The First Thursday Art Walk is a long, strange trip. It reinforces the small townyness of Seattle— oh look, it's everyone you know— but it also gives a certain sense of expansion, of possibility. So many people. Doing such diverse things. Maybe there are potential future collaborators/buyers/venues I haven't yet found in this town. And the bonus, in the words of two 23-year-olds whose conversation I overheard: "Everyone at Art Walk is hot!"

Most of the action seems to center around one particular building. You know, the really tall one with the big stairs you gotta hike up? And all the floors full of artist studios? I could easily Google its name but that's not the point; most of the people milling around Pioneer Square don't know the name of the building or even what street it's on, they just follow the crowd to get there.

I imagine it's nice to have a focus to such a dissipated event. Once inside, you feel like you're partying at a Hampshire College dorm. There's beer and snacks around every corner, people of every conceivable subculture and a lot of questionable art littering the walls. (To be fair, much of last night's offerings were above par, especially on the popular fourth floor.)

But the best work is off the well-trod path, I find.

At Design Commission Gallery was an installation by C. M. Ruiz, a poster artist steeped in the zine aesthetic. "Happy Home" is his tribute to the people and places that have inspired his posters throughout the years, and it will be up for the rest of the month. Christmas, a four-piece psychobilly band from Olympia, played a short set to the urbane crowd.

I also stopped by Zeitgeist for the Animation Funtacular, which was truly, truly delightful and only marred by its own success. (Too many people! I spent way more time squeezing through impasses of "...reminds me of Burning Man..." and "...totally just checked you out..." than actually absorbing the work, which was projectedly silently on multiple screens, leaned heavily on stop-motion and appeared to be uniformly intimate and excellent.)

If you want to go to next month's Art Walk, I wholeheartedly endorse your decision. There's even a remarkably attractive website if you're a Virgo and need to plan your meandering in advance. Or, you know... you can always just come on down and follow the crowd.

All photos by Sacha Maxim.