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.
The exhibition matters because it marks a significant career milestone for Waters, a Northwest artist recognized for her large-scale, nostalgia-driven work that critiques consumerist pop culture from the 1950s through the 1980s. By incorporating sci-fi elements and glass sculpture made during a residency at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Waters expands her artistic practice while addressing themes of family history, care, and resilience. The show also highlights the Seattle Art Museum's commitment to supporting regional artists through the Betty Bowen Award, offering extended preparation time that allowed Waters to realize an ambitious, deeply personal project.