How about the Rem Koolhaas library anyone?

Having it mentioned twice is not enough for you?

Architecture and Music surely deserve their own lists, as does pizza, and sex toy shops- oops, the stranger already has an issue devoted to them.

I love the Space Needle too, but it aint sculpture, and putting it on these lists is padding.

A few omissions, mostly because, to youngsters today, if it aint on the Interweb, it didnt happen.
Many of the most "important" art that was made in Seattle didnt happen at SAM, and wasnt written about by the Times, and so its slipped away.

I would add:

Peter Santino's first solo show, at and/or in 1978- Huge, photo realist colored pencil drawings that span the 60's thru the 90's, which influenced a lot of people in subtle ways. Ironic text, amazing beauty, subtle digs at Seattle stuffyness.
http://www.santino.tv/work/1970_1978/197…

SRL performance, 1986.
Mark Pauline is so politically incorrect, he has something to offend everybody, including dead animals on sticks, actual injuries to audiences, stealing to get art supplies, macho in your face sexism, and he will gleefully shake your hand with his big toe transplant.
And, I know, he's not from here.
But he also is incredibly "important".
When Bruce Sterling and William Gibson were inventing cyberpunk, they used SRL as the artists model. The entire "Robot Wars" phenomenon is an attempt to water down Pauline enough to make it commercial.
Burning Man is a hugely derivative of Pauline and his cronies vision of the future. Steampunk, Sci-Fi movie art direction, even kids toys have Pauline's footprints, dripping dog poop and dirty motor oil, all over em.

Any piece by Howard Kottler.
Gay Dada Trickster, Howard is not given the props he deserved. For many years, he, along with Patti Warishina and Bob Sperry, drew the best and the brightest to the UW, mentoring a huge number of great artists. Howard was Loki, Coyote, and Anasi, with razor wit, impeccable taste, and stunning craftsmanship. Any of his work would fit on this list- the subversive Blue Boys, the Cubist Dogs, Furry Merit Oppenheim riffs- Howard Rocked. I miss him daily.

And, in that vein, the work of probably Howard's best known student, Michael Lucero. Lucero only lived here a few years, before he moved to NYC and fame and fortune, but he made dozens of great subversive pieces here. Technically he is amazing, conceptually he is subversive, and his art disturbs and entertains.

Greg Kucera of Greg Kucera Gallery wrote:

Michael Spafford's Labors of Hercules made in Seattle for the House of Representative's chambers in the Washington State Senate building. Hence destroyed by having them installed in a library in Chehalis.

Not correct.

The panels are installed in a theater at Centralia Community College. Now you can squabble whether there's any difference between a library in Chehalis and a theater in Centralia, but what I think the important point to remember is that the panels are on display and accessible to the public. Whether it's the way the artist imagined they'd be displayed is a moot point. Original settings change all the time. Get over it.

By Kucera saying that they've been "destroyed" because they're not displayed where he or the artist wanted them displayed is elitist and despicable.

Interestingly in 1989 Kucera filed a court brief against allowing the college to display the murals http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/archives/1….) His confusion as to where they ended up shows an intellectual laziness on top of his elitism. That's quite a combo!

When attacking people for being elitist, despicable, lazy, and confused, one would think you whould have the integrity to sign your own name.

I love it, how 'art' raises emotions.

Thank you J.G. for having this discussion. Graves, Toby, Lawence, Mason,and Chihuly are no brainers
Spaffords "Hercules" Noguchi's Black Sun also. But, can I give a vote for the new JP Patches
Bronze in Fremont, it is a pleasure
for a native Seattleite.
I found it interesting that the
Artist's that I would put the word "con" in front of are
all quasi-Sculptors:
D.Evans
B.Simpson
J. Mitchell
M. Heizer
Mitchell has (stolen) so much public
funding, that I have to admire
how far he has gone with
the Baby Art stuff (N.Y.Gay art)
Powder Blue cast toys.
Thank you for A.Wheeler, a truly
great Photographer. Warashina's women and rats in a maze
at Foster White still haunts me.
I am very proud to be included in her Sculpture
"the Prosession" at the Opera House.
the primative James Castle should be mentioned.
Of your "experts" I would say I agree most with L. Reid
who has seen it all.
Thanks for letting me vent.
William Wikstrom
PS I would love to hear what Roland Bert Gardner has to say?

You're calling Buster Simpson and Jeffrey Mitchell "con"artists but want to give props for the JP Patches statue? Enough said.

jp patches? are you effing kidding me?

Greg Bell: Robert Sperry: two of my favorites on public display: (1) Free standing sculpture on the corner of 45th and Brooklyn in front of the former Safeco Tower. (2) Multiple panel wall piece in the lobby of the King County Building on Fourth Ave.

Have you seen the Patches sculpture?

Mary Ellen Mark's work with Tiny!! Come on, y'all!!

Hey, I GOT NUTHIN”-----I’ll accept your snipe here….and return it here.
You’re right about the location where the Spafford murals got destroyed. That happened in the theater in Centralia. It was the pair of Mason murals that got destroyed in the Chehalis library. I confused the two in my editing.
I was originally going to include both in my list but let go of the mention of Mason’s murals because I included his “Burpee Garden Series” in my list and I think they are greater works of art than his Senate murals.
You call me “elitist and despicable” and then “intellectually lazy.” But, in your eager bitterness, you got yourself confused too. My brief was against the move of the Masons in 1990. It took longer for us to fight the removal of the Spafford murals as they were physically attached to the wall.

But, hell, once they’re destroyed what does it matter whether that action on the part of egotistical architects and small minded bureaucrats happens in Centralia or Chehalis.

You wouldn't be the architect would you? I hereby offer the slap of my glove against your cheek.

I agree with many on the lists. However, my No. 1 is on no list. The Floating Opera which was performed in the late 80's or early 90's was IT for me. It involved boats, helicopters, barges, musicians floating in the Sound in survival suits, flagged pyramid structures flying toward the Olympics from just off Myrtle Edwards at the exact moment of sunset, and, you know, music. Has everyone forgotten?

Does anybody remember the name of this Latin painter who was at 619 Western this past spring who painted Mayans and such with a backdrop of galaxies and stars and spirits - really mystical stuff. If so drop me a line: enpissant@yahoo.com -- thanks!