Romance is building up this week. You can see for yourself at Historic Seattle’s free Heart Bomb event on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 12-12:30 p.m., at the Inscape Arts and Cultural Center.
Heart bombing refers to a public display of affection for historic buildings + sites in which advocates write love letters and often show up to take group pics.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation organizes them to raise awareness about landmarks that are either threatened or rouse strong feelings within the community.
For the past decade, Historic Seattle has been dropping Heart Bombs at beloved locales like Key Arena, The Showbox, and Bush Garden. Now it’s Inscape’s turn to get some love.
💕 Where the heart is
The arts center is located near Lumen Field at the former Immigration & Naturalization Service Building, which was where immigration paperwork was processed from 1932 to 2004. After a preservation effort, the 77,000-sqft space became a hub of creative endeavors with 100+ tenants, from performance arts groups to sculptors to digital media specialists.
Visitors can find remnants of the building’s important past with a permanent installation telling the story of immigrants who passed through its halls over the decades. The Wing Luke Museum even offers a walking tour.
💕 Bombs away
Taking part in the Heart Bomb at Inscape Tuesday is fairly straightforward — create a Valentine’s Day card that expresses your fondness for the building, then show up at noon on Tuesday to take a group photo with other admirers. Take a look at snapshots from a previous Heart Bomb to get inspiration.
If you end up missing this Heart Bomb, don’t sweat it — Historic Seattle has a bunch of other events throughout the year that emphasize a passion for the city’s past. Your heart will go on.