Genius Unleashed

O n Friday, September 17, a cavalcade of art people, film people, theater people, book people, and music people converged on the Moore Theatre. The unifying fashion theme: lightly soggy elegance, thanks to a classic Seattle-in-autumn downpour.

After the VIP reception on the Moore stage—with free-flowing booze, a Southern-style spread by Tom Douglas, and hot stage lights drawing the evening’s dampness out of the crowd’s hair—Stranger art critics came out to deliver the $5,000 awards and trophies. Having been shortlisted for the award four times, 2010 Theater Genius Marya Sea Kaminski cited her stature as the always-a-bridesmaid Susan Lucci of the Genius Awards before eloquently claiming her throne. “I wrote a short speech and a long speech,” said Kaminski. “I brought the short speech.” What followed was a whirlwind of gratitude that swept up everyone who has helped Kaminski forge her artistry, closing with a pointed nod to the inherent arbitrariness of such awards: “To everybody on the shortlists—you fucking rock.”

J im Woodring commenced his acceptance speech by reading a screed on Facebook denigrating The Stranger for giving a comics artist the literature award this year. Woodring said he took the award as evidence that the world is changing and old categories are melting away, then added, “I think I deserve it, and I could sure use the money.”

Shabazz Palaces, the visionary hiphop duo comprising Ishmael Butler and Tendai Maraire, won this year’s first-ever Genius Award for Music. Butler regaled the house with a tale of driving by a bus stop, seeing Stranger staffer Charles Mudede waiting, and rolling down his window to say hello. “Charles said, ‘Give me a ride, and I’ll get you a Genius Award,'” he said (which begs the question of how he got his Grammy). A few hours later, Shabazz Palaces delivered a revelatory set of their mind-expanding, globe-trotting hiphop while sporting amazing headdresses.

The film award went to the team of director Robinson Devor and writer Charles Mudede (a Stranger staffer who in his spare time makes films with Devor that screen at Sundance and Cannes, and who is donating his half of the award money to Northwest Film Forum). Devor is pictured above in the Moore lobby getting tongued by Northwest Film Forum’s Adam Sekuler.

Stranger arts editor Jen Graves (left) pointed out that a lot of the work
getting recognized this year was pretty dark, and that Visual Art Genius Susie Lee‘s video portrait series Still Lives was no different: It literally shined the light on nursing-home residents on their way to death. It must be odd to have a year of quiet work among the dying result in a splashy party and a spotlight, but Lee seemed to take it in stride. “Thank you,” she said, apologizing for her jet-lagged grogginess, resulting from a flight from Italy she’d immediately be taking in reverse. (A genius never rests.)

As Stranger publisher Tim Keck put it in his night-opening speech: “Without the people in this room, Seattle would just be wet
Phoenix.” Among the people in the room: Korby Sears of Seattle School, seen here kissing Robin Held of the Frye Art Museum, and Ryan Mitchell of Implied Violence, with John Sutton of SuttonBeresCuller behind him—all past Genius Award winners. This is when all the photos started to get a little blurry. See you next year!

Slideshow is here!