VISUAL ART
BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM
510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, 425-454-3322
* DUANE HANSON
Hanson's sculptures are the original double-take experience: Cast from human models and dressed in actual clothes, they are almost always mistaken for real people in a crowd until the rest of the crowd moves away. BAM is fortunate to have 15 of Hanson's works for mindfuck purposes. Through Sept 30.
* MARY HENRY
Quietly, gradually, Whidbey Island-artist Henry has gained a following in Seattle with her geometric abstract paintings. She's been working in the Northwest for 25 years without much fanfare, and this summer there will be three major exhibitions of her work--including the North Slope Series at BAM--which has never been shown in public before. Through Sept 9, with a related exhibition from Aug 15-Nov 25.
MEDIA ARTS HISTORIES NORTHWEST: THE BELLEVUE FILM FESTIVAL HISTORY
Timeline, artifacts, and film from the 15-year-old festival. Through Sept 23.
* TWIN
A set of six multimedia installations by Wendy Hanson, each exploring ideas about identity and shared experience. Hanson has based these works on the excellently flamboyant sisters Annette Cohn and Florine Falk, longtime volunteers at BAM and a lot of fun to have at art openings. Through Oct 14.
BURKE MUSEUM
University of Washington Campus, 543-5590
THE ENDURANCE: SHACKLETON'S LEGENDARY ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
No one died. Makes you feel kind of wimpy, eh? This is the exhibition that opened at the Museum of Natural History in New York--stark, amazing photographs, plus film footage and journal excerpts. Through Dec 31.
FRYE ART MUSEUM
704 Terry Ave, 622-9250
HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY: EDWARD STEICHEN'S VANITY FAIR PORTRAITS
Before Annie Leibowitz, we had Steichen tracking fame's comet, with gorgeous portraits of Greta Garbo, Fred Astaire, and Shirley Temple. Through Sept 16.
NORTHWEST VIEWS: SELECTIONS FROM THE SAFECO COLLECTION
SAFECO has been one of the most voracious collectors of local artists for almost 30 years. Here, a selection of figurative works. Through Nov 4.
TREASURES TO GO: SCENES OF AMERICAN LIFE
Selections from the Smithsonian's American art collection, on tour while the D.C. museum undergoes renovation. This is the only West Coast venue for the traveling show, which includes 500 works by artists such as Edward Hopper, Paul Cadmus, Reginald Marsh, and our own Jacob Lawrence. Through Sept 9.
HENRY ART GALLERY
15th Ave NE at NE 41st St, 543-2280
* SHORT STORIES
A series of rotating exhibitions that includes work from the permanent collection, commissioned projects, and installations. Over the course of the next year, the North Galleries will feature art by Ernesto Neto, George Stoll, Chris Finley, and other recognized and lesser-known artists. Through May 12, 2002.
* SUMMER OF SOUND
A huge futon with 58 listening stations, each of which features audio work from artists all along the sound art continuum, from Vito Acconci to Laurie Anderson to Sonic Youth. Through Sept 30.
SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
100 University St, 654-3100
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR
Works that feature a lone figure, with contributions from Chuck Close, Catherine Opie, and Anselm Kiefer (from the museum's permanent collection) as well as John Currin and Francesco Clemente (on loan). Neat idea. Through Jan 2, 2002.
ANNA SKIBSKA
Insisting on the delicacy of glass (something I think we forget here in Studio Glass-world) Skibska stretches it into intricate webs. Polish-born, Seattle-residing, Pilchuck-teaching, she brings a needed sophistication to the medium. Through Feb 17, 2002.
WING LUKE ASIAN MUSEUM
407 Seventh Ave S, 623-5124
FIGURE, STRUCTURE, NATURE
A selection of contemporary Asian work from the collection of the Seattle Arts Commission. Through Oct 14.
IF TIRED HANDS COULD TALK: STORIES OF ASIAN GARMENT WORKERS
Tired hands can't talk, but a series of videos, oral history interviews, and an installation re-creating the working conditions of Asian immigrant workers can. Through February, 2002.
OPENING EXHIBITIONS
ROBERT ADAMS
Pop style and social commentary. Enjoy your coffee! Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-8pm. Zeitgeist, 171 S Jackson St, 583-0497. Through Oct 3.
ERIK ANDREW
Paintings inspired by jazz and the spirit of improvisation. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-10pm. Nico Gallery, 619 Western Ave, 264-1710. Through Sept 30.
* SQUEAK CARNWATH
Layers upon layers of text and images, resulting in work that is busy but still somehow meditative. The paintings and drawings in this exhibition ruminate on the idea of happiness. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-8 pm. James Harris Gallery, 309A Third Ave S, 903-6220. Through Oct 13.
ART CHANTRY'S THEATER POSTERS
Chantry is almost single-handedly responsible for the graphic style that screams out early '90s indie culture. Here is a selection of his posters for theater events. Elliott Bay Gallery 101, 101 S Main St, 682-6664. Through Oct 2.
* EVE COHEN
Cohen collects leftovers--parade detritus, household trash, seedpods, flower stalks--and from them she's created a menagerie of fantastic creatures, The Family of Lost Fauna. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-8 pm. King County Art Gallery, 506 Second Ave, second floor, 296-7580. Through Sept 28.
5
Five artists investigate painting in all its forms: abstract, pattern, portrait, and the kind that bleeds over into sculpture. The artists are Joline Abbadessa, Jenny Carcia, Matt Hemmer, Margie Livingston, and Brian Sharp. Opening reception Sat Sept 8, 6-10 pm. SOIL Artist Cooperative, 1205 E Pike St, 264-8061. Through Sept 30.
MARILYN FOX
Images of trees in Deeply Rooted. Art/Not Terminal Gallery, 2045 Westlake Ave, 233-0680. Through Oct 4.
CARL LIERMAN
Lierman, the co-founder of the FotoCircle Gallery (which is currently on hiatus), is showing photo-collages inspired by Surrealist techniques. Sometimes they're disturbingly distorted, other times oddly right. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-9 pm. Mary Vitold Gallery, 110 S Washington St, 624-9336. Through Sept 29.
* NIKKI McCLURE
McClure's cut-paper works are nothing short of miraculous. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 8pm. Lipstick Traces, 500 E Pine St, 329-2813. Through Sept 30.
* MARION PECK
See Stranger Suggests. New paintings in a show called Dream Journal. Davidson is also showing paintings by Adrienne Sherman and lithographs by Marc Chagall. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-8 pm. Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Ave S, 624-7684. Through Sept 29.
JEFF ROSS
In Abstractions and Attractions, Ross uses color to yank at the eyes in his monotypes. Opening reception Fri Sept 7, 7 pm. Secluded Alley Works, 113 12th Ave, 839-0880. Through Sept 27.
SELF CENSORED
Two entirely different artists who sabotaged their work for entirely different reasons of self-preservation. Maria Cordova photographed images of torture and destruction in Cartagena; she disappeared, leaving behind 13 prints covered in ink. Erik Strickland glued his paintings together with carpet adhesive for reasons that aren't clear--perhaps aesthetic self-preservation?--but just as disturbing. Opening reception Fri Sept 7, 7-10 pm. Vital 5 Productions, 2200 Westlake Ave, 254-0475. Through Oct 7.
MELODIE SMITH
The title is Preparations and the subject is grooming. Smith absolutely captures the strange faces we women make when putting on our lipstick and plucking our eyebrows. Opening reception Sat Sept 8, 8-10 pm. Neoillusionist Gallery, in the Last Supper Club, 124 S Washington St, 748-9975. Through Sept 30.
ERIK STOTIK, NORWOOD VIVIANO, NANCY BLUM
An embarrassment of riches at Esther Claypool this month: precise and ambiguous narratives from Stotik, a paraffin installation from Viviano, and meticulous pattern drawings from Blum. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-8 pm. Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586. Through Sept 29.
* TERRY WINTERS
For some reason, printmaking is often regarded as a poorer cousin to the "real" fine arts, perhaps because much of it doesn't tell us anything about the relationship of the chosen media to the work's content. Two sets of Winters' prints, Morula and Folio, look closely at the relationship between the plate, the paper, and the series as a whole. These prints are also currently being shown at a Winters retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lecture by Greg Kucera Sun Sept 8, noon. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-4031. Through Sept 29.
BRANDON ZEBOLD
A sculptural installation of shapes Zebold cuts out of steel with fire. Opening reception Thurs Sept 6, 6-8 pm. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 155 S Main St, 667-9572. Through Sept 29.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
* AMERICANA
With work by Lisa Petrucci, Jim Blanchard, Cook & Walsh, Meghan Trainor, Stefan Knorr, Blair Wilson, and others. Roq La Rue, 2224 Second Ave, 374-8977. Through Sept 8.
ASS 'N' TITTIES
Hooray for Houston! The gallery has lasted two whole years in our backwater scene. They're celebrating with big, glossy, sexy photos by Jamil GS; drawings and paintings by REAS. Houston, 907 E Pike St, 860-7820. Through Sept 12.
LARRY BEMM
A rare pleasure: very good painting in a coffee shop. Bemm's canvases are lusciously colored and make a vivid, confident presence. Still Life in Fremont Coffeehouse, 709 N 35th St, 547-9850. Through Sept 16.
CAROL BOLT
In Summertime Pop-up, Bolt has created, in the gallery's window, an origami garden that will evolve over the course of the installation. SAM Rental/Sales Gallery, 1334 First Ave, 654-3240. Through Sept 9.
ROGER BOOK, JOSIE BOCKELMAN
New painting and sculpture. Li'l Red Shack Gallery, 1028 First Ave S, 621-7807. Through Sept 23.
BYTE-BI-BYTE
Gallery owner Billy Howard has put together a sampling of work by artists who make use of digital technology, none of whom are from Adobeville--I mean, Seattle. With work by Jon Haddock, Euan MacDonald, Susan Horbeak-Ortiz, Jason Salavon, Sloane McFarland, and (hooray!) Sean Duffy. Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399. Through Sept 8.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
An interesting paradox: the use of moving pictures (in this case video) to contemplate the idea of stillness. This installation is a new version of one shown last year at Tacoma's Commencement Gallery. Cornish College of the Arts, Fisher Gallery, Kerry Hall, 710 E Roy St, 726-5066. Through Sept 29.
RAY CAROFANO, HAL GAGE, KEN SMITH
All bases covered this month: Gage photographs the human figure (specifically, his wife's), Carofano turns his attention to landscapes, and Smith's still lifes look like objects from the past. Benham Gallery, 1216 First Ave, 622-6383. Through Sept 15.
CELEBRATION AND VISION: THE HEWITT COLLECTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ART
One of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the country. Bank of America Gallery, 701 Fifth Ave, third floor, 585-3200. Through Oct 26.
* MATT EBERLE
In Horolages, Eberle links recording time and recording images. His clocks may not actually keep time, but they remind us of it. Cracked Compass Productions, 2129 Third Ave, 770-5900. Through Sept 12.
ESPĂRITU DE M:XICO
Seven contemporary photographers explore, as the title suggests, the spirit of Mexico. Far from being a set of pre-seen images, they revel in the country's diverse cultures. Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, 720-7222. Through Sept 29.
SEAN MICHAEL HURLEY
In The Stations of the Cross, Hurley triangulates desire and sacrifice with that well-traveled tragedy. The Little Theatre, 608 19th Ave E, 675-2055. Through Sept 23.
PETER JUVONEN
Startling and often funny (though perhaps not intentionally?) portraits by the Finnish-born artist. i Capolavori, 2519 Fifth Ave, 448-2825. Through Sept 19.
BETH LO, ELIZABETH SANDVIG
It's all the rage these days to combine Western and Asian themes in contemporary art; Lo's vehicle of choice is ceramics--sexy-shaped vessels with images that are part cartoon, part traditional calligraphic imagery. With animal paintings by Sandvig. Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355. Through Sept 30.
PARS, NHON NGUYEN
In Ride Free Zone, the artists show work you might recognize if you ride the #7 bus. Nguyen has created, at the stops along the route, the Route Seven Gallery, featuring paintings of dancing (both Balinese and break) in the bus shelters. PARS has recently signed on with this project; his graffiti-style street kids seem both terrified and terrifying. Cut Kulture Gallery, 2018 First Ave, 683-3809. Through Sept 8.
PRIMARY COLORS
Fifteen artists think visually about color--not as obvious a topic as you might think. With gallery regulars (including Toots Zynsky, Lanny Bergner, and the sublime Richard Marquis) and invited guests (including Dante Marioni, Randy McCoy, and Big-Gun Chihuly). Elliott Brown Gallery, 215 Westlake Ave, 340-8000. Through Oct 6.
PRINTMAKING BIENNIAL
Juried this year by Pegram Harrison of Echo Press. Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St, Kirkland, (425) 822-7161. Through Sept 28.
PROJECT 18
Site-specific work by Leslie Clague, Paul Davis, Mark Johnson, Perry Wesley Johnson, Brad Miller, and Sheri Newbold. Sand Point Magnuson Park, Building 18, 522-9529. Through Sept 27.
* DEMI RAVEN
In Oneirotic Fragments, Raven shows his recent paintings, which use a kind of dream logic to connect airy, somewhat aphoristic text with images captured from the mass media. There are also some of his older works from Interfact, which used a similar process to group images that don't seem to relate; but the more you look at them, the more they do. Nation, 1921 Fifth Ave, 374-9492. Through Sept 24.
RICH RICHARDSON
Even more Eastern/Western ideology art. I think we have a bona-fide movement here. Artmosphere Gallery, 1213 Pine St, 356-3454. Through Sept 15.
STEPHANIE SMITH
In 911's windows, Smith has constructed a collage of video images from a three-month, 14,000-mile road trip across the country. 911 Media Arts Center, 117 Yale Ave N, 682-6552. Through Sept 23.
SOUTH SOUNDS 2001
Commencement's annual show of lower Puget Sound artists, curated this year by Neil Watson, Chief Curator for the Museum of Glass. Commencement Art Gallery, 902 Commerce St, Tacoma, (253) 591-5341. Through Sept 20.
JOY WORTHEN
An installation that covers all bases: sculpture, paint, and video. Artemis Gallery, 1400 31st Ave S, 323-0562. Through Sept 15.
EVENTS
UNEQUAL ACCESS AND UNACCESSED OPPORTUNITY: BUILDING A DIVERSE ARTS COMMUNITY
The follow-up to a (by all accounts) very successful forum sponsored by the Seattle Arts Commission and the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center. It's a training session, led by Elena Featherston, on developing strategies to create a more diverse arts community. Sat Sept 8 at Langston Hughes (104 17th Ave S). Check-in begins at 8:30 am, and the program runs until 5 pm. Free, but you should pre-register; call 615-1273 or email shannon.stewart@ci.seattle.wa.us to reserve a space.
MUSEUM OF GLASS SNEAK PEEK
Tacoma's big buzz, the Museum of Glass, will give its citizens a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the building tonight. There will also be theatrical performances, including Barnaby Evans' Heart of Glass, which turns the museum's largest reflecting pool into flames. Fri Sept 7 at 6 pm. Tickets available by calling (253) 396-1768.
