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

Lectures and Events

Artist Toolkit Lecture: Preparing Your Portfolio In a lunchtime seminar, local artist Jeffrey Simmons (represented by Greg Kucera Gallery) discusses how to assemble a persuasive artist portfolio. 12:30-2 p.m. Thurs. Sept. 22. Seattle Academy of Fine Art, 1501 10th Ave. E., free, 206-526-2787, www.seattlefineart.org.

Seattle Academy of Fine Art 2005 Auction A festive art auction to raise funds for Seattle Academy of Fine Art. Public preview: 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Wed. Sept. 21. Gala auction: 6-11 p.m. Sat. Sept. 24. Seattle Academy of Fine Art, 1501 10th Ave. E., $50, 206-526-2787, www.seattlefineart.org.

Openings

Barefoot Studios “Skin,” a series of two- and three-dimensional installations by Harriet Sanderson and Ingrid Lahti, explores issues of bodies and sensation. The installation is open during simultaneous dance classes, in order to integrate body movement into the experience of the pieces. 311 Puyallup Ave., Tacoma, 253-627-2273, www.barefootcallous.org. 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 3-7:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat. Ends Oct. 29.

Frye Art Museum Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore were pioneering gender-benders in the freewheeling art world of 1920s Paris. These photographs from the two female photographers explore complex notions of sexuality and identity. Opens Sat. Sept. 24. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250, www.fryeart.org. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Wed. and Fri.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Feb. 12.

Tacoma Art Museum “Margaret Bourke-White: The Photography of Design” displays the 20th-century photojournalist’s early work, focusing on formalist studies of industrial sites and machinery. Opens Sat. Sept. 24. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258, www.tacomaartmuseum.org. Every third Thursday free and open until 8 p.m. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Jan. 15.

Last Chance

Benham “Beyond the Landscape” features nearly abstract photographs of the outdoors by resident artists Bruce Barnbaum and Phyllis Uitti-Maslin. 216 First Ave., 206-622-2480, www.benhamgallery.com. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Sept. 24.

Davidson New hyperrealist allegorical paintings by Stephanie Frostad, plus work by Adrienne Sherman, whose nature-inspired paintings employ techniques of the Old Masters. In the print gallery: new work by Canadian artists Sean Caufield and Akiko Taniguchi. 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684, www.davidsongalleries.com. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sept. 24.

Foster/White Cheerful, candy-colored abstraction from local painter Manfred Lindenberger, who has a thing for sorting and filling the canvas with a crowd of interrelated forms. 123 S. Jackson St., 206-622-2833, www.fosterwhite.com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 24.

Lisa Harris Mystical, Georgia O’Keeffe–like paintings and prints of Northwest landscapes by Bellingham’s Thomas Wood. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315, www.lisaharrisgallery.com. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 24.

Western Bridge German artist Daniel Roth’s strange and subtle installation River Styx presents “evidence”—in drawings, sculpture, and photography—of an underground river running west from Seattle, below the Olympic Peninsula, and out to a burial island off the coast. Also on display is Rodney Graham’s clever second look at an old oak tree, Roni Horn’s obsessive 100-photo installation You Are the Weather, and a justly famous series of portraits of four sisters taken over a span of 30 years by Nicholas Nixon. And speaking of the River Styx, you’ll feel like you’ve been to hell and back after experiencing Gary Hill’s numbing video Wall Piece, a study in frustration, artistic struggle, and the failure of language. 3412 Fourth Ave. S., 206-838-7444, www.westernbridge.org. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. Ends Sept. 24.

Galleries

All City Coffee “Boilers and Bridges,” a new series of realist paintings by Keven Furiya. 125 Prefontaine Pl. S., 206-652-8331, www.allcitycoffee.com. 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat.; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 30.

Baas Art Painter Lee Mohr crafts misty images of the Mercer Slough, Camano Island, Padilla Bay, and other familiar landscapes. 2703 E. Madison St., 206-324-4742, www.baasartgallery.com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon-Sat. Ends Sept. 30.

Ballard/Fetherston New work from New York painter Kathy Moss and Portland sculptor (and recent Neddy Award nominee) Lita Batho, who creates intricate works from welded steel wire. 818 E. Pike St., 206-322-9440, www.ballardfetherstongallery.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Oct. 29.

Bluebottle “Smell You Later” features new, cartoony paintings of bugs, critters, and monsters by local art guy Jilf. 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592, www.bluebottleart.com. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ends Sept. 30.

Catherine Person This new gallery’s debut show is “Introductions,” which includes works by 10 gallery artists, among them Linda Davidson, Drake Deknatel, and Rachel Illingworth. 319 Third Ave. S., 206-763-5565, www.catherinepersongallery.com. 11 a.m-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sept. 30.

Christoff Gallery Hand-colored photographs by local artist Andrew Miller. 6004 12th Ave. S. #17, 206-767-0280, www.christoffgallery.com. 6-10 p.m. Tues. and Thurs.; 6 p.m.-midnight Fri.; noon-5 p.m. and 8 p.m.-midnight Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 30.

CoCA In conjunction with curator Fionn Meade’s multi-venue exploration of sound art at Bumbershoot, Steve Peters and Christine Wallers’ installation “Alchemy” uses brass bowls and hidden speakers to express wishes for a better world from more than 300 people. 410 Dexter Ave. N., 206-728-1980, www.cocaseattle.org. 2-8 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Ends Oct. 9.

Columbia City Gallery Guatemalan painter Abraham Batzin Navichoc’s folk-style paintings of festivals and markets in his home country, all from a bird’s-eye perspective; plus a group show by local artists William A. Herberholz, Karin Jaques, Shari Kaufman, and Lisa Lamoreaux. 4864 Rainier Ave. S., 206-760-9843, www.columbiacitygallery.com. Noon-7 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Nov. 13.

Crawl Space Recycled and modified electronic toys by SID, Inc. (local artists Cathy McClure and Seth Sexton). 504 E. Denny Way (#1), 206-240-6015, www.crawlspacegallery.com. Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Ends Oct. 2.

Francine Seders Seattle painter Robert C. Jones produces some of the finest abstract expressionist paintings in the Northwest. This show of new work, his first at the gallery since 2002, offers a variety of canvases meticulously painted, scraped, and repainted. 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355, www.sedersgallery.com. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 1-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 2.

G. Gibson Three artists with very different visions of womanhood: Beverly Rayner cobbles together fetishlike constructions from household tools and tiny photos, honoring the sacrifices of bored housewives of decades past; if only they’d had access to Rayner’s Crap Eradicator, perhaps they would have had time for more intellectual pursuits. Also on display: Susan Seubert’s fetishes of a different sort—tintype photograms of antique dresses, plus a collection of signed prints celebrating the 100th birthday of photographer Ruth Bernhard. 300 S. Washington St., 206-587-4033, www.ggibsongallery.com. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Oct. 15.

Gallery 110 Colorful figurative acrylics on canvas by Nancy Kiefer, plus Natalie Niblack’s drawings, paintings, and ceramic sculptures that reach deep into the childhood psyche. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336, www.gallery110.com. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

Greg Kucera A somewhat lackluster show of new work by Seattle sculptor Ed Wicklander features mildly comical sculptures of things like deflated inner tubes executed in welded steel. The most effective pieces are a series of untitled, very creepy glass ampules filled with antifreeze and rawhide masks. Also on display: a new set of color lithographs on the World War II internment of Japanese Americans by local artist Roger Shimomura. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770, www.gregkucera.com. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

Grover/Thurston Pendleton, Ore.–based artist James Lavadour’s mysterious, near-abstract landscapes burn with a slow passion, and this new collection of work blazes with striated geology, bursts of color, and smoldering half-light. 309 Occidental Ave. S., 206-223-0816, www.groverthurston.com. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

Howard House In “New Worlds,” Seattle artist Leo Saul Berk converts two- dimensional images—Edward Weston photos, pictures of clouds—into enchantingly beautiful topographic, three-dimensional models in Masonite by means of a 3-D, computer-controlled cutting tools. Meanwhile, Ken Fandells’ “The Planets” offers a series of mesmerizing videos that transform banal everyday scenes by setting them to Gustav Holst’s classical composition of the same name. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399, www.howardhouse.net. 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

Jack Straw New Media Gallery Rene Yung’s installation “Four Dignities” uses fabric screens and quiet audio to encourage viewers to experience the Buddhist concept of mindfulness in four states: sitting, walking, standing, and lying down. 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-634-0919, www.jackstraw.org. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Sept. 30.

James Harris In Stephanie Syjuco’s well-executed show “Black Market,” her Filipino heritage becomes a starting point for investigations into commodities, global culture, and the power of absence. The show has three components. The first is a series of large photographs of markets in the Philippines, downloaded from the Internet and modified to black out all of the products on sale. The resulting empty space is mirrored in a series of black podular sculptures created by sealing consumer products in layers of papier mache. The third element is a video taken from the film Platoon (filmed on location in the Philippines). Syjuco has cropped the scenes so that only the native flora remains. In all of these works, selective editing makes the ignored background, whether literal or symbolic, not only present but central. 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220, www.jamesharrisgallery.com. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

Kirkland Arts Center Kathryn Leighton’s sneakers are inlaid with scenes from Greek mythology; Yvonne Lung’s ceramic heads explore issues of racial stereotypes. 620 Market St., 425-822-7161, www.kirklandartscenter.org. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Every third Thurs. open until 8 p.m. Ends Oct. 8.

LGBT Community Center “Between Dreams (Entre Sueños)” features erotic drawings of men in various states of arousal by James Vitale. 1115 E. Pike St., 206-323-5428, www.seattlelgbt.org. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 30.

Linda Hodges Nature-inspired abstract sculpture combining cut stone and rattan weaving by Deloss Webber. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034, www.lindahodgesgallery.com. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

Museum of the Mysteries Graphic tallies of the war dead in Iraq by artist-activist Thomas A. D. Hays. 623 Broadway Ave. E., 206-328-6499, www.seattlechatclub.org. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Ends Sept. 30.

New York Fashion Academy One person’s trash is another’s wall hanging. This show will make you think twice before throwing out your leftover soda cans, candy wrappers, grocery bags, kitchen scraps, and more. A worthy array of artists participates, including Lynn Di Nino, Ellen Ziegler, Ross Palmer Beecher, and Marita Dingus. 5201 Ballard Ave. N.W., 206-786-8616, www.newyorkfashionacademy.com. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Ends Oct. 7.

Northwest Craft Center In “Materials of Nature,” ceramic artists Hunter McGee, Scott Minugh, Lynn Di Nino, Steve Sauer, and John Arnold Taylor explore the physical and metaphysical properties of natural materials. 305 Harrison St. (Seattle Center), 206-728-1555, www.seattlecenter.com. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Ends Sept. 30.

Photographic Center Northwest Seattle photographer Chris Jordan’s “Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption” turns dizzying quantities of garbage and e-waste spotted in landfills into huge, nearly abstract studies in color and repetition. 900 12th Ave., 206-720-7222, www.pcnw.org. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon.; 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 15.

Platform “Recording Field Level Five” includes new video, installation, and sound samples from Seattle artist Susan Robb, whose eclectic work ranges from contemplative to zany. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808, www.platformgallery.com. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. Ends Oct. 8.

Roq La Rue In his second solo show at the Roq, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh creates “Beautiful Mutants”: photographs digitally mirrored to create genetic freaks, or what Mothersbaugh calls “sickeningly beautiful beings.” 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977, www.roqlarue.com. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 7.

Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery SAM Rental/Sales’ latest “guest” gallery is the cutting-edge, artist-owned Platform Gallery, and on display are works from Platform regulars Carol Bolt, Jaq Chartier, James Gudat, Blake Haygood, Stephen Lyons, Saya Moriyasu, Susan Robb, and Keith Yurdana. 1220 Third Ave., 206-343-1101, www.seattleartmuseum.org. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Ends Oct. 1.

SOIL “Nocturnes” offers experimental art incorporating animation, including Seattle’s Cat Clifford and Mary Simpson and New York–based artists Laleh Khorramian and Lucy Raven. 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061, www.soilart.org. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. Ends Oct. 2.

Stonington Gallery “Awakenings: A Gathering of Contemporary Coast Salish Artists” showcases the work of 20 Native American artists from the Pacific Northwest, including cedar sculpture, glass, basketry, and metalwork by Shaun Peterson, Susan A. Point, Marvin Oliver, and others. 119 S. Jackson St., 206-405-4040, www.stoningtongallery.com. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Sept. 30.

Suyama Space Christine Waller builds three-dimensional abstract planes, light, and form out of thousands of fine-gauge wires. 2324 Second Ave., 206-256-0809, www.suyamapetersondeguchi.com/art. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends. Dec. 9.

Tacoma Community College “America, the Colors of the Continent: Arte Latino From the Pacific Northwest” features work by locals Juan Alonso, Alfredo Arreguin, John-Paul Avila, Juan La Torre, Rick Mahaffey, and many others. 6501 S. 19th St., Tacoma, 253-460-4306, www.tacomacc.edu. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Nov. 1.

Tollbooth Portland-based artist Lauren Steinhardt’s video and participatory color-by-numbers pictures examine issues of public space and public art in Tacoma’s tiny Toolbooth video art kiosk. 11th Street and Broadway, Tacoma, open 24 hours. Ends Oct. 22.

Vain Graffiti-inspired paintings by artist and designer Christophe Roberts. 2018 First Ave., 206-441-3441, www.vain.com. Noon-7 p.m. Sun.-Tues.; 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Wed.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Ends Oct. 4.

WET Gallery (Little Theatre) New, enigmatic photographs of uninhabited landscapes by Thom Heileson. 608 19th Ave. E., 206-325-5105, www.washingtonensemble.org. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Oct. 10.

William Traver Cleverly designed sculptures and assemblages in painted wood by Cordy Ryman. 110 Union St., second floor, 206-587-6501, www.travergallery.com. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 2.

Winston Wächter Pigment-tinted glass, steel, and concrete by Ann Gardner. 203 Dexter Ave. N., 206-652-5855, www.winstonwachter.com. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Oct. 29.

Museums

Bellevue Arts Museum BAM is back with a retooled mission as an accessible (read: noncontroversial) place for art, craft, and design. Executive director Michael Monroe launches the resurrection with “The Artful Teapot,” an impressive but safe collection of 250 teapots as sculpture. Albert Paley’s new–Art Nouveau iron work is nice and intricate, kind of like a Chihuly is nice and intricate. (Fans of the Tacoma glassmeister can see one of his newly commissioned works in BAM’s lobby.) And for those who just can’t get enough glass, there’s an exhibit of art and posters from the early days of the Pilchuck Glass School. 510 Bellevue Way N.E., 425-519-0770, www.bellevueart.org. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Thurs.); 11 a.m-5:30 p.m. Sun. Paley ends Sept. 24; “Teapot” ends Oct. 2.

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.UW campus, Northeast 45th Street and 17th Avenue Northeast, 206-543-5590, www.washington.edu/burkemuseum. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (until 8 p.m. Thurs.). Ends Dec. 31.

Frye Art Museum “William Cumming: The Image of Consequence” offers an authoritative retrospective of the 88-year-old Northwest painter’s long career. Curated by local art critic Matthew Kangas, the show follows the evolution of Cumming’s work from reform-minded realism to a more formal fusion of representation and abstraction. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250, www.fryeart.org. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs. Ends Jan. 1.

Henry Art Gallery Lead Pencil Studio, the local architecture/art installation team of Daniel Mihalyo and Annie Han, installs “Minus Space,” which re-creates the hillside lost in the 1997 expansion of the Henry, using a fine scrim of assorted materials. Also: German-born 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.) His wonderfully titled Phfftt involves some 200 electronically controlled woodwind instruments. Visitors can play them or listen to one of 12 manic, lighthearted, or sinister works by the composer. And 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 work, on loan from an anonymous West Coast patron. The 1961 painting 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. Finally, “Seeing the Unseen” features a fascinating collection of X-rays, microscopic images, time-lapse photos, and other 19th- and 20th-century photographic novelties. UW campus, 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 41st Street, 206-543-2280, www.henryart.org. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs. Trimpin and Unseen end Oct. 2; Lead Pencil ends Oct. 20.

Seattle Art Museum “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, www.seattleartmuseum.org. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs. Ends Dec. 11.