley
Hubba

Sean Hurley

Mary Iverson

Elizabeth Jameson

David Kane
Billy King

Markku Laakso
John Larson

Grace Kelly Laster
Deborah Faye Lawrence

Rich Lehl
Denise Loder-DeLuca

Kelly Lyles
Joni Mabe

Jeff McMillan

Ryan Molenkamp

Pat Moriarity

Theresa Neinas

Krysztof Nemeth
John Ohannesian

Craig Orback

Joe Park

Tatjana Pavicevic
Jim E. Peschel
Rhonda Porter
Dave Price
Kathryn Rathke
Bonni Reid

Larry Reid

Roderigo
Rudy

Venus Sadler

Isabel Samaras

Cathy Sarkowsky

David Schmader
Chris Sheridan
Sholt
Alan Simensky

Dale Sizer

Deborah Scott
Tim Silbaugh

CR Stecyk
D. Sturtevant
Shaun Swick
Ken Tanaka
Siolo Thompson
Torronio

Kendal Tull-Esterbrook
Larry Vanover

Joey VeltKamp
Andy Warhol

Alfred Wertheimer
Lance Whitney

William Wikstrom

Willard J

Jennifer Zwick

... and more artists will be announced soon ...

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Saturday

Scott Aho

Polaroid portrait of Elvistravaganza curators,

Marlow Harris and Jo David, taken years ago...

Years ago at the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, there was an art installation photo opportunity setting by Scott Aho in the courtyard of the Northwest Rooms. Scott was taking Polaroids of festival attendees in front of his installation, where he had set up a 2D cardboard Elvis cutout, with a real guitar, mannequin arm and necklace. He also had a cutout replica of the Science Center arches behind Elvis. In the background, looking south is the real Space Needle over the roof of the Colosseum, now called the Key Arena.

Marlow & Jo decided they had to bring Elvis back to Bumbershoot this year

for the biggest dang ELVISTRAVAGANZA celebration ever!

• Marlow and Jo David actually met at Bumbershoot

on Labor Day many years ago...

Friday

Markku Laakso

Markku Laakso & Annika Dahlsten

Temptation of the North_10_2009

7.8"w x 5.8"h

$200

Finnish artist Markku Laakso is from the village of Koppelo in the Lapland town of Inari. Laakso’s paintings depict both clothed and nude characters and images of Elvis. The figures in traditional Lappish dress, both boys and girls, are a reference to the artist’s northern heritage, while the ambiguous Elvis appears as the subject of adoration and critical examination at the same time.

Markku Laakso

Guitar by the Fire

2009

oil on canvas

24x32.5cm - 12.8"w x 9.5"h

$500.

Markku has sent us a suite of his work for this exhibit, six paintings - oil on canvas, twelve photographs, and this gigantic 110"w x 117"h photographic reproduction of his painting below, "Sammon puolustus", or in English, "The Defense of the Sampo". It was printed for an exhibition at Helsinki Art Museum, and it travelled together with the exhibition to Japan. It has also been on display at the Finnish Cultural Center in Washington DC. The painting refers to the Finnish Golden Age masterpiece by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, and the theme is from the national epic Kalevala. Here is information about the original 1896 Finnish masterpiece, "Sammon puolustus" which Markku's painting references.

Markku Laakso

Reproduction of "Defense of the Sampo" (1999)

photographic print on canvas

110"w x 117"h

Not for sale

Markku Laakso

Elvis Rows

2012

oil on canvas

24x32.5cm - 12.8"w x 9.5"h

$500.

Markku Laakso & Annika Dahlsten

Temptation of the North_3_2009

7.8"w x 5.8"h

$200

We're so pleased to have this artist from Finland in our exhibition. It's interesting how we first learned of Markku Laakso's artwork. I had made an online friend on the Flickr photo posting site. He's a German artist, Heiko Müller. When he had an art show of his work in San Francisco, and was then going to pass through Seattle to see some friends, he contacted me to ask if I could join them for dinner. It turns out that I also knew these same artists also, so I invited everyone over to our home. Here we are on 09/29/09 in our Dead Elvis Lounge with (left to right) Jacob McMurray, Jacob Covey, Jo David, Grady West, Heiko Müller, Marlow Harris, Robert Hardgrave, and Chris Crites.

Grady is holding up one of Heiko's new books, and Heiko is holding a jug of sake that artist Mark Ryden left in my fridge on a visit just previous to this.

When Heiko and Markku had a show together in Germany, Heiko told Markku about our Dead Elvis Lounge and Elvis collections. Markku then kinkdy sent us a book of his artwork which prominently features Elvis as a main character. We thought it was a longshot, but went ahead and contacted Markku to see if he might be interested in sending us something for the show. He and Annika are very excited to be a part of Elvistravaganza!

Markku surprised us by gifting us with a wonderful book of his art, sent to us in 2009.

• Website for artist Markku Laakso •

Thursday

Kendal Tull-Esterbrook

Kendal Tull-Esterbrook

Gouache and Romance on Mat Board
2012

15.5” x 32.5”

$3000

Kendal Tull-Esterbrook

Wednesday

Siolo Thompson

Siolo Thompson

Heart Breaker

Oil on canvas

24” x 36”

$300

Siolo Thompson

Saturday

Tim Silbaugh

Tim Silbaugh

mixed media

18” 24”

$100

Tim Silbaugh

Thursday

Dale Sizer

Title: Elvis Fan Club

Size: 30" Diameter

Medium: Acrylic on metal flake vinyl

Price: $5000

Note: Best viewed with 3D glasses!!!

Dale Sizer

Sunday

Cathy Sarkowsky

Cathy Sarkowsky

Shotgun Mansion - 2012

acrylic ink on panel

36” x 24” x 2”

$2400

Cathy Sarkowsky

Friday

Larry Reid

Larry Reid and

John Ohannesian

Larry Reid and John Ohannesian

Black Elvis

40” x 32”

Larry Reid and John Ohannesian collaborated on "Black Elvis" for the "Elvistravaganza" exhibition at Bumbershoot over Labor Day weekend. It's intended as a subtle comment on Sun Studio founder Sam Phillips' alleged efforts to record "a white boy playing black music."

Fantagraphics

Thursday

Bonni Reid

Bonni Reid

Dance the Antic Hay

12.75 x 14.5"

Egg Tempera & Oil on Hardboard

$550

Bonni Reid

Saturday

Tatjana Pavicevic

Tatjana Pavicevic

"1962 Elvis"

Oil on canvas - 2012

27" x 35"

$2200.

Tatjana Pavicevic

Friday

Joe Park

Joe Park

Universal Truth

2012 / oil on panel

24” x 16”

$6000

contact: Roq La Rue

Thursday

Craig Orback

Craig writes on his blog...

Elvis loves Seattle

In honor of the 35th anniversary of Elvis's death today here is a painting I just completed. It is for an art show coming up at Seattle's Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival over Labor Day weekend. The show is called "Elvistravaganza! The King Returns to Seattle!" Thanks to my former Cornish teacher Jo David for asking me to be a part of it. The lineup of artists is incredible.

It marks the 50th anniversary of the Space Needle built in 1962 and the same year Elvis visited Seattle to film the movie "It Happened at the World's Fair". My piece was inspired by an actual souvenir Space Needle pen from 1962 that went back on sale this year. The creator had some lying around these many years. So if you buy the painting ($500) you get a pen! Elvis really did love Seattle and so do I.

Craig Orback

Monday

Theresa Neinas

Theresa Neinas

Over the Top

6” x 12”

$175

Theresa Neinas

Sunday

Pat Moriarity

Pat Moriarity

Elvis in Century 21

ink on Bristol / 14” x 17”

Matted and framed

$500

Pat Moriarity

Saturday

Ryan Molenkamp

Ryan Molenkamp

Neighbors to a Fallen King
24" x 24"

Ryan Molenkamp

Tuesday

Denise Loder-DeLuca

Denise Loder-DeLuca

Love Me Tender

Oil on canvas

20” x 20”

Denise Loder-DeLuca

Monday

Rich Lehl

Rich Lehl

Caught in a Trap

2012

Oil on Panel

29" x 23' x 1 3/4" (framed)

$2500.

Rich Lehl

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Wednesday

Elizabeth Jameson

Elizabeth Jameson

A King for the 21st Century

leather, cotton, thread / 2012

3” x 7”

$1200

Elizabeth Jameson

Monday

Troy Gua

Troy Gua

"King's Ruin"

"The King of Kings of Rock n' Roll" from Troy Gua on Vimeo.

TROY GUA

Wednesday

Janet Galore

Janet Galore’s video box for Elvistravaganza

Title: “From his lips…”

Janet Galore, 2012

Mixed media and video animation

11.25” x 5.5” x 2”

With thanks to Stan Hain

NFS

Artist’s statement:

Elvis’s lips are captured in a modest box, undulating endlessly, breaking into an occasional iconic smile. He is condensed to a primary element of his persona. In isolation the lips are still uniquely his, revealing their fleshy and alien character.

Janet Galore

Sunday

Deborah Faye Lawrence

Deborah Faye Lawrence

"Elvis Tray"- 2012
Collage and varnish on aluminum tray
15.5" x 11.5 x 2"
$500

Deborah Faye Lawrence - www.deedeeworks.com

Photo by Rachel J. Siegel
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Tuesday

David Cowles

David Cowles

Elvis

Digial print of original scanned in image painted in gouache

$50

David Cowles

Sunday

Laurie Lee Brom

Laurie Lee Brom

My Date With Elvis

16" x 20"

Laurie Lee Brom

Tuesday

Bill Blair

Bill Blair

"My Fair Presley"

Mixed Media, 2012

41" H x 16" W x 10" D

$600

Bill Blair

Saturday

Crystal Barbre

Crystal Barbre

Pieta

acrylic and oil on black velvet

36"x48"

Crystal Barbre

Thursday

Robert Hardgrave

"The only one left alive"

40" x 30"

Acrylic and thread on burlap

2012

NFS

Not all work conceived for this exhibit is what it seems. Dig deeper and explore under the darker surface, as did Robert when he created this incredible painting for our ELVISTRAVAGANZA exhibit while listening to a song by Scott Walker titled Jesse, which is about Elvis and his twin brother, who died at birth.

Listening to the song and exploring Robert's painting give me goosebumps and shivers in an experience that transcends art each time I view it. I truly understand the gift that Robert has for understanding his muse in the process of letting art take him on a journey of discovery. Listen to the video, while exploring Roberts art and read the Statement about his work process from his website below...

STATEMENT-

My paintings are meditations on the unpredictability of life. Despite all the information we are given, I believe much is unknown to us in the moment, with clarity only achieved upon later reflection. My working process parallels this belief. There is never an overall plan or formula in my work, but allowing the imagery to manifest itself, it becomes an exercise in movement and a dedication to discovery. It is about the excitement in each evolving moment in life be it minute or grand and savoring it.

Thank you, Robert. - JD

• Robert Hardgrave website •

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