Mail Art Club + Artist Spotlight!

The Salon

Yael Silverman

2025

Join CAM’s Mail Art Club with a recurring monthly donation and receive Art from local artists that we love!

Your monthly donations to CAM support our core programming, help expand our printshop to serve more community members and employ the incredible Risograph wizards, Yael Silverman and Ian Wheelock who print your art every quarter.

Join now to get in on the next shipment. <3

Alexandra Strenfel is a painter and one of CAM’s longest-serving artist members. She draws from myth and media for her bold, playful bodies that seem to move in dream logic, with heavy brushstrokes and the quiet chaos of light and texture.

Fellow member Whitney Bashaw asked Strenfel a few questions about her work and process:

WB: Is there a spot in Seattle you go to when you need inspiration or feel stuck?

AS: I don’t have one “go to” place, but seeing art in person usually helps me feel energized and itchy to get back in the studio. I tend to stay close to my neighborhood, so the Frye, the Seattle Art Museum, or the Belltown Art Walk are the places I frequent the most.

WB: What time of day do you work best? Do you have a routine or ritual associated with getting to work?

AS: My preferred time to work is in the afternoon/early evenings. I work nights, so this is a schedule born out of necessity rather than preference. I’m generally pretty restless and distracted when I first arrive, and know that I need to ease my way into actually making stuff. I’ll mess around on my phone for a bit, perhaps looking at other artists, maybe do a lap around the studio and chat with people, or if I’m feeling especially productive, I’ll lay down the sketch and underpainting for a new piece.

Full interview Here!

Holiday Book Swap

A free event open to everyone that would like to bring their gently-used books and swap them for others.

RSVP to let us know you’re coming! A great way to round-out your holiday shopping and no-waste gift giving plan!

Bring up to 5 books that you’re ready to get rid of, mingle and enjoy some good company and refreshments, and pick out new-to-you books to take home!

Saturday Dec. 13 | 3 - 5 pm Common Objects | 2601 1st Ave

Clarion West Holiday Book Swap flyer. Stacked books with festive ornaments and holly. Event on December 13, 2025, from 3-5 PM at Common Objects. Free entry.

Folly Chapbook Release

Emma McVeigh's debut chapbook, Folly, explores the connection between language and landscape as she traces the connection between her home state of Alaska and her current home of Seattle, told through the story of a statue standing in Volunteer Park.

Featuring readings from local writers Carole Hsiao, Kimberly Henriquez, Parker Dean, and Korede Oseni.

Thursday December 18 | Doors at 6:30

Common Objects | 2601 1st Ave

The Art of Resonance

An immersive sound bath that transforms vibration, tone, and silence into living art. We will begin by grounding together with a moment of collective breathing, inviting presence and connection in the shared space. Then, we will relax and allow the soothing tones of crystal singing bowls, voice, drums, harmonium, flutes, and more to carry us on a journey through layers of sound and resonance.

Sliding Scale tickets $20-$40 Saturday Dec. 20 6 p.m. | 2601 1st Ave

A Black man in nature performing sound bath with various instruments, including singing bowls and a horn. Text details event info for "The Art of Resonance."

Image of book "Midwinter Day" by Bernadette Mayer: pencil drawing of bare tree and house with snow on the ground.

Epic Communal Reading of Midwinter Day

We’ll endeavor to read aloud the entirety of her book Midwinter Day over the course of one day, starting at 10:00am, taking turns reading to one another. Come get cozy, read a section or just listen, coming and going through the day as you need (or stay for the whole epic span!). Plus snacks, warm drinks, and creative prompts!

Sunday Dec. 21 | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Common Objects | 2601 1st Ave

Details on the festival and how to submit

Calling all video poets—submissions for the 9th annual Cadence Video Poetry Festival are closing soon! Cadence Video Poetry Festival is our favorite video poetry festival—we've partnered with them over the years as a location for workshops and as a window installation for sharing video poetry with the people of Belltown early in the pandemic. Submit by December 15 for a reduced fee, or start the new year off right and hit their late deadline on January 15.