ONCE A TRAVELING vaudeville show, One Reel was established in 1972 by six actors dedicated to entertaining audiences with the odd and unexpected. For 50 years, One Reel has upheld the tradition of offering wonder through art in nontraditional settings.

Known by many primarily for producing Seattle’s iconic Bumbershoot Festival, One Reel guided that festival for nearly half a century. This affiliation officially ended earlier this year, ushering in a new era for the festival when it returns to Seattle Center one day. Yet, despite seeming nearly synonymous with One Reel, Bumbershoot was, in truth, just 3 days of our annual programming. We did not survive for five decades as a one-trick umbrella. We’ve backed a slew of art and music-focused events over the decades. Some, like Teatro Zinzanni and Summer Nights at the Pier, created fond memories for people in Seattle over many years. Others, like WOMAD USA and Family Fourth, never quite found the support necessary to sustain them. Still others, like Pianos in the Park, persist as beloved open-air spectacles for public enjoyment and will return to Seattle in 2022.

We could not have survived 50 years without evolving. For good or ill, One Reel never shied from change. When faced with the reality of a worldwide pandemic, we pivoted in a new direction.   

In 2020, when most arts organizations had unplugged from operations, we acted. Within weeks of the Governor’s stay-at-home order, we were offering quick-turn grants to artists chronicling their personal experience during what would turn out to be the first phase of the pandemic. The launch of ARTSAVESME.org followed, allowing us to share work created by artists in response to the challenges of today. By documenting the historic collection of art that lined the streets of Seattle in response to the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, we preserved a record of the work of hundreds of artists, much of which has been removed from the streets, some lost forever, as Seattle prepared to get back to business. 

COVID House of Horrors followed, allowing One Reel to commission local artists to create frightening COVID-inspired installations for what would prove to be a successful experiment in masked and ventilated safety, as one of a handful of indoor exhibitions that were open to the general public in 2020.

PublicDisplay.ART and its accompanying website bring gallery art to the public, to be picked up and enjoyed wherever you happen to be and, if interested in collecting, to purchase art with a click of your mouse. As we continue to face a future of protracted uncertainty, accessibility to art is essential to not only the livelihood of thousands of local artists, but to the preservation of our own appreciation of art. 

The ability to connect through art has never been more relevant, nor felt so tenuous. Art opens our minds to new ideas and helps us to understand the views of others. It encourages thoughtful conversations and challenges us to look at things anew. Art influences society’s perspective and presents us with a powerful, peaceful path to social change. 

Considering the current state of the world, access to the arts is more vital than ever. For us, Public Display offers a new direction for One Reel to bring art to the forefront of a mainstream audience in a non-traditional way.  We hope you find it to be a helpful re-entry point for engaging with the arts and, if so, that you stick around for what comes next.

In this way, we continue to honor what the founders of the One Reel Vaudeville Show set out to do 50 years ago, and which Bumbershoot epitomized on a grand scale—entertaining mainstream audiences with accessible art. Today, One Reel continues to strengthen partnerships, both old and new, through art events and programs that don’t follow the rules.

RECOGNITION: 

THIS ISSUE was funded in part by the City of Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture. Like so many organizations serving Seattle, One Reel is strengthened through the financial and professional support of the Office of Arts & Culture. A big shout out to Kathy Hsieh, who stands out among a talented team of qualified professionals. Her patience, guidance, and support has proved to be a godsend to our organization. She has been essential in our efforts to launch this publication. We are forever grateful.

Diana Adams of Vermillion and Elisheba Johnson of Wa Na Nari graciously offered their counsel to this publication. We are grateful for their time and support. Their input helped to enrich this issue and presented us with content ideas currently in development for 2022. 

Professional and personal thanks to Heather Smith, who’s dedication and support has been instrumental to One Reel’s organizational evolution. 

It is one thing to create a publication; it is quite another to distribute it. Thankfully, PublicDisplay.Art will find its way to your hands through the professional team at Polite Society. A trusted vendor and generous sup-porter to One Reel, we are among the countless organizations who continue to benefit from their community-minded business approach and expertise in street, experiential, and digital marketing.