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Lectures and Events

Artist Lecture: Axel Lieber The Dusseldorf-based artist, who’ll create several installations during a public art residency at the Henry, talks about his pieces—which resemble architectural models turned inside out and suspended in air. 7 p.m. Thurs. Dec. 9. Henry Art Gallery, UW Campus, free, 206-543-2280.

Artists For Actors Here’s a novel idea: one underpaid group of artists supporting another. A handful of local painters donate a portion of their proceeds to the Northwest Actors studio in an evening of music, food, and art. 4-8 p.m. Sun. Dec. 12. Northwest Actors Studio, 1100 E. Pike, third floor, free, 206-324-6328.

Benefit Art Auction Thirty local artists donate their works to help raise money for artist Sybil Deford, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in 2002. 6-10 p.m. Fri. Dec. 10 and 1-5 p.m. Sat. Dec. 11. Crespinel Studio, 2312 Second Ave., free (donations accepted), 206-216-5528.

Building the Dragon In a benefit to establish a pottery fellowship, the potters of Pottery Northwest create a gigantic dragon. 7 p.m. Fri. Dec. 10. Pottery Northwest, 226 First Ave. N., $25, 206-285-4421.

Flux A multimedia fusion of dance, video, and electronic sound by the SOM Performance collective. Performances: 8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 10 & Sat. Dec. 11. Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave. N., $12, 206-860-5245.

Giving Women Power over AIDSSeattle Times photographer Betty Udesen’s images of women in Zimbabwe coping with HIV and working to educate one another about prevention. Wed. Dec. 8-Sun. Dec. 12. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., free, 206-386-4636.

Lecture: Angels We Have Heard on High Rebecca Albiani gives a talk and slide show on musical angels and assorted cherubim in paintings from Jan van Eyck to Giovanni Bellini. 7 p.m. Thurs. Dec. 9. Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., $8, 206-622-9250.

Meet the Artist Meet artists Steve Miller, whose “Milky” captures the reactions of a bunch of naked people having gallons of milk poured over them, and Mark Moody, whose “Dust Collectors” features a series of photos of dust-encrusted entomology exhibits. The event includes reflections on the work by poets from the African American Writers’ Alliance. 1-3 p.m. Sat. Dec. 11. Gallery 110, 110 S. Washington St., free, 206-624-9336.

My Mother/My Father This month, the SOIL collective gallery becomes a video-performance theater space filled with the Butoh-inspired antics of DK Pan plus installations by video artists Kaleb Hagan-Kerr, Robb Kunz, and others. 8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 10 and Sat. Dec. 11. 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Openings

1506 Projects Tony Weathers’ “Yes, Oui, Si; Waiting,” is a site-specific video installation questioning our desire for commodities and consumer goods. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Sat. Dec. 11. 1506 E. Olive, 206-329-5400. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Art & Soul Digital pigment prints from a sampling of local artists, all part of Ballard’s bustling second Saturday Art Walk. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Sat. Dec. 11. Art & Soul, 2860 N.W. Market St., 206-297-1223.

James Harris “Low Pressure” features delicate new photographs by Tania Kitchell, who specializes in images of herself in the deep cold and the faint human traces left in it: footprints, snowballs, and the ephemeral wisp of breath-steam. 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Roq La Rue Mike Leavitt returns with more of his cool Art Army action figures based on all your favorite heroes: R. Crumb, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Van Gogh, and all the rest. Also on display: simple, monochrome paintings all centered around children lost in the woods by Joe Newton. Reception: 6-10 p.m. Fri. Dec. 10. 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun.

Sev Shoon Arts Center A group show of works by students in the Sev Shoon Art Center’s printmaking program. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Sat. Dec. 11. 2862 N.W. Market St., 206-782-2415.

Shift An artists’ collective studio/gallery in the Tashiro/Kaplan complex holds a series of open studios featuring photos and prints by Stephen Chalmers, Joni Papp, and others. Reception: noon-5 p.m. Sat. Dec. 11. 306 S. Washington, No. 105, 360-650-3436.

Velocity Art and Design Funky postmodern pottery by one of the interior design world’s hottest ceramic artists, Jonathan Adler. Reception: 6-8 p.m. Wed. Dec. 8. 2118 Second Ave., 206-781-9494. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Last Chance

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, semibiological 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. Also on display: abstract works on paper and in collage by Robert Yoder. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Dec. 11.

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. Also on display: a print show by local artists including Claire Cowie and Betty Merken. 1220 Third Ave., 206-343-1101. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Sat. Dec. 11.

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. Once again facial features float off at odd angles like unmoored islands of utter corruption, but this time the paintings are freakin’ HUGE. 2324 Second Ave. 206-256-0809. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Fri. Dec. 12.

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. Ends Sun. Dec. 12.

Galleries

911 Media Arts The contemporary media center celebrates its move to new digs with an installation by the region’s most prominent and brilliant video artists, Gary Hill. This event will mark the premiere of Language Willing, a piece simultaneously frenetic and lethargic, which incorporates text from Australian poet Chris Mann. 402 Ninth Ave., 206-682-6552. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Artemis “Seven Tiny Artists” refers to the size of the artwork, not the artists. On hand will be small and affordable paintings, photographs, jewelry, and other cool stuff by Liz Tran, Todd Karam, Kate Endle, and others. 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Atelier 31 Rebecca Raven’s 2- and 3-dimensional paintings inspired by the silent-movie era. 2500 First Ave., 206-448-5250. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Tues. & Sat. 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.

Aurafice Cafe Lorian Elbert’s photos of the artisans and customers at Seattle Tattoo Emporium, the city’s oldest tattoo parlor. 616 E. Pine St., 206-860-9977. 8 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat.

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.

Benham Tom Harris’ “Shadow Box” photos serve up strange little vignettes of nearly abstract assemblages that begin as drawings and are further transmuted through the printmaking process. 1216 First Ave., 206-622-2480. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Bluebottle Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, north of the Marquesas, south of Hawaii and some distance east of Brobdingnag, lies the land of Pepelo Island, a place where the inhabitants create lovely, brightly colored objects used for traditional rituals, farming, and tasteful interior decorating. It’s funny, but the collection, “Artifacts of Pepelo Island,” brought back from a recent trip by Seattle-based artist Iosufatu Sua, sure has an uncanny resemblance to the hip-hop painter’s own work. This little exhibit asks the question: Would you rather visit an anthropology exhibit of ethnic art or a show of contemporary street painting? And if the answer is the former, Sua wants to know just what’s at the root of that preference. 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Bryan Ohno This year’s holiday group show features a talented roster, including Patricia Hagen (whose abstractions range from candy lozenges to menacing biological forms), sculptor Junko Ijima, and Katina Huston, who does lovely sumilike ink washes of bicycles from all angles. 155 S. Main St., 206-667-9572. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Capitol Hill Arts Center “En Masse” envisions urban space through photography and design in the work of Luara Moore and Roseann Barnhill. 1621 12th Ave., 206-388-0600. 6-10 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.

D’Adamo/Woltz Mark Keller’s paintings of moody musicians, yuppie angst, and an inexplicable image of Charlie Parker playing for a cow. 303/307 Occidental St. S., 206-652-4414. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Davidson Dion Zwirner’s near-abstract paintings recall estuaries and wetlands, but there’s a lack of rigor to this new work—nothing really jumps out from the jumble. If you ask me, John Grade is a better interpreter of nature into abstraction (I enjoyed his show of large sculpture here earlier this year). This selection of Grade’s drawings and small sculptures delves into the microscopic world without being too literal about it. 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Foster/White “Small Works” features undersized paintings and sculpture by Eva Isaksen, Alden Mason, Gerard Tsutakawa, and many, many others. 123 S. Jackson, 206-622-2833. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Francine Seders Weak, misty pastel abstractions by Michael Dailey. 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.- Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.

Frank & Dunya Oh-so-happy stained-glass light boxes, butterfly jewelry, and all that holiday jazz by Joline El-Hai and Betsy Resnick. 3418 Fremont Ave. N., 206-547-6760. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

Friesen Gallery Reilly Jensen’s intriguing abstract paintings are collectively titled “Cotard” after Cotard’s syndrome, a psychological state in which a person believes his or her body has become a machine. 1210 Second Ave., 206-628-9501. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

G. Gibson Contemporary figurative photographs by Mona Kuhn and flower photographs by Ron van Dongen. 514 E. Pike St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Gallery 4 Culture Designer and photographer Thom Heileson’s richly layered photomontages and videos offer up mysterious spaces (a kind of architecture of the unconscious), but there’s something that feels forced about it, a little too choreographed and slick. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Gallery 110 You can’t get much more divergent than these two photographers: Steve Miller’s “Milky” captures the reactions of a bunch of naked people having gallons of milk poured over them, while Moody’s “Dust Collectors” is a series of photos of dust-encrusted entomology exhibits. In Miller’s photos, the white milk combines with the stark white background to partially erase Miller’s subjects, while Moody’s bug pictures are also about erasure—in the creepy, ethereal little images, pinned insects corrode under a decade of dust. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Garde Rail Thick with frostinglike layers of paint (her skies resemble nothing so much as Crest toothpaste), Toronto-based artist Jennifer Harrison’s row upon row of painted houses offer a cheery, but abandoned landscape of mythical happiness. 110 Third Ave. S., 206-621-1055. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Greg Kucera Susan Skilling’s recent minimalist paintings offer passionate glimpses into the heavens—a place of frosty moonlight and orblike objects that recall the intense spiritual iconography of Morris Graves. Lynne Woods Turner’s drawings create a place of concentric rings and faint dots, all sketched so lightly as to be nearly invisible. There’s no need to revive the tired “Northwest Mystics” label (Skilling is from Seattle, Turner from Portland), but these two artists definitely deliver a quiet, meditative art that’s a refreshing blend of complexity and subtlety. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Grover/Thurston Michaelene Walsh’s ceramics are sort of creepy but nothing you couldn’t give to your aunt Edith for Hanukkah (well, maybe the monkey in red rubber gloves would freak her out a bit). 309 Occidental St. S., 206-223-0816. 11 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.

Kirkland Arts Center An annual holiday sale featuring work by Kirkland Arts Center faculty, including Kamla Kakaria, Michael Otterson, and many others. 620 Market St. 425-822-7161. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.

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., 206-441-1999. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sat.

Linda Hodges A grab bag of artists who’ll be on display at Linda Hodges gallery in 2005, including Alfred Arreguin, Gayle Bard, and Jennifer Beedon Snow. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Lisa Harris New still lifes and landscapes in pastels and paint by Skagit Valley artist Joel Brock. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

Metropolis: The Gallery Forget senile Santa and the friggin’ reindeer—Metropolis is putting good old Christ back into Christmas with a special group show, “Your Own Personal Jesus.” I have no idea who or what is showing, but this scrappy little co-op gallery in downtown Bremerton has done some cool stuff in the past, so what the hell, it might be worth the ferry ride. 318 Callow Ave. (Bremerton), 360-373-4709.

National Parks Conservation Association Scott Parker’s “National Parks Project” collects photographs, paintings, and sketches from a dream road trip: visiting all 56 National Parks in two years via Jeep, kayak, bush plane, and on foot. 313-A First Ave., 206-903-1444, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Platform “Paperwork” is a group show tackling paper as both material and subject matter by photographer Debra Baxter, printmaker Harriet Sanderson, Brooklyn’s Alicia Wargo, San Francisco’s Ray Beldner (who creates sculpture with dollar bills), and New York photographer Zelig Kurland. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Richard Hugo House Old-fashioned photos and artifacts fill morbid little altarlike shadow boxes by Lisa Mei Ling Fong. 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat.

SOIL This month, the artists’ collective gallery SOIL becomes a video-performance theater space with the Butoh-inspired antics of DK Pan as well as installations by video artists Kaleb Hagan-Kerr, Robb Kunz, and others. 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Solomon Fine Art “Barely Visible” showcases two artists whose meticulous work transforms the banal into something vital through the act of creation: New York–based Cynthia Lin’s silverpoint drawing on paper capture the chaotic beauty of dust, while Marc Dombrosky’s fascinating work morphs tossed-aside grocery lists and other found notes into exquisitely detailed embroidery. 1215 First Ave., 206-297-1400. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Vain “Live Loud” features music photographs by local guy Ryan Schierling. 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.

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 humanist religiosity. Kimsooja’s jukeboxlike Mandala: Zone of Zero broadcasts a cacophony of chanting from Tibetans and Gregorian monks, while Steve McQueen’s gritty video of trip-hop singer Tricky is a near-claustrophobic immersion in a trance state. Anne Appleby’s color field paintings derived from the fleeting colors of Montana’s outdoors offer a palpable, quiet grace, while Carston Höller’s immersive merry-go-round of fluorescent light takes you to another plane of existence. 3412 Fourth Avenue S. 206-838-7444. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

William Traver Danish glass artist Tobias Møhl’s intricately detailed vessels and forms are notable in that they use no added colors. 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.

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 Mark Ryden’s “Wondertoonel” (see this week’s visual arts spotlight). Also on display: Henk Pander portrays modern-day tragedies—the New Carissa oil spill, terminal illness, and ground zero in Manhattan—with disturbing realism. His painting Prayer Before Night is a haunting and strange icon of death in a blaze of fabulousness. 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 rewarding and tightly focused exploration of how art works on viewers. Much of curator Elizabeth Brown’s guiding aesthetic is to find art that is both accessible to those who don’t have an extensive background in art, but also stands up to rigorous critical scrutiny. 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.

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 through paintings, maps, documents, navigational instruments, suits of armor, and other stuff of empire. Most of the surprises are beyond the big names: Juan de Flandes’ tender little biblical scenes, a magnificent bronze crucifixion by Bernini that rivals Donatello’s David in its voluptuousness; and a tapestry of human folly and inhumanity designed by Hieronymous Bosch. 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 “Hudson River School” is an OK collection of landscapes from 19th century American artists including Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole, and Frederic Church: heaps of pretty sunsets and over-the-top sublimity for all you nature lovers. Do wander over to two other exhibits: “Sense of Place” is an eclectic selection from the permanent collection, including a collage of memory by Randy Hayes, a lovely little Edward Hopper watercolor, and Merrill Wagner’s magnificent Rustoleum-on-steel abstraction, Estuary. Scott Fife’s retrospective is also fascinating—the Seattle-based artist works almost exclusively in cut cardboard. Fife’s huge dog sculpture, Leroy the Big Pup, manages to be both monumental and goofy at the same time, while his series “The Idaho Project” portrays the celebrities and participants in a ballyhooed 1905 trial for the murder of Idaho Gov. Frank Steunenberg. 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.