Seattle Art Blog - News, Discussion, and Events

Oct 29, 2007

First Thursday
Gallery Walks in Pioneer Square and the Seattle Art Museum Area. 6 - 8pm.

Downtown Museum and Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park are free all day on First Thursdays.

November 1
Seattle Art Museum celebrates El Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, one of Mexico’s most cherished traditions – which celebrates the cycle of life and death while honoring the spirits of those who have departed.  Free and open to the public. 5:30–7:30 p.m. at SAM Downtown, Brotman Forum

First Friday
 Anacortes Galleries Gallery Walk from 6 - 9pm. Call Kathy at 360/293-6938.

ArtWalk Issaquah. 6 - 9pm. in historic Downtown Issaquah.

Bainbridge Island Galleries open from 5 - 8 or 9pm.

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

Fremont Art Walk. 6 - 9pm. Visit www.fremontseattle .com.

Vashon Island Gallery Cruise. 6 - 9pm. Call Silverwood Gallery at 206/463-1722.

November 2 - Friday
Celebrate Day of the Dead Festival at the Phinney Center which will feature a traditional procession, an art show in the Gallery, a community altar, music, dancing, bilingual readings, sugar skulls, paper flowers and Mexican hot chocolate. All of the activities are free and open to the public.The event begins with a candlelight procession of masked performers and musicians who will gather at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, 75th and Greenwood, starting at 6:45 pm. Led by VamoLá, a Brazilian drum and dance ensemble (www.vamola.org), the procession will dance its way to the Phinney Center where the group will also perform in Heart of Phinney Park, 67th and Phinney. (206-783-2244 or www.phinneycenter.org).

Preview celebration  for Frye Art Museum and Henry Art Gallery members at the Frye Art Museum from 6-8pm of "Dreaming the Emerald City: The collections of Charles and Emma Frye and Horace C. Henry." Held rom 6-8pm.

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

Langley on Whidbey Island. Galleries extend their hours to 8pm.

Port Townsend Art Walk. 5:30 - 8:30pm. Call Ancestral Spirits Gallery at 360/385-0078.

November 3 - Saturday
Aperture West Collaborative Lecture Series at the Henry Art Gallery featuring South African artist Pieter Hugo, whose portraits won the 2006 World Press Photo competition. Held Saturday, November 3, 5:00 PM at the Henry auditorium and is free to the public.

November 4 - Sunday
Celebrate "Dia de los Muertos," at the Tacoma Art Museum on Sunday from 12-5pm. Music and dance, tradtional food, art activities, display of community altars, andmuch more. The Sugarskulls image above is courtesy of the Tacoma Art Museum

Through-Nov 25
Northwest Watercolor Society presenting annual Waterworks Members' Show at the Harbor Gallery, 3177 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, with awards ceremony the afternoon of Sat., Oct. 27 by juror Robert Burridge. Hours are 11 AM to 5 PM daily.

Oct 22, 2007 October 22-Nov 25
Northwest Watercolor Society presenting annual Waterworks Members' Show at the Harbor Gallery, 3177 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor, with awards ceremony the afternoon of Sat., Oct. 27 by juror Robert Burridge. Hours are 11 AM to 5 PM daily.

Through October  24
Scion Presents the Fourth Installment of its National Art Tour - "INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World." Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. The tour comes to Seattle's BLVD Gallery October 12th and will be on view until October 24.  The opening reception takes place from 6-10pm at 2316 Second Ave, Seattle.  Chris Yormick, Francesco Locastro and Kofie will be in attendance. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork and details from past tours please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.

October 25 - 26
Pilchuck Glass School 29th Annual Auction and Preview. Considered the primo event for collectors of glass art features work from over 250 artists who have donated pieces of their best work to benefit Pilchuck School. The Westin Seattle. Tickets for this black-tie gala begin at $225. Call 206/621-8422, ext. 36.

Through October 31
Oktoberfest Western Juried Art Show takes place at Pro Horse Performance Gear located at 17302 Pacific Avenue, Spanaway, WA. There are 50 paintings and six sculptures in this all Western/Wildlife art show. 30 artists are competing for Best of Show and Best in Sculpture, Washington State History Museum Award, Tacoma Art Commission Award, Mayor of Lacey and Mayor of Tacoma Award plus many more added awards from the community.

Last Thursday
Microsoft Art Collection Tours. Open to the public, free. Please RSVP two weeks in advance to artevent@microsoft.com. A maximum of 40 can register, first come, first served.

Oct 21, 2007 Carrie E.A. Scott, writing for the Seattle Weekly, says, "Don't let the ridiculous press release steer you away from seeing Susie Jungune Lee's upcoming show at Lawrimore Project. (It's marked by pompous headings like "The Best Artist's Statement Ever" and "Oh, You Want More Hyperbole Than That?") Though Lee only graduated from the University of Washington in 2006, her work is anything but ingenuous, a far cry from arrogant, and definitely. On view at the Lawrimore Project until Dec. 1.

Oct 15, 2007 Third Thursday
Upper Queen Anne Art Walk

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.

Edmonds Art Walk. Galleries are open from 5 - 8 pm. Call 425/776-3778.

Last Thursday
Microsoft Art Collection Tours. Open to the public, free. Please RSVP two weeks in advance to artevent@microsoft.com. A maximum of 40 can register, first come, first served.

October 12 - 24
Scion Presents the Fourth Installment of its National Art Tour - "INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World." Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. The tour comes to Seattle's BLVD Gallery October 12th and will be on view until October 24.  The opening reception takes place from 6-10pm at 2316 Second Ave, Seattle.  Chris Yormick, Francesco Locastro and Kofie will be in attendance. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork and details from past tours please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.

October 15
In conjunction with their upcoming conference, Sculpture in Public: Sculpture Parks and Gardens, the International Sculpture Center (ISC), publisher of Sculpture magazine, and the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle offers the local arts community the opportunity to attend the keynote address to be given by Ned Rifkin, Under Secretary for Art at the Smithsonian Institute.  This event, sponsored by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs will have 200 seats open and free to the public (first come basis).  The keynote will be held will be held in Seattle's Benaroya Hall located at 200 University Street  on Monday, October 15 from 1:00 - 2:15 PM.   For more information about the conference, visit the ISC website at www.sculpture.org.  For questions, please contact events@sculpture.org or call 609-689-1051 x302.

October 20
Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, begins their annual Day of the Dead observance, an ancient celebration in honor of relatives and friends who have died. The origins of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations can be traced back to the Aztec, Maya, P'urhipecha, Nahua, and Totonac peoples. The belief is that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life; therefore these celebrations are joyous, not mournful.

October 20
Family Day with free admission at the Wing Luke Museum, 407-7th. Avenue, Seattle.

October 21
The Wing Luke Museum invites the public to a 5pm benefit dinner at the Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant at the Great Wall Mall, 18230 East Valley Hwy, Kent, WA. Tickets are $50 per person.  Enjoy a 10-course Chinese banquet and help the museum  at the same time. The program will include performances and speakers and will benefit the Wing Luke Asian Museum's capital campaign.  For tickets and more information, call 206.623.5124 ext. 118.

Through October 31
Oktoberfest Western Juried Art Show takes place at Pro Horse Performance Gear located at 17302 Pacific Avenue, Spanaway, WA. There are 50 paintings and six sculptures in this all Western/Wildlife art show. 30 artists are competing for Best of Show and Best in Sculpture, Washington State History Museum Award, Tacoma Art Commission Award, Mayor of Lacey and Mayor of Tacoma Award plus many more added awards from the community. Reception and meet the artists will be held Oct. 20th at Pro Horse Performance Gear.

Oct 13, 2007 When I first met Kurt Lidtke, some 15 or so years ago, he had just left his job at Foster/White and opened a tiny gallery in a building across the street on Occidental. Located off the lobby in the back with no windows, there was barely enough room for Kurt's desk and a few paintings. Despite the fact that he couldn't afford to advertise with me, I continued to go in and visit with him from time to time. I loved talking about the Northwest Masters with him. Kurt was charming, ambitious and a hard worker who was there long hours working the phone trying to connect buyers and sellers. Sometimes he would be discouraged, but I told him I just knew he was going to succeed and someday have a big gallery with lots of windows. I liked the guy.  Did he change or was he always a sociopath?  Something went terribly wrong. Read all about it in the Seattle Times.

Oct 11, 2007                                      
Japan Envisions the West:
16th–19th Century Japanese Art
from Kobe City Museum
October 11, 2007–January 6, 2008
Closed November 27–30*


SAM says, "Starting with the arrival of the Portuguese and Spanish on Japanese shores in the 1540s, the ruling classes of Japan experienced culture shock when confronted by the arts, religions, and sciences of the West. Over the next three centuries, European perspective, motifs, and designs were adapted to suit Japanese tastes, and they co-existed with conventional Japanese styles to create new decorative arts. This compelling exhibition features maps, prints, textiles and objects that reveal how Japanese artwork reflected Western influence in the pre-modern age."

 Follow this bolded link for Regina Hackett's take on the exhibition. Her last sentence is great: "What a wonderful world it would be if we could respect our differences, put down our swords and dance. Till then, there's art. It's almost enough."

Oct 10, 2007 Thursday October 11th from 6-8 pm. the galleries in Kirkland are joining the campaign to collect needed items for our soldiers overseas. Northwest College Students will be donating their time to pack boxes to be sent overseas.  You may drop off items or money donations at, Gunnar Nordstrom, Howard/Mandville Gallery, Lakeshore Gallery, and Patricia Rovzar Gallery through the month of October. T he most requested items are :

Oct 8, 2007 Second Thursday
Kirkland Art Walk. Galleries are open from 6 - 9pm.

West Seattle Art Walk. 6pm - 9pm. For information and maps visit Hotwire Coffeehouse, 4410 California SW, Seattle, call 206/935-1510, or visit their blog.

Second Saturday
Ballard Art Walk from 6-9pm. More information and maps can be found here.

October 12 - 24
Scion Presents the Fourth Installment of its National Art Tour - "INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World." Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. The tour comes to Seattle's BLVD Gallery October 12th and will be on view until October 24.  The opening reception takes place from 6-10pm at 2316 Second Ave, Seattle.  Chris Yormick, Francesco Locastro and Kofie will be in attendance. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork and details from past tours please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.

October 13 and 14
"Celebrating 40 Years of the works produced by the Al Doggett Studio," a recognition of the creative contributions of an African American working artist in our community takes place at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S. Alaska St., Seattle, from 12pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

October 13 and November 10
Arts Gumbo 2007, a cultural series produced by SouthEast Effective Development (SEED) mixing the sights, sounds and flavors of three worldviews through stories, music, food and crafts of Brazilian, and Japanese cultures. Enjoy traditional art and cuisine on October 13th and November 10th.  This family series is held from 5 to 8 pm at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center (3515 S. Alaska St.), in Columbia City. Call 206-760-4286 or or email jplumridge@seedseattle.org for more information.

October 13 - 28
Art Port Townsend,Port Townsend, WA's 9th Annual Arts Festival begins with a regional juried art exhibition, followed by other arts events. it includes the popular, free Artist's Studio Tour October 14 - 15 (10 A.M. - 4 P.M.). For exact events, times, and venues visit www.artporttownsend.org or call (30) 379-1086.

October 15
In conjunction with their upcoming conference, Sculpture in Public: Sculpture Parks and Gardens, the International Sculpture Center (ISC), publisher of Sculpture magazine, and the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle offers the local arts community the opportunity to attend the keynote address to be given by Ned Rifkin, Under Secretary for Art at the Smithsonian Institute.  This event, sponsored by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs will have 200 seats open and free to the public (first come basis).  The keynote will be held will be held in Seattle's Benaroya Hall located at 200 University Street  on Monday, October 15 from 1:00 - 2:15 PM.   For more information about the conference, visit the ISC website at www.sculpture.org.  For questions, please contact events@sculpture.org or call 609-689-1051 x302.

Through October 31
Oktoberfest Western Juried Art Show takes place at Pro Horse Performance Gear located at 17302 Pacific Avenue, Spanaway, WA. There are 50 paintings and six sculptures in this all Western/Wildlife art show. 30 artists are competing for Best of Show and Best in Sculpture, Washington State History Museum Award, Tacoma Art Commission Award, Mayor of Lacey and Mayor of Tacoma Award plus many more added awards from the community. Reception and meet the artists will be held Oct. 20th at Pro Horse Performance Gear.

Oct 6, 2007 Grownups and children alike should enjoy a trip to Olympia for this exhibit. Opening October 6 and on view for the next year, Giants in the Mountains; The Search for Sasquatch, will be at the State Capital Museum, 211 21st Avenue SW in Olympia. Who or what is Sasquatch?  Why are sightings in Washington the highest in the nation? This exploration of the Sasquatch story focuses on the Pacific Northwest environment which has created a rich setting for the traditional beliefs that have grown up around this being.  Created especially for the exhibit is a full size mural of the legendary Dzoonokwa or Basket Women of the forests. Carved mask by renowned Native Artist Pete Peterson, Sr. and artwork by Sean Peterson are featured in the gallery.  Call 360-753-2580, or visit  the web at www.washingtonhistory.org for more information.

Oct 5, 2007 For those of you who read Artdish, a blog whose forums are frequented by art community insiders, you know Jim Demetre is interested in horticulture. He proves just how knowledgable he is by writing an article in the Stranger questioning the plant choices in the Seattle Art Museum's new Sculpture Park. Read it right here.

In another article, Jen Graves helps explain the mystery of who the newly-announced Betty Bowen Award winner is. Oscar Tuazon is a name we'll be hearing more from in this neck of the woods. Read Jen's article in the Stranger.