VISUAL ART
BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM
301 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, 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 artist residencies. The first (through July 7) features Doug Keyes, whose multiple-exposure photographs of open books are a kind of time-elapse reading experience; next, through July 28, is Brad Miller’s experiment in moving at the speed of video. Through Sept 3.
FRYE ART MUSEUM
701 Terry Ave, 622-9250.
GRAHAM NICKSON
The British-born Nickson, well known for his figurative painting, has been painting bathers for the last 20 years. This subject certainly has deep roots in the history of art (Cézanne, Degas), and Nickson makes his mark with vivid, just-this-side-of-natural colors. Through July 16.
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.
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.
2000 1/2: GOING FORWARD LOOKING BACK
SAM is still insisting that this is the first year of the new century, and has mounted this exhibition from its permanent collection (and some loans) to mark its midpoint. The idea is to think about received notions of the future, which in art terms translates into thinking about experimentation and non-mainstream ways of working and how these kinds of art have become part of the visual vernacular. Among the included artists are Gary Hill, Ed Ruscha, Kiki Smith, Vanessa Beecroft, and Sherrie Levine. In addition, two small traveling exhibitions have been incorporated under this conceptual umbrella: a series of photographs by the Chinese Canadian artist C. D. Hoy, and an installation by Whitfield Lovell. Through July 16.
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, Tacoma, 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
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. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. 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. Opening reception Fri July 7, 6-8 pm. 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.
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. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-9 pm. FotoCircle Gallery, 216 Alaskan Way S, 624-2645. Through July 29.
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. See Readings Bio Box. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. 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. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 155 S Main St, 667-9572. Through July 29.
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 have a pleasant folk-art feel, with folk art’s concomitant emotional weirdness. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. 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. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. 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. Opening reception Sun July 9, 2-4 pm. Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355. Through July 30.
*KELSEY FERNKOPF, ROBERT YODER
See Stranger Suggests. Opening reception Sat July 8, 6-8 pm. Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399. Through Aug 5.
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.) Opening reception Sat July 8, 7-10 pm. Art/Not Terminal Gallery, 2045 Westlake Ave, 233-0680. Through Aug 3.
KATHERINE GRAY
Known primarily as a glass artist (who has studied with some of the medium’s masters, including Lino Tagliapietra, Bertil Vallien, and Dante Marioni), 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 pin-hole lens. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. Lisa Harris Gallery, 1922 Pike Place, 443-3315. Through July 30.
JAY LAZERWITZ
Encaustics on the theme of house and home. Opening reception Sat July 8, 7-10 pm. Sev Shoon Arts Center, 5206 Ballard Ave NW, 782-2415. Through Aug 6.
RICHARD MISRACH
Large-scale landscape photography. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. G. Gibson Gallery, 122 S Jackson, #200, 587-4033. Through Aug 19.
CHARLES K. ROSENBERG
Rosenberg’s works on paper feature patterning in gold leaf, charcoal, and graphite powder on glassine paper. Opening reception Tues July 11, 5-7 pm. The Little Theatre, 608 19th Ave E, 329-2629. Through Aug 20.
TERRY TURRELL
These hand-carved figures are augmented by found materials such as tin and wire, giving them an air of things at once discarded and revered. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. Grover/Thurston Gallery, 309 Occidental Ave S, 223-0816. Through Aug12.
BILL VAEGEMAST
Witty miniature paintings that touch on political and economic topics. Trapeze Gallery, 1130 34th Ave, 329-3363. Through Aug 4.
*ULRICH WELLMANN
This is 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. Opening reception Thurs July 6, 6-8 pm. James Harris Gallery, 309A Third Ave S, 903-6220. Through July 29.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
ABSTRACTION FROM NATURE
Nine artists twisting the natural world–in the best of ways. In the front window is an installation by Eva Isaksen and Gail Grinnell that uses stockings and onions to compare things natural and artificial. Seattle Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery, 1134 First Ave, 654-3240. Through July 8.
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.
*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. Reviewed this issue.
HELEN GAMBLE
A new take on life jackets by this accomplished sculptor. Artemis Gallery, 1400 31st Ave S, 323-0562. 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.
NAN JOHNSON
Recent work inspired by travels in the Mediterranean. Ballard Fetherston Gallery, 818 E Pike Street, 322-9440. Through July 8.
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.
JUDITH KINDLER, SANDY SAMPSON
This opening marks the first show in Atelier 31’s new space. Kindler’s paintings use layers of acrylic that give a glazed feeling to nearly photorealistic figurative images combined with simple line drawings. Sampson too combines real and abstract, and gives it a layer of wax for good measure. Atelier 31, 122 Central Way, Kirkland, 425-576-1477. Through July 11.
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.
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
Get yourself up to Canada to see this touring show–Vancouver is as close as it’s coming to Seattle–featuring work by international artists rarely shown in the U.S. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC, 604-662-4700. Through Aug 13.
NEDDY ARTIST FELLOWSHIP EXHIBITION
The winners were recently announced: Claudia Fitch in sculpture and Mary Ann Peters in painting. You can see work by the winners and the other six nominees for this annual award, given by the Behnke Foundation: George Chacona, Deborah Mersky, and Liza von Rosenstiel (all in painting); and Lita Batho, Patrick Holderfield, and Helen Lessick (in sculpture). Bank of America Gallery, 701 Fifth Ave, Third Floor, 585-3200. Through July 7.
KELLY NEWCOMER, CHUCK DONG
Both Newcomer’s oil paintings and Dong’s prints have a smooth glossy quality that suggest the impenetrability of advertising. But they’re thankfully more beautiful. I-Spy/Nation, 1921 Fifth Ave, 374-9492. Through July 12.
PRINTWORKS 2000
Yet another show with “2000” in the title, but there’s good work to be seen here and (not incidentally) it’s one of the great benefits of the “one-percent-for-arts” funds. Among the City of Seattle’s recent acquisitions are prints by Dirk Park, whose chemically etched work has an eerie and beautiful biological feel, and C. Blake Haygood, whose drypoint prints resemble inventions from the mind of Dr. Seuss, though slightly more sinister. Key Tower Gallery, Fifth and Cherry, Third Floor. Through July 14.
RoSTARR
RoStarr is actually artist and graphic designer Romon Yang’s brand name, and his work ranges from art direction for magazines such as Spin and Interview to large glossy paintings that incorporate Rorschach blot-like shapes into vibrant, nearly alive patterns. These paintings are on view at Houston, along with a series of lightboxes created by the New York group Colab. These lightboxes pair RoStarr’s work with an of-the-moment advertising technique, and the result is something altogether new, a fusion of aesthetic and function that makes the argument about art and advertising just that much stickier. Houston, 907 E Pike St, 860-7820. Through July 13.
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.
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.
EVENTS
GEORGETOWN/MAPLE HILL GARDEN AND ART TOUR
A self-guided tour that, as you might expect, includes gardens and art studios. From 10 am to 5 pm on Sun July 9. Maps will be available on the day of the tour in the UFCW Union Hall Parking Lot, 1010 S Bailey St. For information, call Jon Dove at 763-9895.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS
BETTY BOWEN AWARD COMPETITION
This is perhaps the most prestigious of local art awards, won year after year by the best of the bunch. But if you don’t submit, you’ll never know. Send six fully labeled slides of recent work, a resume, and SASE to Betty Bowen Memorial Award, Seattle Art Museum, P.O. Box 22000, Seattle, WA 98122. The postmark deadline is July 28.
FIRE SCULPTURE
It’s too complicated to describe here, but if you’re a mid- to late-career artist who uses fire as your main art-making media, inquire at CoCA about a competition for a show this October. For a complete entry form, send SASE to: NWFSC, c/o CoCA, 65 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98121-1327. Deadline for entries is July 15.
FOCAL LENGTH
Zeitgeist is looking for short film and experimental video for this new series, held every six weeks at the cafe. Send VHS cassettes to: Zeitgeist, c/o Gina, 171 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104.