Burke Museum Subhankar Banerjee's magnificent photos of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are the result of a two-year expedition among caribou and tundra. Savor these images, before ExxonMobil and BP bring their "low-impact" drilling apparatus to ANWR. Also on display: traditional and contemporary Native American art depicting arctic animals. UW campus, Northeast 45th Street and 17th Avenue Northeast, 206-543-5590. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily (until 8 p.m. Thurs.).
Frye Art Museum "Taking and Making" features recent work by Oliver Herring, the German-born artist whose experiments in photography, video, and sculpture take novel turns, including a life-size self-portrait sculpture made from snapshots. "Spectatorship and Desire: Lust" re-hangs some of the Frye's permanent collection in a salon-style jumble. 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 Seattle artist Trimpin does amazing things combining technological gizmos with more analog stuff like typewriters, player pianos, and other musical instruments. (His best-known work is the immense Roots and Branches sculpture of robotically controlled guitars at EMP.) The next year or so is going to be something of a Trimpin celebration, with local galleries and museums showcasing the artist's various kinetic sculptures. At the Henry, the wonderfully titled installation Phfftt involves some 200 electronically controlled woodwind instruments visitors can play with a series of two dials. And one can simply listen to one of 12 manic, lighthearted, or sinister works by the composer. Also on display: Do not miss the magnificent Francis Bacon painting Study for a Pope IV, on display in its own room. Seattle is lucky to have this picture, on loan from an anonymous West Coast patron. The 1961 work is a late piece in Bacon's startling series of popes; this one conveys a haunting combination of authority and impotence. The skull-like head seems to shift and shimmer before your eyes, and the feeble hands make the pontiff seem very fallible indeed. Also, "Seeing the Unseen," a fascinating collection prints of X-ray, microscopic, time-lapse, and other 19th- and 20th-century photographic novelties. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.
Seattle Art Museum "Isamu Noguchi: Sculptural Design" is an unorthodox and splashy exploration of the eclectic 20th-century sculptor-designer. The exhibit is a visual and sonic extravaganza designed by theater experimentalist Robert Wilson. Various rooms evoke different themes in Noguchi's long career: His work in the theater with the likes of Martha Graham takes the shape of a brooding theatrical space; intensely material sculptural works are set in a Zen rock garden complete with several tons of raked gravel. Other rooms suggest Noguchi's mission to popularize art through mass-produced design. There are moments when the whole project goes over the top: The canned thunder and lightning accompanying a model of a monument to Benjamin Franklin, complete with kite and key, is just a bit much. Still, this is a fascinating look at an artist who managed to span divides between cultures and artistic disciplines. Also on display: "Africa in America" is a varied and complex exploration of slavery, displacement, and ethnic culture as portrayed in African-American art of the late 20th century, including work by James W. Washington Jr., Kara Walker, Ellen Gallagher, Oliver Jackson, and Marita Dingus. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.
Tacoma Art Museum Jewelry doesn't have to make the diamond barons at DeBeers rich. Case in point: "Zero Karat," a touring collection of jewelry made from such non-precious materials as aluminum and Chinese newspapers. Also on display: "Carving a Legacy," contemporary interpretations of traditional Native American art by Shaun Peterson, Greg Colfax, Karen Reed, and others. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free and open until 8 p.m. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.
Wing Luke Asian Museum "Women and Violence" explores domestic violence, sexual abuse, war, trafficking, and the "mail-order bride" phenomenon, specifically focusing on the Asian/Pacific Islander community. 407 Seventh Ave. S., 206-623-5124. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
