Rockit Community Arts Programs
Our most popular projects are Beacon Rocks!, Tots Jam & Garden House Concerts.Beacon Rocks!, a signature project of Rockit Community Arts, features local musicians and artists performing in a summer mini-festival series comprising three half-day, outdoor concert events for all ages. Located at the Roberto Maestas Festival Street at Beacon Hill Light Rail Station since 2010, these free events take place on the last Sunday afternoons in June, July, and August. For the last three years, they have engaged audiences in a variety of musical and dance genres, spoken word and poetry programs, martial arts demonstrations, participatory art-making activities, installations, and more. The content continues to evolve and is generated from the community through calls for artists to submit proposals or examples of their work.
Tots Jam
Weekly family class (parents/caregivers participate with children) focuses on toddler /preschool age appropriate social interaction and gives kids 60 minutes of physical and mental stimulation disguised as fun! Instructor, Suzanne Sumi has 27 years of experience as a co-op preschool teacher.
Garden House Concerts
Folk Club presents local musicians and dinner at Garden House, a beautiful, Victorian ballroom - previously rented only for private events. Folk Club opened this gem to the neighborhood as the only on-going, family friendly, indoor, live performance on Beacon Hill.Garden We added a second Blues Series all ages, with Beer & wine available.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
We have seen how music and art has brought our neighborhood to life and brought neighbors together. We’ve seen how performing and sharing music and art instills confidence in children and adults. We want to continue to provide opportunities for our community to share these experiences.
ROCKiT was honored by Seattle Magazine reader's choice Garden House as Best Music Venue & our director Betty Jean Williamson was named Neighborhood Hero for 2012. ROCKiT just received a one time grant to hire our first part-time staff person (Director Betty Jean, 15 hrs per week till August 2013) We hope to be able to fund this position on-going.
In 2012 ROCKiT created a new monthly music series called GARDEN HOUSE BLUES to bring world class performers to our audiences and attract a wider audience to Garden House.
ROCKiT Programs have brought our community together and allowed us to share music and art in all its forms. We helped our community recognize underutilized space in its midst at Garden House & Roberto Maestas Festival Street. We assisted last year with Jefferson Park grand opening and hope to continue to develop programs for the new venue Jefferson Park Amphitheatre.
ROCKiT needs of sound and video equipment for an oral history project celebrating the life of the Garden House (our current physical location) and the people who have brought life and community programs to this space for the last six decades. We also want to preserve the fabulous performances that we present for the benefit of the artists and to use in grant applications.