Overview
Bumbershoot '88
Entitled "Gypsy Rainbow," by Jeff Winslow, and was commissioned for Bumbershoot through the City of Seattle's 1% for Art Program. The poster was designed by Fortune Design.
By 1988, Bumbershoot had firmly established itself as one of the country’s most distinctive arts festivals, expansive in scope, civic in spirit, and deeply rooted in Seattle’s creative community.
Under the continued production leadership of One Reel, the festival continued refining the model that had evolved throughout the 1980s: a dense, campus-wide celebration where music, theater, dance, film, literary arts, and visual arts all shared space under one umbrella.
Music remained a major draw, bringing national touring artists to Seattle Center, but Bumbershoot’s identity was never limited to concerts alone. The festival’s reputation rested on its multidisciplinary approach, allowing audiences to wander from a major stage performance to experimental theater, from contemporary dance to film screenings, or from literary readings to craft and visual art exhibitions.
Local artists and Northwest performers remained central to the programming, maintaining the festival’s strong regional character even as its national profile continued to grow. Community participation, through volunteers, artists, and cultural organizations, helped keep the event grounded in the city that created it.
By the late 1980s, Bumbershoot had achieved a rare balance: a large-scale festival capable of attracting national attention while still feeling unmistakably Seattle.
The umbrella had grown wide, but its roots remained local.
Bumbershoot 1988's line up included: Albert Collins, Alex DeGrassi, Alla Pugachova, Billy Cobham, Bonnie Raitt, Camper Van Beethoven, Chaka Khan, Charles Brown, Colin James, David Lindley, Denise Levertov, Edwin Hawkins, Etta James, Hot Tuna, Hugh Masekela, James Harman Band, Jerry Seinfeld, John Hammond, John Hiatt, Johnny Copeland, Karla Bonoff, Katie Webster, Koko Taylor, Larry Keineman, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Little Feat, Los Lobos, Michael McDonald, Michael Ondaatje, Miriam Makeba, Oyelami Troupe, Randy Newman, Richard Marx, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, Samuel Nori, Seattle Symphony, Sonny Rollins, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, The Bobs, The Kinsey Report, The Paladins, The Roches, The Smothers Brothers, The Tailgators, and Tito Puente.
