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Well it wasn’t a Ballard event, but the grand reopening of the Wing Luke Museum in the International District got me thinking about some parallels with Ballard’s Nordic Heritage Museum.  Both museums are unique, focusing on the specific cultures of their geographic area and both are going through a rebirth. 

Earlier this month I attended the grand reopening of the Wing Luke Museum.   The International District has had two major milestones this year.  First the erection of the new gate signifying the entry into the International District, which until this event really didn’t have anything strongly marking the entry into this fascinating part of Seattle.  I often wonder about tourists visiting Seattle overlooking this neighborhood in favor of the more famous landmarks such as Pike Place market, the Space Needle, etc.  In fact, though I understand that naming the area the International District was an effort to acknowledge that there are many Asian ethnicities in this area, that may be part of the reason it doesn’t get as much attention as the more specifically named Chinatowns such as in San Francisco and Victoria, BC.   In the same way I wonder what signals visitors that Ballard is the neighborhood founded by Scandinavian cultures?  Yes, there is the Leif Erickson Hall, Bergen Place and the museum, but what about a sign?  Something along the lines of “Welcome to Ballard, a Scandinavian Heritage area.”

It was heartening to see the amount of press attention that Wing Luke received in both print and TV.  There are three floors to the new museum.  The top floor contains a library and research area named after Wing Luke, the first Asian American to hold elected office the Pacific Northwest.  The second floor has exhibit space and the most interesting was the one about the immigrant experience.  The bottom floor consists of meeting rooms, a theatre and a gift shop. 

Closer to home in Ballard I thought about the comparison between the way the residents of the International District are increasing their ethnic identify through this museum and the erection of new ceremonial gateway.  Compare that to Ballard’s Scandinavian heritage.  When I first visited Ballard, there were a number of Scandinavian gifts shops along Market Street, the last one closed a year ago, though fortunately the Scandinavian bakery is still around.  The Leif Erickson Hall is now almost covered by the ugly condominium next to it and no longer stands out as another beacon for Scandinavians.  The only bright note of hope for keeping some of the flavor of Ballard’s ethnic heritage is the plan to move the Nordic Heritage museum down to Market Street creating a more visible presence for those of us of Nordic descent who appreciate and identify with the early settlers of Ballard.  Although I loved the charm of having a museum smack dab in a residential area, I think the move will be a good one and increase the visibility of this unique museum that is too often overlooked.