• At the Reel Grrls fundraiser last week, the party concept was Golden Grrls. Artist Jeffry Mitchell was there in gold costume jewelry. Fashion designer Mark Mitchell was there in a hand-knitted cap with golden sparkles. Host Lindy West (who had a gold dress on, and is a girl, and is real) regaled the crowd with tales of Jane Fonda–hugging. Golden balloons fell from the sky. And more than 71k was raised for Reel Grrls, which teaches girls and young women the technical and artistic skills necessary to create transformational visual media.
• Last week, Marina Abramovic listed Ryan Mitchell (Implied Violence, Saint Genet) as one of two Americans on her "10 young provocateurs to watch" list. Her brief write-up focused on Shoot, Mitchell's re-creation of the Chris Burden "sculpture" that involved being shot in the arm.
• Thursday brought the opening night of SIFF's French Cinema Now fest and the Seattle premiere of Blue Is the Warmest Color, the sexual-coming-of-age drama featuring extensive and intricate lesbian sex. Before the show, a sexagenarian attendee was overheard identifying himself as a French teacher who'd bought tickets with zero knowledge of the film. Here's hoping the three-hour parade of labial grinding, close-up cunnilingus, and great acting served him well. Blue returns November 22 for a full Seattle run.
• Boeing's given $40,000 to TeenTix, the great local org that's fought to give teenagers access to arts in Seattle, including furnishing $5 tickets and running a young critics' blog.
• The enormous Lit Crawl Thursday was grand. The highlight of the evening was Matthew Simmons, Stacey Levine, and Ryan Boudinot at the Hugo House. The stories ranged from a heartbreaking account of the end of Bert and Ernie's relationship, to what happens when every American decides to leave America, to a plea to use the word "benches" instead of "breasts." It was one of the best readings in Seattle this year.
• The Henry Art Gallery's quarterly Open House last Friday involved a notable absence: Nineteen farm animals had spent time in the galleries, unphotographed and unwitnessed by anyone but those involved, only leaving behind scuff marks, dirt, and stray straw. Their leavings, called The Living, are part of an ongoing exhibition of storied sculptures by Berlin-based artist Jason Dodge.
• This week, the City of Seattle announced the hiring of one of the world's leading sound artists, former punk guitarist Stephen Vitiello, to create something along the redeveloped Seattle waterfront. He's worked at every fancy museum everywhere, on New York's High Line, and in the World Trade Center towers back in 1999. Now he starts developing his proposal for our part of the world.
• The gutting of TUBS on 50th Street has begun, meaning the full destruction of the graffiti mecca can't be far off, right? Take pictures.
• Ornamental gourds are 69 cents at Trader Joe's. 
