/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/56/59/56591d97-29c6-447e-a1f3-69dab3be86ff/gallery-fire.jpg?ssl=1 "Works by Picasso, Rembrandt Damaged in Seattle Gallery Fire")
Fire investigators determined the blaze was an accident, likely set by a fire someone had started to keep warm in the alley behind the building.
Seattle Fire Department
A fire at a Seattle art gallery may have damaged artworks by Pablo Picasso, M.C. Escher, Rembrandt and Francisco Goya.
Seattle Fire Department investigators say the incident was an accident, likely caused by someone who started a fire to keep warm in the alley behind the building, reports the Seattle Times’ Margo Vansynghel.
Davidson Galleries is located in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. According to CNN’s Cheri Mossburg and Brammhi Balarajan, the blaze began in the early morning hours of January 12, when the temperature was in the low 20s.
Fortunately, nobody was inside the three-story gallery when it caught fire, but staffers estimate more than 100 artworks were damaged in the blaze. The building also suffered “significant” damage, mostly from smoke, the gallery reported on Facebook.
Staffers are still assessing the full extent of the damage. Davidson Galleries specializes in artworks on paper—such as woodcuts, etchings and lithographs—and had an estimated 16,000 works worth more than $1 million in its collection at the time of the fire, per the Seattle Times. The oldest works date to the 1400s.
“Yes, we have insurance, [but] we love what we do, and we love the art,” gallery manager Rebecca McDonald tells the Seattle Times. “That’s what’s breaking our heart. This is irreplaceable artwork.”
The timing was particularly poor, as the gallery had been getting ready to move to a new nearby location. In preparation for the move, many artworks had been removed from storage, which made them especially vulnerable to the blaze, reports ARTnews’ Tessa Solomon.
Some of the pieces were on the floor, where they likely incurred smoke damage. But others were protected by coverings or stashed in drawers, which may have spared them from the smoke.
Firefighters who responded to the scene were “very judicious” about using water once they realized the building housed an art gallery, McDonald tells CNN. In addition, firefighters and community members came together to help gallery staffers move as many pieces as possible to a safer location.
“It’s the wonderful part of the art community, that they come together when there is a need,” Sam Davidson, the gallery’s owner, tells KIRO 7, a local television station.
One of those volunteers was Charles Spitzack, a Seattle artist represented by the gallery. He tells the Seattle Times that his primary concern is the gallery’s future rather than whether his own work was damaged in the blaze.
“Honestly, I don’t really care about my own artwork right now,” he says. “I’m more looking for ways to continue to help and support Davidson moving forward.”
The Seattle Seahawks lost a key member of the front office to the Minnesota Vikings, as the NFC North team named Nolan Teasley its new general manager. The hire could change the fortunes of both teams in the immediate future.
Teasley will be taking over a Vikings team that isn’t far away from contending. One of the key reasons the team fired former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn’t that he couldn’t build a collection of talent, but that he didn’t seem to understand how to get the best possible answer at the most important position in sports: Quarterback.
Vikings fans watched as former QB1 in Minnesota, Sam Darnold, signed with the Seahawks last offseason, and then followed that by helping lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. That was Seattle’s second title. Minnesota has never won a Super Bowl.
Teasley, though, has the experience and, clearly, the ability to create an environment in which a team will thrive. He has been working with general manager John Schneider in Seattle since 2013, and has worked in scouting and been the director of pro personnel. He has most recently served as Schneider’s assistant GM.
Schneider could very well be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day after leading the Seahawks to two Super Bowl wins. Still, with teams with two completely different rosters and coaching staffs (Schneider is the only GM to ever do that), Teasley would have learned at the knee of one of the best to ever perform general manager duties.
Nolan Teasley could also be entering a situation where his new team is already poised to make a deep run in the playoffs. Minnesota finished 9-8 last season despite the fact that its quarterback play was among the worst in the NFL. This offseason, the Vikings signed Kyler Murray.
Murray underwhelmed or was injured throughout his career with the Arizona Cardinals, as Seattle Seahawks fans know well due to their favorite team counting on two wins every season against the NFC West brethren, but under the wise direction of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, Murray could be coaxed into playing a much better form of football.
As the Minnesota Vikings play in the NFC, and could potentially be a difficult obstacle for the Seahawks to repeat as Super Bowl champions, Teasley is already in a good spot. The issue for Seattle is that Teasley is smart enough to make moves to get Minnesota even better well into the future. A great rivalry between Seattle and the Vikings might be about to start.
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This is an open thread.
SEATTLE – After waking up to a smattering of clouds this morning, skies gradually cleared through the afternoon as sunshine increased around Western Washington. Temperatures climbed into the low 60s for many communities, making for a pleasant and quiet start to the weekend.
What’s next:
Sunday will remain mild and dry with a little more warmth expected across the region. Winds will shift to a more northerly direction, helping temperatures inch upward compared to Saturday.
Sunny weather helps Seattle reach the low to mid 80s Tuesday during the warmest day of the week. (FOX 13 Seattle)
The warming trend will continue Monday as highs climb into the 70s under mostly sunny skies.
By Tuesday, a developing thermal trough along the Cascades will help usher in the warmest air of the week. Sunshine is expected throughout the day with temperatures soaring into the low to mid 80s for many communities.
Some of the traditionally warmer locations could climb even higher. The warmer, drier air will also raise fire danger across parts of the region.
This weather pattern helps Seattle experience sinking air, abundant sunshine, and significantly warmer temperatures. (FOX 13 Seattle)
If you’re planning to cool off at area lakes, rivers, creeks, or streams, remember that water temperatures remain dangerously cold despite the warmer air. Wearing a life vest is strongly encouraged.
Stay heat aware on Tuesday as Seattle weather warms quickly while rivers and lakes remain dangerously cold. (FOX 13 Seattle)
The heat will begin easing Wednesday as temperatures fall back into the low 70s. A cooler onshore flow pattern will continue Thursday and Friday, bringing highs back into the 60s. An isolated shower or two may develop Friday as a weak weather system approaches the Pacific Northwest.
Cooler weather returns to Seattle later in the week with highs back in the 60s and a slight shower chance Friday. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Take good care,
Meteorologist Abby Acone and the FOX 13 Weather Team
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