Our friend Seattle artist Jon Strongbow passed away suddenly in December. His family has organized a memorial for him this Tuesday afternoon at Pike Place Market, where he sold his art for a long time and lived in an artist's space the last couple of years.
We had been friends of Jon's for more than twenty-something years and held him in the highest regard. We met Jon when we had a retail store on Pike and we sold his publications, which we continue to do in our online store He used to live up the street from us in Madrona and we would often see him biking up the hill on Union in front of our house, and he would regularly stop by for visits in our front garden or back balcony during the pandemic.
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| Masks Required |
He was a lover and collector of books, especially comics, graphic novels, and sci fi, and always showed up at our summer outdoor book sale, leaving with bags of books balanced on his bicycle handles. He often asked us to order books for him he found online because he didn't have a credit card (perhaps distrusting banks?). Jon was always friendly, kind, and upbeat. My favorite quote from his book Ocean of Time, which depicts detailed, accurate cityscapes of Seattle with people from native cultures in ritual costumes celebrating life (the theme of all his work) is "Most people don't seem to understand or appreciate how precious & magical life really is."
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| Concrete River |
Jon was very supportive of other artists -- publishing a book on Pike Place Market buskers and a beautiful hardback book on local collage artists that came out just a month before he died called Northwest Mystic Collage that Sean and I are very pleased to be included in.
I can imagine Jon now as a spirit -- joining the masked native figures dancing and playing music in the streets of Seattle that he depicted in his artwork.
Jon Strongbow and Kam (Pistil photographer) outside our front gate - both dressed as they normally are.
Here's Jon shopping for books by bike at the Pistil outdoor book sale.
