It’s been five years since the disembodied head of Jimi Hendrix appeared on the facade of the Judkins Park Sound Transit station. The rock idol’s face, repeated in halftone from multiple angles, seemed to rise and shift like smoke on the vertical mural at the entrance of the then-unfinished facility.
Created by Brooklyn artist Hank Willis Thomas and installed in 2021, the artwork is based on photographs from the peak of Hendrix’s fame and is rendered with a clever pattern of raised porcelain dots. Back then, Thomas said he intended the piece to reflect how “deeply rooted Hendrix’s music and artistic voice is in the city of Seattle and the surrounding community.”
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But as light rail construction delays ensued, the title of the artwork — Crosstown Traffic (It’s So Hard to Get Through to You), taken from the Hendrix song — attained new meaning. All you do is slow me down, Jimi seemed to implore from behind the construction fence along 23rd Avenue South. And I’m trying to get on the other side of town.
The Judkins Park station debuts this weekend as the western point of the long-awaited Crosslake Connection (opening festivities March 28). Which means that in addition to crossing a floating bridge on an electric train, you can finally get up close to Crosstown Traffic and the other art installations at the stations bookending this new route spanning Lake Washington.
At the Judkins Park stop, you’ll find an additional Hendrix mural at the Rainier Avenue entrance. Based on an archival photo (shared by sister Janie Hendrix and interpreted by Hank Willis Thomas), this 50-foot-tall pixilated image reveals the early days of the guitar god: a smiling young teen outside his Seattle home, striking a pose with his first electric guitar.
On the platform, look for A Walk in the Neighborhood, by longtime Seattle artist Barbara Earl Thomas and installed in 2023. The etched glass panels — which also serve as windscreens — echo her cut-paper artwork with imagery that reflects hyperlocal surroundings. That includes depictions of her dear Seattle friends past and present (such as Wa Na Wari cofounder Elisheba Wokoma, writer Charles Johnson and playwright August Wilson) and elements of nature she cherishes on her walks.
Across the lake at the new Mercer Island Link light rail station, the artistic emphasis is on water transport. Northwest artist Beliz Brother created two suspended metal sculptures that hark back to the history of lake travel. During the installation in 2022, Brother noted her personal connection to Lake Washington as a frequent summer swimmer.
At the west entrance, stroke resembles a giant bottle brush that rotates on its axis. But the “bristles” here are the various oars and paddles used for canoes, kayaks, rowing sculls, long boats and other human-powered craft employed in crossing the lake long before bridges and motor boats. At the opposite entrance, Brother’s bright blue crossings recalls the skeleton of a simple boat, adrift and a-bob.
All of these artworks have waited years for their big reveal — yet another reason to hop on this historic achievement: the world’s first light rail train to travel across a floating bridge.
Meanwhile at Seattle theaters, family dramas are taking the stage.
At Seattle Rep, the Tony-nominated Mary Jane (through April 19) follows a single mother caring for a terminally ill toddler and the vital community she finds in daily encounters with women from all walks of life. Written by esteemed playwright Amy Herzog (who based it partially on her own experience with a seriously ill child) and directed here by local theater vet Allison Narver, the play has earned raves for its complex understanding of caregiving and surprising moments of humor.
Speaking of complexity, the new play from Seattle playwright Yussef El Guindi packs a lot into the title alone. Wife of a Headless Man Investigates Her Own Disappearance (at Annex Theatre March 27 - April 11) involves a reporter with mysterious memory loss, an angry tech billionaire and a husband who seems totally normal except for his missing head. An Egyptian-American writer who’s proved himself a pro at portraying nuanced relationships, socio-political subtext and comedic banter, El Guindi is always worth watching.
And in Mother Nature, the Farewell Tour (April 2-5, Intiman Cabaret at Erickson Theatre), very funny Seattle performer Bhama Roget takes on the persona of the mother of all matriarchs to have a word with humanity about the mess we’ve made. Think tough love with a rock opera soundtrack. Blending original songs, environmental unease, dinosaur envy and a Power Point preso, Roget’s story is also a personal one about the challenges of making it as an independent artist.
Consider a few Northwest film festivals …
NFFTY, the Seattle-born National Film Festival for Talented Youth, kicks off tonight at SIFF Cinema Downtown (and runs at various venues through Mar. 29). Focused since 2007 on directors aged 24 and younger, the fest offers workshops for young filmmakers and movie screenings for everyone. Check it out and discover what the future of films might look like.
On Mercer Island, the Seattle Jewish Film Festival continues through March 29 at the Stroum Jewish Community Center. This 31st annual edition includes a wide variety of options, from The First Lady, a documentary about Efrat Tilma, one of the first openly trans people in Israel, to 31 Candles, a rom-com about a 30-year-old man finally getting around to his bar mitzvah.
Up north, it’s the 20th anniversary of the Bellingham Children’s Film Festival (March 28-29 at the Pickford Film Center), featuring films of all kinds for kids of all ages. Just allow a little extra time to get there, since I-5 North is still closed south of Bellingham due to 12 million or so pounds of earth that slid down a hill and onto the highway last week.
On Queen Anne, the Martin Scorsese Film Festival continues at SIFF Cinema Uptown (through April 29), with upcoming films — The Age of Innocence, Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street — exploring the intoxicating, erotic and dangerous power of wealth.
Or camp out at Elliott Bay Book Company for a slew of readings by local authors
< In 1990s Seattle, it seemed like local photographer Bootsy Holler was at every rock show, capturing one of the city’s biggest music moments even before it was fully formed. She’s collected these images and stories into a visual memoir: Making It: An Intimate Documentary of the Seattle Indie, Rock & Punk Scene, 1992-2008, which is packed with snapshots from live shows, band portraits and peeks behind the scenes. She’ll share recollections and photos with KEXP DJ Troy Nelson (March 30 at 7 p.m.)
< Longtime Seattle writer Rebecca Brown will read from her latest book, My Animal Kingdom (March 28 at 7 p.m.). In this charming and concise collection of short essays, each chapter is dedicated to one of Brown’s true and meaningful animal encounters — starring cats, dogs, otters, geese, rats and other beasts.
< Author and scientist J.M. Sidorova will talk about her newest novel, The Witch of Prague (April 2 at 7 p.m.). The Russian-born, Seattle-based writer sets her magical-realist tale in and around the 1968 Prague Spring. In Cold War Czechoslovakia, young Alica escapes her abusive stepfather by taking a secretarial job at the corrupt foreign ministry. When an ancient tapestry unleashes mysterious powers, Alica learns to wield them against the authoritarian regime. Good reminder to check your tapestries, quilts and blankets for anti-authoritarian powers — we could use ’em.
Check out Season 2 of our tv show Art by Northwest, featuring in-depth interviews with the printmakers, painters, sculptors, carvers and photographers creating captivating work across Washington state.
