Art Chowder January | February, Issue 19

bitter oak at The Bartlett Dispatch From SPOKANE ARTS Karli Ingersoll SPOKANE ARTS COMMISSIONER & OWNER OF THE BARTLETT Karli is a Spokane native, co-owner of The Bartlett, local musician, designer at Chapter & Verse, Spokane Arts Commissioner and dog lover. T he health of a music scene is not always easy to assess. With a medium like music, there are so many different angles and ways to approach the art. From re- cords and digital streaming to live music experiences, everyone tends to have a slightly different outlook on the state of the “local” scene. Spokane is no different, and even as it grows it retains a sort of DIY quality that makes it difficult to com- pletely pin down. This has always been a treasure to me as a musician, venue own- er and organizer. No matter how much the culture grows, it still retains an authentic quality that I find inspiring. That being said, it’s grown a lot! And this new-found legitimacy has engaged a completely new audience and spurred on musicians and creators to pursue the art form of music in a new way. A functioning scene starts with venues. Bands might form in garages and base- ments, but the spark that happens when they share what they’ve made is like noth- ing else. A stage is where you try out new songs, you learn to connect with an audi- ence and you decide whether or not music is something you want to take seriously. 72 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

Art Chowder January | February, Issue 19 | Page 72