Your Cultural Center, Town Hall

Town Hall Seattle. Photo courtesy of Town Hall Seattle

Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue at Seneca, First Hill, is a unique cultural center. Its diverse national and local programs feature a mix of music, literature, hot topics, science, religion and politics.

Varied offerings in the coming months, for example – Gerard Edery Trio, music of the Sephardic Diaspora; a lecture on marriage equality, presented by the Pride Foundation; writer/humorist Calvin Trillin on the 2012 elections; the Seattle Girls’ Choir Annual Holiday Concert; a book-tour appearance by best-selling author Naomi Wolf; final presentations by artists-in-residence Ahamefule Oluo and Lesley Hazleton; and Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music concert, presented by Earshot Jazz. The full list is at townhallseattle.org.

Town Hall’s showplace is the Great Hall on the second floor of the building. It has an expansive performance area with rows of wooden church pews, seating for about 800, a stage with a Steinway B, a high domed ceiling and stained-glass windows. Downstairs is an open area for intimate musical performances and lectures. Tickets for downstairs appearances are $5; Great Hall performances range from $10 to $50.

Conceived in 1999 by civic-minded Seattle publisher and idealist David Brewster, who served as the first executive director, Town Hall is now sustained by a combination of ticket sales and donations. Current director Wier Harman was hired after Brewster’s retirement in 2005. 

Harman says he is often called upon to consult on the Town Hall model in the creation of similar entities in other cities, but the components for success are difficult to duplicate. The three key ingredients: a healthy non-profit environment, generous philanthropic avenues and a supportive and broad-minded audience.

Such supportive and open audiences make Town Hall a comfortable place for artistic expression. The nurturing ambiance is no accident; it’s consistent with Town Hall’s philosophy of openness.

“Most artists love being here,” Harman says. “What makes the venue sing is the mix of major national groups along with local people. One of our sweet spots is helping people celebrate the talent right under their noses.”

Composer, musician and comedian Ahamefule Oluo and author Lesley Hazleton served as artists-in-residence for the past few months. They attended programs, completed their respective music and writing projects and provided their on-going perspectives.

“The consistently high quality of the programs is astounding,” Oluo says. “I found myself relating things to my own work that I would normally not think of associating with it. Anyone who is passionate about what they do, and can express that publicly, there’s something to learn from that.”

Hazleton was most impressed with the interplay and synergy between people. “There’s so much good work being done here in Seattle,” she said. “Working with Wier and the staff has been wonderful. There is a freedom here, a feeling that what you come up with will be somehow supported.”

Hazleton’s new book, The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad, will be released next month. She appears at Town Hall to talk about it on January 24.

Built in 1916 as a Christian Science church, Town Hall is scheduled to undergo a year-long renovation to be completed in 2016, when the building will celebrate its centennial.

“During the makeover, we’ll continue our programs around town at multiple venues under the Town Hall umbrella,” Harman says. “Commitment to the community is at the heart of what we do and this outreach will be an expression of what makes us strong.”