Seattle Art Blog - News, Discussion, and Events

Jul 31, 2006 First Thursday
The granddaddy of all art walks takes place in Pioneer Square and the immediate area from 6-8pm. The Seattle Asian Art Museum in Voluneer Park is free all day. The downtown Seattle Art Museum is closed for construction.

First Friday
Anacortes Galleries host a gallery walk from 6 - 9pm. Call Kathy at 360/293-6938.

Bainbridge Island Art Walk. 6 - 8pm.

Bremerton Gallery Walk in downtown Bremerton from 5 - 8pm.

Fremont First Friday from 6-9pm. Follow this bolded link to a neat map.

Vashon Island Gallery Cruise. 6 - 9pm. Call the Blue Heron Gallery at 206/463-5131.

Artwalk Issaquah.  6 - 9pm. Front Street Area Downtown. There are several new galleries in town. Maps are available at the library.

First Saturday
Langley on Whidbey Island. Galleries extend their hours to 8pm. Call 360/221-7737

Gig Harbor Art Walk along the harbor. 1 - 5pm.

Port Townsend Gallery Walk. 5-8pm. Call Ancestral Spirits Gallery at 360/385-0078.

August 4 - 6
Anacortes Arts Festival. Bigger and better than ever with over 250 juried booth artisans; 2 music stages; and international food court. A trip to this fair is a major event that takes over the entire town with art festivites. Trust me when I tell you you'll have a ball. Visit www.anacortesartsfestival.com

Magnolia Summer  Festival
The Magnolia Festival has been a part of the community, in one form or another, for over 55 years. Events include a parade through Magnolia Village, a juried art show, fine art vendors, children's arts show, affordable art, food vendors, beer garden, a main stage with live performances throughout both days featuring a variety of entertainment. The website is here.

Sumner Arts Festival
The Sumner Summer Arts Festival is being held August 4th and 6th in downtown Sumner, Washington. The festival brings to Main Street artists, food, entertainment, and fun. The festival runs from 10:00 to 9:00 on Friday the 4th and from 10:00 to 7:00 on Saturday the 5th. Call 253-864-0738 or www.sumnerartsfestival.org.

August 5
The 10th Annual Proctor Arts Fest
Bite of Proctor, Merchant Sidewalk Sale, Juried Art Show, Proctor Farmer's Market, Handmade crafts from local & regional vendors, Interactive Children's Area, "Top Dog Parade", Music, Dance & Theatre Performances, Live Entertainment. Go to the website for more information about this Tacoma area festival.

Jul 29, 2006 Even Regina Hackett likes it!  Although she once thought  fairs had only bad art, she's changed her mind after going to  the fair yesterday where she observed, "Bad art? The contempt I once had for craft fairs is now gone, and the need to update my perceptions overdue."  Read the entire article in the Seattle P.I. to find out about some of the talented artists she encountered. The fair is on all weekend and closes tomorrow night.

Jul 26, 2006 Sue Peters' "An opinionated guide to this week's  gallery and museum shows" is now available on the Seattle Weekly site. Sue always lists the "last chance" shows as well as new openings and includes a link to their web sites. She's also written a review of Byron Kim's show at the Henry here. She leads off by saying, "Don't be misled by the seeming simplicity of Byron Kim's monochromatic canvases. His paintings are abstractions on one level, sure—particles of people depicted solely by color, or his own children identified by the swirls of hair on the tops of their heads. But on another level, Kim's paintings are deeply accurate—and emotional—portraits of perception and memory that are so sharply true they're almost jarring."

Jul 25, 2006 The recently-held preview of a massive new sculpture by Richard Serra for the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park resulted in articles by local art critics Regina Hackett,  Sheila Farr and Jen Graves. If you go to the web site, SAM has a video rendering of the sculpture park you'll enjoy watching.

The Seattle P.I.'s Regina Hackett said of the famous sculptor, "Today, Serra generally is considered to be the most important living sculptor, and his work, viewed in the early '80s as bully-boy abstraction designed to intimidate the audience, is now celebrated for the profound engagement it offers those who move within its orbit, the space charged by its presence."

Sheila Farr wrote in the Seattle Times, " 'Wake' will be a major draw at the park and perfectly reflects the nearness of Puget Sound. The five wave-like steel components appear to fishtail through space, held aright by their enormous weight and canny engineering. The forms suggest the water streaming behind a moving ship and the looming sides of the ship itself."

Jen Graves' article for the Stranger is a special web-exclusive interview with Richard Serra where he says," 'They (most other American sculpture parks) look like parking lots for sculpture. To have a park that is accessing the language of sculpture is not only rare, it’s fucking magnificent.' So declared the sculptor Richard Serra in a conversation I had with him Monday morning in the shade of the pavilion on the southeast end of Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, as a crew bolted his installation Wake into the earth." Read the whole thing. Serra makes some rather interesting comments.

Jul 25, 2006 LEXAS Companies, a Seattle-based developer, and leading arts funder PONCHO today announced a unique partnership to promote art as an essential part of urban living.  The exclusive partnership will launch on July 27 at a private preview event for ESCALA, Seattle’s largest new condominium development in downtown Seattle’s emerging Midtown neighborhood at Fourth Avenue and Virginia Street.  PONCHO is showcasing local artists’ talent at this event.

The July 27 invitation-only preview  will be held in the 12,000 square foot future sales office for ESCALA in the Centennial Building at Fourth and Stewart.  The event will feature local artists exhibiting their work and musicians from the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, a PONCHO beneficiary.  Artists include: J.P. Canlis (glass), Geoff Garza (painting), Steve Jensen (sculpture), Judith Kindler (mixed media), and Vladimir Pavlenko (live painting).

Jul 24, 2006

July 28 - 30
60th Annual Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair.  The 60th Anniversary Bellevue Arts & Crafts Fair is a milestone event in Bellevue’s history! Over 325 artists are participating this year. It was through the creation of the Fair and its success that Bellevue Arts Museum was built, and the Fair continues to be the largest fundraising activity to benefit Museum programs. The 60th Anniversary Patron Preview Party on Wednesday, July 26th, features award-winning art, fine cuisine and live entertainment. The Patron Preview Party is a fundraiser and benefits Bellevue Arts Museum. Tickets are still available by calling 425.519.0770 or visit www.bellevuearts.org .

North Kitsap Arts and Crafts Fair, Port Gamble. 47th. Annual Festival features both juried and open fine art exhibits.  Paintings, sculpture, photography and student art will be on display.  Also available all three days are over 100 booths representing a wide variety of crafts; an antique car exhibit; musical entertainment and a special children's section featuring interactive art, entertainment, and contests designed just for kids.  Over 30,000 people attended last year.Call 360/297-3555 or visit the website  here.

July 29
Samish Island Summer Arts Festival. Fine arts festival features original arts and crafts from over 40 exhibitors. 10am - 5pm, Samish Island Community Hall, 11292 Blue Heron Rd. Visit www.samishisland.net.

The Golden West Radio Hour presented by The Fred Oldfield Western Heritage Center  benefits the art school's scholarship fund. Host, Fred Oldfield welcomes guest artists Don Crook and Mavis Willson. Music will be provided by the Rockin' HW, Good Time Fiddlers, Donn Allard the Clover Canyon Rednecks and Amanda Lee Little (2004 Puyallup Idol). Belly up to a chuck wagon supper and then laugh at the old time radio show starring Bob Pittman, of radio's "Legal Line" KTTH 770 as Barrister Bob! End your evening with spectacular fireworks! Tickets are $20 per person. Heritage Center is located at the Puyallup Fair and Events Center at the Red Gate. For information and reservations call 866-445-9175.

Seafair Torchlight Parade starts at 7:30pm. at the Seattle Center and travels down Fourth Avenue to Second. Although this really isn't an art event, we just have to list it as this is the biggest parade of the year and loads of fun to watch. You can even buy special grandstand seating on the web.

July 29 - 30
32nd. Annual Ballard Seafood Fest - Shop scores of arts and crafts booths, but be sure to dine on seafood early and often right in the heart of the Northwest fishing industry. A SEAFAIR sactioned event. Thanks to the Boeing Company, a proud sp[onsor of the SEAFAIR Community Events Program. Web info is here.

Loganberry Festival at Greenbank Farm. Whidbey Island, 10am - 5pm. Arts and crafts, wonderful music and wine. Visit www.greenbankfarm.com or call 360/678-7171.

Last Thursday
Microsoft Art Collection Tours A maximum of 40 can register and need to do so two weeks in advance. artevent@microsoft.com. 

Jul 20, 2006 The Seattle Art Museum’s (SAM) capital campaign has been awarded a $2.5 million challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation, SAM Director Mimi Gardner Gates announced today. SAM is the recipient of the largest grant ever made by The Kresge Foundation to any organization in the Northwest to date.  The $2.5 million challenge grant is designed to help SAM achieve its campaign goals, which extend beyond fundraising to expanding and diversifying the museum’s membership and engaging the entire community.  Kresge awards its grants on a challenge basis.  SAM must raise an additional $10.5 million to reach its $180 million goal by October 1, 2007 to release the Kresge grant funds.

“It is such an honor to receive this grant from The Kresge Foundation,” says Gates. “Our capital campaign has always been about two things: raising funds for our capital projects and involving and reaching out to our community. The Kresge Foundation is known for its outstanding support of non-profit organizations—building their capacity, catalyzing their growth and challenging them with grants that leverage greater support.” 

“Every gift to this campaign makes a difference. We want to provide everyone the opportunity to participate in these extraordinary projects that will provide a lasting legacy for generations to come,” said Susan Brotman, president of the museum’s Board of Trustees and co-chair of the capital campaign.

The Kresge Foundation is a national foundation with $3 billion in assets. Grant recipients range from institutions operating in the areas of higher education, health and long-term care, arts and humanities, human services, science and the environment, and public affairs.

Jul 17, 2006

Third Thursday
Tacoma Art Walk. Tacoma's galleries, Museum of Glass, the Washington State History Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum are open from 5 - 8pm. All three museums are free. Info line; 253/272-4258. Follow this bolded link for a great map and list of participants.

Edmonds Art Walk. 5 - 8pm. Call 425/776-3778.

Art Collective Issaquah. 6 - 9pm. Train Depot, 15 Rainier Blvd. N., Downtown Issaquah.

July 18 - 23
Renton River Days is a week-long family festival celebrating community pride with entertainment, food, arts and crafts, including a juried fine art show. The web site is here.

July 21 - 23
Seafair Indian Days Pow Wow. Indian arts and crafts, dancers, and salmon bake at the Daybreak Star Cultural Arts Center, Discovery Park. Call 206/285-4425.

July 22
International Sculptors Symposium. 1 - 5pm. Visit the open air studios and meet the sculptors as they work. Camp Brotherhood, SE of Mt. Vernon. Visit www.nwssa.org or call 425/640.8777.

Jul 15, 2006 Seniors 70 and older have a special show at the Kirkland Marina this weekend as part of the Summerfest celebration. The works of over 100 artists are on view. Rachel Tuinstra writes about the seniors and their work in the SeattleTimes.

Jul 13, 2006 Regina Hackett, for the Seattle P.I., has written an important article everyone who buys art on the internet should read. She begins with, "The poster boy for selling art fakes on the Internet, Ken Fetterman, got his start in fraud in Seattle and is now back in the limelight. His partner in crime, Kenneth Walton, recently published a book about their lucrative online deceptions titled, "Fake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay," subtitled, "How One Man's Con Game Created an International Scandal & Triggered a Nationwide FBI Manhunt" (Simon & Schuster, $21.95).

"Essentially, Walton and Fetterman sold bogus "masterpieces" on eBay by creating interest among neophyte collectors."

Today eBay is much better about detecting fraud, but all buyers need to be aware that scams are out there. Art Guide Northwest  and this blog publicize only legitimate dealers who have actual bricks and mortar galleries or virtual galleries run by people known in the community.

Jul 10, 2006 Second Thursday
Kirkland Art Walk. Galleries are open from 6 - 9pm.

July 14 - 16
Summerfest draws more than 40,000 visitors to Kirkland's Marina Park. Stroll through the creative work of 110 local and national juried artists. Benefits Kirkland Arts Center. Call 425/822-7161.

July 15 - 16
Camano Island Art by the Bay. Fine arts and crafts festival from 10am - 5pm at Utsalady Elem. School, 608 Arrowhead Rd., Camano Island. Visit www.stanwoodcamanoarts.com.

Gig Harbor Arts Festival. Annual arts and crafts show. Visit www.gigharborchamber.com or call 253/265-8313.

Skagit Artists Together Studio Tour. Come, see 24 selected artists at work in their studios. Call 360/466-4347 or visit www.skagitartiststogether.com.

San Juan Island Summer Arts Fair. Downtown Friday Harbor. Over 40 booths will feature gifted local and regional artists. Visit www.sanjuanisland.org or call 360/378-5240.

Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival
Throughout the two-day event, people from all over the region can learn and listen to ageless Native American stories that live on today. See demonstrations of traditional artwork from the best Northwest carvers, printmakers, weavers and bead artisans, and hear music that nourishes our native cultures. ; juried art exhibit, "In The Spirit," Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma (253-272-9747.

West Seattle Summerfest
3-day street fair, hosted by an organization of local area merchants, the West Seattle Junction Association. Now in it’s 24th year, West Seattle Summer Fest is host to dozens of bands, hundreds of merchants and artists, and over 30,000 attendees. Complete with food courts, beer gardens, and family activities, this is a true community celebration in the heart of West Seattle.

July 16
Pilchuck Glass School Open House. Once a year opportunity to visit the Stanwood campus; meet artists, tour campus, and view works in progress. Noon - 5pm. Advance reservations required; adults $20, children free. Call 206/621-8422.

Jul 8, 2006 For your audio pleasure, Art Radio Seattle has the first Henry Artcast [a co-production with Art Radio Seattle] Art Radio Seattle teamed up with the Henry Art Gallery to teach them how to create their own podcasts. Here is the first Henry ArtCast with Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown and Artist Akio Takamori with Betsey Brock, Communications and Outreach Manager for the Henry, about his exhibit in a podcast entitled "Drinking Sake and Celebrating the Universe - a conversation."
http://www.vroomjournal.com/artradio/artradiospecial06.mp3

Jul 7, 2006 Tacoma Art Museum has launched Washington’s first cell-phone walking tour, Ear for Art: Chihuly Glass CellPhone Walking Tour. The innovative new tour allows users to learn more about Dale Chihuly’s artwork in Tacoma’s Museum District as they stroll through revitalized downtown Tacoma.
The Ear for Art tour may be accessed any time of day or night, from anywhere in the country by calling 888.411.4220. The tour features twelve audio stops located throughout the Museum District that provide cell-phone users the opportunity to hear a narrator – and even Chihuly himself – talk about the installations at Tacoma Art Museum, Union Station, the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, the University of Washington Tacoma Library, and The Swiss Pub.  To find out more information go to: http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/page.asp?view=5508

Jul 6, 2006 Visit www.henryart.org after Saturday, July 8 to hear the very first Henry ArtCasts, the Henry's new podcast series. You can download these audio files to your desktop or player or subscribe to Henry ArtCasts on the website. The first ArtCasts include "Drinking Sake and Celebrating the Universe: A conversation Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown and Akio Takamori", and a tour through Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes with exhibition curator Richard Andrews.

Jul 6, 2006 Just got an email from the Seattle Convention and Visitor's Bureau announcing that once again, Seattle has been named one of the top ten arts cities in the country by readers of American Style magazine (www.americanstyle.com), a publication that is popular with art collectors, museum-goers and cultural tourists. Seattle ranked #6 in cities with populations over 500,000.