It was a full house at AKCHO’s Annual Meeting, held January 26 at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard.  And, despite the bruising economy, AKCHO members generally displayed determination to move forward with the plans of their various organizations. Read the rest of this article »

AKCHO Awards nominations are due in less than a month — on February 21.  As usual, this is a great opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful projects, persons, and resources that are critical to the identification, preservation, protection, and promotion of heritage in King County.  Detailed award information and nomination forms are available on the AKCHO  website. Read the rest of this article »

February 1 and 2 have been designated Arts & Heritage Days in Olympia this year – or, as history buffs may prefer, Heritage & Arts Days.  Call it what you will, this two-day event marks the first collaborative lobbying effort among historical and arts groups as two statewide organizations, the Washington Museum Association and the Washington State Arts Alliance, join forces this legislative session to demonstrate the vitality of the state’s cultural sector and to advocate for investment in the cultural economy. Read the rest of this article »

AKCHO board president John Chaney

To say these are challenging times is truly an understatement.  As guardians of our past, we know the importance of collecting and saving the understanding of our past as part of the path to a brighter and informed future. Read the rest of this article »

Cheryl Dos Remedios - photo by Lisa Reynolds

Constructing a tunnel under the heart of Seattle poses serious risks. Transportation officials have acknowledged that tunnel construction may damage at least thirteen buildings that are located within the Pioneer Square Historic District or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Risking this many historic buildings is a serious concern, yet just as imperiled is the pedestrian character of the entire Pioneer Square historic district. In fact, impacts to Seattle’s cultural resources will occur all along the tunnel route and may extend into adjacent neighborhoods, such as the International District/Chinatown.

Recent news stories have highlighted the planned demolition of the 619 Western Building which will displace over 100 artists. The artists have made it clear that they do not want to obstruct tunnel construction. After WSDOT recently declared it would demolish the Western Building rather than retrofit it, the agency received considerable pushback from many entities and advocacy groups. As a result, WSDOT is now looking at alternatives to demolition but the issue is far from settled and the Western Building’s fate is yet to be decided. Read the rest of this article »

Mark your calendars now and plan to join AKCHO for these exciting program, further details will be in the Heritage Advisor and at www.AKCHO.org.

February 22
The Eastside Heritage Center will host the February AKCHO meeting at the Winters House in Bellevue. Read the rest of this article »

Cultural organizations are a significant economic engine in the Puget Sound region, according to a study recently released by ArtsFund.  The Seattle Times reports that the analysis indicates that cultural, arts, and scientific organizations in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap Counties generated nearly $2 billion in business activity in 2009. Read the rest of this article »

After front-page publicity, pressure from state and local preservationists, and intervention by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Washington State Department of Transportation has backed off from its initial plan to demolish a Pioneer Square warehouse to make way for the waterfront tunnel project. Read the rest of this article »

The Shoreline Historical Museum has moved out of the landmarked Ronald School building, its home for over 30 years, and is opening a temporary exhibit space on property recently acquired at 18501 Linden Avenue North, just one block west of Aurora in Shoreline. As reported in the 4Culture blog, the property was purchased with funds from the Shoreline School District and assistance from 4Culture. Read the rest of this article »

The JE Boyden steams through the Montlake Cut, 1928 - photo courtesy of MOHAI

With the help of some 40 individuals, government agencies, organizations, institutions and corporations, The Center for Wooden Boats is surveying the cultural and natural history features of the floor of Lake Union. Following the protocols of underwater archaeology, the goal is to identify and interpret the contents of Lake Union. Read the rest of this article »