Seattle News and Events for June 11 - July, 2015

Teamster Corrections Employees to Picket at Two WA Prisons

Teamster corrections employees will raise informational pickets at the Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe and the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla from 12-4 p.m. Thursday, June 11 to demand that the legislature pass a budget that funds their contract and preserves their right to collectively bargain.

Corrections employees are protesting a possible government shutdown and widespread layoffs at the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) if the legislature does not pass a budget by June 30. The DOC has estimated that up to approximately 2,800 correctional employees could be subject to temporary layoffs in the event of a government shutdown.

The DOC recently signed a contract with the private prison GEO group to transfer inmates out-of-state to alleviate overcrowding in Washington prisons. Correctional employees say that more revenue is needed so that the DOC can responsibly house offenders in Washington State.

49 Affordable Apartments for Homeless Youth & University Food Bank open Tuesday

The Low Income Housing Institute invites you to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for University Commons and the University District Food Bank on Tuesday, June 16th at 3:30pm at 5019 Roosevelt Way NE.

University Commons is a mixed-use project in the University District that will open in summer 2016. The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) purchased the property to provide affordable apartments for homeless young adults age 18-24 and low-wage workers who are entering the workforce.

New and expanded space for the University District Food Bank will be located on the first floor. A cafe will be built on the south side facing the University Branch Library. The housing includes 49 studio apartments on three upper floors. The second floor is designated for 15 homeless young adults with YouthCare and Ryther providing supportive services.

Runberg Architecture Group is the architect. The General Contractor is BNBuilders. The building will be built green and includes many energy efficient features. There will be a no smoking policy. The building features community space, classroom, counseling space and decks. The Food Bank will use the roof for urban agriculture by growing vegetables and herbs.

Free Teen Arts Space in Bellevue

Gage Academy of Art today announced the launch of the Gage Teen Art Studios at Bellevue Arts Museum next month. The new activity is a free weekly drop-in program that introduces new mediums and skills, and inspires creativity through the guidance of professional teaching artists.

On Thursdays from 4-7 p.m. at Bellevue Arts Museum, TAS is open to teen artists ages 13-18, and includes free art materials. Each month will present a new topic for artistic exploration, inspired by exhibitions at BAM. Teen artists will experience hands-on learning in a casual and supportive environment, and will enjoy access to museum exhibitions, as well as opportunities to exhibit their own work at the annual Best of Gage show, and other exhibitions at Gage and BAM throughout the year.

TAS@BAM is free and open to all students ages 13-18, and includes all art materials free of charge. Learn more at GageAcademy.org/bam.

Fashion Exhibition Showcases Apparel Design Students

Seattle Central College's School of Apparel Design & Development presents its 36th annual apparel design fashion exhibition on Tuesday, June 16, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Seattle Central College's Atrium, on the first floor of the main Broadway Edison Building. Enter at 1716 Harvard Ave.

It’s free of charge and open to the public

Each student in the program produces a collection in just 11 weeks, from the design of concepts to the construction of final garments. A gallery of individual vignettes will showcase lines of sportswear, resort clothing, couture styles, and outerwear and will highlight graduate design portfolios showing work from two years of study.

Each year, the highly-respected apparel design program enrolls 40 students in its two-year, associate of applied science degree program. Graduates go on to work in many aspects of the apparel design and fashion industry, including as designers, stylists, product engineers and more.

For more information call Leah Watkins, 206-934-3223, or write leah.watkins@seattlecolleges.edu

For more events in the Seattle and Portland area, see our Community Calendar.