Mark Takamichi Miller & Yuki Nakamura

This month's First Thursday sees the opening of two solo shows from a pair of talented Seattle artists. Miller is a painter who specializes in portraits of people taken from anonymous, discarded snapshots. His latest series, "Evicted," portrays a family recently evicted from an apartment building; he found the photos in a dumpster along with other household items jettisoned during their eviction. In previous work, Miller has painted these portraits in thick oil paints on vast, blank canvases. Now he does away with the background altogether and creates paintings so thickly layered they rise to the level of sculpture. Also on display is Nakamura's quiet memorial, "Mapping the Moment," which will be composed of 36 porcelain soccer balls. The piece honors her late brother, a soccer coach who died at the age of 36. Both artists pay careful attention to their materials and use them in new and surprising ways. Reception: 6-8 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 6. Howard House, 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399, www.howardhouse.net. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Nov. 12.