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

Lectures and Events

Artist Lecture: Allen Moe The Skagit Valley potter (and a working biologist) talks about his unorthodox and amazing use of biological materials in ceramic work—including dead fish and cow stomachs. Building 2000, Room 2059, Shoreline Community College, 16101 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-546-4101. Free. Lecture: 2:30 p.m. Thurs. Feb. 17.

Community Art Forum An evening of interdisciplinary performance, including dance, music, and visual art by several local artists. Trinity United Methodist Church, 6512 23rd Ave. N.W., 206-380-3445. Free. 7:30 p.m. Sat. Feb. 19.

Langston Hughes Project Created by Everett Community College students, this multimedia celebration of African-American art, music, and literature will feature readings, live jazz performance, and slide shows of work by artists ranging from Romare Bearden to Jacob Lawrence. PUD Auditorium, 2320 California St. (Everett), 425-388-9505. Free. 7:30 p.m. Tues. Feb. 22.

Openings

Artemis Painter Matthew Porter (who also co-owns Bluebottle gallery on Capitol Hill) serves up more of his odd-cute paintings of gigantic cats eating Seattle (one too many double-shorts, perhaps?), and monkeys, monkeys, and more monkeys. Who doesn’t love monkeys? 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Sat. Feb. 19.

Carpi/Nelli Crystal Curtis shows “Myanatomy,” which sounds to me like a Bart Simpson prank call—”Hey, wanna see Myanatomy?” Anyway, it’s supposed be a bunch of skin and bones made from glass, bronze, and wax. 108 Occidental Ave. S., 206-650-1722. Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Frye Art Museum In Robin Held’s first exhibition since taking over as curator at the Frye, Seattle artist Joseph Park gets a solo show, “Moon Beam Caress.” The precise paintings draw upon Japanese animation and film to create an alternative noir world peopled with angst-ridden cartoon creatures. Park also has work currently on display at Howard House. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250. Opens Fri. Feb. 18. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Kittredge Gallery New work by Seattle painter Alfredo Arreguín, who does amazing, mystic abstract and figurative work in rich stained-glass colors. Also on display: Phil Roach’s voyeuristic peephole installations, which hide little dioramas of domestic interiors. University of Puget Sound campus, 1500 N. Lawrence (Tacoma), 253-879-2806. Opens Mon. Feb. 14. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 1-4 p.m. Sat.

Platform Scott Fife’s new solo show, “I Am What I Am,” collects more of his extraordinary sculptures and massive busts made from layered, carved, and painted cardboard—if his recent exhibit at Tacoma Art Museum was any indication of things to come, this should be a great show. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

SCCC M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery “The Pacific Northwest African-American Quilters” brings together the work of five talented quilt artists. 801 E. Pine St. (Seattle Central Community College, near cafeteria), 206-344-4379. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 5-7 p.m. Tues. and Thurs. Reception: 5-7 p.m. Wed. Feb. 16.

Last Chance

Davidson Selene Santucci’s paintings in “Left Hand Turns” offer well-proportioned geometric abstractions into which she tucks little symbolic figures—creating a visual cabinet of curiosities. 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Ends Sat. Feb. 19.

Galleries

Art Institute of Seattle Gallery Joey Robinson’s 27 stark, roughly sketched portraits of black maids are accompanied by stories of their struggles during the civil rights movement. 2323 Elliott Ave., 206-448-0900. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.

Ballard/Fetherston Gary Komarin’s big, splashy paintings of everything from noodly abstraction to birthday cakes seem naive and childlike at first glance. Yet there’s something formal and calculated about the composition of these ham-fisted, likable paintings. 818 E. Pike St., 206-322-9440. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Bluebottle I have to confess a big weakness for Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley’s lush paintings inspired by tattoo art and stained glass. Her new work, “Somnium,” is stocked with a peaceable kingdom of pets, wild creatures, nuns, saints, 1930s Chinese film stars, and mythological figures—all entwined in tentacles of foliage. Sure, a lot of her stuff is dreamy and puppy-sweet, but sometimes you need a break from all the angst and irony. 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon- 6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Bryan Ohno Candy-colored, Op Art-inspired paintings and sculptural columns by UW art professor Francis Celentano. 155 S. Main St., 206-667-9572. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Capitol Hill CafE Garth Lens’ photos of clear- cuts bring attention to the timber practices of Weyerhaeuser. 216 Broadway E., 503-261-3349.

CoCA “People Doing Strange Things With Electricity” is a collection of electric-powered visual art, including robots and other stuff Edison never imagined by Iole Alessandrini, Ginny Ruffner, W. Scott Trimble, Ellen Ziegler, and others. 410 Dexter Ave. N., 206-728-1980. 2-8 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun.

Cornish College Gallery “Record,” a group show by Cornish alums, examines how an event or image is always modified in the retelling. It’s a hit-or-miss show: Neal Bashor’s intentional artlessness is starting to get old, and both surreal videos by Michelle Sciumbato and David Herbert are clever but don’t quite work. More effective are Rhonda Dee Pritchett’s still shots of death and transfiguration from a family video, Rich Lehl’s strange little cartoons, and Dennis Raine’s hilariously banal word paintings. First Floor, 100 Lenora St., 206-726-5011. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Davidson “Visage” includes assorted figurative prints and etchings by Julie Gaskill, Jack Coughlin, Barry Moser, and others. 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Foster/White Computer viruses, jumbled text, and miscommunication are all themes in Bratsa Bonifacho’s “Habitat Pixel” series of paintings, which call to mind the language works of Ed Ruscha. 123 S. Jackson St., 206-622-2833. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Francine Seders Michael Spafford has been doing silhouettes of scenes from mythology for well over 30 years, and for me the shtick never gets old. Spafford’s new work includes a series of four large paintings and assorted smaller woodcuts from The Iliad. The brutality and pathos of soldiers ripped to bits and babies gutted by sabers is, unfortunately, all too timely. Also on display: illustrations of Chinese-American life from Beth Lo’s children’s book Mahjong All Day Long.6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.- Sat.; 1-5 p.m. Sun.

G. Gibson Gail Gibson’s gallery returns to Pioneer Square, taking up residence in the Tashiro-Kaplan Building alongside Garde Rail, SOIL, and Forgotten Works. The housewarming show will feature gallery favorites Larry Calkins, Mona Kuhn, Lori Nix, and others. 300 S. Washington St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Gallery 4 Culture Peter Mundwiler’s dull and unfunny “Epics of Wallingford” tries to poke fun at the gentrified neighborhood, but the haphazard collection of potted native evergreens, a Bigfoot en homage to Harry and the Hendersons, and a stupid video add up to nothing much. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Gallery 110 Thick brush strokes and expressionist influences from Diebenkorn to Cezanne in these run-of-the-mill figurative paintings by two locals: Karen Kosoglad and Pamela Mills. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Garde Rail The fact that Seattle artist Greg Blackstock is autistic is both completely irrelevant and totally integral to his art. Blackstock creates sly drawings that catalog everything under the sun. Each generally monochrome work is filled with berries, hand saws, speedboats, fighter planes, freight cars, terriers, monsters of the deep, things that make noise, and police vans, just to name a few. The captions, with their deadpan style, are absolutely brilliant. 110 Third Ave. S., 206-621-1055. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Greg Kucera In her second solo show at Kucera, Katy Stone displays new, three-dimensional works incorporating strips of painted Mylar that cascade and flow with showers of exuberant color. Many of the works are derived from nature, while others imply blood, oil, or copious tears. Also on display in Kucera’s expanded gallery: Gregory Kucera. No, not the gallery owner but the L.A.–based conceptual and video artist of the same name. Kucera the Artist does an assortment of stuff, including deadpan videos, digitally created stripe paintings, and sculpture that “inverts” space. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Highline Community College Paintings inspired by the civil rights movement, African-American culture, and an Alabama childhood, by local artist Donald C. Leonard. Fourth Floor, Building 245, 240th St. (Des Moines), 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; 2-5 p.m. Sun.

Howard House Joseph Park shows new work (he also has a solo show opening at the Frye next week). The Seattle artist’s slick paintings have the precision and drama of animation stills, and each combines influences from film, manga, and possibly even Edward Hopper. He’ll also display a series of road signs funded by Seattle’s 1 Percent for Art Fund. Also on display: spare but luminous abstractions on vinyl by Monique van Genderen. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

James Harris Digital art by Tom Baldwin (see this week’s Visual Art Spotlight, p. 68). 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Kinsey Gallery The late French philosopher Jacques Derrida is celebrated in “Bâtir,” a smart little group show featuring work by Robert Yoder, Buzz Spector, Ryuta Nakajima, and several others.Casey Building, Seattle University, 900 Broadway Ave., 206-296-5360. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Linda Hodges Contemporary, spiritual twists on the still life by Vancouver-based artist Karen Yurkovich. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Lisa Harris Mitchell Albala’s wispy paintings are inspired by the Alaskan wilderness of Yakutat Bay. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

Photographic Center Northwest Elinor Carucci’s intimate photographs (see this week’s Visual Arts Spotlight, p. 67). 900 12th Ave., 206-720-7222. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon.; 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Sun.

Priceless Works “Cold Sex” features new work by Jen Elek, Jeremy Bert, Kate Widdows, Adria Garcia, and Francesca Berrini. 619 N. 35th St., Suite 100, 206-349-9943. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Roq La Rue Kustom Kulture is one of those bizarre hybrids that happen when Japanese enthusiasts become completely obsessed with one aspect of Western culture—in this case, good old American hot rods. The Roq will show work by six artists (all with names like Mr. G, Rockin’ Jellybean, and Sugisack). Expect lots of Funny Car paintings, pinstriped maneki neko dolls, and a mess of other nitro-burnin’, low-ridin’, skulls-and-eagles badass happy fun goodness. 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun.

Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery A collection of recent work by UW MFA alums, including Jaq Chartier, Claire Cowie, Deborah Mersky, and Mary Ann Peters. 1220 Third Ave., 206-343-1101. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

SOIL “Abstraction Obstruction” is a collection of work by 18 artists, curated by Jeff Burgurt. 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Solomon Fine Art In “Small Tales,” Ellen Garvens, Chris St. Pierre, Nik Tongas, Peter Stanfield, and Linda Welker showcase small paintings, photographs, wall sculpture, and charcoal drawings. Also on display: Fred Holcomb’s bright abstract paintings. 1215 First Ave., 206-297-1400. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Suyama Space Roger Feldman’s architectural sculptures are designed to be unsettling—literally. The three installations, each about the size of Thoreau’s cabin, are built simply from 2-by-4s and other framing materials, and are meant to be experienced. So take off your shoes and enter. Each of the structures is made to rock and teeter. One is constructed with an Escher-like zigzag of parallelograms, and it takes random and disturbing lurches as you walk about the room. The most memorable of the three pieces is sealed off in sensory-deprivation blackness. I won’t spoil the surprise of experiencing it for yourself, but like the best of James Turrell and Carsten Holler, it’s a work that blows the doors of perception off their hinges. 2324 Second Ave., 206-256-0809. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Vain Cut Kulture United, an urban design/art collective, stages “Blow Up the Spot,” featuring Nhon Nguyen’s very cool Sumi-inspired break-dance paintings, cut-vinyl designs by George Estrada and Vittorio Costarelli, and Dave Ho’s assemblages from destroyed skateboards. 2018 First Ave., 206-441-3441. Noon-7 p.m. Sun.-Tues.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wed.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Winston Wächter Toronto artist Tony Scherman’s broadly brushed figurative works of mysterious women and birds have a ready-made decay to them. 203 Dexter Ave. N., 206-652-5855. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Museums

Frye Art Museum 20th-century artist Philip Pearlstein’s intensely human nude drawings. 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.

Museum of Glass Brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre create glass wall sculptures with contemporary twists on Mexican folk art. 1801 East Dock St. (Tacoma), 253-396-1768. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. (third Thurs. of the month until 8 p.m.); noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Museum of Northwest Art “Northwest Matriarchs of Modernism” showcases work by a dozen artists working between 1940 and 1970, including figurative painter Viola Patterson, abstract painter Mary Henry, and sculptor Hilda Morris. 121 S. First St. (La Conner), 360-466-4446. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Nordic Heritage Museum “Mirror on Wood” is a fantastic journey through 100 years of Finnish woodcut prints, from angst-ridden symbolism to serene rural landscape. 104 N.W. 67th St., 206-789-5707. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-4 p.m. Sun.

Seattle Art Museum “Between Past and Future” showcases contemporary Chinese video and photography, much of it focused on the body in relation to the world. “Africa in America” provides a varied and complex exploration of slavery, displacement, and ethnic culture portrayed in African-American art of the late 20th century. James W. Washington Jr.’s bird sculptures are intensely spiritual, while Kara Walker’s disturbing silhouette, I’ll Be a Monkey’s Uncle, transforms stereotypes into highly personal symbols of anger. Ellen Gallagher’s not-so-abstract painting, Host, employs lips and eyes in a very nuanced exploration of her biracial background; meanwhile, Oliver Jackson’s huge, furious volcano of a painting can be seen as both an explosion of fury and a transcendent creative frenzy. The centerpiece of the show is Marita Dingus’ powerful collection of small fabric torsos, 400 Men of African Descent, inspired by the slave forts of Ghana. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Seattle Asian Art Museum “Mountain Dreams” collects contemporary ceramics incised with Buddhist text by Korean artist Yoon Kwang-cho. Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Prospect St., 206-625-8900. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum Marsden Hartley isn’t a household name, but the 20th-century American painter was a solid experimenter in form and color. This touring retrospective marks the first major show of his work in the Northwest in 20 years. Meanwhile, “A Decade of Excellence” displays Northwest artists who’ve been awarded the Behnke Foundation’s “Neddy” Artist Fellowship since the program began 10 years ago— including work by Michael Spafford, Juan Alonso, Claire Cowie, Susan Dory, and Mark Takamichi Miller. 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.