How a kids’ game inspired an innovative Seattle art exhibit

“There’s no right or wrong way to look at art,” according to arts writer Jas Keimig.   Which is good news because there’s a lot of art at the Telephone exhibit at both locations of Base Camp Studios in Belltown.  Jas explains how the exhibit was inspired by the kid’s game telephone, that game where you tell someone something and then they tell the next person and so on. When the final person has been told, that person says what they heard and everyone compares how the message changed as it was passed along. Jas says the game of telephone exists in different ways all around the world. Since the exhibit spans two different locations, Jas suggests how to approach it. One tip: if Telephone seems overwhelming, think about memes and how often you alter them and send them in the group chat, and how memes can communicate everything from a simple response to more complex feelings. Then, think of the pieces of art in the exhibit as if they were memes.  In other words: whether you realize it or not, you’re playing a version of the game telephone pretty regularly. And the exhibit Telephone is a fun, clever, artist-imagined way of demonstrating how we’re all riffing off each other, all the time.    Also recommended in this episode: Drag performer Dina Martina has been doing her Seattle holiday show for 25 years. Meet Me Here host Jeannie Yandel is a huge fan and says, “Her shows are surreal and hilarious and some of the best, weirdest theater I've ever seen.” The Dina Martina Christmas Show runs from December 5-24 at Union Arts Center.   If you love Meet Me Here and KUOW's other local shows, help us make them! Donate at kuow.org/meet.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.