stokley towles
Artist Stokley Towles will be sharing his experience on "Life in the Gutter" in several free performances around Seattle. (MyNorthwest.com/Jamie Griswold)

Seattle artist doing live sewer show: "Life in the Gutter"

BY Jamie Skorheim  on October 14, 2011 @ 9:43 am (Updated: 11:39 am - 10/14/11 )

If you ever wondered what it's like to work in a sewer, a Seattle artist will share his knowledge about "Life in the Gutter" in several free performances around Seattle.

Stokley Towles learned a lot of survival tricks when he explored the underbelly of Seattle alongside city utility workers.

"Sheli, what she suggests is you tape up your sleeves, because it will keep out the hobo spiders and the cockroaches from climbing up there," said Towles, in an appearance on 97.3 KIRO FM Seattle's Morning News.

Towles says another worker recommended doing some sewer yoga, getting your body warmed up before ducking under pipes and climb around obstacles.

Listen to Artist Stokley Towles - Stormwater: Life in the gutter

97.3 KIRO FM Seattle's Morning News anchor Linda Thomas asked how it smelled down there.

Towles says you kind of get used to it, and workers have developed interesting ways to cope.

"I asked them, so you're down there, you're up to your waste in raw sewage - what do you do?" said Towles. "One of the ways that John said, is you pretend you are working in a candy factory."

"A lot of fudge?" joked KIRO's Tom Tangney.

"You're surrounded by candy, and you're just shoveling it," continued Towles, painting an interesting picture.

Towles will elaborate on his experiences in the sewer in his live show "Stormwater: Life in the Gutter."

Towles' project was commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs through the 1 percent for the arts program.

Find the full list of show times at StokleyTowles.com Performances are free and open to the public.

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor

Jamie Skorheim, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.
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Comments (13)


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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    WOW Free performances!!!
    October 14, 2011 11:18 am
    If you ever wondered what it's like to work in a sewer?, What a silly question, who doesn’t have working in a sewer on their bucket list?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Jdeepinit wrote...
    It's pretty cool..
    October 14, 2011 12:06 pm
    The stuff you see floating down Capital Hill. I have been in those sewer man holes. WOW... Bloody rats ( used tampons ) Brown trout .. Corn on the.. the worst was the needles and the condoms to me. But heck, your .... is my $
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Morning News anchor Linda Thomas asked how it smelled down there.
    October 14, 2011 12:47 pm
    It smells like gardenia & roses, Linda. With deep insight and questioning like this is it any wonder the mainstream "media" is a laughing stock. The only thing more stupid than that question is this "artist" doing "performances" on poop, pee, condoms, dental floss, vomit and every other form of human excrement known....by the way, outside of TP; if it doesn't come out of your body, it shouldn't go down the toilet.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Realitycheck wrote...
    Talmik
    October 14, 2011 1:42 pm
    Who are you? Some sort of internet police? If you don't like his opinion don't read it. It is a free country where everybody including morons like you can have an opinion.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    He's gotto be a liberal democrat.
    October 14, 2011 1:53 pm
    They're the only ones known to demand silence from anyone in opposition to their mental illness.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Jeddite wrote...
    Absolutely not
    October 14, 2011 1:59 pm
    I can handle going home feeling like sh~t (figuatively), but not smelling like sh~t (literally). I'll stay in a fabric box, thanks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • boyerbl wrote...
    Is this artist cerified for confined space entry?
    October 14, 2011 2:12 pm
    Our company (on the Eastside) works in sewers and storm drains and you must take a class and be certified to enter an underground structure (sewer). It is a very dangerous and you need to have a CO-Oxygen tester to verify that the sewer is safe.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    boyerbl
    October 14, 2011 3:28 pm
    Confined space. Right?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    And once again fake cop...
    October 14, 2011 3:26 pm
    You really think that anyone gives a rip about the sewage IE, Your opinion, that you spew?

    Think about it!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • EverettGal wrote...
    ...up to your waste...
    October 14, 2011 4:00 pm
    is that meant to be a pun?? Sadly, I doubt it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Jdeepinit wrote... it's pretty cool -- i agree
    October 14, 2011 4:34 pm
    i was in a manhole that takes all the sewage from west seattle under the duwamish river(think a 60“pipe). if you fell in sure death because of the speed of the flow. linda hpd 0-0 = a zero. He he ha ha ho ho this should keep you busy for awhile. learn something - confined space - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/confinedspaces/index.html
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • drawgers wrote...
    Dear Seattle - How To Save Money In Troubling Financial Times
    October 14, 2011 6:33 pm
    "Towles' project was commissioned by the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs through the 1 percent for the arts program." One obvious way to save money is to stop spending public funds on these marginal "artistic" projects. Now, I'm as big a fan and appreciator of art as the next person, but is it art to traverse the sewers and then talk about it calling it performance art? One Percent For Arts has got to go - times are too tight for such avenues to spend tax dollars.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }