SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
1300 First Ave, 654-3100, seattleartmuseum.org, open Wed–Sun
Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon (opens Oct 17): The museum turns its focus southward to Peru this season, with a great big sparkling exhibition of rarely seen sculpture, painting, and textiles surveying three thousand years of patrimony, from the Incas to the viceroys and the saints... Robert Davidson: Abstract Impulse (opens Nov 16): SAM's organized the first major US exhibition for the master Haida artist—with 45 paintings, sculptures, and prints—that in 2014 will travel to the National Museum of the American Indian's center in New York.
HENRY ART GALLERY
4100 15th Ave NE, 543-2280, henryart.org, open Wed–Sun
David Hartt: Stray Light (opens Sept 21): A gallery is transformed into a room carpeted in the style of the 1971 Johnson Publishing Company building in Chicago. On display are a film and photographs of the same subject. Hartt's almost-deadpan pictures wonder about the lines between personal identity and shared, often bureaucratic places... The Photographs of Ray K. Metzker (opens Sept 21): A five-decade career charted... Jason Dodge (opens Oct 19): Sculpture that draws inspiration and source materials from everyday life, dead birds, duvets... Haegue Yang: Houses on String and Field of Teleportation (opens Oct 19): Wallpaper reimagined, Venetian blinds reallocated. Two gallery-filling installations by the Korean-born artist.
FRYE ART MUSEUM
704 Terry Ave, 622-9250, fryemuseum.org, open Tues–Sun
Joshua Kohl (Sept 21–Oct 20): One of the masterminds behind Seattle's renowned Degenerate Art Ensemble premieres new works commissioned by the Frye, including pieces that incorporate elements of his father's poetry and writings... Mark Mitchell: Burial (Sept 21–Oct 20): You may see something to look forward to in dying, so gorgeous is this Seattle designer's line of clothing specifically for the dead. Nine models will present the collection in a live performance followed by an exhibition of the ensembles... Frye Salon (opens Sept 21): The permanent collection as it was seen in the home of Charles and Emma Frye... Franz von Stuck (opens Nov 2): The painter of the Frye's popular painting Sin rose to prominence at the turn of the last century. He made his American debut at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and now comes his first comprehensive US exhibition, organized in conjunction with the Museum Villa Stuck.
OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK
2901 Western Ave, 654-3100, seattleartmuseum.org, park open daily, pavilion open Tues–Sun
Encontro das Águas (through Oct 20) envelops the walls of the pavilion in a drawn sea of sinuously winding waves. The scale of Sandra Cinto's piece is such that you drown in the work, happy to be pulled down under the silvery lines with the ship... The Western Oracle: We Will Tear the Roof Off the Mother (through Oct 13): Usually you can't walk on the sculptures, but NOT SO with Heather Hart's large-scale installation. You can climb on it and go inside its attic. There, true to its oracle designation, it will grant you a wish if you drum on the animal skin of its wall.
BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM
510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, 425-519-0770, bellevuearts.org, open Tues–Sun
Rick Arulace: The Minutes, the Hours, the Days (through Jan 31): The lead scenic artist for Seattle Opera unyokes his creativity in his intricately detailed miniatures. Small hallways, small doorways, small light bulbs, all awash in nagging eeriness... Telling Tales: Narrative Works by Nate Steigenga, Cappy Thompson, and Anna Torma (opens Oct 10): Thompson's blown glass urns depict the Hindu god Krishna with vibrant energy; Torma's work is a collage of textiles, patchwork, and doodling embroidery; and Steigenga chooses bedsheets and pillow covers as a medium for conveying charmed scenes of myth and fantasy... A World of Paper, a World of Fashion: Isabelle de Borchgrave Meets Mariano Fortuny (opens Nov 21): Belgian artist de Borchgrave has created life-size historical outfits entirely out of paper.
BURKE MUSEUM
17th Ave NE and NE 45th St, UW Campus, 543-5590, burkemuseum.org, open Mon–Sun
Elwha: A River Reborn (opens Nov 23): This season's special exhibition at the Northwest's natural history museum is a look at the recent dam removal project, and a general overview of this important water-body.
CHIHULY GARDEN AND GLASS
305 Harrison St, Seattle Center, 753-4940, chihulygardenandglass.com, open Mon–Sun
(Ongoing): An immersive campus of all things Chihuly. Be sure to make a stop at Chihuly's idiosyncratic collection of hoarded objects, lovingly embedded in the tabletops of the cafe.
EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT
325 Fifth Ave N, 770-2700, empmuseum.org, open Mon–Sun
Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power (through Sept 22): An exhibit dedicated to the "foremothers" of rock and their offspring. Organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, unmissable items include Madonna's Blond Ambition tour bustier and Lady Gaga's meat dress... Martin Schoeller: Close Up (opens Nov 16): Forty-eight large-scale photographic portraits of people like George Clooney, large and hi-res enough to allow the examination of follicles and pores.
LEMAY CAR MUSEUM
2702 E "D" St, Tacoma, 253-779-8490, lemaymuseum.org, open Mon–Sun
(Ongoing): Nine acres of iconic cars, with styles ranging from the haughty to the cartoonish.
MUSEUM OF GLASS
1801 Dock St, Tacoma, 253-284-4750, museumofglass.org, open Wed–Sun
An Experiment in Design Production: The Enduring Birds of iittala (opens Sept 25): The iittala glass factory in Nuutajärvi, Finland, is about to go the way of the dodo bird, like the Waterford Crystal factory in Ireland. This exhibition commemorates the factory and its annual production of a bird specifically for the museum on Bird Lovers Weekend Oct 12–13... Chihuly's Irish Cylinders (opens Oct 26): Nigh-on 40-year-old pieces from the glass guy evoke traditional Irish iconography as well as Joyce... CAUTION! Fragile. Irish Glass: Tradition in Transition (opens Nov 9): Further focus is paid to the effects of recent factory closures.
MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND INDUSTRY
860 Terry Ave N, Lake Union Park, 324-1126, mohai.org, open daily
Still Afloat: A Contemporary History of Seattle's Floating Homes (through Nov 3): All kinds of information, images, and artifacts about houseboats. Or is it boathouses? No, no, it's houseboats... The permanent collection, on ongoing display at the museum's recently rehabbed maritime building on the edge of South Lake Union, contains all sorts of favorite artifacts, from an early Boeing plane to Bobo the gorilla to a contemporary sculpture by John Grade that's like going inside a tree.
NORDIC HERITAGE MUSEUM
3014 NW 67th St, 789-5707, nordicmuseum.org, open Tues–Sun
Dressing Swedish: From Hazelius to Salander (Sept 13–Nov 10): Contemporary designers re-create outfits donned by Swedes through the ages. An astute observer will acquire the knowledge necessary to walk amongst Swedes completely undetected... Eino: 50 Years of Making Sculptures (Sept 27–Dec 7): The stones of celebrated Finn Eino Romppanen.
NORTHWEST AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
2300 S Massachusetts St, 518-6000, naamnw.org, open Wed–Sun
Bearing Witness from Another Place: James Baldwin in Turkey (through Sept 29): Sedat Pakay's photographs of James Baldwin's time in Turkey... Making and Breaking Patterns: Youth Art from the James and Janie Washington Foundation (through Jan 6): Art from local high schoolers.
SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM
1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 654-3100, seattleartmuseum.org, open Wed–Sun
Hometown Boy: Liu Xiaodong (ongoing): A series of portraits and still-lifes from the everyday views of a Chinese artist who has been part of the rise of Chinese alternative culture since the 1980s, both in art and independent film, and who shows all over the world, including in Mind-Beating, a stark and moving collateral exhibition to the 2013 Venice Biennale. His life—he left his small town at 17 to study art in the rapidly morphing Beijing—was the subject of 2011's documentary Still-Life... China: The Fuller Version—Part One (ongoing): To celebrate SAM's 80th birthday, the museum has organized a definitive exhibition of Chinese masterpieces intended to detail the evolution of the museum's collection over time, originated in the early part of the 20th century by Asian art scholar and collector Richard Fuller... Plus, the permanent collection (ongoing) is full of treasures to be discovered for the first time and rediscovered anew. The wall of diminutive snuffboxes—each one delicately painted with a scene that draws you into its tiny alternate reality—is in itself enough to warrant multiple visits. Camels with big balls sit at the entrance.
TACOMA ART MUSEUM
1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, 253-272-4258, tacomaartmuseum.org, open Wed–Sun
Creating the New Northwest: Selections from the Herb and Lucy Pruzan Collection (through Oct 6): A history of recent Northwest art beginning with the 1962 World's Fair... Austere Beauty: The Watercolors and Prints of Z. Vanessa Helder (through Oct 20): Helder was a certifiable badass. The "Z" stands for "Zama," and she had a pet skunk named Sniffy. Also, she was a mad-skilled painter, and this exhibition is the first major survey of her work and her life... Optic Nerve: The Art of Perception (opens Nov 2): Op art that takes advantage of the short circuits in our brain to make still images shiver and dance... Shimmering Tree: A Projection by Jennifer Steinkamp (opens Nov 6): A projection of a shimmering tree, reconsidered by the artist for the context of the museum space... Sitting for History: Exploring Self-Identity Through Portraiture (ongoing): Portraits, portraits, portraits! All portraits, all the time. Portraits from the Northwest and around the world!
WASHINGTON STATE HISTORY MUSEUM
1911 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, 253-272-3500, washingtonhistory.org, open Wed–Sun
David Douglas: Naturalist at Work (opens Sept 21): Scientific illustrations of Northwest plant life created by Douglas during his travels around the Columbia River in the early 19th century... Cooper (ongoing): Artifacts, lectures, and other stuff concerning the Northwest's most enigmatic hijacker... Hands at Work (ongoing): Photos by Summer Moon Scriver of hands doing all the things that hands do: pull ropes, play electric guitars, lay bricks, play acoustic guitars, et cetera.
WING LUKE MUSEUM
719 S King St, 623-5124, wingluke.org, open Tues–Sun
War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art (ongoing): A traveling exhibition of 19 artists across the spans of their careers—some famous, some not—working in traditional media as well as video, installation, and "other approaches," considering everything from US wars in Asia to transracial adoption and, more generally, the racialization of humans... Under My Skin: Artists Explore Race in the 21st Century (through Nov 17): Race, that unstable category, must always be considered critically and with great care. In Under My Skin, 26 artists confront their experiences with race, and interactive elements allow visitors to confront their own.
ABMEYER & WOOD
1210 Second Ave, 628-9501, abmeyerwood.com, open Tues–Sun
Joseph McDonnell: From Amulet to Monument (through Sept 29): Works in bronze drawing from ancient civilizations and the "elemental objects of life: the Sun, the column, and the arch"... Jeff Ballard: There and Back, A Journey into the Unconscious (Oct 3–Nov 3): Enigmatic sculptures in glass... Catherine Eaton Skinner (Nov 7–Dec 1): What's new from the encaustic painter and sculptor, exploring forms and ideas from Asian culture and religion... Christa Assad (opens Dec 5): A new body "of exciting and controversial sculpture" by the woman named 2013 Artist of the Year by Ceramics Monthly magazine.
A/NT GALLERY
2045 Westlake Ave, 233-0680, antgallery.org, open Wed–Sun
The Onyx Collective (through Sept 30): The gallery's ninth annual showcase of work by artists of African descent... Changes: 25 Years Off the Beaten Path (Oct 5–27): A celebration of the 25th anniversary of this independent gallery with a juried exhibit... Juan Gimelli-Hemme (Oct 30–Nov 29)... Aubry Kae Andersen, Andrew Parry, and Stephen Leddy (opens Dec 4): Acrylics, graffiti, and mixed media.
ARTXCHANGE
512 First Ave S, 839-0377, artxchange.org, open Tues–Sat
Harmonics (through Sept 28): Harmonies and resonances manifested through light and color, by Ullie De Osu and William Song... Milagro (Oct 3–Nov 23): William Hernandez is now an artist based in Portland, but he grew up in his family's colonial house in Lima, Peru, where the whole family squeezed into the windows to watch the Lord of the Miracles parades go by during the Purple Month of October. His paintings recall that month of explosive color and action. (The gallery will host a Peruvian dance event October 11 to celebrate.)
BAINBRIDGE ARTS AND CRAFTS
151 Winslow Way E, Bainbridge Island, 842-3132, bacart.org, open Mon–Sun
Circles & Squares: Work from the Bainbridge Island Park District (through Sept 30): Ceramics, jewelry, collage and other works from artists on Bainbridge... Scott Allen (Oct 4–28): Landscapes that reflect the artist's NW upbringing... Intimate Constructions: Furniture of the Northwest (Oct 4–28): Unexpected materials co-opted to serve our utilitarian demands... Merilee Moore (Nov 1–24): Glass artistry... Women in the Abstract (Nov 1–24): A group show of female abstract painters including Carole Barrer, Marilyn Bergstrom, and scores more.
BHERD STUDIOS
312 N 85th St, Suite 101, 234-8348, bherdstudios.com, open Wed–Fri
W3AVE Live (Sept 13–Oct 4): Twenty-seven Seattle "urban and contemporary artists" play musical canvases over the course of an evening (Sept 5, see Events), then this ongoing exhibition is the culmination of their efforts... Introductions (Oct 11–Nov 1): A preview of what's coming this year, with "ornate oils by Chris Sheridan and Crystal Barbre, neon-drenched cityscapes by Greg Boudreau and Kate Protage, Kellie Talbot's photorealism, Ryan Molenkamp's atmospheric abstracts, and John Osgood's endlessly metamorphosing imagery"... Spectral Menagerie: Joe Vollan and Megan Shore (Nov 8–Dec 10): Paintings of the afterworld of the animal kingdom.
BLINDFOLD GALLERY
1718 E Olive Way, Suite A, 328-5100, blindfoldgallery.com, open Wed–Sun
Kimberly Cole Trowbridge: Story Tell Her (Sept 12–Oct 5): Frustration, humiliation, and "the self's inner battle" are the stated themes of this collection of paintings and sculptures, "a narrative installation"... Kathy Gore Fuss (Oct 10–Nov 9): The Olympia-based, nature-inspired, impressionistic painter... Sue Danielson (Nov 14–Dec 7): A solo show from the Seattle painter who previously contributed to this gallery's group show Water.
BRYAN OHNO GALLERY
521 S Main St, 459-6857, bryanohno.com, open Tues–Sat
Get Naked: Becoming the Female Nude (through Oct 12): Emerging female artists work in paintings, graphic drawings, and tapestries to reimagine that hallowed staple of fine art that is the female nude. Including Amanda Manitach, Sarah Whalen, Caity Berndt, Erin M. Riley, and more... Lisa Zerkowitz, Katina Huston (Oct 17–Nov 30): Glass art and drawing.
CLOUD GALLERY
901 E Pike St, 720-2054, open daily
The Forgotten (Sept 12–Oct 7): A group show "about the neglected, failed, and forgotten, and its remains, relics, residuals, and traces." Including Oliver Doriss, Brian White, Sonya Stockton, and more... Cryptic Inclination (Oct 10–Nov 11): A trio show of mystical and esoteric paintings and sculptures by Don Farrel, Bryan K. Ward, and Gabe Marquez... Jason Soles (Nov 14–Dec 9): A show of sculptures.
COCA GEORGETOWN
5701 Sixth Ave S, 728-1980, cocaseattle.org, open Mon–Fri
You Won't See Me: Portraits by Art Jones (Sept 19–Nov 15)... Ceci N'est Pas une Pipe: Northwest Flameworking on the Brink of Legalization (opens Oct 17): A survey of flame working, that stepchild of glass art, on the occasion of marijuana's coming-out party... Ear, Noise, and Throat (Oct 17): A performance hosted by E. Grace Danger and her infamous Band of Toy.
COLUMBIA CITY GALLERY
4864 Rainier Ave S, 760-9843, columbiacitygallery.com, open Wed–Sun
Forecast (through Sept 22): New work from predicted up-and-comers Roldy Aguero Ablao, Yun Hong Chang, and Spar Wilson... All Member Review (Sept 25–Nov 17)... Small Works and Festival of Ornaments (opens Nov 20).
CORE GALLERY
117 Prefontaine Pl S, 467-4444, coregallery.org, open Wed–Sat
Sherry Loeser: Boobs (through Sept 28): Breast-related photos and textiles... Steve Gawronski: New Sculptures (Through Sept 28): Architecturally inspired concrete sculptures... Marl O'Connell (Oct 2–26): Unconventional, multimedia portraiture... Ryan Finnerty (Oct 2–26): New, large portraiture that "encourages the act of seeing"... Kathy Liao (Oct 30–Nov 30): Bold new oil paintings by the artist who has begun to show her striking works all over the city... Annual Holiday Show (opens Dec 4): A group exhibition.
CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
1000 Lenora St, 726-5011, cornish.edu/exhibitions, open Mon–Fri
Looking at You, Looking Back (through Oct 4): A group show of portraiture by alums from 1991 to 2013, including photography, painting, and sculpture... 2013 Neddy at Cornish Exhibition (Sept 4–Oct 19): The eight finalists for the Neddy Award, featuring works in two categories: painting and open medium. This year's winners are Matthew Offenbacher and Victoria Haven.
DAVIDSON GALLERIES
313 Occidental Ave S, 624-7684, davidsongalleries.com, open Tues–Sat
Etsuko Ichikawa: Echo at Satsop (through Sept 28): One sound installation, 2-D and 3-D pyrographs and aquagraphs, and a short film from the established Seattle artist known for her burn drawings... Adrienne Sherman: Mysterieux (through Sept 28): New oil paintings exploring the relationship between human beasts and other beasts... Douglas Bosley: Artificial Life in the Autonomous Republic (through Sept 28): Recent mezzotints of micro-robotic byproducts of ecosystem engineering in the Grand Range area... German Expressionist Prints (through Sept 28): Featuring the works of Max Beckmann, Max Pechstein, and others... Ben Butler: Propagation (Oct 3–26): Three-dimensional works, including large-scale installations, medium-scale sculpture, and graphite drawings of the 3-D stuff... Eunice Kim: New Collagraph Monoprints (Oct 3–26): Recent works of tessellation... 20th Century American Printmakers (Oct 3–26): Winslow Homer et al.... Mary Iverson: Sunk (Nov 7–30): Containers and ships, postapocalyptically, from the Seattle artist... Prints by Peggy Bacon (Nov 7–30): Peg's prints.
E4c
101 Prefontaine Place S, 296-7580, galleries.4culture.org, viewed from street
Matthew Hilger (through Sept 2014): A camera, pointed at the artist's mismatched shoes, tracks his path as he walks along painted lines in a parking lot... Tona Wilson (through Sept 2014): Pages of text snipped into figurines provide the source material for this stop-motion animation.
FACÉRÈ JEWELRY ART GALLERY
1420 Fifth Ave, #108, facerejewelryart.com, open Mon–Sat
Signs of Life (Oct 2–22): Contemporary jewelry art paired with literary pieces.
FANTAGRAPHICS
1201 S Vale St, 658-0110, fantagraphics.com, open Mon–Sun
Willard Mullin: The Golden Age of Baseball (Sept 14–Oct 10): The works of the daily newspaper cartoonist, known for having created the iconic "Brooklyn Bum," a personification of the Dodgers baseball team... Jim Woodring: Fran (Oct 12–Nov 7): The Stranger Genius Award winner for literature reveals his newest creation, Fran, a female analogue of Frank, who you should know by now... Short Run (Nov 9–Dec 11): The group show.
FORM/SPACE ATELIER
2407 First Ave, 349-2509, formspaceatelier.com, open Wed–Sat
Anticipated (through Oct 5): The loose, gestural paintings of Carol Adelman.
FOSTER/WHITE GALLERY
220 Third Ave S, 622-2833, fosterwhite.com, open Tues–Sat
The Great Outdoors (through Sept 28): New works by painters Darlene Cole, David Alexander, and Allison Collins exploring themes of outdoor environment... Rachel Denny: Outside In (Oct 3–31): Hand-knit, life-size teal deer sculpture, and other works in a similar vein... Andre Petterson: Impressions of Africa (Nov 7–30): With works that incorporate painting and photography, the artist reflects on the wildlife of southern Africa... Guy Laramée: Islands (Nov 7–30): Lush topographical sculpture-carvings made from the pages of hardbound literature.
FRANCINE SEDERS GALLERY
6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355, sedersgallery.com, open Tues–Sun
Jacob Lawrence/Michael Spafford (Sept 13–Oct 5): The shapes and colors of Harlem from Lawrence, and works in a similar vein of dynamic cubism from Spafford... Emily Gherard (Sept 19–Oct 12): Smudgy, delicate, and modest paintings from one of this year's Neddy Award short-listers... Eduardo Calderón (Oct 15–Nov 2): Photography in conjunction with SAM's Peru exhibition... Jackie Barnette/Elizabeth Sandvig/Marita Dingus (Nov 8–30): A trio of expressive abstractions, figurations, and conglomerations, respectively... Laura Thorne (Nov 8–30): Vivid, abstract... Norman Lundin/Dale Lindman (opens Dec 6): Two Seattle painters, one abstract and one very much not, but both similarly capturing light in an incredibly precise and careful way... Diann Knezovich (opens Dec 6): New work by the artist who alters photographs of architecture, pulling you in to inspect.
GAGE ACADEMY
1501 10th Ave E, 323-4243, gageacademy.org, open Mon–Sun
Necessary Objects: The Contemporary Still Life (Sept 13–Oct 11): Still still life, but now contemporary... Paintings in the Elwha Valley (Sept 13–Oct 11): Post–dam removal offers painter Peter Malarkey the opportunity to document subsequent large-scale habitat restoration... Chimeddorj: Mongolian Modernism (Oct 18–Nov 14): Modernist horse oil paintings... Hunched Bodies, Flushed Cheeks: Student Figures and Portraits (Oct 18–Nov 15): Studies of the human form, taking on various stylistic interpretations... A Building for Breathing (Oct 18–Nov 14): Collage, photography, drawings, and text inspired by The Poetics of Space, by Gala Bent and Serrah Russell.
GALLERY4CULTURE
101 Prefontaine Pl S, 296-7580, galleries.4culture.org, open Mon–Fri
Boating with Clyde (through Sept 26): Clyde Petersen offers the experience of going out on Lake Washington in his homemade dinghy, replete with lily pads and that special, listless conversation that only happens on a boat and when it is sunny... Robin Crookall (Oct 3–31): Tiny little dioramas, some of which look like miniature museum exhibits... John Feodorov: Emergence (Nov 7–27): Acrylics that dialogue with the artist's Native American ancestry and draw from contemporary imagery to create a bleak modern mythology.
GALLERY 110
110 Third Ave S, 624-9336, gallery110.com, open Wed–Sat
Ryan Doran: Urban Osteology (through Sept 28): Graffiti-style explorations of skeletal subjects in motion... Aaron Brady: City Transformations (through Sept 28): Ink and graphite drawings of bus commuters, also in motion... Fab Rideti: Perfect Families (Oct 3–Nov 2): Each of Rideti's photographs shows two contrasting views of the same family, one their "perfect" public face, the other what happens behind closed doors... Heroes Return: Sean Fansler (Nov 7–30): Portraits of five Pacific salmon species.
GALLERY IMA
123 S Jackson St, 625-0055, galleryima.com, open Tues–Sat
Graham Fracha (through Sept 28): Paintings and wall-mounted sculpture including houses, sailboats, fences... Richard Taylor (Oct 3–31): Colorful sculptural paintings... David Hytone (Nov 7–30): Super-goopy oil paintings as rich in color as they are in texture... Michael Weinstein (Nov 7–30): Smaller works from the sculptor whose form-based public installations have been seen around the world.
G. GIBSON GALLERY
300 S Washington St, 587-4033, ggibsongallery.com, open Wed–Sat
Gala Bent/Diem Chau (through Oct 5): New crayon and pencil sculptures from Chau and new drawings from Bent... The City (Oct 18–Nov 23): New, surrealistic, highly detailed diorama photographs from Lori Nix.
GHOST GALLERY
504 E Denny Way, 832-6063, ghostgalleryart.com, open Mon and Wed–Sun
Glitch/White Noise (Sept 12–Oct 7): Glitch paintings from Seattle's Cait Willis. They draw their rhythms from the overabundance of information that technology siphons into our minds, and often refer by title to a specific TV show or movie, sending you scrambling around in your vast pop memory bank.
GREG KUCERA GALLERY
212 Third Ave S, 624-0770, gregkucera.com, open Tues–Sat
Lynne Woods Turner (through Sept 28): These paintings are vivid and yet light... An American Knockoff (through Sept 28): The masterly Roger Shimomura blends traditional Japanese and contemporary American styles (specifically comic art) in both technique and concept... Léonie Guyer (through Sept 28): Guyer's drawings and paintings are about as unimposing as you can imagine, and there is something very pleasing about that... Deborah Butterfield (Oct 3–Nov 16): Sculptures of "contemplative" horses made out of sticks... Miles Cleveland Goodwin (Nov 21–Dec 21): Dreary, macabre paintings of bleak winter scenes.
GROVER/THURSTON GALLERY
319 Third Ave S, 223-0816, groverthurston.com, open Tues–Sat
David Kroll (ongoing): Softly painted paintings of birds standing on china bowls, birds standing on books and globes, birds sitting by their nests, built on top of larger china bowls and other assorted pottery, and also some fish.
HEDREEN GALLERY
Lee Center for the Arts, 901 12th Ave, Seattle University, 296-2244, hedreengallery.us, open Wed–Sat
Garek J. Druss: The Celestial Din (through Sept 28): Sound installation and works on paper by this local creator.
JACK STRAW GALLERY
4261 Roosevelt Way NE, 634-0919, jackstraw.org, open Mon–Fri
Steve Peters: Lições dos Antepassados (Sept 20–Nov 8): The title translates to "lessons from the ancestors," and the work is a sound installation that draws its source material from the Magaio region of the Gralheira Mountains, the common and Latin names of local plants and animals, and voices of Seattle's Portuguese-speaking community. (See the Classical Music calendar, page 50, for details on a related performance.)
JAMES HARRIS GALLERY
312 Second Ave S, 903-6220, jamesharrisgallery.com, open Thurs–Sat
Matthias Merkel Hess: Oeuvreday (through Oct 12): Sculpture formed by everyday objects—like anvils, for instance—cast in ceramic... Patrick Driscoll: Selected Paintings (through Oct 12): The Portland-based painter's paintings, both representational and not.
JOE BAR
810 E Roy St, 324-0407, joebarcafe.com, open daily
1828 (Sept 12–Oct 8): Illustrations and comics of an old house in Utah... Ben Hirschkoff: Clouds and Exhaust (Oct 10–Nov 12): Colorful translucent vinyl tape on vellum... Brian Lane: The Distance Is Near (Nov 14–Dec 10): Photos that make macro-perception of their subject their subject (a sampling was also exhibited recently at Rare Medium Gallery).
KATE ALKARNI GALLERY
5701 Sixth Ave S, 453-0043, katealkarnigallery.com, open Mon–Fri
Grand Opening (through Nov 1): The gallery celebrates its beginning with this inaugural group show featuring 14 artists.
KRAB JAB STUDIO
5628 Airport Way S, Ste 246, 715-8593, krabjabstudio.com, open every second Sat
Building a Golden Age: Contemporary Works (Sept 14–Oct 3): Selected works from artists who draw inspiration from the Golden Age of Illustration, which happened about a hundred years ago, for your information... Divinity (Oct 12–31): Featuring Heather Hudson, Kelly Lyles, Tara Larsen Chang, Javier S. Ortega, and more... Art of Roleplaying Games (Nov 9–Dec 5): Top illustrators whose works have bettered the lore of Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Mage, and other RPGs.
KOBO GALLERY
604 S Jackson St, 381-3000, koboseattle.com, open Mon–Sun
The Line That Runs Through (through Sept 21): Father and daughter Etsuko and Koichi Ichikawa join together for The Line That Runs Through, "a conversation about art, craftsmanship, and beauty" between her burn drawings on paper and his ceramics... Adam Collet (Sept 28–Oct 17): Photographs of "human artifacts" created using decommissioned X-ray machines... Junichi Tsuneoka: Chibi Pockets (Oct 5–26): Toy sculptures from this pop artist of graphic novel covers and concert posters whose work is included in EMP's permanent collection... Celebrating Nuno Japanese Textiles (Oct 19–Nov 23): Traditional techniques and recycled materials... Kou Kitago (Nov 30–Dec 14): Ceramics works from Tacoma Community College's artist-in-residence.
LXWXH
6007 12th Ave S, 697-5156, lengthbywidthbyheight.com, by appointment
Jennifer McNeely: Into the Deep (Sept 14–Oct 5): Odd, body-horror-ish, textile-based soft sculpture... Kyle Jorgensen: Kinetic Theories (Oct 12–Nov 2): Geometrically patterned drawings and paintings with the clean, pleasing look of an infographic or video game... Julia Hensley: Star Systems (Nov 9–30): Abstract collage paintings "inspired by the universe and technology" (and what else is there besides the universe and technology?).
LINDA HODGES GALLERY
316 First Ave S, 624-3034, lindahodgesgallery.com, open Tues–Sat
Jennifer Beedon Snow (through Sept 28): Stark and lovable oil paintings of lawn mowers, Jell-O molds, and station wagons... Gaylen Hansen (Oct 3–Nov 30): The scratchy, rough-looking acrylics of fish, wolves, grasshoppers, and giant gloves by this legendary Northwest artist.
LISA HARRIS GALLERY
1922 Pike Place, 443-3315, lisaharrisgallery.com, open Mon–Sun
Double Dozen: Gallery Artists Select Guests (through Sept 30): Twelve artist pairings, each between a gallery artist and an extra-gallery artist the gallery artist admires... Thomas Wood: New Landscapes (Oct 3–Nov 3): The Washington native's paintings and prints feature the Northwest's natural imagery... Richard Morhous: Making Marks (Nov 7–Dec 2): Cityscape paintings marked by bold colors and strong outlines.
LTD. ART GALLERY
307 E Pike St, 457-2970, ltdartgallery.com, open Tues–Sun
Press Start... to Continue (through Sept 28): Top video-game artists mix the old and the new at the Second Annual Video Game Art Show... A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words (opens Nov 7): A group show of art inspired by the characters and landscapes of literature. Eventually this season, though the dates are not set yet, will come two more shows, Ghosts in the Machine and Girl in Landscape.
LUNDGREN MONUMENTS
1011 Boren Ave, 910-2432, lundgrenmonuments.com, open Tues–Fri
Imaginary Funerals by Lorna Leedy (through Oct 1): A few years ago, the artist Lorna Leedy started asking friends for a list of 20 people they most admired, living or dead. Unbeknownst to her friends, she turned their lists into sweet drawings of those friends' imaginary funerals. Little had they realized... The Metalsmith and the Urn (Oct 3–Nov 17): NW metal craftspeople turn to the urn.
M.I.A GALLERY
1203A Second Ave, 467-4927, m-i-a-gallery.com, open Tues–Sat
Frank Marshall: Renegades (through Oct 2): Portraits of metalheads in Botswana. At once amazing and perfectly normal.
PAPER HAMMER
1400 Second Ave, 682-3820, paper-hammer.com, open Mon–Sat
Work by N39 (through Sept 28): New Mexican "creationist" modifies found objects and sends them to the gallery through the mail. No box, no bubble wrap, lots of stamps.
PHOTOGRAPHIC CENTER NORTHWEST
900 12th Ave, 720-7222, pcnw.org, open Mon–Sun
Musings (through Sept 15): PCNW's 18th annual photo competition... 20th Anniversary Benefit Exhibition Preview (Sept 20–Oct 16): As R. Kelly once said, "Now, I don't usually do this, but here's a little preview of the [exhibition]..." This show is a preview of the more than 40 works of photography, all related to the Northwest, some in ways you don't expect—early-20th-century inner tubing! An anonymous shot of a Boeing Martian probe!—that will be up for auction to benefit the photo center. Size up the artwork, walk amongst the competition, and silently rehearse bidding routines... Holly Andres: The Homecoming (opens Oct 24): Tableaux photography that portrays an eerie heightened suburban reality.
PLATFORM GALLERY
114 Third Ave S, 323-2808, platformgallery.com, open Wed–Sat
Jaq Chartier (through Oct 5): New abstract paintings and drawings that hint at climate change... Ross Sawyers (Oct 17–Nov 30): Unsettling photos of model interiors that manipulate scale and dimension.
PROGRAPHICA
3419 E Denny Way, 322-3851, prographicadrawings.com, open Wed–Sat
Two Painters: Kimberly Clark and Laura Swytak (Sept 14–Oct 19): Both portray scenes of serenity, Clark with a touch of crispness and Swytak with a few more blotches.
PROLE DRIFT
523 S Main St, 399-5506, proledrift.com, open Fri–Sun
Amanda Valdez: Double Down (Sept 14–Oct 19): Pieces of interwoven paint, canvas, fabric, and thread by the Brooklyn-based, Seattle-born artist. They're "brightly colored, with a tinge of recklessness"—and regarding pleasure, pain, and sex.
PUNCH GALLERY
119 Prefontaine Pl S, 621-1945, punchgallery.org, open Thurs–Sat
Cara Jaye (through Sept 28): After sifting through the archives of the Louvre for six weeks—nice work if you can get it—Jaye presents reinterpretations of classic drawings of falling figures.
RARE MEDIUM GALLERY
1321 E Pine St, 913-7538, raremediumseattle.com, open Wed–Sun
Natasha Lozanoff (Sept 12–Oct 31): Two bodies of work in video and photography. Eradication looks at the subject of invasive species in New Zealand. Raccoon Fortress is documentation of the devices the artist devised to keep food away from raccoons while kayaking and camping in the San Juans.
ROOM 104
306 S Washington St, #104, room104gallery.com, 953-8104, open Wed–Sat
Steve Craft (through Sept 14): New paintings... Jeff Scott: New Works on Tyvek (through Sept 14): Scott likes to depict auto-related infrastructure, and things that have been shot by a gun... Molly Magai and Dara Solliday: More Paintings About Buildings and Cars (Sept 20–Nov 2): The buildings and cars in question hail from various corners of the Seattle landscape, with special interest taken in the Denny Regrade and freeway overpasses... Marne Cohen-Vance (opens Nov 7): An artist who's "interested in the fact that human beings are made of meat"... Kevin Wilson (opens Nov 7): Painter of sinking ships.
ROQ LA RUE
2312 Second Ave, 374-8977, roqlarue.com, open Wed–Sat
The Baxter Collection (through Sept 28): A group show of more than a dozen artists whose paintings have been collected over the past decade... Laurie Lee Brom, Ransom and Mitchell, and Sail (Oct 3–Nov 2): Paintings from Brom, current digital works from Ransom and Mitchell, and new drawings from Sail, all featuring spookily and scantily clad women... Marco Mazzoni, Lindsey Carr (Nov 7–30): Paintings that feature formally garbed and posed animals by Carr, darkly surreal paintings by Mazzoni, and faces without eyes surrounded by butterflies, that sort of thing.
SEASON GALLERY
1222 NE Ravenna Blvd, season.cz, by appointment
The (Mentholated) Roads Around Naples (through Sept 29): Michael Ottersen paints non-objects with a kind of anti-geometry logic and an off-putting color palette. It makes you feel as if the hemispheres of your brain have decided to go their separate ways. Dawn Cerny: Boys, Jokes, and Things (opens Oct 13): Small, largely nonrepresentational multimedia sculptures by the always-fascinating Seattle-based artist.
SEATTLE OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE
Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave, 684-7171, seattle.gov/arts, open Mon–Fri
Atmospheric Weather (through Sept 30): The City of Seattle's Portable Works Collection (so that's a thing) recently purchased nearly 50 works from almost 30 artists, all on the theme of weather and atmosphere. Almost every type of media is represented, including embroidery and knitting... A Sense of Place (opens Nov 5): A group show curated by Juan Alonso that explores ideas of home, belonging, cultural identity, and regionalism.
SHIFT STUDIO
306 S Washington St, #105, shiftstudio.org, open Fri–Sat and first Thurs
Electrocuting Babel: Ted Hiebert (through Sept 28): Pages of the Borges piece "Library of Babel," captured using Hiebert's electricity-based photographic processes... Patrice Donohue (Oct 1–31): A solo show from this mixed-media artist who employs wood, wax, nails, newspaper, and most other things, too... Kamla Kakaria and Cynthia Hibbard (Nov 1–30): Kakaria's encaustic floral creations and etchings and encaustics from Hibbard... Pam Galvani and Lee Withington (opens Dec 1): Abstract paintings and more encaustics.
SOIL
112 Third Ave S, 264-8061, soilart.org, open Wed–Sat
The Edge and a Little Beyond (through Sept 28): Six painters wonder where the painting ends and the real world begins in this investigation of the demarcating edges of abstract paintings... Heady (through Sept 28): More than 50 pieces by Nola Avienne, whose past work includes monstrous dentures, sculpted magnets, and crystals grown from her own blood.
STONINGTON GALLERY
119 S Jackson St, 405-4040, stoningtongallery.com, open Mon–Sun
New and Noteworthy (through Sept 28): Curated group exhibition includes works by Susan Point, Maynard Johnny Jr., and others... Preston Singletary: Bronze and Glass (Oct 3–31): Debut of new works by the renowned Tlingit artist... David Franklin (Oct 3–31): New white and colored china pieces focusing on themes of death and change... Robert Davidson: Thinking Abstract (Nov 7–26): Formline design in contemporary incarnations... Joan Tenenbaum: The Idea of Color (Nov 7–Dec 2): Tenenbaum's signature cloisonné art jewelry... Duane Pasco: Life as Art (opens Nov 30): Occidental Park totem artist Pasco showcases seven decades of work.
SUYAMA SPACE
2324 Second Ave, 256-0809, suyamapetersondeguchi.com/art, open Mon–Fri
Drawn from the Olympics: Installation by Stephen Nguyen and Wade Kavanaugh (Sept 16–Dec 13): Nguyen and Kavanaugh wrestle and twist sheets of paper into fully immersive gallery installations. They are dramatic and arresting, and they probably smell good. A few years ago, Kavanaugh created a sculptural remake of the Denny regrade at Suyama, and talked about a previous installation by him and Nguyen that Anthropologie ripped off for its Seattle store. Maybe this installation will make its way into Urban Outfitters!
TASTY
7513 Greenwood Ave N, 706-3020, shoptastyart.com, open Tues–Sun
Mix and Make (Sept 13–Oct 8): Mixed-media crafty showcase by 14 regional artists.
TRAVER GALLERY
110 Union St #200, 587-6501, travergallery.com, open Tues–Sun
Lino Tagliapietra: Profumo de Vetro (through Sept 29): Glass sculpture described as "undeniably modern" looks like boldly colored, wispy, morphing, orbiting glass things. By the Italian legend Lino.
VERMILLION
1508 11th Ave, 709-9797, vermillionseattle.com, open Tues–Sun
Backwards Telescopes (Sept 12–Oct 5): The visions of Seattle artists Jason Puccinelli, Rich Lehl, and Jed Dunkerley—portraits of the surreal, the absurd, and the dystopian with humor and a moderate amount of whimsy.
VIRGINIA INN
1937 First Ave, 728-1937, open Mon–Sun
When Buster Lived Next Door (through Sept 30): If you haven't had your fill of Buster Simpson by way of his Surveyor show at the Frye (and you have not), then his friends and neighbors from back in the day are showing a unique collection of his less-polished, street-level type works.
WINSTON WÄCHTER FINE ART
203 Dexter Ave N, 652-5855, winstonwachter.com, open Mon–Sat
Peter Waite: Space Travel (through Oct 25): The real depicted with great clarity in paintings, the subjects of which include escalators, stairs, and doorways... Erich Woll: When Things Go South (through Oct 25): Squirrels, burnt matches, beetles, "glass aphorisms" with a certain cartoony bounciness... Tracy Rocca: New Paintings (Oct 29–Dec 20).
WOODSIDE/BRASETH GALLERY
2101 Ninth Ave, 622-7243, woodsidebrasethgallery.com, open Tues–Sat
Works of Dennis Evans (through Oct 5): Richly detailed constructions explore the order of things, the creation of hierarchy, the individuation of knowledge. At times they feel like mail-order kits for making something arcane with all the parts and plans included... Dealer's Choice (Oct 5–Nov 2): A boatload of artists including Kathleen Atkinson, Margaret Tomkins, Nancy Mee, and millions more... New Works by Victoria Adams (Nov 2–30): Radiance of the natural world painted with such a soft beauty as to lull the viewer into a state of suspended animation.
TUES 10/8 (and 11/5, 12/3)
Conversations with the Director
Michelle Dunn Marsh, new executive director of Photo Center Northwest, talks about pictures in a series of discussions. First, Collecting Photographs (Oct 8); then, The Language of Photography (Nov 5); finally, Photography and Materiality (Dec 3). Here's a chance both to learn about photography and to learn how the new director's brain works.
Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, 720-7222, pcnw.org, 7 pm, free
FRI 9/13
W3AVE Festival
Following a live group painting performance at AXIS earlier this month, now comes the official unveiling of those finished pieces and the opening of a monthlong art festival that takes on many different forms and travels to various venues. Highlights include a curators panel talk at Vermillion and a live painted-shoe event at Tasty.
Bherd Studios, 312 N 85th St, info at bherdstudios.com, 6 pm, free
SAT 9/14
Inscape Open House
Five floors of creative professionals allow the public to peek at what they've been working on so hard in there. Five floors of 'em! With demos, food, drink. And you can bring your kids, they said it's cool.
Inscape, 815 Seattle Blvd S, inscapearts.org, 12–6 pm, free
THURS 9/19
Artist Lecture: David Hartt
Speaking in conjunction with his Stray Light exhibition at the Henry.
Henry Art Gallery, 4100 15th Ave NE, 543-2280, henryart.org, 7 pm, $10 suggested
SUN 9/22
The Inhabitant Sessions
An event in three courses where, to start, The Stranger's own Charles Mudede gives lectures under the subject "The Inhabitant," starting at 5 p.m., followed by a home-style dinner for everyone by Silas Black, and then Truth-in-Booty drops irresistible beats to close out the night. (A second session will be held November 3, same time, same place.)
Vermillion, 1508 11th Ave, 709-9797, vermillionseattle.com, 5 pm–midnight, lecture is free
THURS 9/26
Lecture: Buster Simpson
The artist whose environmental installations are the secret backbone of Seattle—and other cities—presents the final illustrated talk on his work before the close of his historic survey exhibition at the Frye. If you haven't seen the show or seen the artist talk, don't miss.
Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave, 622-9250, fryemuseum.org, 6:30 pm, free
SAT 9/28
Stranger Genius Awards
The best art party of the year is about to happen. This year's visual art finalists—up to win $5,000 and the honor of Geniusness—are Rodrigo Valenzuela, the Chilean-born video artist; Sherry Markovitz, the maker of intensely personal paintings on fabric and sculptures smothered in beads; and Matthew Offenbacher, the brilliant and kindhearted writer, publisher, thinker, organizer, and painter who's coined the term "enthusiasmism" ("enthusiasm is the opposite of coolness," he stated simply). Winners in every category, including film, literature, music, and performance, will be announced from the stage, and then we'll throw down and dance to music by Seattle Rock Orchestra and DJs.
Moore Theater, 1932 Second Ave, strangertickets.com, 8 pm, $10 ($125 VIP ticket includes hosted early entry, patron recognition, preshow cocktail reception, and surprise gift)
WED 10/2
Paul Marioni
Part of the "How Is Seattle Remembered?" series put on by the Project Room, this event includes a discussion with Marioni as well as a screening of his short experimental film HOLE down the street at the Northwest Film Forum following the talk.
Project Room, 1315 Pine St, 499-9641, projectroomseattle.org, free
THURS 10/3
Faculty Lecture: Mark Zirpel
Zirpel's an eccentric and the glass guy on campus—formal title: "UW assistant 3D4M professor"—and this talk accompanies his tubular glass and metal works on display at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.
Henry Art Gallery, 4100 15th Ave NE, 543-2280, henryart.org, 6–7:30 pm, $10 suggested
SAT 10/12
An Afternoon with Patti Warashina
In conjunction with her exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum (through October 27, see above), Warashina gives a slide talk about her career in ceramic art.
Kobo at Higo, 604 S Jackson St, 381-3000, koboseattle.com, 4 pm, free
TUES 10/15 (and 11/19)
Inside Art
Town Hall and the Project Room introduce a new series: Inside Art, curated by the wonderful Seattle painter Juan Alonso. Each event is a moderated conversation with three artists on a given theme. On October 15, Laura Castellanos, Dan Webb, and Sharon Arnold talk about inspiration with Sarah Rudinoff. On November 19, the subject is Imagery & Art, with Barbara Earl Thomas, Stephanie Hargrave, and Alan Lau, moderated by Brangien Davis. Hear artists think out loud.
Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave S, townhallseattle.org, 7:30 pm, $5
FRI 10/18
20th Anniversary Benefit Auction
Everything in Photo Center Northwest's star-studded exhibition is for sale! Buy some pictures and support photography where you live.
Photo Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, 720-7222, pcnw.org, $150 includes admission, refreshments, and dinner
THURS 11/7–SUN 11/10
Affordable Art Fair
Sick of having to pay $10.5, $15.75, or even $17.75 million for art for your foyer? This four-day exhibition only features art that ranges from $100 to $10,000, with most pieces clocking in at under $5,000. Bonus level: identify future masterpieces and leverage this into an investment opportunity.
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 305 Harrison St, affordableartfair.com, Thurs 11 am–5 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–7 pm, Sun 11 am–5 pm, $10
THURS 11/7-FRI 11/8
CoCA Marathon/Auction
The annual painting marathon and sale, benefiting future exhibitions.
CoCA Georgetown, 5701 Sixth Ave S, 728-1980, cocaseattle.org, schedule TBA
THURS 11/14
Faculty Lecture: Rebecca Cummins
Cummins is an artist whose installations deal with light, reflection, and refraction, and she speaks in conjunction with her exhibition at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.
Henry Art Gallery, 4100 15th Ave NE, 543-2280, henryart.org, 6 pm, $10 suggested
Wallingford, first Wed 6–9 pm (through October); Pioneer Square, first Thurs 5–8 pm; Fremont, first Fri 6–9 pm; Capitol Hill, second Thurs 5–8 pm; West Seattle, second Thurs 6–9 pm; PhinneyWood, second Fri 6–9 pm; Belltown, second Fri 6–9 pm; Ballard, second Sat 6–9 pm; Central District, second Sat 1–5 pm; Georgetown, second Sat 6–9 pm; Columbia City, third Thurs 6–9 pm (through September); U-District, third Fri 6–9 pm. seattleartwalks.org