Southwest Seattle Historical Society Gala raises funds for new programs
Fri, 05/05/2023
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society held its annual Spring Gala at Salty’s on Alki May 5 and featured five community speakers and a live auction of donated items and area experiences
The event recounted the replacement of the roof of the Society's Log House Museum and the beginning of the construction of a long needed ADA access ramp.
Elizabeth Rudrud, Programs and Community Outreach Director for the society talked about what they are doing. She said, "We connect to the institutions around us, to community organizers, to local businesses and to civic leaders. We build coalitions that inform a shared community identity. And museums and historical societies are the result of the efforts of many individuals coming together to ensure that the stories of our communities are not lost to time is our responsibility to leverage our unique assets. To not only preserve the past, but to invest in the future. And again, I would like to take a moment to thank our volunteers, our board, our partners, donors and sponsors. They make this work possible. And the last thing I'm going to say is just to share some upcoming initiatives of the organization. So you have a sense of where we're headed. Next month, we'll be opening a new exhibit in partnership with the Duwamish Alive Coalition and the Delridge neighbor. We will feature photographs from Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Tom Reese alongside museum artifacts to contextualize the history of Longfellow Creek and efforts to restore it. This spring and summer, we will be starting a strategic planning initiatives and strategic planning process with the support of the Washington State Historical Society. Their heritage outreach team will be conducting institutional and community wide surveys so we can ensure we better serve our community. And as lastly... we are looking to tell an old story in a new way. We are reevaluating our exhibit focus and our gathering space. We hope to renew interest in our mission and create a space where people connect with our history in new ways."
Guest Speakers included:
Stacy Bass-Wolden, co-founder of Alki Beach Pride. Alki Beach Pride has a mission is to unite Seattle's LGBTQ+ community and celebrate Queer culture in a dignified way that acknowledges the intersection of race.
Joanna Florer, West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group. WDGTG is a community-based organization with a mission to create a larger Duwamish Peninsula trail system, with a spur to the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, focused on native species restoration, serving the hiking and walking community with space for other uses.
Mesha Florentino is co-director of Housing and Finance for the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. DNDA is a non‐profit organization devoted to social, racial and environmental justice dedicated to preserving and increasing affordable housing for a range of incomes, enhancing the natural environment, and providing such vital resources as arts and cultural opportunities, education and youth programs for our neighbors.
Rosa Lopez, organizer, Reconnect South Park. Reconnect South Park is a grassroots coalition that wants to remove the segment of SR-99 that cuts through South Park and create a land trust to ensure the 40 acres it will free up are developed equitably.
Christine Mackay, Executive Director, West Seattle Junction Association. The WSJA is a nonprofit which produces community events throughout the year including Art Walk, Wine Walk, Summer Fest, Outdoor Movies, Harvest Festival, and Hometown Holidays. The Junction helps to keep the streets of the Junction safe, clean and beautiful.