Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2004

Send listings two weeks in advance to visualarts@seattleweekly.com.

Lectures and Events

Artist Lecture: Ron Pokrasso A discussion of printing and collage by master printmaker Ron Pokrasso. 7 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 30. Pratt Fine Art Center, 1902 S. Main St., free, 206-328-2200.

CoCA Painting Marathon This annual fund-raiser for the nonprofit Center on Contemporary Art is popularly known as “They Shoot Painters, Don’t They?”—and after painting for 24 hours straight, some of the participants may wish that were true. A couple dozen local painters will work through the night in Fremont and later auction their creations. Marathon: 9 a.m. Fri. Oct. 1–9 a.m. Sat. Oct. 2. 124 N. 35th St., $5, 206-728-1980. Auction: 7 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2, 124 N. 35th St., $10-$50, 206-728-1980.

Eye to Eye on the Ave Seattle photographer Michael Matisse spent months getting to know the homeless youths of living on the streets and in shelters in the U District. His powerful life-size photos go on display in a show organized by Safeco, Street Youth Ministries, and Unico properties. Opens Mon. Oct. 4. Rainier Square Tower lobby (Fifth and University), free, 206- 524-7301.

Glass Art Pumpkin Patch A collection of blown-glass pumpkins on sale, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Northwest Harvest. Opens Fri. Oct. 4. Avalon Glassworks, 2914 S.W. Avalon Way, free, 206-937-6369.

Lecture: Bruce Mau The Toronto-based postmodern designer speaks about his firm’s work for the Seattle Public Library, plus his new, impressive-looking show on international design that opens next month at the Vancouver Art Gallery. 6 p.m. Mon. Oct. 4. Central Library auditorium, 1000 Fourth Ave., free, 206-386-4636.

Microsoft Artist Lecture: Gregory Coates An artist known for using found materials in his abstract paintings talks about his work in a public lecture at Microsoft. 6-8 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1. Microsoft Campus, Building 33 Conference Center, N.E. 36th Way (Redmond), free, 425-703-1800.

Sumi Artists of Puget Sound A juried show of contemporary brush-and-ink paintings by locals. Reception: 2-4 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2. Washington State Trade & Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, free, 206-694-5000.

Openings

Seattle Weekly PickSOIL Samantha Scherer’s pen-and- watercolor paintings of celebrity body parts are very funny—in the past she’s done portraits of Tony Curtis’ belly and Condoleezza Rice’s scowl. As hilarious as Brad Pitt’s nipple might be, Scherer’s art actually delves into all sorts of deeper issues: How does the brain recognize faces? Why our fetish for celebrity? And what exactly are Angelina Jolie’s lips made of? Reception: 7-10 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2. 1317 E. Pine St., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Tacoma Art Museum It might be a stretch to say that the Hudson River painters—Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, and Alfred Bierstadt among them—invented the American wilderness. But even so, these early 19th century painters, influenced by Thoreau and Emerson, shifted the popular view of nature from something to be feared and fought to something sublime and worthy of reverence. This collection of 50 important landscapes from Connecticut’s Wadsworth Antheneum will feature work by Cole, Church, Bierstadt, and several others. Opens Sat. Oct. 2. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

ToST New, simple-but-cool painting of furniture, tricycles, flowers, and other nice stuff by Todd Karam. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1. 513 N. 36th St., 206-547-0240. 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Tues.-Sat., 5 p.m.-midnight Sun.-Mon.

Wingnut Galleries Metal sculpture by Portland artist Mark Diamond and gothic photographs by Rik Garrett at this new Capitol Hill gallery. Opening reception will include music by Krysztof and Traci Nemeth of Sinforosa. Reception: 6-10 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-6 p.m. Sun. 1205 E. Pike, 206-328-2978.

Last Chance

Artemis Dynamic electrical assemblages cobbled together from industrial trash, light bulbs, and other detritus by Jay Humphreys and Jules Manoogian. 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

Baas Gallery Nature-inspired paintings from Jared Rue Thornton and mixed-media paintings laden with wildlife by M.A. Papanek-Miller. 2703 E. Madison, 206-324-4742. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

Davidson Steven Heino’s paintings on phenolic cloth (a fiberglass fabric he discovered during his days working for Boeing) have a rich, three- dimensional quality. Also showing: surrealist paintings stocked with 19th century technology and anemic-looking people by Alexander Petrov. 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Seattle Weekly PickForgotten Works “Before, During and After,” is an assortment of work from past and present gallery members, including Allison Agostinelli, Antjuan Oden, David Chick, and Su Job. 619 Western Ave., 206-343-7212. noon-3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

Seattle Weekly PickFoster/White New work by the dean of abstract painters in the Northwest, Alden Mason. Mason continues the improvisational, almost scribblelike quality of his work, and some of the paintings are threaded with childlike renderings of dogs, fish, and assorted folks. There’s a nervous energy throughout, as if Mason had found a new kind of steadfastness by embracing the unsteady tremors of age. You can’t help being cheered by these puddles of color with titles like “Pink Boober” and “Vanilla Pudding.” 123 S. Jackson, 206-622-2833. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

Francine Seders Fred Birchman’s “History of Flight” includes two-dimensional works and several sculptures that engage in near-abstract meditations on airplanes, flight and freedom. 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.- Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sun. Oct. 3.

Gallery 63 Eleven Sturdy, heavy, manly objects made by blacksmith David Tuthill. 6311 24th N.W., 206-478-2238. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Seattle Weekly PickGallery 110 Thomas Ager’s “(E)Scapes Landscape Project”—transparencies of paintings and collages lit from behind and displayed to great effect in the darkened west gallery. Also: Lisa Sheets’ collages fuse pop images, religious iconography, and fabric patterns into tightly controlled compositions of no great interest. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Gallery 4 Culture Combing ethics and aesthetics, artists Sarah Morris and Christ2000TM take on the wasteful consumption economy by turning household trash into texturally rich sculpture. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Fri. Oct. 1.

Glo’s The popular breakfast joint continues to be a friend to cartoonists, this time showing original art from Henry Chamberlain’s new comic book (er, “graphic novel”) about a young man in a big city. 309 Occidental St., 206-223-0816. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Grover/Thurston In “After Nature,” Seattle artist Deborah Mersky paints talismanlike birds tangled within otherwise abstract compositions. 309 Occidental St., 206-223-0816. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Seattle Weekly PickJoe Bar You gotta have at least one gimmick to make it these days, and Chris Crites has two, both damn good: mug shots and paper bags. He paints one on the other, in luridly bright acrylics, and has a great eye for the humor in clueless and grumpy criminal faces hauled before police cameras. 810 E Roy St. 206-324-0407. 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

LGBT Gallery Mike Lewis and Mike Curato team up for “Late Night With the Blue Album,” an exploration of beauty and companionship. 1115 E. Pike St. 206-323-5428. Noon-9 p.m. daily. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

Seattle Weekly PickLisa Harris Richard Hutter’s abstract paintings and collages have a tightly balanced composition and employ bold motifs in layer upon layer of musiclike forms. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Linda Hodges “Contours” is a group show of contemporary variations on landscape including work by Jennifer Beedon, Lead Pencil Studio, and Brenna Helm. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 2.

Martin-Zambito Mid-20th century paintings, prints, and photographs by lesser-known Northwest artists, including Inez Hill Bailey, Glen Alps, James Peck, and Wendell Brazeau. 721 E. Pike St., 206-726-9509. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Wed. Oct. 6.

Vain Roughly painted, fashion-savvy portraits by Casey Garcia. 2018 First Ave., 206-441-3441. Noon-7 p.m. Sun.-Tues.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wed.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Ends Thurs. Sept. 30.

Seattle Weekly PickWilliam Traver Gregory Grenson’s reverse paintings on glass depict a variety of women in a raw and unflattering light. 110 Union St., second floor, 206-587-6501. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sun. Oct. 3.

Seattle Weekly PickWright Exhibition Space “Color Field and Related Abstractions” is a show hand-picked by arts patron Virginia Wright in the interest of reviving the reputations of 20th century color field painters Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, and Jules Olitski. 407 Dexter Ave. N., 206-622-1896. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays.

Zeitgeist Eric Olsen’s dot paintings are studies in chaos—each color is given a number and distributed evenly by computer-generated randomness. 171 S. Jackson St., 206-583-0497. 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ends Tues. Oct. 5.

Galleries

1506 Projects “Moving Digital,” a collection of video-based art, film loops, and TV-show inspired prints from artists Iole Alessandrini, Brad Ewing, Sean Frego, Joseph Gray, Thom Heileson, David Herbert, Jamisen Ogg, Keith Tilford, Tony Weathers, and John Wells. 1506 E. Olive, 206-920-8618. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Ballard Fetherston Pleasant, scratchy abstractions in oil and wax by Kirsten Stolle and pleasant, spacey abstractions in acrylic and graphite by Chris Metze. 818 E. Pike St., 206- 322-9440. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.

Bryan Ohno Larry Bemm’s open, casual abstractions in pastel-colored oils are painted directly on wood panels. 155 S. Main St., 206-667-9572. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

G. Gibson “Homage to Aperture,” a collection of work celebrating the 50th anniversary of the influential photography publisher, includes shots by the great ones: Imogen Cunningham, Ansel Adams, Sally Mann, Edward Weston, et al. 514 E. Pike St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sat.

Greg Kucera Minimalist sculptor Peter Millett has been living and working in Seattle for more than 30 years, and this exhibit of new work showcases his modernist (and expensive) forms—including stairs to nowhere, rhythmic braids of steel, and wall sculptures that find a simple joy in paint and natural wood grain. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickHoward House Talk about good timing: Victoria Haven was recently announced as the 2004 winner of Seattle Art Museum’s prestigious Betty Bowen award, just prior to the opening of a show of her new work at Howard House. Haven is known for her delicate and intricate geometric paintings, drawings, and wall sculptures that seem so ephemeral as to have almost physical substance at all. This new show, titled “Wonderland” will feature fragile cut-paper constructions and other works on paper. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Hugo House Prints and light boxes by Mary Simpson and Valerie McEvoy (from Alaska and Ireland, respectively) that explore the theme “Another Country.” 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.

Jack Straw New Media Gallery Seattle’s Iole Alessandrini installs interactive lasers and other optical gizmos in this multimedia experience intended to explore “the distributed body, multiple-self, and transmigration of presence.” 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-634-0919. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Seattle Weekly PickJames Harris Shaun O’Dell’s color drawings are filled with an intricate, well-balanced tangle of pilgrim heads, wildlife, and networked tree branches that add up to a sort of spiritual map of the clash between human economy and nature. Sample title: Prophesy Extraction at the Confluence of Kykuit, The Western Medicinal Compact and the Southern Decline of a Blind Consensual Chiming. 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Photographic Center Northwest “Photography Past/Forward: Aperture at 50” features prints that originally appeared in the legendary photography periodical founded in 1952 by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Minor White. 900 12th Ave. 206-720-7222. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon., 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickPlatform Platform Gallery, a new artist-owned artspace in the Tashiro-Kaplan complex, celebrates its debut with “Still Lives:” work by two artists obsessed with fusing human and natural worlds. Keith Yurdana offers drawings and sculptures of human-animal metamorphosis and Carlee Fernandez’s taxidermy. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickRoq La Rue At first, Ray Caesar’s digital images of blank-faced children in fantastic settings seem a lot like the work of other technically dazzling, predictably creepy practitioners whose “pop surrealism” this gallery has made fashionable. And it is disturbing—and not a fun, hipster kind of disturbing—to learn that Caesar draws inspiration from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where he worked for 17 years. Is he making a fetish of childhood suffering? A closer look reveals a guarded tenderness for his imaginary subjects, who seem to have gained, through the artist’s grace, a placid command of their nightmarish surroundings. 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun.

SAM Rental/Sales Gallery A sampler of painting and drawing from Cornish College instructors Patrick LoCicero, Kathleen Rabel, and Mark Takamichi Miller, among others. 1220 Third Ave., 206-654-3158. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Solomon Fine Art Wood panels that have been painted, drawn on, and gouged in an expressionistic manner by Page Davis. 1215 First Ave., 206-297-1400. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Seattle Weekly PickWestern Bridge Western Bridge’s kickoff show, “Possessed,” is a superb collection of video and mixed-media pieces that make a veritable fetish of anxiety. Aïda Ruilova’s quick-cut video of nervousness has a garage-punk edge to it, while Zoe Leonard’s room full of used dolls is an unnerving formalist study in female identity. In Nicola’s Vruwink’s Living, the artist documents her worship at the altar of Martha Stewart. And the title of this group show derives from Shirin Neshat’s stunning 10-minute film featuring Iranian-born actress Shohreh Aghashloo as a madwoman wandering into the village square. 3412 Fourth Avenue S. 206-838-7444. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Museums

Frye Art Museum In “Figuring the Forces,” contemporary realist painter Scott Goodwillie brings a baroque sensibility to contemporary anxieties and conflicts. “Eloquent Vistas” collects American landscape photography from the second half of the 19th century by Eadweard Muybridge, William Henry Jackson, and many others. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Seattle Weekly PickHenry Art Gallery Emmet Gowin’s “Changing the Earth,” features more than 10 years of aerial photographs of human-altered landscapes across the American West; Seattle video genius Gary Hill’s mysterious installation “Tall Ships” is a preview of the ambitious “Work of the Work” exhibit exploring artist-viewer interaction; and “Santiago Calatrava: The Architect’s Studio” showcases the work of the ultramodern Spanish architect with a fondness for organic swoops. “Selections from the Collection of William and Ruth True” offers a sampling from the collection of these two keen-eyed art collectors and longtime patrons of the Henry. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Museum of Glass Motorized, kinetic sculptures by Museum of Glass favorite Gregory Barsamian, and “Murano,” a showcase more than 200 pieces of 20th century Venetian glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection. Plus, Chihuly’s gargantuan versions of Japanese glass fishing net floats invade the museum’s mezzanine reflecting pool. 1801 E. Dock St. Tacoma, 253-396-1768. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. (third Thurs. of the month until 8 p.m.), noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Museum of Northwest Art “600 Moons: Fifty Years of Philip McCracken’s Art” presents a retrospective of the Northwest sculptor known for combining exquisite craftsmanship with a deep respect for the natural world. 121 South First St. (La Conner), 360-466-4446. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Seattle Weekly PickRoyal BC Museum A huge touring exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts from the British Museum will make its only stop in the Pacific Northwest at Victoria’s Royal B.C. Museum. Expect to see heaps of gorgeous treasures, including intricate golden death masks, a multi-ton granite lion, scraps of Egyptian scrolls, and yes, real, dead mummies. 675 Belleville Street (Victoria, B.C.) 888-447-7977. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily.

Seattle Weekly PickSeattle Art Museum The video “Shadow Procession,” a recent SAM acquisition by South African artist William Kentridge, is a low-tech shadow parable, “The View From Here,” offers selections of Pacific Northwest art from 1870 to 1940, while “Modern in America,” explores the interaction between photography and the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and other 20th century artists. “Song, Story and Speech” is a multimedia installation exploring how oral tradition is crucial to Native Coast Salish culture. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum “A Sense of Place,” a selection of big names from the permanent collection, including Camille Corot, Edward Hopper, and Jacob Lawrence. Plus, the late UW professor and ceramics maven Howard Kottler is celebrated in “Look Alikes,” a selection of kitschy and witty commemorative plates from the 1960s to the 1980s. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Wing Luke Asian Museum The juried exhibit “Beyond Talk: Redrawing Race” attempts to break open the lockbox of dialogue on race. 407 Seventh S., 206-623-5124. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.