I made my way to Seattle’s downtown late afternoon to enjoy some of the weekend’s sunny weather in the Pike Place Market area. First Ave not far from there was closed for traffic, and filled with people at the Seattle Art Museum. They were there for the unveiling of ‘The Mirror’, a new kaleidoscopic LED panel for the Seattle Art Museum’s sign. The panel was created by artist Doug Aitken. Mayor McGinn spoke a few words, and then the sign was switched on. There is some fancy electronics behind the display that picks up signals from the traffic and the weather and more, and then the system selects displays from a library of images. Very nice, but I have to note that by today’s standards for outdoor LED panels, and by what I’ve seen in China : that panel is not very large! I suspect the space that was available on the side of the building was limited, that’s all.
The street in front of the Seattle Art Museum’s entrance was filled with people this afternoon.Here’s the new mirror sign ‘S A M’ for Seattle Art Museum sign, with bits of it containing parts of the changing LED picture behind it. The LED strips on the side of the building are also lit up and dimmed in line with the main image at the front.All of the items that follow are on display and for sale in the SAM’s store. This beautiful and colorful wire basket from South Africa goes for $150.This very creative Salad Tree is from the Netherlands. The salad utensils stand upright on their own on the table.Salt and pepper shakers from a New York artist .. I did not write down her name. Go easy on the salt! says a new report that says (again) that we all consume way too much salt.This is a ‘colonial’ figure carved out of wood from Nigeria or the Ivory Coast. I love this one, but I have eight of these ‘colonials’ already in my house that I bought in South Africa over the years, so I’m not ‘allowed’ to buy any more.An inverted Martini glass for you? Impossible to knock over if it is the 3rd or 4th martini !Here’s the ‘solar’ Queen of England. Put her in the sun and the solar cell will make her wave her hand in her trademark, royal manner (which is to say she wiggles it).And how about a solar corgi? Yes – cannot have the Queen and NO CORGIS!. I’m not sure where the name Elroy comes from, though. Wikipedia says in 2007 the corgis were named Monty, Emma, Linnet, Willow and Holly. Monty died last year, though.
