Seeing Green

A group show at SOIL—the collective art gallery in Pioneer Square—is generally a hit-or-miss affair. But this month's show, "Seeing Green" has an intriguing premise and a good lineup of artists from SOIL in addition to New York's Nutureart collective. Assembled by local illustrator Randy Wood and Wisconsin independent curator Tracey Fugami, "Seeing Green" looks at the ways contemporary artists approach issues of nature and the environment tangential to what we normally think of as wildlife art. No pretty calendar photos here—instead, you'll find the desert sketches of Buddy Bunting, Laura Stein's meditative video amid redwoods, Jennifer Zwick's mix-and-match Frankenstein insects, and paintings from Jim Woodring—not exactly the first artist who comes to mind when you think of the outdoors. I'm particularly interested in the work of Brandon Ballengee, a New York-based artist and biologist who spends months in the field studying and documenting mutated frogs (above) and other natural anomalies inflicted by human economy. SOIL, 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. ANDREW ENGELSON