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Saturday, June 10, 2006
Seattle Center greets newcomers
The many newcomers moving to Seattle are changing the city, and it doesn't look as if that's going to stop anytime soon. In large part because of the influx, the state estimates that the city's population will grow by 21,000 in the next four years.
Today, the Seattle Center is holding an-all day fair to welcome newcomers to town.
Representatives of city departments will be on hand at the free event to answer questions. Bands, including a Japanese indie-pop band, will play on the Urban Stage. Several notable newcomers, including Peter Boal, artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, will be interviewed on the stage about their experiences moving here.
This week, the Seattle P-I spoke with former Seattle Center Director Virginia Anderson, who came up with the idea for the event before she retired earlier this year.
Q: What gave you the idea of having a newcomers' fair?
A: I read an article about how some Midwest city had a picnic in the summertime so residents could meet each other, and it sort of evolved into having something for people who are new to Seattle. It's hard for people when they move somewhere to find out things like where to go to get utilities, where the parks are. We are having so many people coming in that we thought that welcoming them was a nice thing.
Q: How do you think newcomers are changing Seattle?
A: Everybody brings something different. You see it most clearly with immigrant groups who bring parts of their culture here. And it's not just interesting art or dance. They bring how they think about their community and how they feel about problem-solving and all sorts of things. I don't think it's exclusive to immigrant groups. I've lived on the East Coast for years after growing up in the Midwest; there's a different approach to things (there). Seattle is very much a place of newcomers. When I talk to people, most of them say they came from someplace else. It keeps us open to the world. As a city and a region, it keeps us younger in spirit. In some of the longer-established East Coast cities, it's harder for a newcomer or a young person to break into a pretty established business society. When I came here, I found a lot of openness and acceptance from the arts community, so you could make your mark if you worked hard.
Q: How does the newcomers' fair fit with the mission of the Seattle Center?
A: The Center's mission is to be a gathering place and to serve all people, so for me it's a logical extension. I envision (the Seattle Center) as a place where people from Holly Park, View Ridge, Beacon Hill or West Seattle all find common ground. I think, how cool would it be to be known as the most welcoming city in America?
The fair runs 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Fisher Pavilion. For more information, visit seattlecenter.com or call (206) 684-7200.
More headlines and info from Queen Anne.
If you're a newcomer, tell us what it's been like to move here.
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