VISUAL ART

BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM

301 Bellevue Square, 425-454-3322.

*2000 PACIFIC NORTHWEST ANNUAL

The list of artists for this year's Annual reads like an impeccable pedigree of Young Seattle Artists, including Leo Saul Berk, Susan Dory, Thess Fenner, Jeff Miller, and Nicola Vruwink. Wisely pared down from last year's laundry list, this year's show concentrates on more work by fewer artists, a happier result overall. Throughout the exhibition's run, the museum will host a series of six artist residencies, allowing artists the space and resources to create work over the duration of the exhibition; completed work will then be added to the show. Through Sept 3. Reviewed this issue.

CENTER ON CONTEMPORARY ART

65 Cedar St, 728-1980.

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS

This Detroit rock band/art group was started by a bunch of inspired University of Michigan art students in the early '70s, some of whom (Mike Kelley, Jim Shaw) went on to high-profile art careers. Their latest collabrative works are on display. Through Aug 30.

FRYE ART MUSEUM

701 Terry Ave, 622-9250.

DAVID ROSENTHAL

Large oil paintings of Antarctica landscapes--realistic, with an otherworldly feel. Through Aug 9.

HENRY ART GALLERY

15th Ave NE at NE 41st St, 543-2280.

*ANDY WARHOL DRAWINGS, 1942-1987

That slightly arch, calligraphic style that's everywhere in graphic design these days (Nordstrom ads, juice bars)--you know where it comes from? Warhol's drawings from the '50s, when he was a commercial artist raking in the dough (as opposed to a pop artist raking in the dough). Then there are the more famous works on paper from his celebrity days (portraits, collages) and a self-portrait he drew at 14, long before his self-allotted 15 minutes began to tick away. A show like this is essential for reminding us that icons have other facets. Through Oct 8.

JACOB LAWRENCE: IN MEMORIAM

Twelve works hung in memory of Lawrence, who died last month. Through July 21.

TONY OURSLER

Oursler's video works are characteristically creepy--for example, projections of facial features that give a weird, transparent life to inanimate objects. His installation at the Henry is called The Empty Cabinet, but knowing Oursler, "empty" is a relative term. Through July 30.

SHIFTING GROUND: TRANSFORMED VIEWS OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

It's such a ubiquitous subject, and so often maligned. Here's a show that makes a gallant effort to show how landscape portrayal has changed over time, and by implication, how our attitude toward the land has been altered in the process. Certainly an exhibition that encompasses both Albert Bierstadt's Manifest Destiny-like paintings and Robert Smithson's earthworks can make such a jump in perspective visible. Through Aug 20.

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM

100 University St, 654-3158.

EASTMAN JOHNSON: PAINTING AMERICA

A retrospective of a consummate American painter. In his work, Johnson (1824-1906) covered many different territories, including scenes from Native American and black communities. Through Sept 10.

*LANGUAGE LET LOOSE

At the center of this exhibition on words and art is Gary Hill's installation House of Cards , a multi-screen video work of people speaking, Hill-like, in disjointed but connected sentences. Complementing this audible cacophony is a slew of interesting work, including books by Ed Rusch and Walker Evans' sign photographs. Through April 29.

SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM

1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 654-3100.

THE ART OF PROTEST

Social and political issues addressed through a variety of media, including the photography of Walker Evans and the mordant commentary of Jenny Holzer. Fang Lijun's enormous woodcut, No. 19, dominates the exhibition. Through Jan 21, 2001.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

1123 Pacific Ave, 253-272-4258.

ALMOST WARM AND FUZZY: CHILDHOOD AND CONTEMPORARY ART

All the art references childhood in some manner, whether nostalgic or ironic or simply fun. Thirty artists from around the world contributed work to this show, which includes The Big Sneeze (an enormous liquid-emitting nose constructed by the Art Guys) and Sandy Skoglund's Shimmering Madness, an installation made up of about a million jellybeans and fluttering butterfly wings. The aim was a show for children as well as adults (and the two works cited here cover the gross-out angle and the lots-to-look at factor); grab your favorite eight-year-old and see if it works. Through Sept 17.

WING LUKE ASIAN MUSEUM

407 Seventh Ave S, 623-5124.

THROUGH OUR EYES

An extensive exhibition of Asian American photography of the Northwest, from journalism to fine art. It includes the photography of Frank Matsura--who emigrated from Japan at the turn of the century (the last one) and documented the Okanogan frontier--through the contemporary work of Dean Wong and Jessica Kim. Through April 8, 2001.

WRIGHT EXHIBITION SPACE

407 Dexter Ave N, 264-8200.

*THE WRIGHT COLLECTION

Virginia and Bagley Wright have rehung their foundation's exhibit space, devoting one gallery entirely to their great collection of '60s and '70s color field paintings, and introducing a large David Salle oil and the John Baldessari piece Two Onlookers and Tragedy to the mix. Other highlights include a Robert Longo, Eric Fischl, a huge Warhol Rorschach, and Jules Olitski's Thigh Smoke. Open-ended run.

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

CONVERGENCE

Work by Barbara DiPirro, Maya Chachava, and Amber Cottle--three very different artists, which poses the question of where such convergence lies. Opening reception Fri July 21, 7-9 pm. Phinney Center Gallery, 6532 Phinney Ave N, 783-2244. Through Aug 21.

*SOUTH SOUNDS 2000

This show (juried by the Henry's Rhonda Howard) features the work of 13 south-Sound artists, including video work by the excellent Jennifer West, sculpture by Kelsey Fernkopf, and prints by Brian Alves. Opening reception Thurs July 20, 5 pm. Commencement Art Gallery, 253-591-5341. Through Aug 25.

LINDA THOMAS

This drawing installation is entitled Art in Process, and the artist will be working on it over the course of the next week and a half. Opening reception Sat July 22, 4-6 pm. The Playhouse, 4045 University Ave N. Through July 30.

CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS

JULIE ALEXANDER

Alexander usually builds her meticulous works with layers of graphite strokes, and her recent move to paint is an interesting shift. The works are still intense and earthy, but have a different visual depth. Oculus Gallery, 216 Alaskan Way S, 366-2108. Through July 29.

AMERICAN FAMILIES

The show's subtitle (Beyond the White Picket Fence) puts you on the alert that diversity is the theme here. Photographer Courtney Coolidge traveled around the country photographing families in all their glory and difficulty. Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, 720-7222. Through Aug 29.

ARTISTS UNLIMITED: STUDENT SHOWCASE

Work by artists participating in classes given by VSA Arts of Washington, a center that provides arts instruction and professional development for adults with disabilities. Harrison Street Gallery, Center House, Seattle Center, Third Floor. Through July 31.

JIM BLANCHARD

A show called Earaches in Ink featuring Jim Blanchard's album covers, posters, and flyers from the last 15 years. And it's all for sale. Fallout Records, 1506 E Olive Way, 323-2662. Through July 31.

GABRIEL BRANDT

The lovely title of this show is I Adore You, and the photographs explore a kind of isolation that makes the title an interesting paradox. The subjects are photographed nude and somewhere just outside the reach of society. FotoCircle Gallery, 216 Alaskan Way S, 624-2645. Through July 29.

*CRIS BRUCH

Bruch's intricately pieced sculpture at Consolidated Works earlier this year was absolutely mind-bending--about a thousand paper triangles fitted together somehow to make a large, hollow, multifaceted form. His new and similarly unfathomable installation, Duty Cycle, fills the atrium with paper and metal wheel-like forms invoking labor, repetition, and the passage of time. Suyama Space, 2324 Second Ave, 256-0809. Through Aug 18.

BILLY CHILDISH

Brit artist Childish is prolific in a number of genres--in painting, in poetry, and in music (he was the front man for the punk bank Thee Headcoats)--and is also known for the grenades he lobs at the established business of each discipline. His painting, like his music and writing, is raw and unpracticed--exactly the kind of so-called "outsider" work that's pressing in on the mainstream. Zeitgeist Gallery, 171 S Jackson St, 583-0497. Through Aug 2.

*BEN DARBY

Darby's Flower Ball paintings are the best and strangest things to happen to flowers in a long time. There's nothing sweet here; the flowers are heavily painted, as artificial as cake decoration, surreal and mortal in the manner of those slightly decayed Flemish still lifes. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 155 S Main St, 667-9572. Through July 29.

DELTA

Delta--Dutch graffiti artist Boris Tellegen--has raised lettering, of all things, to a high, high-tech art. In his hands words become strange, abstract, hard-edged creatures--or machines. Houston, 907 E Pike St, 860-7820. Through Aug 30.

MICHAEL DENNIS, RICHARD BEERHORST

Dennis uses the crushed wreckage of cars and salvaged wood to create sculptures that suggest figures called, interestingly, Heroes. Beerhorst's oil portraits draw on early Renaissance iconography and body language, but have more in common with the emotional weirdness of folk art--Jesus Christ as a blasé hippie. Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586. Through July 29.

SUSANNA DENT

Dent's mixed-media-on-panel paintings offer a menu of suggestive images (skulls, vessels, plants), a bright palette, and an invitation to build a narrative from it all. The connections might not be obvious; Dent's skill is in suggestion. Eyre/Moore Gallery, 913 Western Ave, 624-5596. Through Aug 1.

MARITA DINGUS, MAYSEY CRADDOCK

Messages from two artists living in the South. Dingus' mixed-media work incorporates wire and fabric and plastic objects to reference the woven work associated with slavery--baskets, quilts, and fences. Gouache and pastel paintings by Craddock contain emotionally laden domestic objects. Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355. Through July 30.

*KELSEY FERNKOPF, ROBERT YODER

Howard House celebrates its third anniversary with Milk and Honey, a show featuring Fernkopf's mixed-media sculptures and Yoder's recombined road-sign paintings. It's tempting to ask which is milk and which is honey, but it could just as well refer to the constant flow of good work from Billy Howard's gallery. Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399. Through Aug 5.

HELEN GAMBLE

A new take on life jackets by this accomplished sculptor. Artemis Gallery, 1400 31st Ave S, 323-0562. Through July 30.

GARDEN

Hard on the heels of the Henry's garden-themed fundraiser this spring, another group show on the green space (sculpture, fountains, birdhouses) in the urban jungle. (This one, however, doesn't require an expensive ticket.) Art/Not Terminal Gallery, 2045 Westlake Ave, 233-0680. Through Aug 3.

KATHERINE GRAY

Known primarily as a glass artist, the Canadian-born Gray has put together a show that includes other intriguing materials. Serenissima is an arrangement of 2,500 puzzle pieces of Venice's Grand Canal, each piece mounted in its own jewelry box. These works make you really think about craft. Elliott Brown Gallery, 619 N 35th St, #101A, 547-9740. Through July 29.

CHRISTOPHER HARRIS

Chromogenic prints of the Palouse region, blurred to interesting abstraction. Harris uses handmade cameras, and his shots are made over long exposures through a pinhole lens. Lisa Harris Gallery, 1922 Pike Place, 443-3315. Through July 30.

HOME ALIVE

A juried show, the proceeds from which benefit Home Alive, an organization committed to violence prevention. The Pound Gallery, 1216 10th Ave, 323-0557. Through July 30.

JENNY HYDE, JOE ROBBINS

Hyde superimposes rural, traditional-feeling themes onto nontraditionally sewn canvases. Robbins' sculpture combines two entirely unexpected elements (cast-porcelain mosaic squares and traditional male iconography) to create something entirely other. Ballard Fetherston Gallery, 818 E Pike St, 322-9276. Through Aug 19.

BRIAN KENNEDY

Irish artist Kennedy has created a site-specific installation using salt and silver and gold. SOIL Artist Cooperative, 12th and Pike, 264-8061. Through July 30.

*KAZUHITO KOBAYASHI

Solid felt creations that resemble body parts and internal organs--sort of. Somehow they manage to by friendly and menacing at the same time. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through July 29.

*RICHARD KRAFT, JOSEPH BIEL

These Portland artists collaborate on mixed-media installations that include photographs, sculpture, painting, and found objects. Things are intriguingly placed, suggesting symbolism and connection. But the connections between objects aren't given; the idea is to inspire them in the mind of the viewer. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through July 29.

JAY LAZERWITZ

Encaustics on the theme of house and home. Sev Shoon Arts Center, 5206 Ballard Ave NW, 782-2415. Through Aug 6.

LULU

A series of collage-like paintings. Black Lab Gallery, 5208 Ballard Ave, 781-2392. Through Aug 9.

ROBERT MACDONALD, MICHAEL DUDASH

Exoskeletons and endoskeletons by two Seattle artists. MacDonald makes sculptures from wire frames and patterned canvas, and lights them from within, so that they look like obscure sea creatures. DuDash's paintings and reliefs use skeletons, fossils, and dead leaf-imagery to create goulish work with an undertone of longing. Roq La Rue, 2224 Second Ave, 374-8977. Through July 29.

RICHARD MISRACH

Large-scale landscape photography. G. Gibson Gallery, 122 S Jackson, #200, 587-4033. Through Aug 19.

MELANIE RENECKER

Photographs from Paris shown, charmingly, in a little cafe. Grand Illusion, 1405 NE 50th St. Through Sept 1.

CHARLES K. ROSENBERG

See Bio Box. The Little Theatre, 608 19th Ave E, 329-2629. Through Aug 20.

MACROCOSM/MICROCOSM

Nature enlarged beyond recognition and pressed right into the canvas, from artists Carolyn Watts and Eva Isaksen. Cornish College of the Arts, Fisher Gallery, 710 E Roy St, 726-5011. Through Aug 31.

*MIRROR'S EDGE

The theme, in name, of this show is the relationship between image, fiction, and reality, but the real pleasure is how international and new the art is. Some of the best work--by Liisa Roberts, by Ceal Floyer--feels like a grand discovery; when the work fails, it fails on a grand scale, which is something we rarely get to see around here. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC, 604-662-4700. Through Aug 13.

RICHARD MISRACH

For his series Golden Gate, Misrach has taken photographs of the same view of the San Francisco Bay over the course of three years. In the Bay Area's moody weather, this has produced remarkable differences in light and color. G. Gibson Gallery, 122 S Jackson St, Suite 200, 587-4033. Through Aug 19.

MARIAM AZIZA STEPHAN

A series of drawings entitled Stranded by this sure-handed artist. Two Bells Tavern, 2313 Fourth Ave, 441-3050. Through Aug 1.

STRUCTURES

A rotating exhibit featuring paintings and photographs of real and imagined structures. Participating artists include John Stamets, C. Blake Haygood, and Julia Ricketts. SAM Rental Sales Gallery, 1334 First Ave, 654-3240. Through Sept 2.

TERRY TURRELL

Hand-carved figures augmented by found materials such as tin and wire, giving them an air of things at once discarded and revered. Grover/Thurston Gallery, 309 Occidental Ave S, 223-0816. Through Aug 12.

20th-CENTURY MASTER WORKS ON PAPER

Works by Dubuffet, Leger, Matisse, Picasso, Braques, Miro, and Le Corbusier. Winston Wächter Fine Art, 403 Dexter Ave N, 652-5855. Through Aug 10.

BILL VAEGEMAST

Witty miniature paintings that touch on political and economic topics. Trapeze Gallery, 1130 34th Ave, 329-3363. Through Aug 4.

*ULRICH WELLMANN

Painting reduced to its most essential components: paint, surface, viewer. Except reduction here adds up to an intense experience of harmonic color, which Wellmann allows to take center stage by painting on Plexiglass. James Harris Gallery, 309A Third Ave S, 903-6220. Through July 29.

WOMEN IN PRINT

Actually, the show is of prints by women, and includes three decades' worth of work by 20 artists. Bank of America Gallery, 701 Fifth Ave, Third Floor, 585-3200. Through Aug 25.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS

KING COUNTY ART GALLERY

The King County Arts Commission is taking submissions for solo shows and artist-organized small group exhibitions in its Smith Tower gallery. Participating artists must (obviously) live in King County, and not be represented by a commercial gallery. Get an application online at www.metrokc.gov/exec/culture/arts/gallery, or call 296-7580. Deadline is Aug 11.