NEW MILLENIUM JAZZ is a cool new mural in the pavilion at Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park, a performance amphitheatre and greenspace off 21st Ave. between Yesler Way and Jackson St. A tasty adaptation of Matisse motifs largely designed by ALEKSANDR KOLENIKOVOV (a visiting artist from ex-Soviet Georgia), it evokes the skipping syncopation, jivey rhythms and soaring improvised lines of America's great original music - as is appropriate in one of Seattle's oldest African-American neighborhoods; a neighborhood notable for a great jazz tradition. Jackson Street swung like crazy through much of this century, witnessing the birth of some stellar careers, including those of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson, and Diane Schuur. (NOTE: This photo is a detail, showing only the left half of the mural.)

New Milennium Jazz was a project of DON BARRIE's Summer 1995 painting class* at Seattle Central Community College - one of many similar efforts to benefit the community through do-it-yourself public art. Dedicated Sept. 9, 1995 with a Trail Vibes jazz concert, the project was cosponsored by SCCC, CADA (the Central Area Development Association), the Urban Resources Partnership, and the City's Department of Neighborhoods.
*Scroll to bottom of Masters page for a complete list of the artists.