Tonight is First Thursday in Pioneer Square—your monthly opportunity to stroll, sip on booze, and attend as many art openings as possible in a historic neighborhood known for its abundance of galleries. Scroll down for a complete list of April events, including unmissable shows like three centuries of printmaking by American immigrant artists at Davidson Galleries, works by Daniel Carrillo (Seattle’s best-known practitioner of wet-plate collodion portraiture) and Joe Rudko’s creatively manipulated photographs at Greg Kucera Gallery, political poster-design inspiration at Civilization, storytelling inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s 60-panel masterpiece at Seattle Art Museum, and Sangjun Yoo’s interactive installation at METHOD. Tap here for a Google Map of all of these.
Alan Lau: Farmer’s Market
This exhibit will feature sumi ink paintings by Seattle poet and artist Alan Lau, known for his detailed and layered visual pieces. This time, the subject is “fruits and vegetables,” inspired by his time working at beloved Chinatown-International District supermarket Uwajimaya.
All American
This ambitious show promises three centuries of printmaking by American immigrant artists.
Amber Cowan, Jessica Jane Julius, Sharyn O’Mara and Megan Biddle
Pilchuck Glass School presents smooth yet edgy glass works by Amber Cowan, Jessica Jane Julius, Sharyn O’Mara, and Megan Biddle.
Amy Huber: Vintage Truck Series Opening
They say: “‘There are so many vintage trucks in my neighborhood. At least one or two on each street. Some are campers. Some are peoples’ homes. Some are work trucks. Some are primary use vehicles. But they all seem to have stories and that spikes the curiosity in me.’
Stop on by Velouria for April’s First Thursday to see the complete Truck Portrait Series. A portion of the proceeds will go to Facing Homelessness to help out our local Homeless Communities.”
Art On The Rocks
Trinity will now serve the local art community every first Thursday with an early evening outing of art vendors, house music DJs, and custom craft cocktails of course. Featured rotating art vendors for this month’s installment include Frankie Nicole, Elijah Evenson Sculpturism, live painting from Joey Masciotra, Shaun Heineken, and Juliette Olives, MEKA Clothing, Backpack Girl Bikinis, and To Catch A Ray Crystals, with a set from DJ Melton Wax.
Ayana V. Jackson: Dear Sara
See stunningly dramatic portraits by Ayana V. Jackson.
Barry Herem
This solo show will feature weathered steel sculptures “inspired by the environment, mythology and animal life of the region” by artist Barry Herem (Non-Indigenous), who’s known for his mixed media sculptures and water jet-cut steel panels.
Beast Mode + First Thursday
Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Mode” apparel store will host an opening featuring a lineup of local artists. Thanks for asking.
Bill Canada, Mike Slattery and Catherine Cross Uehara: The New Bill Canada
SOIL presents work by Bill Canada, Mike Slattery…and the “new Bill Canada,” Catherine Uehara. This show will explore artistic identity, collaboration, and what looks to be a long-running inside joke/thought experiment.
Cameron Martin
Brooklyn-based artist Cameron Martin will show his work at the James Harris Gallery, as well as curated works by other artists (Sillman, Ulrike Mulle, et al.).
Charles Emerson: Color Meditations
If you look hard enough at Charles Emerson’s colorful, abstract paintings, you might see part of a landscape—a few trees, the top of a mountain range. But mostly, they make the viewer feel unrooted and upside-down.
C.M. Dreamland
Formidable Seattle artist CM Ruiz (known for his illustrations, numerous pop-up shows, and exhibits) will show some new work inspired by video game Kirby’s Dream Land to close out the residency at Brainfreeze (housed in a sordid, historic Seattle spot). They promise “a mix of spacey psychedelia, pop art, and fun.”
Daniel Carrillo: Studio Visit
Both artists with exhibitions opening at Greg Kucera Gallery this month use photography as a medium, but that’s where the similarities end. Joe Rudko’s works employ the colors and textures of cut and torn photographs to generate rhythmic, repetitive collages that are both hard-edged and organic, effusive yet minimal. Daniel Carrillo works with daguerreotypes—one of the earliest forms of photography, made using mercury vapor on a silver-coated plate. For this show, he visited the studios of a number of other Seattle artists, turning their tools of the trade into densely detailed material documents with his anachronistic photographic process.
David Beckley: Surface
They say: “Photographer and artist David Beckley reexamines the photographic portrait in terms of its ability to convey identity in a meaningful way at or below the surface.”
David Burdeny and Chase Langford
See works by David Burdeny and Chase Langford that straddle landscape painting and geometric abstraction.
The Design of Dissent
Get some poster-design inspiration for the next protest from The Design of Dissent exhibit at new Pioneer Square gallery Non-Breaking Space. The gallery specializes in graphic design, and this exhibit digs deep into the past 50 years of visual rebellion against racism, sexism, the Vietnam War, the AIDS crisis, poverty, gun control, and more. Originally curated in 2005 by Milton Glaser and Mirko Ilic for New York’s School of Visual Arts, the exhibit got a refresh by Seattle design firm Civilization, featuring new work along with recognizable posters from Silence = Death, Guerrilla Girls, Ahmet Ogut, Ken Garland, and many others. AMBER CORTES
Duffyleg: Pure American
They say: “Duffyleg, known widely in Seattle as the third counterpart in celebrated local art centric design studio Electric Coffin debuts an entirely new body of work, PURE AMERICAN. Duffyleg’s solo work, deeply rooted in Americana and American motor culture, highlights the richness and pride of American design. Duffyleg’s past series ‘Fueled Spirit’ began his exploration of the use of American “artifacts” as reimagined fine art. Using a collection of vintage Trans Am hoods and other Trans Am parts, Duffyleg played with the idea of ‘the American phenomenon’ through the richness of engineering and endless pursuit of freedom and the American dream. Duffyleg sourced original parts that were often found rusted and where most people would view as scrap metal, Duffyleg saw potential. He breathed new life into them working them back into their intended majestic beauty. Using a mixture of neon, vibrant candied paints and powder coating trade secrets, he created stunning wall hung sculptures out of the hoods. Abstracting the narrative of the firebird logo, Duffyleg’s works were not only striking but captivated all who encountered them regardless if viewers were knowledgable in the rich history of American muscle car culture.”
Ford Crull: A New Lexicon
This show features (mostly) abstract work with a heavy dose of symbolism by painter Ford Crull.
Fred Lisaius
They say: “Fred Lisaius’s painted works represent his personal journey to explore man’s relationship to the natural world, and to one another. His work explores topics like community, diversity, harmony and change all within a single composition. Lisaius often relies on iconic and symbolic imagery like trees, birds and flowers to convey his message, while keeping the imagery simple and naïve.
Fred Lisaius received a B.F.A. with honors from the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, R.I.) in 1981 and also studied at the Pratt Institute in New York. He has been a Northwest artist for over 20 years and his work can be found in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the United States.”
Future Isms
Future Isms, curated by Jon Feinstein, is a group show of photography and video that explores sci-fi fantasies, dystopian and utopian futures, and premonitions based on what’s happening in the world at the moment.
Gabriel Marquez & James Carpenter: Passages
They say: “Saloon Gallery presents Passages. Please join us for a fun filled night and celebrating the art disciplines of these two individuals who are making moves in the underground Seattle Art Scene. 21+”
Geometica: Patterns that Connect
See geometric abstraction from the Geometica Artist Collective, a group of eight Seattle artists that will “deconstruct images into geometric patterns inspired by architecture, nature, physics, design, and technology.”
Hibiki Miyazaki and Melinda Tidwell: Pieces of Stories
They say: “ZINC contemporary will exhibit its second two-woman show of the year featuring the dreamlike narrative prints and paintings of Hibiki Miyazaki and the formal non-objective collages of Melinda Tidwell in Pieces of Stories, April 6 – April 29, 2017. Both artists combine pieces of text and imagery together to create new narratives in their proximity.” Hibiki Miyazaki will give an artist talk on April 8.
Iole Alessandrini: Artist-in-Residence
They say: “Iole Alessandrini is Inscape’s first artist-in-residence! Stop by Inscape this First Thursday from 5-7pm and see what she’s been doing! You’ll have the opportunity to participate in her interactive installation featuring light lasers and a permeable wall.”
Jackson Baker Ryan, Alex Boeschenstein, and Max Cleary: Caché
This exhibit will examine “the shifting dynamics of urban space and its industries,” and features work from Caché: Jackson Baker Ryan, Alex Boeschenstein, and Max Cleary, a group of busy local artists you should keep an eye on. Ryan has a background in architecture and is working on an undergraduate degree at UW, Boeschenstein has made intricate panoramas, detailed and crumbling drawings, and a sculpture made from a dismantled disco ball, and Cleary has had a hand in a number of prominent groups shows in Seattle, and recently explored “the relationship between the industries of residential development and film production” through an exhibition presented by Vignettes.
James Mongrain and Preston Singletary
Preston Singletary writes, “This show reflects my current thought process. I enjoy mixing the process of glass blowing, sculpting and designing NW coast art styles and fire is the driving force behind this process. Journey across the fire (and into the world) is my poetic attempt at expressing this interaction. In this show I’m exploring new traditional and contemporary forms and Modernist vessels which evoke traditional designs. Each object for me symbolizes my connection to my culture and the opportunity to share a lyrical and new perspective.”
Jenny Robinson: Constructs
They say: “Jenny Robinson’s work has always been informed by her immediate environment, where she live, works and goes has a direct impact on the subject matter she is drawn to. After moving from London to San Francisco in 2001, she became fascinated by structures displaying a sense of strength and energy, but ignored, threatened by the passage of time to ultimate defeat by corrosion and decay. Her work is concerned with depicting how these giant structures appear, not through a sense of romantic yearning for the past, but by responding to location and documenting how they appear to her, now, in the moment. This exhibition includes work from her new series “Infrastructure”, on-going series of experimental constructs, which explores ways to transform familiar and recognizable structures, by deconstructing and manipulating them into architectural images which exceed themselves to become more visually ambiguous.”
Jodi Waltier: Crutch & Wince
Multimedia artist Joni Waltier (whose show at Shift last April examined “crop rotations and all things maize”) will turn her attentions towards pools: “tide pools, cess pools, and pools of doubt.”
Joe Rudko: Basic Techniques of Photography
Both artists with exhibitions opening at Greg Kucera Gallery this month use photography as a medium, but that’s where the similarities end. Joe Rudko’s works employ the colors and textures of cut and torn photographs to generate rhythmic, repetitive collages that are both hard-edged and organic, effusive yet minimal. Daniel Carrillo works with daguerreotypes—one of the earliest forms of photography, made using mercury vapor on a silver-coated plate. For this show, he visited the studios of a number of other Seattle artists, turning their tools of the trade into densely detailed material documents with his anachronistic photographic process. EMILY POTHAST
Justin Hillgrove and John Skewes: Well Read
They say: “New works By Justin Hillgrove + 10th anniversary of Larry Gets Lost with John Skewes.
Well-known local artist Justin Hillgrove will be showing approx. 20 new book-themed paintings. Joining him will be John Skewes, celebrating the tenth anniversary of his best-selling children’s book series Larry Gets Lost with a show of artwork from the series. Author-illustrator John Skewes will be signing Tenth Anniversary Editions of Larry Gets Lost in Seattle and Seattle ABC during the art walk.”
If you don’t already know about Larry Gets Lost, it’s a charming local picture book about a (temporarily!) lost dog that gets to explore notable Seattle landmarks and spaces.
Lauren Iida
Lauren Iida’s large papercut works are often dizzyingly intricate, with figures, scenes, trinkets, and patterns crammed side-by-side, sometimes overlapping. They’re called “memory nets,” and they wrap together aspects of her life, from time spent in Seattle to time spent in Cambodia. Other examples of her papercut works are more repetitive and/or focused, with the emphasis on a single scene or object.
Laurie Le Clair: ENCYCLOPEDIA – A Matter of Record
Laurie Le Clair’s recent exhibits have focused on found/abandoned objects imbued with meaning, including family archives and (possibly) haunted memorabilia. This show continues on that theme, and will explore secrets in journals and family letters (stored for 40 years, and now examined).
Make America Create Again!
They say: “Let the revolution begin with creativity and a joyous freedom of expression! Huge thanks to the 277 artist members that participated in our recent call. Our 2017 Members’ show, Make America Create Again, will feature art by over 119 artists over two months in our Pioneer Square gallery.
From March 2-4 we feature artist members’ creating video, sound and performances in a 3 day festival style show. Then in April, we feature 2D and 3D artists with a bursting-at-the-creative-corners exhibition.
After our minor March remodeling, we will throw open the doors again to feature 2D and 3D artworks plus special performances on dates TBA during the April edition of the 2017 Members’ Show “Make America Create Again.” The exhibition is set to run from the opening reception on Thursday, April 6 (6-9pm) through Saturday, April 29. Members chosen to exhibit will be announced soon.
We thank our guest juror Deborah Paine for taking part in this exciting exhibition!”
Migration Stories
In this series, local stars and community members will share stories of “immigration, migration, displacement, and community” and speak about their perspective on Jacob Lawrence’s 60-panel masterpiece The Migration Series. The event takes place on First Thursday, when admission to the museum is half-price ($12).
Robert Pruitt: Planetary Survey
Planetary Survey features new drawings by Robert Pruitt: portraits on paper that explore science fiction, politics, pop culture, and the idea of “black escape”: described as “a desire to be free from the literal and psychological constraints on the formation of black identity reaching back to slavery.”
Robin Siegl: New Work
New works from Robin Siegl will explore a definitively Seattle obsession: the waterfront, specifically the way that large manmade objects move through the dark water. Look forward to calm earth tones and bulging hulls.
Salal: A Tradition of Berry Baskets
This exhibition of berry baskets (“small baskets woven from spruce root or cedar bark, often with a loose or open weave”) will feature works in glass by Preston Singletary (Tlingit), and traditional woven berry baskets by artists including Isabel Rorick (Haida) and Lisa Telford (Haida).
Samuel Blatt
This exhibit features blurred scenes and figures by Seattle painter Samuel Blatt.
Sangjun Yoo: Distant Light
Distant Light is an interactive installation consisting of translucent fabric “walls” activated by wind current and backlit by a light source projecting slowly shifting multicolor gradients. The materials are simple, but the effect is one of immersion—an environment of rich, decadent color one can get lost in. Artist Sangjun Yoo is a recent NYC transplant and current PhD candidate at the University of Washington’s DXARTS program whose work engages the threshold between what is directly seen and what is perceived through processes of the mind that construct a congruent whole from snatches of sensory experience. In this case, the congruent whole is an opportunity for transcendence. EMILY POTHAST
Stay Happy Central: 2 Year Anniversary & Last Show
Stay Happy Collective features a new group of artists every month at Central Saloon, and this April will showcase the work of cosmic rapper and artist DoNormaal, Imprints Sendai Era, and Bob Catt and Bug Bus, at their second anniversary and last show for a while as the Stay Happy crew pursues other creative paths.
Stephen Holman: Behold, Wild Spirits . . . !
They say: “Explore the mysterious worlds of childhood, nature and the imagination. Bright, colorful, and playful at first sight, containing vibrant images of animals, children, mythology and metamorphosis, they function also as visual allegories, commenting on both the light and the dark side of our complex physical and metaphysical relationship with nature.”
Susan Christensen: Climb
They say: “Christensen’s lively sense of color and composition shine in new series of pastel abstract drawings, united by the image of a ladder.”
UCU First Thursdays in Occidental Square
They say: “Starting in April, Urban Craft Uprising will be managing artists, crafters and makers at Occidental Park for First Thursday. In 2016 UCU partnered up with the Downtown Seattle Alliance to bring back this amazing event and it was very successful for so many of our vendors! We have learned a lot since last year and are so excited to get this party started! Like all UCU shows, this is a curated event and we will be thinking of the venue and audience. Because it’s First Thursday, folks that did really well ranged from art to jewelry to candles and food. This year Weyerhauser has opened it’s doors so that means many more folks in that area for this event which is why we are starting it one month earlier and one hour earlier!”
Welcoming Spring Femme ArtWalk Show
They say: “Spring Welcoming art show, Darby Blanchard is curating her first show during the first spring pioneer square art walk!!!!! Featuring performances, apparel, paintings, zines and more!
Creations from:
Irene Bowen, Emmaline Durrand, Halimah Griffin, Hank Reavis, Riley Itano Vanderburg, Jasper Pierce, Tanner Foxx, Josie JO, Kook Teflon, Maddie Vasques, Jules Tomei, Gabrielle Kretschmer, and many more or less!!!!
MY MAIN GOAL WITH THIS ARTSHOW IS TO MAKE IT A SAFE SPACE!!! NO RAPISTS, MYSOGYNISTS, RACIST, ABLEIST, TRANS PHOBIC SHITTY PEOPLE!! If you see anyone shitty it will be our job to ask them to leave the show!!! IT WILL BE PUBLIC SO I DONT HAVE THE MOST CONTROL OF WHO WALKS IN B UT IF WE HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE EVERYTHING WILL BE AWESOME!”
Wendelin Wohlgemuth
Wendelin Wohlgemuth paints staticky, uneasy, and often faceless portraits and scenes. Sometimes you get a whole figure, and sometimes it’s just a hand or a chunk of torso.
