Visual Art Calendar

Visual Arts

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. "25 Years of Love & Rockets": A celebration of the influential comic book epic, Love & Rockets by Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, which helped launch the alternative comics genre. An exhibition of original artwork from the brothers. Through March 7. 1201 S. Vale St., Seattle, 658-0110, www.fantagraphics.com/blog.

Francine Seders Gallery. "A Delicate Balance": New and old work from mixed-media artist Dina Barzel, who uses silver thread, wire, clay, and wood in her creations. Through Feb. 18. 6701 Greenwood N., (206) 782-0355.

Belle & Wissell. "Beasts": An exhibit of "mythological menagerie." Through Feb. 17. 6014 12th Ave. S., Seattle, 322-7908.

20Twenty. "Big Bully": This group show features artwork from Chris Crites (known for his colorful bag portraits) and 11 others in their attempt to "overthrow old man winter.". Through March 8. 5208 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle, 706-0969.

Punch. # "Birds and Bees": Just in time for Valentine's Day, Justin Gibbens' watercolor drawings–inspired by scientific illustration–detail the conjugal and territorial goings-on of birds, bees, and lovebugs. Optical tricks abound, as a daddy long-legs crawls off a painting and onto the wall, and the painted-on shadows of mating birds bleed from a coffee-stained page. Gibbens' meticulously detailed images are both amusing and surprisingly sensual. RACHEL SHIMP. Through Feb. 25. 119 Prefontaine Pl. S. (in the Tashiro-Kaplan Building), Seattle, 621-1945.

Henry Art Gallery. # "Elusive Signs": Neon signs evoke magic and sin–peep shows and diners, pink-elephant car washes, tawdry all-night activities, and bad spelling like 'donuts' and 'tonite'–commerce posing as art and shamelessly vamping itself to catch the eye of passers-by. Since the '60s, Bruce Nauman has been exploiting the hypnotic allure of these humming, glowing lights to grab people's attention with messages and images that are sometimes disturbing, sometimes poetically hopeful, cogent puns and playful anagrams often used for social commentary. Mean Clown plays on the ambivalence of the not-so-harmless–nor funny–character. (Note: Some of his sculptures include clown naughty bits!) His Vices and Virtues was installed on the University of California, San Diego, campus in 1988, the year I graduated, alternating and combining pairs of the seven virtues and vices: charity/sloth, faith/lust, etc. Flashing high from the roofline of an engineering building like a silent preacher, it eerily reminded some of us where we might be headed on our way between sheltered higher education and the Real World, and some of the choices we would have to make. "Elusive Signs: Bruce Nauman Works with Light," on tour from the Milwaukee Art Museum, sets the Henry aglow this spring with a neon retrospective of the 66-year-old artist's work. SUE PETERS Also: "Make Your Own Life: Artists In & Out of Cologne." Ends May 6. Through April 22. UW campus, 5th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 41st. St., Seattle, (206) 543-2280.

Washington State Convention and Trade Center. "Coming of Age": A juried exhibit of contemporary quilt works. On the Galleria Level 2. Through March 26. 800 Convention Pl., (206) 694-5000.

Corridor Gallery. "Corridor Love": Mixed-media artist Betty Bastai invites you to write a love note and then scrap it, creating an "emotional dumpsite" to be used in a future piece. Through Feb. 24. Tashiro-Kaplan Building (306 S. Washington St.), Seattle, 856-7037.

Form/Space Atelier. "Designated Landmarks": Work from Paula Rebsom and Stephanie Robison. Through Feb. 28. 1907 2nd Ave., Seattle, 448-2302.

Joe Bar. "Empty Freeways": Photographs by Steve Hanson. Through Feb. 28. 810 E. Roy St., Seattle, (206) 324-0407, www.joebar.org/.

Triangle Art Gallery. "Finding the Light": Photographic works from Kentridge High School students. Through Feb. 28. 909 4th Ave. (in the YMCA), Seattle, 382-5003.

OKOK Gallery. "Free Parking": A group drawing/painting exhibition, featuring Mel Kadel, Josh Cochran, Ian Francis, Zachary Rossman, and others. Through March 8. 5107 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle, 789-6242.

Verite. "Graffiti Mosaics": New work from Luke McGuff. Through Feb. 28. 2052 N.W. Market St., Seattle, 782-9557.

Facere Jewelry Art Gallery. "Heart of the Matter": An exploration of contemporary jewelry materials from 12 artists. Through Feb. 15. 1420 5th Ave., Seattle, 624-6768, www.facerejewelryart.com/.

Wing Luke Asian Museum. "How the Soy Sauce Was Bottled": These "Uncommon Stories of Common Objects" feature five Asian Pacific Americans' perspectives on photos and documents in the Museum's permanent collection. Through Nov. 1. 407 Seventh S, (206) 623-5124.

Nordic Heritage Museum. "Images from Funen Graphic Workshop": 80 Danish artists' takes on immigration. Through March 25. 3104 N.W. 67th St., 789-5707.

Patricia Cameron Fine Art. "Journey Through a Dream": Works on paper and sculpture of paper by Alla Goniodsky; also, "Sanctuary," mixed-media works on paper from Deborah Walker. Through Feb. 24. 234 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, 343-9647.

SOIL. # "L.A. Stories": If it takes two to make a thing go right, Seattleite Samantha Scherer and Los Angeleno Thomas Muller demonstrate that principle in their new artistic collaboration. The pen and watercolor drawings of a police station, a car filling up on gas, or a group of famous Hollywood faces look slight and simple at first, though you might notice the faint text of "WATER METER" or other city insignia rubbed onto the paper, which is Muller's telltale mark. He began relating his experiences in L.A. to Scherer over the phone, and she'd sketch her interpretations of such surreal comedy as witnessing Nicolas Cage buying cheap gas at ARCO, or standing behind Bishop Don "Magic" Juan at the post office. Muller's embossments from the streets and sidewalks of his city are the final touches, giving each piece a "literal imprint" that meets Scherer's figurative, charming images. RACHEL SHIMP. Through Feb. 25. 112 3rd Ave. S. (in the Tashiro-Kaplan Building), Seattle, 264-8061.