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A. McLean Emenegger! That is the name of the dynamic director of the unusually titled AMcE Creative Arts gallery located at 612 19th Ave East. As I walked along 19th Street, its small storefront popped out with the ceramics by Sonja Peterson. The director herself was explaining the significance of several offbeat cookie jars by Ryan Kelly. It was clear that this dynamic woman was articulate! She told me she came from Los Angeles and had worked in all aspects of art for over 20 years. She began in television, ran a gallery, curated, career coached artists, edited an art magazine, worked in marketing, and makes art. And writes about it. Whew. Her goal is to bring people together for a shared human experience. The current exhibition is edgy, although its title would not suggest that. “Sacred” includes five artists: painter Niki Keenan, painter and ceramic artist Kendra Larson, ceramic artist Holly Hudson, experimental mixed media photographer Christine Nguyen, and mixed media artist Io Palmer. The theme of the exhibition is the intersection of humans and nature, but more than that the idea of sublime, the sense that nature is overwhelming and uplifting. The paintings in the exhibition seem to most directly express the sublime. Kendra Larson’s Tree of Knowledge and Niki Keenan’s Sunbeam Marsh are both landscapes, emphasizing trees with strange colors and light. Keenan’s painting emphasizes the sun breaking through a forest that is dense with tangled trees. Larson’s Astral Slugs feels more like swamp trees. In the sky are “astral slugs”—large slugs curling around the blue sky. I just came from the new exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum “Mystic Modern” which suggests the intersection of especially surrealism with the earlier well known “mystics” like Mark Tobey and Kenneth Callahan. I see the same intersection here, only more removed from classical surrealism. These artists are surreal in their own original way. Christine Nguygen’s “Deer Spirit.” Archival pigment ink on Entrada Moab paper with salt crystals, 40” x 33” Christine Nguyen creates magic with a unique technique. She draws and paints on both sides of a negative (her background is in photography). She overlays the two sides and photographs them, then prints it. She then immerses it in a salt bath which adheres serendipitously to the surface. The result is a sparkling image. My favorite is Deer Spirit in which the deer’s antlers become a tree and echo the tree-like form nearby. As articulately explained on the website: “The pieces fluctuate between the micro and macro-worlds while connecting the flora and fauna to the celestial heavens of stars and planets as part of her ongoing investigations of our connection to the natural world” (AMcE Creative Arts). Holly Hudson is a bigger stretch to connect to “the Sacred” or the sublime. Her ceramics are pure fantasy, though: Jerome’s Lion is a young lion covered in flowers. Rooted features a ceramic foot with a thick tangle of roots growing out of its sole. Green Man has a face half covered in flowers, and The Seer is a large eye surrounded by flowers. What these ceramics have in common (they are both glazed and unglazed) is a sense of eerie fantasy. Io Palmer’s “The Cut Through,” 2026 – installation view detail. Ceramic, glaze, painted wood, metal brace, wire, plexiglass, size variable (installed 43 x 81 x 12 in.) Io Palmer’s work achieves the “sacred” in an entirely different way. She creates a combination of glazed ceramic shapes that become clusters of organic forms as they seem to move in clusters across a wall. She has spoken of her open, winding forms as transforming and liberating, overcoming the restrictions she has experienced as a woman of color. The work speaks of flowering branches that are clustered in segments. They do not relate to a specific natural form, but to a sense of nature as freeing. She lives in the Palouse and teaches as a Professor of Art at Washington State University where the landscape is open and has few trees or shrubs. She seems to be creating that in her work as well. To return to the gallery and its director, the location of AMcE Creative Arts, far from other galleries, seems to liberate the owner to pursue her own path. She said people drop in all the time—her neighbors are her friends, but she does not participate in art walks. You are in for a treat when you visit this gallery. The next exhibition is a selection of her gallery artists. You can preview them on the gallery website. I am not familiar with most of them but it is clear that A. McLean Emenegger is bringing an entirely new vibe to our small Seattle art scene. ~Susan Noyes Platt, PhD. Art Historian and Art Critic artandpoliticsnow.com

After a year’s delay due to bird nesting season, there’s exciting progress to share at the Leschi Natural Area—and you can see the difference. In March, a professional crew working under the guidance of the Parks Department cleared invasive blackberries from the steep slope. The results are immediate and dramatic: more light, more open space, and expanded views of the lake. What once felt overgrown and closed-in now feels brighter and more welcoming. This work was made possible through a strong partnership. The Leschi Community Council contributed $6,000—funds raised through past community efforts and dedicated specifically to the Natural Area—while the Parks Department contributed an additional $9,000 to support the project. The impact goes beyond the view. Native plants that were previously choked by invasive blackberries have now been freed and have a chance to thrive. If you walk through the space, you’ll also notice plants installed by volunteers beginning to emerge and establish themselves. This professional work builds on the many volunteer work parties that have taken place over time, and together, the progress is clear. From the entrance of the park to the overlook to the lower trails, the increase in light and visibility is striking. Work will continue through the year with careful removal of remaining weeds, both manually and, where appropriate, through targeted treatments—ensuring continued progress while protecting the landscape. This is a major step forward in restoring the Leschi Natural Area—and a reminder of what’s possible through community effort and partnership. ~Nikola Davidson

Late in the nineteenth century, the desirable part of the neighborhood later to be called Leschi was on the precipice of Mount Baker Ridge, then known as Rainier Heights. That was considered to be the best view property. People of some means built their homes there, especially along 30th Avenue South, which was called Rainier Street until Seattle’s comprehensive street renaming of 1895. Some of those fine, large structures remain to this day, among them the one now known as Judge Ronald House. Judge Ronald House, 421 30th Avenue South, 1913. Seattle Times photo. James T. Ronald was not the builder, but he bought the home not long after the Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889. He hired a Virginia architect to remodel what was originally a small house, spending $30,000 on the project. When he was done, the living room, 36 feet long, took up one side of the home. Also added was a library with a horizontal band of painted hunting scenes, commissioned by Mr. Ronald, at the top of the walls. The four distinctive columns in the front suggest the character of a Southern plantation, reflecting his family’s Virginia ancestry. The renovations were completed by 1904, in time for his daughter Eva’s wedding the following year. A 1913 photo shows a semi-circular porch, which would have had a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier, atop the first floor on the south side. That porch remained until at least the late 1930s but was gone by 1965. Judge Ronald (appointed to the bench in 1909) sold the house in about 1930, and a family named Babcock ran it as a select boarding house. Classified ads in 1940-1941 offered room and board (“excellent meals”) for young businessmen and women at Tara Hospitality House. In September 1941, the City Planning Commission rejected an application to convert the building into an apartment house. By 1944 it catered to Boeing workers, all of them male. In 1955, however, a permit was granted to a C. S. Risvold for conversion of the property into a six-unit apartment house. The building was described in a 1957 Seattle Times article as a children’s day nursery. In that story, the Times mentioned that a laborer who worked there was arrested for murder. He had at least 20 prior arrests, including two for manslaughter. At some point the house became a residence for “young men down on their luck,” according to the Times. Then, in December 1966, a non-profit group called In-As-Much (a part of the human services agency Pioneer Industries) leased the building for use as a halfway house for male parolees and probationers, with space for 28 residents. A parole officer had his office in the building, which became known as Ronald Hall. The organization was founded by a lawyer who had tried cases in Judge Ronald’s courtroom. He also knew something about parolees, having been one himself: he had been convicted of misappropriation of client funds and served 20 months in state prison. The house later became a home for women. In 1970, Pioneer turned the premises over to the Washington Drug Rehabilitation Center, a church group. Eventually, it was sold to private owners and has changed hands a few times since. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated as a City of Seattle landmark in 2014. Judge Ronald House recently. Windermere Real Estate photo. Numerous recent interior photos of the house are shown at https://seattledreamhomes.com/historic-judge-james-t-ronald-in-leschi-neighborhood-of-seattle. Next month: the life of Judge Ronald ~Roger Lippman The author writes monthly about Leschi history and his experiences over more than 50 years in the neighborhood.

Featured articles from The Leschi News, our monthly community newsletter. featured articles March Meeting Leschi Council Jan 28, 2024 November LCC General Meeting Leschi Council Oct 23, 2023 October Candidate Forum Leschi Council Sep 25, 2023 The Fire Outlook for 2020 Leschi Council Sep 1, 2020 Black Lives Matter and Occupations Leschi Council Sep 1, 2020 Beaver Believer Leschi Council Jun 1, 2020 Save the Post Office! Leschi Council Jun 1, 2020 Thank You to Our Heroes! Leschi Council Jun 1, 2020 Discover the Art All Around Us! Leschi Council May 1, 2020 A Special Plea to Leschi Homeowners Leschi Council May 1, 2020 Reparations: What About the Cost? Leschi Council Apr 1, 2020 Will Spring Slow the Coronavirus? Leschi Council Apr 1, 2020 1 2 3 4 5 All Articles (907) 907 posts council (224) 224 posts reviews (166) 166 posts events (135) 135 posts community meetings (95) 95 posts art reviews (89) 89 posts people (93) 93 posts editorials (59) 59 posts restaurant reviews (63) 63 posts Executive Board minutes (54) 54 posts community news (60) 60 posts wine reviews (49) 49 posts parks (62) 62 posts President's Message (45) 45 posts weather (43) 43 posts businesses (38) 38 posts book reviews (30) 30 posts commentary (24) 24 posts moorage (22) 22 posts history (35) 35 posts gardening (18) 18 posts schools (19) 19 posts activities (20) 20 posts important updates (108) 108 posts sights (12) 12 posts safety (16) 16 posts volunteering (17) 17 posts climate (7) 7 posts LURC (6) 6 posts housing (8) 8 posts transportation (5) 5 posts transportation (3) 3 posts movie reviews (3) 3 posts reviews (5) 5 posts

Leschi from Past to Present Discover the stories that shaped our neighborhood and explore the vibrant businesses that contribute to its unique character. Join us on a journey through the past and present of Leschi Leschi is a vibrant lakeside community with exceptional access to Lake Washington, parks, and open space. Situated between the two bridges that span Lake Washington, Leschi is a landscape sculpted by ancient glaciers, featuring steep hills and valleys in lower Leschi and breathtaking views of the lake and Mt. Rainier in upper Leschi. Established in 1958, the Leschi Community Council has united neighbors around housing, schools, parks, public safety, and a shared commitment to community and place. Access to Leschi is facilitated by public transportation. Metro Bus #27 connects to the lakefront area, while upper Leschi enjoys additional options such as Metro Bus #14 on Jackson and Bus #8 along Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Bus #3 runs on Cherry St., the northern boundary of Leschi, providing a route to downtown. Businesses Leschi Market Mom-&-pop veteran grocer with a butcher shop, fresh produce & deli also selling beer & wine. Pablo y Pablo Relaxed hangout offering New American eats in a hip room near the lake & marina. The Polka Dot Jersey A friendly, customer-centered bike shop. Your hub for road and mountain bike service and sales. BluWater Bistro Cozy bistro with lake views serving food & cocktails, from weekend brunch to late happy hours. SOL Yoga Heated studio with a challenging and athletic practice designed to leave you feeling strong, and free of stress. Daniel's Broiler Premium steakhouse serving surf 'n' turf in a converted 1919 boathouse with mountain & water views. This is just a small list. Check out the map below for more. >> Leschi's charm extends to its small business district along Lake Washington/Lakeside Ave. The neighborhood is home to Leschi Elementary School and the Central Area Senior Center, offering a million-dollar view of the lake, the I-90 bridge, the Cascades, and Mt. Rainier, available for event rentals. Originally described as a "charming place...almost like a country place in the city," Leschi retains its appeal with parks and green hills. Despite changes since early settlers displaced native peoples, reminders of the Nisqually tribe's heritage endure, from Chief Leschi's name to motifs at Leschi School and the Chief Leschi trail in Frink Park. Leschi's history includes a transition from Nisqually summer encampments for fishing and berry-picking to logging in the 19th century. The area became a suburban retreat with amenities like an amusement park, zoo, dance pavilion, and ferry landing. By 1910, Leschi Park attracted city residents seeking leisure and scenic water views. As Seattle expanded, Leschi became less remote. Leschi Elementary School was established in 1909, and the cable car service was replaced by a bus in the late 1930s. Today, families utilize Bus #27 for a quick downtown commute, and Leschi remains a desirable destination with marinas, parks, waterfront restaurants, and hidden stairways showcasing architectural diversity. Get the Inside Scoop! Join our newsletter for exclusive insights, event invites, and Leschi happenings delivered to your inbox. Enter your email here Subscribe Thanks! Visit Leschi Leschi invites visitors to explore its trails, savor the views, dine in lakeside restaurants, and experience a neighborhood that beckons you to stay for a day or perhaps a lifetime.

Read the Leschi Community Council (LCC) bylaws Explore our Constitution and Bylaws Learn about Leschi Community Council (LCC)'s membership, structure, operation, and activities. Download PDF PDF may take a minute to load.