Visual Arts Calendar

MUSEUM OF GLASS Possessing the same spare gestures of Zen brush and ink painters, Michael Kenna's black-and-white landscape photographs in his show "Japan" evoke a simple, alternate dreamworld. Also, "Glass of the Avant-Garde," selections from the Torsten Brohan collection of middle European 20th-century art glass. 1801 E. Dock St. Tacoma, 253-396-1768. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun.

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM "Baja to Vancouver" collects representational art in various media by young artists along the Pacific Coast. It's a big coast, so highlights have to be minimal: B.C. artist Brian Jungen's spiritual totems made from athletic shoes; Kota Ezawa's animation based on the reading of the O.J. Simpson verdict (did you see the brief smile?); Seattle photographer Glen Rudolph's photographs of people on the margins; Tijuana photographer Yvonne Venegas' scenes of upper-class Mexican life; Shannon Oksanen and Scott Livingstone's hypnotic, grainy Zapruder-like film of a beached surfboard; and Matt McCormick and Miranda July's brilliant little deadpan documentary "The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal." Also on display is the second installment in SAM's "International Abstraction: Making Painting Real:" superb examples of the post-WWII abstract-expressionist and minimalist movements. Part I offers work by heavy hitters Joseph Albers, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and many others. Part II, "The View From Here: The Pacific Northwest 1800-1930," offers up a potpourri of paintings, photographs, and Native American art from the region's first boom: paintings by Albert Bierstad and Paul Kane, photos by Imogen Cunningham, etc. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM "Discovering Buddhist Art: Seeking the Sublime" recycles Buddhist pieces from the museum's permanent collection to highlight the diversity of Buddhist sacred art, from simple, quiet Bodhisattva sculptures to colorful Tibetan thanka paintings. Also on display, luminous Japanese prints from the 19th century onward, including atmospheric, nocturnal scenes by Kawase Hasui. "A Feast," two contemporary scrolls by Chinese ink painter Li Jin, includes one 59-foot behemoth that pokes fun at the excesses of Chinese celebrations and cuisine. Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Prospect Ave., 206-625-8900. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM Dale Chihuly's "Mille Fiori" (a thousand flowers to you and me) continues. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

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