I’ve long admired this historic Spanish Revival building in our neighborhood. Designed by prominent Seattle architect Abraham Albertson, it was originally built in 1921 to house what is now known as the Cornish College of the Arts.
Over the last century, many notable artists-to-be passed through its hallways, including dancer Merce Cunningham, actor Brendan Fraser, drag icon Jinkx Monsoon, and Ann Wilson, lead singer of Heart.
Ever since Jason and I moved back to Seattle, we’ve enjoyed strolling by its gleaming white stucco walls, which are adorned not only with hand-carved woodwork but also with the names of Romantic thinkers and artists such as Whitman and Thoreau.
In delightful contrast, the punkish clangings of budding rock bands would sometimes waft from its high windows on long summer evenings.
Recently, though, we got word that Cornish was consolidating its footprint downtown, and the building would be sold.
The school kindly allowed the public to tour the place before its new owners took over, which is how I managed to capture this smattering of images.
Roaming its largely empty hallways felt like passing through lifetimes of creative sweat, tears, and joy. Even devoid of people, it was full of imagination and life.
Fortunately, we hear that the building will be passing into the hands of a local theater nonprofit. Hopefully, it will continue to bring creative life to the neighborhood for years to come.
Enjoy a few more snaps below.
