CENTERS

BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM, 301 Bellevue Square, 425-454-3322.

Gloria Bornstein--A 30-year survey, curated by Vicki Halper, of an important Northwest artist. In the 1970s Bornstein began as a groundbreaking performance artist and evolved into one of the region's most visible sculptors and creators of public works. The exhibition incorporates emotionally charged installation pieces with sculpture, paintings, and prints. Through June 21.

Dona Ann McAdams-- A photographic project focusing on a small farming community in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia consumed McAdams, and the result is a dignified view of the dwindling population of a rural community. Through June 21.

CENTER ON CONTEMPORARY ART, 65 Cedar St, 728-1980.

Catherine Chalmers--Food Chain: Encounters Between Mates, Predators, and Prey is the first substantial survey of the photographs by this New York artist. Playing with scale and heightened drama, Chalmers has photographed various insects she's raised up close and personal during a complex dance through the food chain. Caterpillar eats the tomato... praying mantis eats the caterpillar... tarantula eats the praying mantis, and so on. The insects are behaving naturally, but the range of seeming emotion is startling. Through May 22.

FRYE ART MUSEUM, 704 Terry Ave, 622-9250

Carlo Maria Mariani--An exhibition of paintings using neo-classical images to tackle contemporary dilemmas entitled The Mysterious Enchantment of Beauty.Through June 27.

The Hermitage Group--Eight Russian contemporary artists who work and study at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Through June 6.

HENRY ART GALLERY, 15th Ave NE at NE 41st St, 543-2280

Coming to Life--The Henry has featured a series of exhibitions focusing on the figure in art since the mid-century. This, the final installment, concentrates on the figure in American art with works by Diane Arbus, Willem DeKooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Philip Guston, Lucas Samaras, and more. Through June 13.

*Josiah McElheny--Renowned conceptual artist and glassblower McElheny was commissioned by the Henry to create a new installation. The result is An Historical Anecdote About Fashion, which includes dresses and textiles from the Henry collection alongside the artist's glass sculpture. One is wrapped in a web of deceit upon entry into an exhibition of the fictitious possessions of Italy's Paolo Venini and his couture-clad wife. Through May 30.

Allan Sekula--Fish Story is a perfect exhibition for Seattle--a series of photographs examining labor, life, and technology in port cities around the globe. The images are familiar but not inviting; instead a forceful, cool examination. Through May 16.

MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND INDUSTRY, 2700 24th Ave E, McCurdy Park, 324-1126

*A Change of Worlds--If you haven't been to MoHI lately, this is the time to go. This knockout exhibition has two distinct purposes, the first being predictable: showing some of the history and contributions of Northwest Native Americans. The show takes a braver approach with its second objective, dealing head-on with issues such as cultural vandalism and the tensions between tradition and change in the lives of Puget Sound Native Americans. Photographs, artifacts, and audio-visual components. Through April 30.

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM, 100 University St, 654-3100

*Chuck Close--Washington native and UW graduate Close exhibits 80 portrait paintings spanning 30 years. He gained international fame in the 1970s with a series of large-scale non-emotional airbrushed likenesses of his artist friends and family, and has continued to capture attention by remaining true to the portrait format while exploring a wide range of techniques and mediums. Working in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel paintings, lithograph, serigraph, and woodblock prints, paper pulp, fingerprints, and even woven silk, Close's obsession with the face has taken him from photo-realism to figurative abstraction to minimalism. This exhibition travels here from the Museum of Modern Art. Through May 9.

*The Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection of Modern Art--Over 100 works collected by these visionary Northwest collectors. Through May 9.

SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM, 1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 654-3100

Flights of Fancy--Screens, scrolls, and lacquers pulled from the museum's collection in this exhibition about natural and supernatural imagery in Japanese art. Heads up for the flamesames of hell, dragons, cranes, horse-headed demons, and other fantastical visions, both evil and sublime. Through July 25.

Worlds of Fantasy: Chinese Shadow Puppets-- Volunteer Park hosts more than 70 puppets from the 19th century. The majority of the exhibited works come from the collection of Theodore Bodde, who purchased the extraordinary objects while in Beijing in the 1930s. Chinese textiles with related themes will accompany. Ongoing.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM, 1123 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, 253-627-1898.

The Art Guys Again and Again--Art hi jinx at its best. The Art Guys, Jack Massing and Michael Galbreth, from Houston, take everyday objects and make hysterical sculptures, installations, and often performance based pieces. TAM has pieces made of American Cheese, 99 bottles of beer, and 1950s suitcases. Don't be surprised if you see the pair sporting their Todd Oldham suits with embroidered advertising plugs for companies like Absolut Vodka. Through July 25.

Sue Coe--A retrospective of prints featuring works from 1979 to the present. Coe is renowned for her hard-hitting, propaganda-filled prints dealing with subjects of controversy and high emotion. The violence of war and rape, the vulnerability of children, animal cruelty, and racial and social injustice are themes she tackles in a somewhat shocking, but always informative way. Through July 18.

OPENING

EXPOSURE--An exhibition celebrating the study of the human form in photography. Basically - nudes, nudes, nudes.... Benham Gallery, 1216 First Ave, 622-2480. Mon May 3 through June 12.

*JON HADDOCK--Works from two captivating and distinctively different bodies. There are twenty digital c-prints from the series Internet Sex Photos in which the artist has downloaded images from amateur Internet porn and removed the sex act pixel by pixel leaving average, if not depressing, interiors. Accompanying is a group of socio-political "toys" from his American Fine Art Products International series. Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399. Sat May 1 through May 31.

OPEN CALL EXHIBITION--Jurors Larry Calkins and Alyssa Stevens chose a terrific group of artists from their open call including Jennifer Carroll, Jennifer McNeely, Kathy Ross, Elizabeth Wong, Randy Wood and more.... The Pound Gallery, 1216 10th Ave, 726-8040. Sat May 1 through May 16.

CONTINUING EXHIBITS

SUSAN BENNERSTROM--New pastels by this wildly popular Northwest artist. Landscapes have dominated the previous work, but in Inhabited the focus is shifted inside with depictions of uninhabited interior settings. Davidson Gallery, 313 Occidental Ave S, 624-4588. Through May 1.

WARNER BLAKE--From a veteran Northwest artist, a new and highly personal installation dealing with the life and death of his father, entitled Reassembling Memories: Artworks Evolving from Inherited Objects. Blue Heron Gallery, 19704 Vashon Hwy, Vashon Island. Through April 30.

*BREAKING THE SURFACE--Collaborative works in mixed media by Lauren Atkinson and Donald Green. Large dress forms constructed of cane are covered with wax-impregnated materials, and stand quietly by blurry, disturbingly confrontational photos of staring figures. A simple and powerful show. LEAD Gallery, 1022 First Ave, 623-6240. Through April 30.

MARSHA BURNS--Another terrific collection of work by Burns, entitled Photographs from another place continued.... G. Gibson Gallery, 122 S Jackson St, 587-4033. Through May 15.

LAURIE CINOTTO--Some Facts in Nature is filled with familiar detritus collaged into oddly foreign sculptures that are encased in plastic. This sterile treatment ignites the complexities of "personal evidence" rather than the trappings of domestic sentimentality. SOIL, 310 First Ave S, 264-8016. Through May 1.

JAMES COOK--Highly textured and abstracted landscapes and seascapes painted in a grand scale. Eyre/ Moore Gallery, 913 Western Ave, 624-5596. Through May 1.

*ROY DeFOREST--Bay Area artist DeForest has been one of the West Coast's most established and celebrated artists for the past 20 years. The work, loosely drawn figures and animals in comical brightly colored landscapes, is still fresh and energetic. Linda Hodges Gallery, 410 Occidental Ave S, 624-3034. Through May 1.

DEPICTION--A debut solo show by Canadian artist my name is scot. Yes, that's his name. The photo-based installation consists of illuminated boxes that require the viewer to stand closely and examine the eerie faces inside. Oculus Gallery, 163 S Jackson, 366-2108. Through May 1.

AMY DIED--Welcome back to one of Capitol Hill's primary exhibition spots for emerging artists. With new digs and a more professional look, R.M. presents large-scale, mixed-media works by Died. Robbie Mildred Gallery, 307 E Pike St, 325-5228. Through May 3.

EN PLEIN AIR--Landscapes by Michael Dailey, Nanci Erskine, Boyer Gonzales, Phillip Govedare, Juliana Heyne, Michael Howard, Ed Kamuda, Norman Lundin, and Spike Mafford. Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355. Through May 2.

HEIDI FIECHTER--Manipulated photographs within mixed media works and installations. FotoCircle, 163 S Jackson, 2nd flamesr, 624-2645. Through May 1.

RICHARD GILKEY--Paintings from the 1950s by this veteran Northwest artist. Works by Mark Tobey accompany. Kurt Litke Gallery, 318 Second Ave S, 623-5082. Through May 22.

COLLEEN HAYWARD/MEGAN MURPHY--Hayward, a Cornish instructor, exhibits dark and rich abstract paintings with heavily worked, thickly layered surfaces. In contrast, Murphy's abstract work is light and ethereal, with layers of pigment and silver leaf. Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586. Through May 1.

ERIN KEENOY--New paintings focused on the power and vulnerability of being female. Highly stylized and full of personal symbology and social commentary. Zeitgeist, 161 S Jackson, 583-0497. Through May 5.

DAVID KLEINER--Forceful brush strokes and bold colors figure prominently in the paintings of this Seattle newcomer. The most fascinating series in the show features Kleiner's various interpretations of the famous 1950 Life magazine photo of the Abstract Expressionists posed for a formal portrait. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St, 233-9873. Through April 30.

MAYME KRATZ--Encased in resin, a difficult, laborious and toxic medium, is an entrancing, frozen organic scrapbook. Over 15 sculptures so pretty you could lick 'em. Elliott Brown, 619 N 35th St, #101A, 547-9740. Through May 1.

GARY NISBET--Sensitive, decorative works in mixed media featuring domestic objects--flamesowers, bowls, vegetables, clothing.... Grover Thurston Gallery, 309 Occidental Ave S, 223-0816. Through May 1.

*BILL OWENS--Kucera gives over his entire gallery to almost 50 photographs from the artist's three main series of works from the 1970s: Suburbia, Our Kind of People and Working (I do it for the money). Owens challenged the idea of contemporary art photography--and garnered international attention with his straightforward approach to capturing average Americans on film and combining the images with quotes from the subjects. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through May 1.

KEN PARKER--Large-scale monoprints of industrial containers. Inside the clearly defined edges of the vessels is a dense network of lines and splotches that indicate the age and corrosion of the object. Ballard Fetherston Gallery, 818 E Pike St, 322-9440. Through May 4.

ROCK STARS = ART STARS--A group show with musicians who are also photographers, filmmakers, graphic designers, and sculptors. Curated by Nicky Thomas of Mavis Piggot and Milky World owner De Kwok. Milky World Gallery, 111 Battery St, 374-0933. Through April 30.

JOAN STUART ROSS--The encaustic medium can either look rich and vibrant, or like a muddy mess. There's both going on in this work, but Ross manages to create a symbolic dialogue between clearly defined quilt-like segments, and for the most part rises above the inherent difficulty of the medium. Friesen Gallery, 1210 Second Ave, 628-9501. Through April 30.

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE--This is the only gallery in the Northwest dedicated to the works of self-taught artists. This month Verna Weatherly, who began painting after praying to God and then feeling a white light engulf her body, shows bright acrylic paintings of divine heavenly creatures. Ralph Auf der Heide taught himself how to paint after retirement, and produces paintings on the reverse side of acrylic Plexiglas. Garde Rail, 312 First Ave S, #5, 623-3004. Through April 30.

RUTH SORENSEN--This little frame shop in Madison Valley has had a great run of shows this year, and this one is no exception. Sorensen exhibits that she is an exceptional painter with a series of glowing oils featuring displaced figures in surreal landscapes. Baas Gallery, 2703 E Madison, 324-4742. Through June 12.

TRES FLORES--Prints, drawings, and paintings by three of Mexico's leading female contemporary artists. Tule Gallery, 316 First Ave S, 748-9904. Through May 31.

EVENTS

Rebecca Brown--Brown is a writer who takes her inspiration from vintage photographs. She will lecture on the use of photographs as a starting point for her stories and poems. Sponsored by the FotoCircle Gallery, Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, 624-2645. Thurs, April 29, 7pm. Free.

Milky World Gallery hosts a fun-filled night of art and music featuring bands Mocket, the Adding Machine, Vandemonium, Billy Shook, and When Airplanes. Local and national artists will display artwork and a rafflamese of stuff from Hi Score Arcade, Vain Salon and Milky World caps off the evening. Support one of Seattle's best alternative art venues! (all ages show). Washington State Hall, 153 14th Ave, Fri April 30, 7pm - 1am.

Public Art 101--Presented by the Seattle Arts Commission, this three day national conference aims to educate city agencies, planners, and citizens on how to go from idea to reality in designing and funding public art programs for their own communities. May 5 - 7. Call 684-7076 for more information.

OPPORTUNITIES

Box Populi--1. ArtSpace will be handing out stamped, numbered boxes to Seattle residents to fill with whatever they want. 2. The boxes are given to participating artists on First Thursday to make art referencing or incorporate the contents of the boxes. 3. On Sat June 26 the boxes are auctioned for a minimum of $50. 4. People buy the boxes and a great alternative space gets some support. For more information call 442-9365.

PHRESH--The Pacific Northwest Arts Council of the Seattle Art Museum announces the first biennial juried exhibition on the grounds of Bumbershoot titled PHRESH. The focus is on fresh talent featuring the region's best up and coming artists. Trevor Fairbrother, Deputy Director of Art is the juror. Call for a prospectus at 654-3119. Deadline for submission is June 7.

Washington State Lawyers for the Arts--Every second and fourth Monday from 6:30-8:30 pm, volunteer lawyers specializing in arts and entertainment law are available to answer questions. Artists may receive a private session for a suggested $15 donation. First-come, first-serve; arrive early. For information call the Arts Legal Clinic at 328-7053.