This Spring, journalism students had the opportunity to attend the national journalism convention in Seattle. While sitting in their last session of the day, junior Kara Ennis and senior Makena Cruse were asked the question “If the opportunity to be in another city presents itself, and you fail to get the story of the people in that city, are you really a journalist?” Later that day while the pair were at lunch, they stopped to take a break near the pier. Looking around they saw a landscape of unique people, each with their own story that had yet to be told.
So, the two young journalists decided to do just that, tell the story of Seattle. All of the people featured in the story below are real people Ennis and Cruse met and interviewed in Pike Place Market. Each person was chosen at random and will remain anonymous. The descriptions are simply what the two observed about them before actually speaking to them.
So Seattle, what is your story?
With more than 220 shops and stands within the market, Ventures Marketplace captured the attention of Cruse and Ennis. The shop, filled with micro businesses created by immigrants or up and coming business owners, displays creations from artists and jewelers. The nonprofit shop provides opportunities for these artists to showcase their talents. The shop worker, who the pair encountered multiple times, captured the essence of the shop’s purpose as he passionately described each artist and their work to shoppers.
“I was in the solar corporate industry, so I helped libraries and schools convert to solar energy. Then, I kept visiting Seattle because of the nature. Then, the first thing I came across was this nonprofit, and it really aligned with my values, so I jumped right on board and so I can help people within sales coaching. I help here in the incubation stage for small businesses,” Ventures Marketplace Worker said.
The shop’s product variety targets a wide range of people. All profits made go straight to the upcoming entrepreneurs and their efforts to create their own shop in the market.
“Seattle is very progressive and forward-thinking. There’s a lot of activism here and it really does change lives. I actually do a lot of walking here, too. You get to see the bay when you walk around. There’s a lot of people I get to talk to. I talk to people from across the world. People from Sweden, Singapore can show up just two minutes in between,” the shop worker said.
Some of the artists in the market hire friends or family to be the faces of their businesses. With thousands of people walking around the market, interactions with shop owners and artists are inevitable. Most look at the art and ask about the processes or design, but who stops to ask about the person behind the table?
“I’m from California. I came up here 10 years ago, and it was a very spur-of-the-moment decision. I do music, so I was just traveling and performing; I came up to this state with friends and then ended up moving here. I am here at Pike Place Market, working for my friend who is a ceramicist. She has been in the ceramic arts for 30 years, and she makes all the products you see here. They’re all kiln-fired, glazed, and hand-painted,” a market vendor said.
The buskers in Pike Place Market display many different talents, some who sing, dance, or play unique instruments. The community of buskers all agree to stay a certain amount of time, so that everyone has a chance to perform.
“I joined the market about a year ago as a busker, playing music, and over time, I got to know the community. It’s an amazing group of artists, my people, who have carved their own paths. I’m a musician and an artist, and I recovered from addiction three years ago. My story is about connecting with like-minded artists who are also on a journey of carving their own paths and really trying to shape life into what they want it to be, rather than just going along with the status quo,” the vendor said.
Looking out into the bay the Cascade Mountains line the horizon. Families stop to take photos and enjoy the view. Overlooking the bay is one of the quieter sections of Seattle, without all of the horns and screams from the deep city. Lifelong residents, who have observed Seattle transition into a tourist attraction, have heard and seen the city before all of the hustle and bustle.
“I’m originally from California, Los Angeles, but we moved up here to Seattle when I was two. We are at Pike Place Market with our families. We’re just here sightseeing. Growing up in Seattle was so different; it was so long ago, and there were a lot fewer people and not nearly as much traffic. We didn’t have the variety of food options that you see now; it’s incredible how much has changed. My story includes taking a while to get through college, moving around a lot in Seattle, and getting married and having kids later in life. Everything seems to have happened later for me, but that’s okay. Sometimes, I wonder if people look at me and make assumptions about my family, especially since I had my kids late. My daughter is only 13, and I’ve had comments where people think I must be her grandma. It’s funny because I still feel young like I’m still in high school myself,” the lady at the picnic table with her family said.
Seattle hosts tourists from all over the world. Big cities like Seattle typically have a reputation for crime and danger, but the cultural heart of the city, Pike Place Market, is filled with like-minded people, who hope to sight see and experience the diversity and uniqueness of the city. Typical people, all with different backgrounds and dreams, in one place to enjoy the same features that the market offers.
“I’m from Vancouver, Canada. I’m eating a rhubarb pie and then going to a show. My story is that I help people make music. I’m a music producer. I find people who have song ideas and help them turn those ideas into songs. I started when I was playing instruments when I was about four years old. Over time, a bunch of my friends got into music and started rapping and singing, and I thought, ‘oh, I can figure out how to make music for this’. I started doing that for a while, went to school for it, and began working in the field full-time. I’ve been doing it for eight years or something like that,” the rhubarb pie man said.
Walking alongside the pier looking onto the Elliott Bay, street performers, or buskers, play or sing, going mostly unnoticed by the public eye. If noticed, bins or guitar cases are filled with donations from onlookers.
“I am from Tacoma, Seattle, where I participate in busking, or playing the guitar. I grew up here and went to college. I earned two master’s degrees and taught for 10 years at a high school. Later on, I received a mental health diagnosis, and now I live in a small apartment with a good community of friends and play guitar a lot. I come out here simply because I enjoy playing guitar. I don’t expect any money; I just come out when the weather is nice” the Busker with his guitar, sitting on a bench, said.
