CENTER ON CONTEMPORARY ART (CoCA)
1420 11th Ave, 728-1980.
BLURRED
In CoCA's premiere glimpse at the sweeping focus of architectural design, landscape architects, game designers, graphic designers, and other nontraditional practitioners scrutinize traditional characterizations, resulting in a series of site-specific installations. Featuring Iole Alessandrini, John Jenkins III, lead pencil studio, r-b-f architecture, Alex Schweder, and others. Opening reception Sat Aug 3, 6 pm. Through Sept 13.
HENRY ART GALLERY
15th Ave NE & NE 41st St, 543-2280.
* SHORT STORIES
With new installations of the Monsen photography collection, curatorial meditations on a Richard Diebenkorn painting, and a gorgeous new work by Elizabeth Jameson. Through Nov 10.
OPENING EXHIBITIONS
* ARTHUR S. AUBRY
Aubry's photographs of industrial sites and debris have an eerie stillness that takes them somewhere beyond documentation. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 6-8 pm. Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586. Through Aug 24.
* JIM BLANCHARD
See Stranger Suggests. Opening reception Fri Aug 2, 6-10 pm. Roq la Rue Gallery, 2224 Second Ave, 374-8977. Through Aug 23.
JOY BROOM, BRENNA HELM
With Renaissance reproductions and antiquated Italian field maps as points of inspiration, Broom fabricates imaginary artifacts coated in beeswax. Also featuring Helm's oils on panel. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 6-8 pm. Linda Hodges Gallery, 316 First Ave S, 624-3034. Through Aug 31.
CHRISTOPHER BUENING, KATHY ROSS
Purging a literal cross-section of his personal diaries onto canvas, Buening combines layers of journal entries, paint, and other media into somber, human manifestations. Ross models small human-shaped beings out of weapon forms and fractured representational alphabets in the form of headless baby dolls. But, um, in a good way. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 6-8 pm. Gallery 110, 110 S Washington, 624-9336. Through Aug 24.
TOM DEWAR
Original, hand-screened concert posters designed for the likes of Mudhoney, Unwound, and Dick Dale. Opening reception Sat Aug 3, 7:30-10:30 pm, featuring live performances by Mines and the Lights. Area 51, 401 E Pine St, 568-4782. Through Aug 29.
BARBARA EISWERTH
Natural botanicals that leave hair shiny and beautiful. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 5-8 pm. Baas Gallery, 2703 E Madison St, 324-4742. Through Aug 31.
KRISTINE EVANS, CARLOS WALKER
Happiness combines Evans' Japanese-informed acrylics on masonite with Walker's graffiti mixed media pieces. Opening reception Sat Aug 3, 7-9 pm. LGBT Community Center, 1115 E Pike St, 323-2227. Through Sept 16.
* CLAUDIA FITCH, KATY STONE
Fitch's Attic Moderne comments on the commercialization of precious artistic icons, recasting them in the image of plastics and imitation wares. Coupled with Stone's mylar and paint botanicals. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through Aug 31.
ALAN FULLE, MASAMI KODA, ERIC NELSEN, RICK ARALUCE
Works in anagama-fired clay, mixed-media paint and sculpture, and beautifully intricate miniature mixed-media diorama. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 5-8 pm. William Traver Gallery, 110 Union St, second floor, 587-6501. Through Aug 31.
PETER GROSS
Gross surveys prevailing visions of nautical landforms in Modern Seascapes. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 6-8 pm. Zeitgeist, 171 S Jackson, 583-0497. Through Sept 4.
GUILD OF NATURAL SCIENCE ILLUSTRATORS NORTHWEST
Originally shown at the Smithsonian, GNSI's collection includes everything from medical illustrations to archaeological sketches. Opening reception Sat Aug 3, 6:30-8:30 pm. Miner Gallery, 346 15th Ave E, 568-1604. Through Aug 31.
JAMES LEE HANSEN
The 77-year-old Tacoma-born sculptor exhibits his "potential archaeological objects." Opening reception Mon Aug 5, 6-8 pm. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 155 S Main St, 667-9572. Through Aug 31.
HENRY KINER
Photographic documents of the beauty inherent in waste products populate Consumed. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 6-8 pm. King County Art Gallery, 506 Second Ave, Suite 200, 296-7580. Through Aug 30.
STEVE KLEIN, SEBASTIAN SPRENG
Geometric, kiln-formed glass shapes juxtaposed with radiant, warm oils on canvas. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 5-8 pm. Friesen Gallery, 1210 Second Ave, 628-9501. Through Sept 19.
SUSAN MADSEN, DION ZWIRNER
Madsen's romantic studies of physical metaphor, with Zwirner's landscape abstractions. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 6-8 pm. Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Ave S, 624-7684. Through Aug 31.
* CHRIS McMULLEN
Composed of over 2,500 cubic feet of tons of steel and stone, Process Physics expands McMullen's absurdist mechanical obsessions into yet another "interactive kinetic installation." Opening reception Fri Aug 2, 7-10 pm. Vital 5 Productions, 2200 Westlake Ave, 254-0475. Through Sept 2.
MUSTANG SUMMER
Group show featuring Thin Ice, Jack Daws, Max Galesi, Chris Grant, Kelly Kempe, Bran Meade, John Seal, and Megan Szczecko, among others. Opening reception Sat Aug 3, 7-10 pm. SOIL Gallery, 1317 E Pine St, 264-8061. Through Sept 1.
* ANTJUAN ODEN
Oden's coffee drawings--coffee-powder paste applied with twisted tissue paper--were done during a 28-day stay in solitary confinement. They are something. With acrylic color paintings. Opening reception Fri Aug 2, 6-10 pm. Garde Rail Gallery, 4860 Rainier Ave S, 721-0107. Through Sept 28.
REGROUP/REVIEW
It's August, and that means group shows. The upstairs gallery is given over to Chris St. Pierre's emotional and fractured drawings, and Demi Raven's perplexing modern-world paintings. Opening reception Thurs Aug 1, 5-8 pm. Solomon Fine Art, 1215 First Ave, 297-1400. Through Aug 30.
KATRINA SANTORE, CHRISTY CUSICK
Doubly exposed photographs, digital prints, and mixed media. Opening reception Sat Aug 3, 6-10 pm. Pound Gallery, 1216 10th Ave, 323-0557. Through Aug 18.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
* LEO SAUL BERK, DONNABELLE CASIS
Surveying explores Berk's fascination with the timber industry in the form of his 100-foot veneer ribbon sculpture, which promises to literally envelop its viewers. Vague, flirtatious oil forms compose Casis' hanker. Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399. Through Sept 7.
JOHN BISBEE
Three Tons refers quite literally to the amount of material shaped by the artist into large, prickly sculptural landscapes. In this case, it's three tons of nails. Suyama Space, 2324 Second Ave, 256-0809. Through Aug 16.
* ELIZABETH JAMESON
The pieces of attire in Jameson's drawings are laced, bound, padded, and insulated enough to protect the most fashionable member of the bomb squad. Ballard Fetherston Gallery, 818 E Pike St, 322-9440. Through Aug 31.
* KUSTOM SHOE
The Kustom Purse concept is back in this snappy clothing store; this installment features a more time-honored fetish object. Kuhlman, 2419 First Ave, 441-1999. Through Aug 31.
MAGGIE MELVIN
Two words: tree crotches. What are you waiting for? Two Bells, 2313 Fourth Ave, 441-3050. Through Aug 31.
* SARAH MORRIS
The goals of commerce, as illustrated through an accumulation of shopping bags. Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery, 1334 First Ave, Suite 140, 654-3240. Through Sept 29.
GREG OWEN
Precise papercut portraits. Nation Gallery, 1921 Fifth Ave, 374-9492. Through Aug 11.
PERSONAL VIEWPOINTS
The winners of the Seventh Annual Photographic Competition Exhibition. Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, 720-7222. Through Aug 30.
* KELLY STATON
A series of paintings, entitled The Secret Life of Nancy Drew. Little Theatre Gallery, 609 19th Ave E, 343-9653. Through Aug 24.
JIM WOODRING
In Drawings Pleasant & Unpleasant, Woodring takes a break from the outlandish color of his brilliant comics work with a collection of complex charcoal drawings. Elliott Bay Café, 101 S Main St, 682-6664. Through Aug 31.
EVENTS
BURNINGHEARTS ARTISTS' MARKET
Another relaxed, DIY artists' market, complete with DJ accompaniment. Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater, 2320 Second Ave, 898-9067, Sat Aug 3, 3-7:30 pm.
* JELLYFISH JAMBOREE
Here's an art party you don't want to miss--not the usual fire-dancing, papier-mché-mask kind, but a dive into the truly weird. With octopus cunnilingus, catfish corner with Pappy and Bocefus, excellent DJs (including DJ Eddie, a personal favorite), and a full underwater bar. It's a benefit for an equally inspired future art project, so bring money ($10 suggested donation). Jem Studios, 6004 12th Ave S, Fri Aug 2, 9 pm-4 am.
ONE NIGHT ONLY: 11 SHOWS IN 11 MONTHS
This month: an interactive performance with Toi Sennhauser, Sarah J. Allen's video projection, Alan Hurley's paintings, and Mindy Buchheit's "objects." Joon Miette will also be presenting 30 Paintings in 12 Days, a collection of works on glass. Between Seattle Lighting and King St. Station, look for One Night Only signs, 321 Third Ave S, 720-9909, Thurs Aug 1, 7-11 pm.
* DO-HO SUH
At the last Venice Biennale, Suh showed an enormous floor of glass, with thousands of tiny figures holding it up--a beautiful thing. Here, he discusses his cross-cultural inclinations, specifically a new installation in Korean silk. Seattle Art Museum, Plestcheeff Auditorium, 100 University St, 654-3100, Wed Aug 7, 7 pm.
