In this week’s edition, I write about Open Satellite, a new contemporary art project envisioned by Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo of Lead Pencil Studio (Stranger Geniuses) that will bring artists from all over the country to Bellevue to work and show for three months at a time.

The first artist, who arrives this weekend, is LA-based Olga Koumoundouros. Here are some examples of her work, which has been seen at the Hammer and the Studio Museum in Harlem, among other spots.

^{Town Meeting; After Acconci (2003), top view}

^{Town Meeting; After Acconci (2003), side view}

^{Town Meeting; After Acconci (2003), interior views}

^{Huck and Jim’s Excellent Adventure, FL (2000)}

Seattle doesn’t have many residency programs. CoCA used to do short-term residencies, but in its current incarnation, the space it’s in isn’t appropriate (Shilshole Bay Beach Club).

But Crawl Space, the little engine that could on Capitol Hill, is starting an annual short-residency project of its own. Here are the details:

In an effort to challenge early career artists in the power and scope of their art making, Crawl Space announces its new Studio Intensive Residency, during which the resident artist will be confined to Crawl Space grounds for one week to prepare an exhibition. The resident artist will commit to a full seven days and seven nights of working at Crawl Space. Arriving at the gallery with whatever art-making and survival supplies he or she brings along, the artist will establish a studio workspace and squatting quarters for the week. A hot plate, refrigerator, toilet, sink, and sleeping cot will be provided. During this week of confinement, the artist is expected to generate completely new works, either as a continuation of a body of work or as a special project or installation. No completed or in-progress works will be admitted. Crawl Space hopes that confining the artist to an unfamiliar and entirely un-recreational art making space where he/she cannot get away from his/her work will spur that artist to break away from characteristic approaches and methods of art making.

Crawl Space is just taking applications now, so no word yet on who’ll be first. Can’t wait to see.