SeanChron | Event | Grit City Think & Drink - June 10, 2025

Yes indeed, I'm the presenter at the next Grit City Think & Drink in Tacoma. Here are the details:

"Future-ish: Exploring the Science, Design, and Culture Shaping our Future & Introduction to Future Studies"

Books available at the UW Tacoma Bookstore, $30. All proceeds go to wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House on the UW Seattle campus.

Date | June 10th, 2025
Time | 6:30pm-7:30pm
Location | 7 Seas, 2101 Jefferson Ave, Tacoma
Cost | Free and open to all ages
More Info | UW Tacoma Event Page

Grit City Think & Drink brings scholars and experts from various disciplines face-to-face with the public in a comfortable, lively atmosphere, either virtually or in person. The evening begins with a presentation or lecture (often interactive) followed by giveaways and a moderated Q&A. Grit City Think & Drink is free to the public and open to all ages. Hosted by UWT Associate Professor Jim Gawal.

Sponsors UW Tacoma School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (SIAS) 7 Seas Brewing UW Tacoma Office of Community Parnterships

SeanChron | How Science Works

Although I'm a long way from my conservation biology days, I often get asked why science and scientists and never say that something is happening for sure or that something is causing something for sure? Doesn't science "prove" this or that? These are great questions and they usually come up over beer or a cocktail. So here is my having-a-beer-at-Munich-Oktoberfest response (which is actually one place these questions did come up).

Here's the T: science (and any knowledge system for that matter) can never prove anything, it can only disprove things. You can have a theory about something and gather more and more evidence that supports your theory and even get to the point in which you’ve gathered so much evidence that supports your theory that you might say that you're confident in your theory. But good science, and a good scientist, can never say that something is proven. You could say something like “we’re finding more evidence to support…” , “evidence continues to support…”, or even “evidence strongly supports…”. But even with overwhelming observations that support your theory, it cannot be said that anything is proven because you never know what tomorrow may bring.

For example, you might say “all crows are black”. Over time, you make observations that further support your theory, such as seeing more and more black crows over the course of your life. Then, on your 99th birthday you see an albino crow and your theory is now disproven…after all that time! At this point you could alter your theory and say “most crows are black” and still also be able to say that evidence “continues to support” or “strongly supports” your theory.

The fact that science can't prove anything can be frustrating for lots of folks, including policy makers, politicians, and probably your grumpy uncle who all want definitive answers on things. But once you understand how it all works, you become more comfortable with why science and scientists always use the cautious language around science "proving" things.

The next step in understanding how science and scientists can very comfortably say things like "there is strong evidence to support..." comes from probability and statistics. I offer an example below, but it might be more valuable to do an internet search for videos or visuals to understand probability and statistics, especially if you're a visual person.

Our Friends, Probability & Statistics
Using our crow example, we now know that all crows are not black...but we do think that most crows are black. We can use probability (the likelihood or possibility of something happening) to think about the likelihood of finding mostly black crows in our observations. The more observations that are made, the more those inform our probability calculations.

If we want to get even more formal about things, we can actually use statistics to test our theory. If we were to say that the if crow coloring were up to chance, 50% or less of crows observed would be black. The alternative to this would be that more than 50% of crows are black. Luckily, we don't have to count every crow in the world for this, we just need to get to what we (and math) tell us is a good representative population of crows to start testing our theory. If crow coloring (black vs. some other color) were actually up to chance, you'd expect that your observations would mostly land around that 50% of the population realm. Actual observations might fall a bit above or below this too since chance can also produce that outcome. For example, a coin toss should produce 50% heads and 50% tails, but in actuality, it can be a little off from that the more rounds of observations you do. This overall outcome of observations falling mostly around that 50% mark forms a bell-curve of outcomes with the peak of the bell being at the 50% line. So now you gather all your observations (in real life or perhaps using a model) and have many outcomes in which more than 50% of the crows observed were black. You'll likely be able to reject the theory that 50% or less of crows are black, which is great. Mathematics give us a tools, tests, and a there should for a certain level of observations occurring that allow us to say that the likelihood of chance producing the outcome we're observing is very unlikely. When our observations or at the ends of the observed or expected bell-curve, that's when scientists will say that their observations are statistically significant.

In terms of the coin toss example. Let's say you do 100 rounds of flipping the coin 10 times. How many outcomes of that coin coming up heads 85% of the time would make you think that something is indeed up with the coin?

Once you find a statistically significant result in your work, you might refine your theory and do more research and observations, or perhaps re-analyze your own research or the research of others. So, you could come up with the theory that 95% of crows are black. This is all good and you may indeed have statistically significant results in your ongoing research.

An Island of White Crows
But then, an island off the coast of Greenland is found were almost all crows are white! Does this mean your theories have been wrong? No. Does this mean all the time and effort (and perhaps money) you've invested has gone to waste? No. It just shows once again that science can't prove anything, it can only disprove things. It can add more and more evident to support things, but one never knows when we might learn something new about the world that makes us rethink our theories of things. It may make us expand our theories or allow them to be more flexible. Science (and any knowledge system) is still a fantastic and valuable tool, it's not the tool that many people think it is.

Sean Chron | Event | Book Chat - October 14, 2024, 3-4pm, UW Tacoma Starbucks

SeanChron - Big News for Future-ish fans in Tacoma or the South Sound! I'll be facilitating a discussion about science, design, and culture shaping the future at the UW Tacoma Starbucks as part of their Two Weeks of Community event. The event will also serve as a book signing opportunity as well for my book, Future-ish: Context and Case Studies for Exploring the Science, Design, and Culture Shaping our Future. Stop by if you can!

Event Details

• Date | Monday, October 14, 2024
• Time | 3:00pm-4:00pm
• Location | UW Tacoma Starbucks, 1748 Pacific Ave

SeanChron | Event | Co-creating a Circular Fashion System: Solutions & Actions

SeanChron - I'm super excited to be part of a panel discussing circular fashion that is part of 2024 PNW Climate Week. To kick off PNW Climate Week we'll be having a discussion with sustainable fashion experts from diverse backgrounds, including design, repair, activism, and academia.

Details:

• Date | Sunday, July 7, 2024
• Time | 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Location | Anchorhead Coffee & Bakery, Capitol Hill Location
• Registration | Free but space is limited, register at: https://lu.ma/bjoup74y

More Information from the Invitation:

Are you aware of the (many) problems with fashion but want real, tangible solutions? Then join us for a hopeful and action-oriented discussion on co-creating a circular fashion system!

The Topics:

• Current and future solutions for individuals and businesses
• How you can affect positive personal and systemic change

The Panelists:

• Janelle Abbott, Zero-waste Designer:
  https://janellerabbott.com
• Calley Dawson, Founder of The FXRY:
  https://www.thefxry.com
• JeLisa Marshall, Re/make Community Organizer:
  https://remake.world
• Sean Schmidt, Founder at Future-ish:
  https://www.future-ish.com/
• Moderated by Timothy Parent, Founder at Reforme U:
  https://www.reforme.style/

This 2 hour event will feature time to connect with fellow attendees, a panel discussion, a Q&A session, and a chance to check out some pre-loved clothes from the Clothing Swap organized by panelist JeLisa Marshall (same day, same place from 11am - 1pm!).

The Schedule:

• 2:00-2:30 - Networking & Clothing Swap
• 2:30-3:15 - Panel Discussion
• 3:15-3:30 - Q&A
• 3:30-4:00 - Networking & Clothing Swap

**Capacity is limited so please register ASAP to guarantee your spot!

SeanChron | A Celebration of Messengers

Selfie of the Future-ish Dream Team. Dr. Melanie Cheung (left) and Suquamish Elder and Storyteller Barbara Lawrence (center). Barbara made the day extra special with several surprises.

What started out as a lunch to catch up with the amazing individuals that wrote forewords for the second edition of my book, Future-ish, turned into a surprise photoshoot, gifting ceremony, and a day-long (and really fun) celebration of messengers.

Wow...talk about a dream team. I cannot thank the two amazing and inspiring people above enough for writing the forewords for the second edition of my bookand for being part of my support circle while I was making the updates to the manuscript and writing the new case studies for the second edition. Thank you, Thank You THANK YOU Barbara and Melanie for making the second edition SO MUCH BETTER in so many ways. I can't wait to see all the amazing things they will be doing in the future (we spent much of the day talking about some of them) and look forward to continuing to change the world and shape the future with them going forward.

Here is how the day (and Barbara's surprises) unfolded...

Melanie was visiting from Aotearoa so we decided to have a lunch and celebrate the publication of the second edition of the book and I brought copies of the book so that we could all co-sign it for gifts to our families and friends. The lunch at Sully's in Suquamish was delicious and catching up with these great friends was as wonderful as we all expected it to be. During lunch, Barbara surprised us with news that another guest wood be joining us after lunch by the Memorial Pole to Barbara's Father, fromer Suquamish Chairperson Charles Lawrence. After lunch, we made our way over to the nearby Memorial Pole. A few moments later a truck drives up and Barbara's son, Nigel, steps out with his professional camera. Barbara had arranged for a photoshoot to capture the that fact that we were all together! Melanie and I have also known Nigel for many years so that in itself made for a fun reunion.

As we were starting to get settled for taking photos Barbara noticed an Eagle flying in our direction from the direction of the nearby dock. It flew right to us down to our eye level and only about 15 feet away, just on the other side of a fence that ran along the one-lane asphalt drive that was infront of the Memorial Pole. Nigel was ready with his camera and snapped several really amazing photos (below).

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Images: Nigel Lawrence

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After recovering from THAT amazing experience, we had some fun with the first round of photos. Nigel is a great photographer and made the photoshoot a blast.

Here's one of the photos from that first round:

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Image: Nigel Lawrence

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At one point Nigel suggested we we moved around to the other side of the Memorial Pole so that the water would be in the background. We took a few more photos and then Barbara had another surprise for us. She brought us gifts to mark the occasion!!! I knew from the early stages of the second edition that I would be weaving baskets for Barbara and Melanie as a thank you, but I definitely was not expecting that Barbara would surprise US with gifts to make the occasion. Barbara began by gifing Melanie a beautiful pair of Dentalium shell, Cowry shell, and bead earrings that she made herself...which Melanie decided to wear right away. Then...THEN...Barbara opened a box with a stunning extra long necklace made of dentalium and multicolored glass beads that she also made. Below are some of Nigel's photos of Barbara gifting the earrings and necklace to Melanie.

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Images: Nigel Lawrence

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With the little boxes that Barbara was carrying around now opened, I thought the gifting was complete and was so happy that Barbara had thought to make the items for Melanie. Not so. Barbara once again proclaimed that we were here to celebrate the completion of the book project and she had a gift for me as well. She proceeded to take the necklace that she was wearing off and gifted it to me. It wasn't just any necklace. It was a necklace with beads from Makah artist John Goodwin. Goodwin's beads and necklaces (strung by Michelle Dowling) are made from new, modern beads but are based on the antique Russian trade beads that used to be traded by Tlingit, Haida, Nuu-chah-nulth, Makah, Quileute and Chinook Peoples. I have seen the beads and necklaces before on Canoe Journey and had actually made a comment about how beautiful Barbara's necklace was during our lunch. Needless to say, I was blown away. I should not have been surprised though, Barbara is one of the most thoughtful, caring, and giving people I know. I and many other people love her for exactly those reasons. Below are some of Nigel's photos of Barbara gifting the necklace to me.

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Images: Nigel Lawrence

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After Barbara presented the incredible gifts, we decided to head into Poulsbo to try a tasty dessert that Barbara had mentioned was available at one of the restaurants. We had some wonderful desserts and also spent much of the afternoon looking through the shops in Poulsbo for vintage finds and lots of Marimekko items (thanks to Poulsbo's Scandinavian communities). Barbara, always on the lookout to make the world a better place, even noted several opportunities in Poulsbo to improve knowledge and understanding of Suquamish history in the area.

It dawned on me that even in our casual dining, shopping, and visit to one of Poulsbo's museums, that we were being messengers even in these situations. Future-ish, the website, started back in 2006 when Barbara gifted me a wolf blanket when she completed her graduate degree at Bainbridge Graduate Institute and charged me to be a Messenger about the challenges facing Indigenous Peoples around the world and facing our environment. So, celebrating and honoring people and place have been an important part of Future-ish from the very beginning. Barbara is a incredible Storyteller and Activist herself so serves as a couragous Messenger in many and diverse ways. Melanie is also a leading voice in the science and research she leads, especially around the importance of bringn culture understanding and protocols to that work. She recently started working at the forefront of the Indigenous Traditions and Protocol will interface with artificial intelligence (AI) another area in which thoughtful and active communication and complex issues will be incredibly important.

A dream team that just keeps getting dreamier, including Nigel who captured this moment in his amazing photos. My hands are raised high in thanks to Barbara, Melanie, and Nigel for this incredible moment and memory.

SeanChron | Book Release | Future-ish: Context and Case Studies for Exploring the Science, Design, and Culture Shaping Our Future

I am excited to share that my first book, Future-ish: Context and Case Studies for Exploring the Science, Design, and Culture Shaping Our Future was published in August 2022!

Update: as of May 2024, there is now a second edition of Future-ish: Context and Case Studies for Exploring the Science, Design, and Culture Shaping our Future.

The project was initiated by educational publishing house Kendall Hunt so the book is available directly from the Kendall Hunt website in print and digital formats. It is the latest adventure in my long list of evening and weekend passion projects.

The book is part history of Future-ish, part textbook on future-studies, and—as the title suggests—part context and case studies for exploring the science, design, and culture shaping out future. Fans of Future-ish will enjoy details behind the story of Future-ish. Academic faculty will find the book an engaging complement to traditional textbooks on future studies. Students and others interested in future studies and the science, design, and culture shaping our future will appreciate the unique perspective provided in the book.

One element of the book that I am particularly proud of is the inclusion of and emphasis on alternative futures, inclusive futures, and preferred futures in the overview of the field of future studies. Future-ish has long stood out because of our inclusion of culture in the 'future-shaping spheres' that we keep tabs on so it was imperative to include these emerging but incredibly important sub-fields in the book.

SeanChron | New Film, "A Most Beautiful Thing" Documents How Rowing Brought Rivals Together: Gangs in the Past, Police & Community Today

Alumni crew preparing for 2019 Chicago Sprints

September 9, 2020. As a former rower myself, this story really caught my atteniton and inspired me. A new documentary, A Most Beautiful Thing,  shares the story of the Manley High School crew team, the first black high school rowing team in the US and how rowing helped addressed gang violence in Chicago in the early 2000s. The team's reunion and preparation for the 2019 Chicago Sprints included a new element of community healing, police officers. 

Skyler Aikerson reports on the film in the June 2020 issue of Chicago magazine, in his article A crew to remember. 

NBC's Kate Snow shares the story of the unique partnership with the Chicago Police Department in her story, Rowing Together for Change (video below).

SeanChron | Nordstrom Earth Day 2020

The front page of Nordstrom.com on Earth Day 2020
April 22, 2020. Another post for Earth Day 2020 that I am quite exited to share.

Understanding and addressing how human behavior impacts human health and the environment has been the string that connects a pretty diverse career for me. One of the first chapters in my career was launching the initial Sustainable Business & Development program at Nordstrom back in the early 2000s. You can read a little bit about how I and several other colleagues at Nordstrom to sparked the program and philosophy that exists today in this post from 2006, Sean in the Loop.

Following my 13 years at Nordstrom I co-founded the Sustainable Style Foundation (SSF) which some people described at the time as an oxymoron since it would be hard for fashion and sustainability to co-exist (although SSF actually worked across 15 design and style industries). In 2014, H&M created a global campaign titled "Sustainable Style" and the term has been used extensively over the years.

So, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, to see the Nordstrom home page and their dedicated Earth Day page share their philosophy and goals around 'sustainable style' makes for quite a proud papa for this father of the term 'sustainable style'. There is still much work to be done around sustainability in style and design industries, particularly around bringing social and cultural sustainability into the conversation, but it does feel good to know that some headway has been made. A snapshot of the dedicated Earth Day 2020 page appears below.

Nordstrom's dedicated Earth Day 2020 page.
One thing remains the same since my early days in high school when I first took an interest in international environmental issues, I am not and don't try to be 'perfect' in these matters, but I can continue to make more and better sustainable personal lifestyle choices that continue to respect people and place going forward.

I continue to be a firm believer in my thoughts long ago at Nordstrom and SSF's motto...that we can look fabulous, live well, AND do good.

Just one of Nordstrom's several pages dedicated to 'sustainable style'.

SeanChron | Earth Day 2020

April 22, 2020. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and support the #EarthDayIsEveryDay effort, I wanted to find a photo of my own that reflected my perspective and outlook on things. I found two :-)

The photo above from July of 2017 is of my Aunt and Uncle's CRP in Nebraska. I have always impressed, even as a kid, when farmers and/or communities decided to let land go natural. I recall a church that bought a section of land for this purpose too for example. I could easily write a whole book chapter on it and how it impacted me.

In addition, when I first saw this location above, one of the things that immediately came to me was a reflection/memory of the original peoples there, the Oto and Pawnee Tribes, being there and living off this land.

The second photo above from April of 2018 speaks for itself if you read the original caption below. I recall being very impressed during my visit to Arbor Lodge (yes, home of Arbor Day) about their knowledge and respect for the local host culture.

"A beautiful painting by Haskell Coffin recording the Treaty with The Pawnee - 1857 hanging in the grand stairwell of the mansion. It must be 10' wide. I visited the location of the signing nearby later in the day. In the treaty, the Pawnee leaders ceded their lands in exchange for a reservation along the Loup River near Genoa. They were later moved to Oklahoma in 1875. I have several Pawnee friends so have heard of efforts underway to bring Pawnee culture and traditions back to Nebraska. Goes without saying...it's time to right our historical wrongs whenever and wherever we can."

During my early years and summers in Nebraska, my Grandma Rosie taught me at an early age to respect people and place, and that's been a guiding principle for me ever since. I've found that the respecting - and celebrating - people part seems to be challenging for many people...both respecting others in general and especially when it comes to respecting the host culture of a place.

When I look back and recount the things I've done to promote sustainability over my career, I'm both satisfied and aware that I still need to do more. From launching a Sustainable Business & Development program at Nordstrom 20 years ago and co-founding the Sustainable Style Foundation 17 years ago to maintaining two blogs currently, Future-ish and Haberdash For Humanity, I'm both a proud papa and a concerned parent for the future.

One thing is for sure, I am not and don't try to be 'perfect' in these matters, but I can continue to make more and better personal lifestyle choices that continue to respect people and place.

SeanChron | Bill Nye, From Stylish Scientist to Cause Model for Prostate Cancer Awareness

February 9, 2020. Bill Nye the Science Guy proved once again that scientists can be stylish. Nye took part in the 4th Annual Blue Jacket Fashion Show hosted by the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The event invites designers to reinvent the traditional men's blue jacket and brings together the fashion, entertainment, sports, and media worlds to raise awareness and funding for prostate cancer research. Nye is wearing a design by Nick Graham.

Read the full story here:

• Kacala, A. 2020. Bill Nye struts down catwalk in viral video. Today

SeanChron | Good Job Earth!

Here's some good news...According to the Global Footprint Network, the annual Earth Overshoot Day has not moved much since 2011, despite population growth. This means that efforts we are all making to reduce our impact on the world IS WORKING!!!

In addition, the Ecological Footprint per person for high-income countries has declined 12.9 percent since 2000. The US per person figure has declined 18.4 percent! Yaaaaaaaaaas!!!

SeanChron | Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)

I finished my evening run and returned to a phone full of notifications about the passing of Stephen Hawking. I was never lucky enough to attend one of his lectures but I, like so many, know his work well, have watched many videos, and have many of his books. He's an inspiration on so many levels. He's beat physical challenges, faced intellectual challenges to his theories, and - like Einstein and other great minds - has boldly crossed over into non-science topics, including art, politics, and religion. He helped us understand the universe and, in many ways, ourselves. If there are aliens watching us, they undoubtedly understand the huge loss that our planet is now experiencing...whether we humans realize the enormity of the loss or not.

SeanChron | Review | PNB's Jewels

Finale from Diamonds featuring principal dancers Lesley Rausch and Karel Cruz. Image credit: PNB, YouTube Video
It is everything a ballet fan could want from ballet. Literally, exquisite EVERYTHING. Dancing, choreography, costumes, staging, orchestra, overall experience...EVERYTHING!

Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) has been "dropping the mic" on the ballet scene for several years now. Roméo et Juliette, Cendrillon, Coppélia, I could name many other performances. Well, they dropped the mic three times, no - dozens of times - in their production of George Balanchine's Jewels. The height of anticipation for this performance was probably only exceeded by the height of expectation. Without question, they were both met and surpassed.

The first of the three obvious mic drops happened as soon as they opened the curtain for the first act, Emeralds. It was love at first sight and the audience's reaction to the first glance of the dancers, staging, and costumes was quite audible. This reaction, which I an only describe as 'pure delight' occurred again at each curtain raise for Rubies and Diamonds. The mic drops just got longer and louder in the subsequent reveals. At the Diamond's review that was literally a buzz that could be heard in the hall as patrons not only oohed and awed, it was clear the exchanged a few whispers as the collective reaction lasted several seconds.

Since I don't have a ballet background, I cannot offer much in the way of a technical review of the dancing. That is also why I cannot speak to individual dancers with any sort of authority. What I can say is that, as a ballet fan, the dancing was amazing. Balanchine created Jewels to showcase the talents of his best dancers and that is exactly what happened here. PNB's principle dancers are among the best in the world so it should come as no surprise that they would excel in these roles. What also stood out to me was that the collection of works really showcased the corps as well, including the male principles and corps dancers.

Each of the acts offered unique elements. Emeralds was crisp and sublime and oddly enough evoked a connection with the northwest, particularly with the starry night background. If one was looking for a ballet that captures the beauty and grandeur of the Olympic Rain Forest, Emeralds would be it. Rubies was playful and saucy with several moments in which the male corps shined. What can I say about Daimonds? It glittered, literally and figuratively. The solo and couple moments were exquisite, the multiple times when the stage was full of dancers was sublime, and the crescendo to the amazing finale just kept getting more and more glorious.

SeanChron | Melanie Cheung Hongis with Pope Francis

Māori Huntington's Disease researcher Dr. Melanie Cheung meets Pope Francis in Rome with a hongi. Image credit: via Melanie Cheung)
This is SO awesome! Proof that science and culture can coexist (though there is much history that still needs to be healed). Notice her small cultural protocol in the video when she enters the lab. She spent many years developing cultural protocols for her work to compliment the scientific protocols that are part of her research on Huntington's Disease.

Having met Melanie on several occasions, I could tell she was a game changer, plus she always did things in a fun positive way. Definitely my world's colliding too...paddling and Schuhplattler (strong Catholic traditions). Mahalo and Aloha to Melanie 🌺

Full article: Hongi-ing the Holy Father: The Kiwi who taught Pope Francis the traditional Maori greeting

SeanChron | The Jetsons Have Arrived

I literally jumped out of my seat when I saw this video today of the Lilium flying car maiden flight. There's a great story behind the little jet...the design, the people, the fact that it is quiet and electric (and thus emission free) are all amazing. But the video though! It looks like it is straight out of a scifi tv show or movie. But it's not generated! This is the real thing folks.

Check it out...

SeanChron | Praise for Nature's Endorsement of a Candidate in a National Presidential Election

On October 19, 2016, the prestigious science journal Nature took the brave and unprecedented step of endorsing a candidate for a national presidential election. In this case, it was the 2016 American presidential election and the endorsement was for Hillary Clinton.

The last time Nature chimed in on politics, March 2011, it was in response to Republicans cutting funding for the National Science Foundation by $4.6 billion, so perhaps somewhat warranted in the opinion of many scientists and other Nature readership. This time around, Nature's editorial is creating much more controversy. Some are praising the journal while others are admonishing it for wading into politics at all, especially the 2016 American presidential election, and cancelling their subscriptions.

Well, I'd like to make Future-ish's opinion on Nature's endorsement clear...we love it! One of the reasons I started Future-ish was to get more scientists, designers, and cultural leaders into politics. That objective certainly encompasses science, design, and culture media as well. It is THE reason we started our Public Intellectual Service & Advocacy (PISA) List.

Interestingly, I haven't seen that endorsements by major design or culture focused journals or magazines have been all that controversial, perhaps because their endorsements were expected. But science, scientists, and science journals are a different creature. Some see 'science' as objective while others see it as completely biases depending on who is doing it, for what reason, where the funding has come from, and (LOL, but perhaps most legitimate) which politician or policy maker is interpreting it.

So to have scientists and/or science journals start speaking out on politics makes some uncomfortable. It reminds me a bit of when the Dixie Chicks spoke out against President Bush and many of their fans responded by saying "just shut up and sing". If you read the comments on the online version of the editorial, the preference for science and Nature to 'just shut up and report science' comes across pretty loud and clear.

Discouraging people form speaking out is never a good thing. So Future-ish says BRAVO! to Nature, we hope to see more science-related journals, magazines, other media, and scientists themselves speaking out on political matters, even if they don't endorse the legislation, policy, or candidate we might endorse.

Below is the article as it appeared in the print edition:

SeanChron | Eco Fashion Week - Fall 2016

Eco Fashion Week made its first appearance in Seattle and I was SO excited to be a part of the inaugural year. I was one of the Collective Conversation speakers at the 2016 spring Eco Fashion Week in Vancouver and was over-the-top inspired by both the shows that I attended and the Collective Conversation panels.

Here are some photos of me and some fabulous people from the media wall this year...
Photos from 2016 Seattle Eco Fashion Week. L to R, with Eco Fashion Week Producer, Nancy Bouchard; with just a few of the production team; with Eco Fashion Week Founder, Myriam Laroche. Images credit: Dominic Arenas.
This year was even more inspiring as last year. I posted a few photos below, you'll see I made a couple small purchases...bow ties from Radley Raven that specializes in creating gentlemen's accessories, handmade in Seattle from rare vintage fabrics.


Below are photos from the Eco Fashion Week Staff of the Collective Conversation panels, perhaps the most important part of the week.


Panelists included:

SESSION 1 | INNOVATION AND SOLUTIONS

• Karim Lessard, Chief of Staff, EVRNU
  
• Ruth True, Founder, Nube9
  
• Kelsey Halling, Director of Impact, Thread
  
• Kathy Hattori, Founder and President, Botanical Colors
  
• Moderated by Alison Morrow, Reporter, King 5

SESSION 2 | THREADING SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS

• Nancy Judd, Owner, Recycle Runway
  
• Erin Nelson, Co-director, Seattle Made
  
• Kerri Ulloa, Green Eileen
  
• Kevin Myette, Director, North America, Bluesign Technologies
  
• Moderated by Eve Andrews, Grist

SESSION 3 | VALUE VILLAGE RETHINK REUSE:

• Introducing the Value Village Rethink Reuse Panel, Ken Alterman, President & CEO, Savers/Value Village.
  
• Liz Fikejs, Senior Conservation Program Manager, Resource Conservation, Seattle Public Utilities (Threadcycle program)
  
• Eric Stubin, President of SMARTs Board of Directors
  
• Denise Small, Senior Director of Marketing & Business Development, Northwest Center
  
• Moderated by Tony Shumpert, Vice President of Recycling and Reuse, Savers/Value Village

SeanChron | PAPER Magazine stands up for Standing Rock

Great to see a mainstream, pop culture magazine standing up for Standing Rock. Thank you Sandra Song and PAPER Magazine for your article, Five things you can do to help the Dakota Pipeline Protestors.

SeanChron | Review | ACT's Dangerous Liaisons

ACT Theater's Dangerous Liaisons. Image credit: Sean Schmidt (apologies for photo quality, I was trying to be stealth)
I've been in the mood for period pieces lately so when I saw the poster for ACT Theater's Dangerous Liaisons I couldn't get to my laptop fast enough to purchase tickets. What could be a better feast for the eyes and artsy intellectual stimulator than an 18th century live-action version of the Kardashians, am I right? Well I can say that it was THAT and SO MUCH MORE!

Pre-performance
I always give credit when elements of the experience prior to the performance really stand out. That definitely happened in this case with the promotional material for ACT's Dangerous Liaisons. The image below was splashed around the city in many prime locations and it certainly succeeded in catching my eye. You can't help but want to get in on the intrigue clearly evident in the photo.

Theater
ACT has to be one of my favorite theaters, well...group of theaters. There are several theaters located in the same building actually. Entry into the building is pretty low key and then you work your way down a couple levels to whichever theater the performance you are attending is being staged in. This performance was in the Falls Theater which offers up a bit of retro glam with a splash of industrial. It is a thrust stage (aka open or platform stage) so it is one of those situations in which there really isn't a bas seat in the house since the theater only sits a little over 400 people.

Stage/Set
Although the platform stage was small, it was both striking and sophisticated. A few period-characteristic furniture pieces on stage were matched with a stunning door, chandelier, and spectacular faceted suspended mirror. The stage was framed in a neon strip and another strip floated up and down as a backdrop behind the set. Set transitions were smooth and the cast participated in some of those changes, which I personally love seeing.

Costumes
Blown away! I expected stunning costumes and ACT delivered. The garments were actually quite simple in many ways but absolutely exquisite. Even the jewelry was extraordinary. The colors and textiles choices must have been very strategic (and they usually are) to make the most of the particular staging and lighting at the theater. What could have been a very flat pink, for example, still managed to shimmer delicately. Being a bit of a textile geek, I would have love to see the pieces up close. Luckily, the women characters made three costume changes so there was a lot of costume candy to enjoy. I would have paid twice as much money for my seat just to see the costumes alone. See photo at the top of this post for a sampling.

Acting
ACT performances are always well above average in my opinion. But this performance...this performance was one of the best I've ever seen in live theater. Kirsten Potter as Le Marquise de Merteuil was simply perfection and James DeVita as Le Vicomte de Valmont an even more perfect match. Jen Taylor, Madame de Tourvel, was also incredibly impressive in what I would consider one of the most difficult roles to perform given the complexity of the character's situation. Many accolades to Eleanor Mosely as Madame de Volanges, Wendy Robie as Madame de Rosemonde, Jasmine Jean Sim as Cecile de Volanges, and Keiko Green as Emilie too. A strong cast across the board.

Halftime
I often comment on the intermission options in my reviews and I'm pleased to report I was able to get my traditional gin and tonic at during 'halftime' as I call it. An added bonus was the Vault Room left over from the building's prior life as a bank. You can't beat a turn of the century vault room for unique ambiance.

All in all, a string of bows and curtseys in thanks and congratulations to the cast, crew and to Director John Langs, Scenic & Lighting Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge, and Costume Designer Catherine Hunt for a magnificent performance. I'll take historical 'drama' (literally and figuratively) over the Kardashians any day.

SeanChron | Review | Tacoma Opera's La Bohème

Overall Rating
_***** | Strongly Recommend

October 28, 2016. I only recently started writing reviews for the arts events I attend after many years of doing restaurant reviews. I knew immediately that I wanted to a review for Tacoma Opera's La Bohème because so many of the elements that go into a good opera experience were not only present, they were incredibly well done.

Theater
The venue of a performance is usually the first thing you experience at such an event. The Rialto, part of Tacoma's Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, is certainly a gem. Built in 1918, it has retained much of its charm including decorative features throughout and add little idiosyncrasies like the odd little stairwell that leads to the balcony. The lobby was noticeably small but that made it quite easy to meet others and strike up conversations. This was my first visit to the Rialto so I took a few extra photos of things that jumped out at me.


Stage/Set
The staging was adorable and quaint yet still exuded the grandeur one expects at an opera performance. There was no curtain so one could see the stage right off with several large moveable elements and several vignettes of furniture and props, some obvious objects, others abstract (such as simple painted boxes). It actually reminded me of the staging one finds in smaller productions of things like the Nutcracker that tend the most charm and creativity. The transitions throughout the performance were impressive, especially for an opera that has quite a few diverse and large scenes...such as, in the case of La Bohème, cafe and parade.


Music/Orchestra
The score of Puccini's La Bohème? No need to comment...amazingly beautiful. The orchestra was small and placed in the audience area to the right of the stage looking at it from the audience. Again...adorable and incredibly charming. The orchestra's performance? Absolutely incredible. For a small orchestra to fill the large venue was impressive. Kudos to conductor, Bernard Kwiram!


Costumes
La Bohème tends to be set in the late 1800s or early 1900s and the Tacoma production was definitely in this range and perhaps a bit more modern. The women's costumes were exquisite and the men's had a lot of character as well, though seemed to be a bit further into the 19th century.


Singing/Performance
Blown away. I had heard that Tacoma Opera productions were quite good but I was not expecting what I heard and saw. Jon Farmer as Rodolfo was drop the mic amazing. His voice was incredibly warm and inviting and his acting completely brought the character to life. Often times acting in opera is secondary but Farmer brought his A game. Even in scenes in which his character was simply listening to others, his facial expressions beamed. And Kristin Vogel as Mimi, wow-mazing! Once again, singing was top notch and with several arias being well known favorites of so many audience members, the bar is always set high. She exceeded that bar on many occasions. The character is incredibly complex and in both her singing and acting, she managed to explore and deliver every possible facet. Jessica Noronha as Musseta was another standout, the character is larger than life and Tacoma Opera chose the perfect performer for the part, another slam dunk on both singing and acting. I have to say that the entire cast, including the chorus was over the top. The cafe scene, the parade, and in so many other moments, the production was incredibly inspiring...exactly what you want opera to be.

Halftime
I do always take notice of the intermission experience and although my usual Gin & Tonic wasn't available, there were several nice options during what I call the "halftime".