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Monday, May 28, 2007

Statues of Limitations

posted by on May 28 at 13:36 PM

statues_of_limitations.jpg

Is the Seattle Art Museum and city’s honeymoon over? The city’s Special Events Committee recently decreed that SAM must face a worst-nightmare scenario in their new Olympic Sculpture Park: 100,000 stoners-per-day this August will be allowed to stream past millions in art on their way to Hempfest.

Until recently, SAM and the city seemed too cozy to let Hempfest come between them. When Hempfest organizers first saw plans for the sculpture park in 2005, they went to the event permitting committee and said it would constrict the entrance to Myrtle Edwards Park, posing a danger to attendees and blocking emergency vehicles. But the city only batted their eyes at SAM and hit the snooze button. When Hempfest caught wind of the park’s construction details in 2006, they returned to the city and explained the narrow access through the construction would be unsafe for the crowd. Again, the city snoozed. Exasperated, Hempfest organizers filed a lawsuit for a permit providing a wide enough entrance.

This April, SAM spokesperson Chris Rogers told the event committee, “We’ve made the determination that … we will close that staircase and what has been renamed the high road.” Without that easement, SPD Sergeant Lou Eagle said Myrtle Edwards Park would be unsafe for Hempfest—held there since 1995.

Hempfest organizers had every reason to believe the city’s brass would, again, do nothing – that is, nothing to upset SAM. After all, SAM’s investment in the waterfront park and expanded museum are considerable endowments to Seattle. (But no other public venues are adequate for the annual pot protestival, leaving Myrtle Edwards Park as their only option.) So Hempfest organizers, torn between pot-lovin’ appreciation for groovy sculpture and their event’s survival, were reluctantly prepared to sue both parties for their right to assemble.

Then something happened. The city’s serenade to SAM changed tune, May 11, when they sent this letter:

The Special Events provision of the Agreement (which specifically references Hempfest) permits SAM to undertake “special security precautions,” but the City does not believe it permits SAM to close the public access route. SAM has also suggested that it might consider using two of its five allotted “private events” days to close the Olympic Sculpture Park during Hempfest. The City’s position is that the O&M Agreement does not permit SAM to do so at this late date.

Ouch, this is more than a lovers' spat. Why did the city decide to put their foot down all of a sudden?

Hempfest executive director Vivian McPeak puts it like this: “It seemed the city government was reticent to lock horns with SAM until their opening was over. But they did – and when they did, the city backed public safety.” The letter was sent less than one week after the “New SAM” opened, May 5.

Also, the event committee is undergoing an internal audit this year, triggered by Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck after Hempfest sued the city last July. Auditors are trying to determine if the committee is abiding by special event law, which requires speedy processing of permit applications and accommodating free-speech assemblies. They are using Hempfest as a case study.

The city chose to stand up to SAM because another lawsuit from Hempfest during the audit could compel them to completely overhaul the permitting process--or dismantle the event committee altogether.

A permit granting Hempfest access through the sculpture park will be issued any day now, McPeak believes. And in response, Hempfest has agreed to place protective fences around SAM’s sculptures during the event. Also, they’ve promised to shell out $16,500 to repair damage SAM claims was caused last year by attendees trampling the entrance.

After the actual and proverbial smoke clears from this year’s Hempfest, August 18 and 19, SAM and the city are sure to make nice, cooperating well into their golden years. Hempfest and SAM, however, will have some issues to work out. “We look forward to having the opportunity to work alongside SAM,” says McPeak, “and for them to realize we’re not the bad guys, we’re very reasonable and fair.”

RSS icon Comments

1

I hate to break it to the people at SAM but just about any day at the Olympic Sculpture Park is hemp fest. Especially that decomposing log, its nature and its art!

Posted by Pointing out the obvious | May 28, 2007 2:51 PM
2

I am just curious, but what makes Myrtle Edwards the only park in Seattle adequate for the festival? Just wondering...

Posted by Jude Fawley | May 28, 2007 8:36 PM
3

Hey, Jude... The only public parks in Seattle that can accommodate big events are Gasworks, Volunteer and Myrtle Edwards Parks. Other parks are too small, too far from public transportation, and/or not landscaped for large events (like Lincoln and Magnuson Parks).

Gasworks won't work for Hempfest because it's right in the middle of a neighborhood with limited access. 4th of July is held there but the traffic turns Wallingford into a total clusterfuck; the neighbors would freak out if the city tried to put another big event there, particularly one that lasted two days. Volunteer Park is also in the middle of a neighborhood and is covered in luscious lawns, so the city has stymied Hempfest's efforts to move there and prevented the Pride festival from expanding to two full days.

Myrtle Edwards Park is workable because it is near lots of buslines, surrounded by parking spaces, has relatively few residential neighbors, and is landscaped to handle the event's huge crowds and hundreds of vendors.

Posted by Dominic Holden | May 28, 2007 9:17 PM
4

...need to add Garfield playfield to the list - very big, but out of the way and owned by the schools....hence no dealing with the parks system, which is all set up for many events.

... gay pride went to two days years ago, but Volunteer is a specimen park, showcase, and I think pride is the only large user event ever granted a permit to use it for large events.

...much lobbying of city hall after the Weekly story of several weeks ago...very cogent and focused ... which raised the issue of ending ALL big events in Myrtle Edwards because of the right of way problems, not just Hemp Fest...

On to the people's use of parks, big and small ....

Posted by George | May 28, 2007 9:55 PM
5

...need to add Garfield playfield to the list - very big, but out of the way and owned by the schools....hence no dealing with the parks system, which is all set up for many events.

... gay pride went to two days years ago, but Volunteer is a specimen park, showcase, and I think pride is the only large user event ever granted a permit to use it for large events.

...much lobbying of city hall after the Weekly story of several weeks ago...very cogent and focused ... which raised the issue of ending ALL big events in Myrtle Edwards because of the right of way problems, not just Hemp Fest...

On to the people's use of parks, big and small ....

Posted by George | May 28, 2007 9:55 PM
6

...need to add Garfield playfield to the list - very big, but out of the way and owned by the schools....hence no dealing with the parks system, which is all set up for many events.

... gay pride went to two days years ago, but Volunteer is a specimen park, showcase, and I think pride is the only large user event ever granted a permit to use it for large events.

...much lobbying of city hall after the Weekly story of several weeks ago...very cogent and focused ... which raised the issue of ending ALL big events in Myrtle Edwards because of the right of way problems, not just Hemp Fest...

On to the people's use of parks, big and small ....

Posted by George | May 28, 2007 9:55 PM
7

i think, like man, we all imagine, collectively, a yellow brick road, goin from myrtle to discovery, turn up some pink floyd, and follow

Posted by burnout | May 29, 2007 2:31 AM
8

Floyd....wow, man.

Posted by Lord Nigel Featherston | May 29, 2007 9:44 AM
9

A spliff in the statue park is what makes Seattle fun!

Besides, if you're not high, you're not really appreciating it.

Posted by Will in Seattle | May 29, 2007 10:10 AM
10

why does there need to be a hempfest? isnt seattle trying to be something more than an overgrown northwest pot haven?

Posted by Bellevue Ave | May 29, 2007 12:03 PM
11

Good question, @10. I was just wondering the same thing about gay pride. Isn't Seattle trying to be something more than a big, sweaty gay bar? For real. In fact, political rallies and festivals should be eradicated entirely. Historically, they haven't served a function. And when it comes to American drug policy, we have a best case scenario as it is: it's racially biased, exorbitantly expensive, consumes limited law enforcement resources, and totally ineffective to boot. Why bother changing it?

Posted by Dominic Holden | May 29, 2007 12:21 PM
12

Wasn't it at Volunteer Park forever? And c'mon... Floyd? That'd be a BEST case scenario... you'd be closer guessing something from the 90's I bet. Whatever, as long as all the stoners are nice to the statues, what's the big deal?

Posted by Dougsf | May 29, 2007 1:33 PM
13

Why have a Hempfest? Uh... could it be that pesky first ammendment? Hempfest may be a political pot rally, but it's also a HUGE free speech event.

Nah, I guess we don't need those.

If you've never been to a Hempfest, you'll see more than the stoner kids sleeping it off on the lawn. There's political speakers, roundtable discussions, great music and vendors galore. It's like Bumbershoot, only with a slightly funny smell.

Posted by meh | May 29, 2007 1:48 PM
14

Fourth of Julivar's is gone. The historic trolly is gone. Now SAM wants Hempfest gone. The Hammering man is ponding our city's cultural events. Chipping away at them until they, in two cases, now no longer exist.

SAM has not followed it's charter and should be admonished for his. Why not just allow use of the "high" road and move on to other things. Why continue to make this an issue when it's so easily resolved? It just makes no sense!

Seattle is a dynamic city and deserves a diversity of events.

Art is supose to be inclusive and free flowing, not used as a catalyst to damage our city's cultural lime light.

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15

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16

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