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Lectures and Events

Lecture: Queen Isabel of Spain Playwright Anne Ludlum talks about how Queen Isabel helped foster a renaissance of exploration, art, religious fervor, and cultural expansion in 15th-century Spain. 5 p.m. Fri. Nov. 26. Seattle Art Museum, 100 University St., free with admission, 206-654-3100.

Openings

SCCC M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery “Youth in Focus” is an annual show of work by urban youths learning the art of photography from local professional photographers. Reception: 5-7 p.m. Tues. Nov. 30. 801 E. Pine (Seattle Central Community College near cafeteria), 206-344-4379. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 5-7 p.m. Tues. & Thurs.

Last Chance

Artemis Vibrantly colored landscapes and flora by Kansas City–based painter and former Seattle resident Eric Bashor. 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

Atelier 31 New York artist James Croak’s dirt sculptures of babies and business-suited everymen, plus Seattle artist Layne Kleinart’s rough portraits of sock monkeys and other plush critters. 2500 First Ave., 206-448-5250. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Tues.; 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sun. Nov. 28.

Bluebottle Hip-hop cartoonist, animator, and DJ Kid Koala shows selections from his first graphic novel, Nufonia Must Fall, about a down-and-out robot looking for love. 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ends Sun. Nov. 28.

Francine Seders Pit-fired clay ceramics and bronze by California-Kauai artist David Kuraoka. 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.- Sat.; 1-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sun. Nov. 28.

Gallery 110 Scott Mansfield’s mixed-media sculptures incorporate books, ceramics, and found objects in playful, geometrically vibrant compositions. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

Gallery 4 Culture Chad States’ staged tableaux photographs have all the posed phoniness and beautiful people of a Land’s End catalog—but the scenes enact weird, ambiguous dramas of conflict and mystery. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Fri. Nov. 26.

G. Gibson A show of mixed-media paintings, sculpture, and elongated dresses by outsider artist Larry Calkins. 514 E. Pike St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

Garde Rail Self-trained, D.C.-based artist Bill Miller creates delicate landscapes and portraits of his family members using vintage linoleum and vinyl flooring pieces. 110 Third Ave. S., 206-621-1055. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

Greg Kucera Darren Waterston’s “13 Paintings” have the feel of Chinese landscapes set on Jupiter, but there’s just something a little too easy to like about these celestial, New Age-y paintings. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

James Harris Jeffry Mitchell’s overly sweet work is influenced by the Japanese traditions of sumi and ceramics. 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

Lisa Harris Overly cheery, Matisse-like monotype prints of birds, flowers, masquerade masks, and Tuscan sunshine by Kim Osgood. 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. Nov. 27.

Photographic Center Northwest In “Fotografías,” local photographer Eduardo Calderón wanders the alleyways of Rome, Peru, New York, Mexico, and Seattle, finding little poems of life and freezing them on film. 900 12th Ave., 206-720-7222. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon.; 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Ends Mon. Nov. 29.

Priceless Works In “Memento Mori” Chauney Peck’s stainlike abstract paintings on vinyl allude to decay along the seashore. Plus, Elise Richman’s three-dimensional confections of paint; design work and assorted ephemera from the band Climax Golden Twins; and drawings from Jesse Paul Miller. 619 N. 35th St., Suite 100, 206-349-9943. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. Ends Sun. Nov. 28.

SOIL Photographs of “performative” outdoor sculpture by Chris Engman, plus decorative, postmodern William Morris–esque curlicues and feathers in paint on wood by Nicholas Nyland. 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. Ends Sat. Nov. 27.

Solomon Fine Art Chris St. Pierre’s charcoal portraits all fixate on his friend, musician Bruce Fairweather. Plus, kitschy, staged photographs of blackly comic dioramas by Tom Gormally. 1215 First Ave., 206-297-1400. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Fri. Nov. 26.

Galleries

Ballard/Fetherston Michael Schultheis’ scrappy abstract canvases, plus Frank Huster’s photographs of crumbling walls and flaking paint. 818 E. Pike St., 206-322-9440. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Cornish College Gallery A group show by Cornish faculty in illustration, design, and interior design, including work by artists Ellen Forney and Brian Murphy plus music industry designer Emilie Burnham. 1000 Lenora, First Floor, 206-726-5011. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Crawl Space “Does anyone really need to see another goddamn SOIL or COCA group show?” asks the press kit for “Members Only,” yet another goddamn group show— by folks like Gregory Schaffer, Kristen Ramirez, Megan Szczecko, and a cornucopia of other youngsters. 504 E. Denny Way #1 (near Olive), 206-240-6015. Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Howard House Alex Schweder’s “Lovesick Buildings” is a brainy exploration of our six senses within buildings. Rubber and resin sculptures take the shape of weird, semi-biological forms—teethlike seats at war with a scattering of resin candies or a decaying amalgam of sugar, resin, and porcelain nipples. A 7- minute video features a mysterious, red-tinted journey by a colonoscopy camera—but rather than inside the, um, rear end, this film is shot in a tub of cherry Jell-O and explores clear glass architectural forms. Trust me, it’s not as gross as it sounds. In another piece, a row of scratch-and-sniff wallpaper leads viewers on an olfactory progression from broiled steak to cheese to bread, to a humongous synapselike column of cast rubber. Also on display: abstract works on paper and in collage by Robert Yoder, whose new collage/paintings venture into unusual materials, including vinyl, tape, and nail polish. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Jack Straw New Media Gallery “Yiju, Songs of Dislocation,” is Byron Au Yong’s multimedia exploration of his family’s forced migration from China. 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-634-0919. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Kuhlman “Swank” is a tribute to hard-drinking and features Robert Rini’s paintings of Robert Mitchum, paper bag paintings by Chris Crites, and Sara Lanzillotta’s cocktail-swigging elephant dolls. 2419 First Ave. (Belltown), 206-441-1999. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon- 5 p.m. Sat.

Richard Hugo House Local artist Jennifer Gardner incorporates hair into each of her altarlike boxes, reliquaries, and little installations that recall the quirky-odd boxes of Joseph Cornell. Gardner’s stuff is more lush in a boudoir sort of way, and slightly more morbid. 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.

Roq La Rue “The Pin-Up Show,” offers a collection of Betty Page–inspired nekkid ladies by the likes of Lisa Petrucci, Miles Thompson, Lynne Naylor, the Pop Tarts, Michiko, and Erin Norlin. 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-4 p.m. Sun.

Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery In the fifth of a series of “guest” shows highlighting various local galleries, Ballard/Fetherston shows work by Deborah Bell, Elizabeth Jameson, and Michael Schultheis. 1220 Third Ave., 206-343-1101. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Suyama Space Brian Murphy returns with more of his watercolor self-portraits of the sort that wowed the crowds at the old Esther-Claypool space a couple years back. 2324 Second Ave. 206-256-0809. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Western Bridge The second part of Henry Art Gallery’s ambitious show “Work of the Work” (much of which was mounted with the help of William and Ruth True’s Western Bridge collection) showcases art that deals with perception and, for lack of a better term, humanist religiosity. 3412 Fourth Ave. S. 206-838-7444. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Winston Wächter Big, uninspiring megalithic sculptures in stone, bronze, and glass by Julie Speidel. 203 Dexter Ave. N., 206-652-5855. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Wright Exhibition Space This show, curated by Virginia Wright, hopes to revive interest in color field painters Jules Olitski, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, and Kenneth Noland. Some of the pieces are magnificent in their lush disregard for anything but their own colors: Noland’s vast Vista surrounds the viewer with a bath of mauve, while Louis’ Mem is a subtle veil of browns. 407 Dexter Ave. N., 206-622-1896. 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Thursdays.

Museums

Frye Art Museum Things are shaking up at the sleepy Frye Art Museum. Pop surrealist Mark Ryden’s disturbing paintings appear on the walls of the region’s most conservative art institution. Ryden is a skilled painter whose work combines cute wide-eyed children with the macabre. Also on display: Henk Pander portrays modern-day tragedies—the New Carissa oil spill, terminal illness, and ground zero in Manhattan—with sentimental realism; plus, etchings by one of Seattle’s first homegrown artists, Paul Morgan Gustin. 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.

Henry Art Gallery “The Work of the Work” is a narrow but tightly focused exploration of how art works on viewers. Highlights include Seattle video genius Gary Hill’s Tall Ships, a video installation in which ghostly figures approach and recede; Kimsooja’s nearly still video of contemplation; Callum Innes’ lushly brushed abstract paintings; and Wolfgang Laib’s radiant installation of hazelnut pollen. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Museum of Northwest Art “Collections from the Elizabeth Tapper Print Workshop” showcases the work of a renowned Skagit Valley printmaker in collaboration with artists Susan Bennerstrom, Fay Jones, Russell Chatham, Elizabeth Sandvig, Michael Spafford, and others. 121 S. First St. (La Conner), 360-466-4446. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily.

Seattle Art Museum “Spain in the Age of Exploration 1492–1819” offers a sampling of the dark visions of Velazquez, Zurbaran, El Grego, Goya, and other masters. This huge show of art and artifacts explores the cultural vibrancy of Spain’s golden age. Also on display: “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 greats. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum (See this week’s visual arts spotlight). 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.