Happy 2019 to you all! After a holiday season that was jam-packed with cultural offerings, you’d think artists and arts organizations would take a couple of weeks to rest and recuperate. Instead, they’re getting ready for a bevy of productions and festivals that should help us through the dark winter doldrums. Marcie Sillman Arts and Culture Reporter, KUOW

// SEE

February begins on a dance-y note. Pacific Northwest Ballet opens “Sleeping Beauty” on Friday, February 1. According to PNB , it’s the farewell production for this classic. But an even more compelling reason to go: it will feature Principal Dancer Jonathan Porretta in what will be one of his last performances. He retires in June. The evil fairy Carabosse is one of Porretta's favorite roles, so you don’t want to miss it. The annual Children’s Film Festival kicks off at the Northwest Film Forum on Seattle’s Capitol Hill on January 24 and continues through February 9. The festival launches with a Muppet Movie sing-along (no joke!) and features an all-Spanish language program as well as the Indigenous Showcase screening of “Kayak to Klemtu” in collaboration with Longhouse Media. Up in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, on January 23, Taproot Theater opens a brand new production of a very old favorite, “Arsenic and Old Lace.” The Stranger calls it a ‘gleefully morbid farce’ which sounds perfect for a rainy weekend.

PNB Principal Dancer Jonathan Porretta as the evil fairy Carabosse in "Sleeping Beauty." Photo by Lindsay Thomas for PNB ‌

Kim Morris and Pam Nolte in "Arsenic and Old Lace" at Taproot Theatre. Photo by Erik Stuhaug, courtesy of Taproot Theatre

// EXPERIENCE

After years of arguments, funding fights and legal wrangling, we say goodbye to the Alaskan Way Viaduct, a structure that some call an eyesore, while others see as a symbol of old Seattle. The viaduct will have a citywide sendoff on Saturday, February 2. Walk the length of the old highway and take in Hello/Goodbye: Viaduct Arts Festival from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m. NOTE: you need to reserve a ticket to attend! Finally, KUOW and Cafe Nordo are hosting a Wake for the Viaduct on Wednesday, January 23. Come share a story, song, or poem or simply come to raise a glass and say farewell. And down at Seattle Art Museum, it’s your last chance to catch “Peacock in the Desert: the Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India” or you can check out the newest exhibition, “Claire Partington: Taking Tea,” a new lens on SAM’s wildly quirky Porcelain Room. On First Thursday, February 7, I’ll be there hosting a discussion with exhibition curator Erika Dalya Massaquoi as part of KUOW’s Front Row Center. You can RSVP here (it’s free!). The museum is also free all day, so you can wander at will.

"Taking Tea," Claire Partington's response to the Seattle Art Museum porcelain room. Photo by Natali Wiseman for SAM

// READ

Preston Singetary in his hot shop. KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

In case you missed it, for more than 30 years, Seattle native Preston Singletary has forged an international reputation for his stunning glass art. But Singletary is more than a great craftsman; he's infused his Tlingit heritage into the form and the meaning of his artwork. Read more about Singletary, and enjoy KUOW photographer Megan Farmer's amazing work.

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