The Seattle Times

article local schedule Jun 10, 2026

A new Seattle art innovation lab aims to bring together tech and art

A new art innovation lab called xispa (pronounced “chee-spa”) is opening on June 18 in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, in the former MadArt Studio space. Founded by Lele Barnett and Doug Carmean, xispa combines a gallery, artist residency, and technology hub to foster collaboration between artists and tech workers. The first artist-in-residence is Portland-based Samantha Yun Wall, a 2024 Betty Bowen Award winner, who will explore nanoparticle ink during her six-month residency, working out of the University of Washington’s Molecular Information Systems Lab. The space is fiscally sponsored by local nonprofit Shunpike and aims to keep art at the forefront, with artists deciding how to integrate technology into their practice.

museum exhibitions schedule May 28, 2026

Must-see Seattle gallery exhibits, art walk events, Pride shows and more

This article highlights several LGBTQ+ art exhibitions and events in Seattle for June, including Chloe King's banner at the Frye Art Museum, Curtis Steiner's pastel drawings at Traver Gallery, and the open-call group show 'QUEER FOR ALL' at The Factory. It also lists other notable shows such as 'Central District Legacy: Black. Power. Black Panthers.' at ARTE NOIR, the second iteration of the house-based project 'Once Removed', and 'Orders of Nearness' at studio e gallery, plus an artist-designed mini-golf course at Olympic Sculpture Park.

museum exhibitions schedule May 23, 2026

Seattle galleries launch Seattle Art Fair alternative

Two prominent Seattle galleries, Traver Gallery and Greg Kucera Gallery, are launching a new art fair called Assembly to coincide with the 10th edition of the Seattle Art Fair in July. Assembly will take place at West Canal Yards from July 23-26, featuring 10 to 15 invited galleries from the Pacific Northwest and Dallas, with a more intimate, curated approach and significantly lower participation costs ($3,000–$6,500 per gallery versus $25,000+ at SAF). The fair is invitational, uses vacant spaces around a central atrium instead of traditional booths, and plans to redistribute ticket and booth revenue to participating galleries.

museum exhibitions schedule May 8, 2026

WA’s Maryhill Museum of Art has ties to royalty, celebrates milestone

The Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its dedication by Queen Marie of Romania. Founded by entrepreneur Samuel Hill in 1907, the museum houses an eclectic collection including over 80 works by Auguste Rodin, French haute couture fashions, and thousands of Indigenous art objects. To mark the centennial, the museum has opened three new exhibitions highlighting Queen Marie's contributions: Russian icons, Romanian embroidery, and folk pottery, alongside her personal items like coronation gowns and gilded furniture.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 22, 2026

Seattle May art shows include speakeasy-style gallery attached to house

A series of diverse art exhibitions are opening across Seattle in May. Highlights include a show exploring the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on Northwest artists at the Cascadia Art Museum, a site-specific installation in a private garage gallery called Double Garage, and a large-scale display of drawings on sticky notes by Clare Johnson at Gallery 4Culture. Other featured shows include Emma Bergman's surreal multimedia installation at Specialist Gallery and a landmark retrospective of light artist Tom Lloyd at the Frye Art Museum.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 22, 2026

Top Seattle art shows to see in May 2026

Seattle's art scene in May 2026 features six diverse exhibitions. Highlights include 'Influences: Japanese Prints and Northwest Art' at the Cascadia Art Museum, exploring the impact of Japanese woodblock printing on regional artists; a site-specific installation by Carly Sheehan at the appointment-only Double Garage Gallery; Clare Johnson's exhibition of over 6,000 artworks on sticky notes at Gallery 4Culture; Emma Bergman's surreal multimedia installation 'The World to Come' at Specialist Gallery; and a landmark retrospective of light-art pioneer Tom Lloyd at the Frye Art Museum.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 8, 2026

New Pioneer Square art gallery focuses on immigrant art

Saina Heshmati and Amir Amini have opened ANTiPODE Art Gallery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, a new space dedicated to showcasing the work of immigrant artists. Located in a basement shared with the Seattle Jazz Fellowship, the gallery functions as a multi-modal hub for cultural exchange, hosting art exhibitions alongside film screenings, tea ceremonies, and experimental music. The founders, both Tehran natives, aim to bridge the gap between Seattle and distant global cities through diverse programming that emphasizes the intersection of different artistic disciplines.

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 28, 2026

Defining Forces: SAM explores the influences that shaped generations of NW artists

The Seattle Art Museum has launched "Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest," a major exhibition that re-evaluates the legacy of the "Northwest Mystics." The show features pivotal works such as Mark Tobey’s "Dancing Miners" and Malcolm M. Roberts’ surrealist "Lunar Landscape," tracing how global movements like Surrealism and local landscapes merged to define the region's mid-century aesthetic.

article local schedule Mar 23, 2026

6 free Seattle art exhibits in April at museums and galleries

The article highlights six free art exhibitions taking place in Seattle during April, spanning both museums and commercial galleries. It provides a curated list of accessible cultural offerings for the public.

article news schedule Feb 21, 2026

When The Gallery opened, it sparked a revival that changed Pioneer Square forever

Foster/White Gallery is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a cornerstone of Seattle’s Pioneer Square, a neighborhood it helped transform from a derelict district into a thriving arts hub. Founded by Richard White in 1966, the gallery became a pioneer in the area, representing legendary Northwest School artists like Morris Graves and Mark Tobey. Despite the recent closure of other long-standing neighborhood staples like Davidson and Linda Hodges galleries, Foster/White remains a symbol of continuity and resilience.

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 3, 2026

Artist whose recent award ‘saved my career’ has first major solo museum show at SAM

Samantha Yun Wall has opened her first major solo museum exhibition, "What We Leave Behind," at the Seattle Art Museum. The show features her large-scale, black-and-white drawings that explore identity, family, and Korean folklore through surreal, portal-like imagery.

museum exhibitions schedule Sep 10, 2025

Best 16 Seattle art exhibits to see this fall

This fall, Seattle's visual arts scene is exceptionally strong, with a curated guide highlighting 16 must-see exhibitions across the city. Notable shows include Matthew Deane Parker's 'Hard Body' at Gallery 4Culture, featuring foam boulders sculpted by an artist with multiple sclerosis; Rob Rhee's 'Crossings' at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, using dried gourds; and Stefan Gonzales's 'Unclassified Materials' and 'Quarry,' which reimagine land art through a decolonial lens. Other highlights include Rodney McMillian's 'Neighbors' at the Henry Art Gallery, 'Woven in Wool' at the Burke Museum showcasing Coast Salish weaving, and a trio of Indigenous-focused shows at the Frye Art Museum featuring Camille Trautman, Priscilla Dobler Dzul, and a survey of the late Beau Dick.

museum exhibitions schedule Aug 13, 2025

Behind the scenes of assembling SAM's large-scale Ai Weiwei exhibition

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) team faced an extraordinary challenge installing the retrospective “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei,” which required handling eight tractor-trailers of artwork—far more than the usual two—within just three weeks. The exhibition features 130 complex works, including a giant tree sculpture, a life-size jail cell replica, and a Lego rendition of the Mueller report, many arriving without instruction manuals and requiring creative assembly by a 12-person crew led by lead preparator Joshua Gosovich.

museum exhibitions schedule Jul 23, 2025

Seattle mural festival, shows that make you think and more visual arts

Seattle's visual arts scene remains vibrant after the Seattle Art Fair, with a packed schedule of exhibitions and events. Highlights include the politically charged "Latin American Land/Escapes" at SOIL Gallery, featuring 14 Mexican artists whose names were withheld due to immigration concerns; "Hugh Hayden: American Vernacular" at the Frye Art Museum, the artist's first solo museum show on the West Coast; a new mural by Charlene Liu at the Henry Art Gallery; and the ongoing "Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei" at the Seattle Art Museum. The Belltown Mural Festival also returns for a second year, with live painting performances starting Aug. 4.

museum exhibitions schedule Jul 22, 2025

Seattle art exhibit centers immigrant histories, experiences

More than 20 local artists are showcasing works in the "Wildest Dreams" exhibit at Nino Studio & Gallery in Seattle's Pioneer Square, running through July 31. Curated by Seattle-based artist Rya Wu, the show honors the histories, experiences, and cultures of first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants. Artists like Yaminee Patel use grains and legumes to depict the journey of food, while Allan Carandang addresses U.S. colonialism and the legacy of Spam in Guam. The exhibit is an extension of Wu's larger series "Have You Eaten," which began in 2023 to explore identity and home for the Asian diaspora.

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 24, 2025

Here are the top art exhibitions to see in Seattle for July

The article highlights top art exhibitions in Seattle for July, including the return of the Seattle Art Fair (July 17-20) and several gallery shows. Featured exhibitions include Cable Griffith's 'Return to Sender' at J. Rinehart Gallery, Jite Agbro's 'Penumbras' at Patricia Rovzar Gallery, a duo show 'Color and Line' with Kevin Cosley and Soo Hong at Chatwin Arts, Althea Rao's 'Commit to Memory, Know it Will Perish' at Gallery 4Culture, and Humaira Abid's 'The Shape of Life' at Greg Kucera Gallery.

article local schedule May 20, 2025

9 must-see Seattle art exhibits for the next month

This article highlights nine visual art exhibitions in Seattle for June, curated as staff picks to embrace themes of change, regeneration, and healing. Featured shows include "Taking Care: Embrace with Tenderness" at Seattle University's Hedreen Gallery, which closes next year when the building is razed for a new museum; "Jill Kyong: Between Spaces" at SlipStitch Studio; "Mel Carter: bitter, the mourning" at Gallery 4Culture; "Gina Ariko: Ikebana and the Art of Resilience" at Gallery 110; "Healing Our Roots" at The Fishbowl gallery; and "Third Eye" at Base Camp Studios, among others. The exhibitions span photography, glass art, floral arrangements, and group shows, all free and open to the public.

museum exhibitions schedule May 1, 2025

Why this WA artist has gained so much acclaim

Joe Feddersen, a 71-year-old artist and member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, has gained widespread acclaim for his prints, paintings, weavings, glass sculptures, ceramics, photography, and digital imagery. His work draws on the Plateau pictorial style and ancient petroglyphs, blending traditional Indigenous motifs with contemporary icons like chain-link fences and high-voltage towers. A traveling retrospective, a new book titled "Earth, Water, Sky," and a 2024 Governor's Arts & Heritage Award mark a particularly busy period, culminating in the exhibition "Past/Present" at studio e gallery in Seattle. Feddersen also addresses painful history, such as the 2021 discovery of unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, through works covered with skull outlines.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2025

A pink rocket ship and other sci-fi elements fuel Seattle artist’s latest exhibit

Seattle artist Tariqa Waters presents her first solo exhibition with sci-fi elements, titled "Venus is Missing," at the Seattle Art Museum from May 7, 2025 through January 5, 2026. The show features a retro-futuristic pink rocket ship and oversized glass sculptures of ball barrettes—elastic hair ties from the 1970s and '80s—arranged as constellations. Waters won the Betty Bowen Award in 2023, which led to this exhibition, and she used the extra preparation time to create an immersive narrative about vulnerability, nostalgia, and escape. The exhibition also connects to her upcoming book "WHO RAISED YOU? A Martyr Sauce Guide To Etiquette," published by Minor Matters Books.

person The Seattle Times