Visual Arts
The City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture presents “Art Interruptions”, a series of ephemeral moments of surprise and reflection in the Central Area Neighborhood Greenway on view now through Jan. 3, 2016. See the work of seven artists including Naoko Morisawa, Carina del Rosario, Hanako O’Leary, Bayu Angermeyer, Esther Ervin, Alison Foshee and Sonya Stockton. For details or to get a map of locations, call (206) 684-7171 or go to for details.
The Washington Talking Book & braille Library presents an exhibition by the China Braille Press which demonstrates the importance of braille worldwide and the developing partnerships between the two countries regarding services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Topics explored include braille publication in the digital age, interchange and mutual learning, famous blind people in the U.S. and China, exchanges in braille publication of cultural material, interactions with organizations for the blind and organizations serving the blind and more. You can explore this exhibit by touch, sound and sight. Staff from the China Braille Press will be on hand to guide you through the exhibit. Opening ceremony/reception with Guo Weimin, Deputy director of the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China takes place on mon., Sept. 21 at 10am. WTBBL is located at 2021 9th Ave. in Seattle. Limited parking available in the building’s garage. Please RSVP to Danielle Miller at (206) 615-1588 or email Danielle.miller@sos.wa.gov.
Congratulations to Seattle artist Paul Komada who received a 2015 Neddy Artist Award. His work will be shown with other local winners in a show entitled “2015 Neddy Artist Awards” through Sept. in the Open Project Space/Main Gallery along with “Remembering Ned Behnke” on the President’s Gallery/ 7th Floor at Cornish College of the Arts. Opening reception with remarks on Sept. 9 at 7pm. Also open First Thursday from 12 – 7pm and during the SLU Art Walk Oct. 1 from 5 – 8pm. For details, go to www.cornish.edu.
“Genius/21 Century/Seattle” is a large-scale celebration of exceptional multidisciplinary and collaborative artistic practice in Seattle in the twenty-first century. Featured are over sixty visual artists, filmmakers, writers, theater artists, composers, musicians, choreographers, dancers, and arts organization. Artists participating in “Genius” were selected by leading arts writers and the Seattle artistic community to be recipients of “The Stranger Genius Award”. Eyvind Kang, Lead Pencil Studio, Susie J. Lee and D.K. Pan are among the list of distinguished artists included in this exhibition. The exhibition and its more than thirty-five events will from from Sept. 26, 2015 to Jan. 10, 2016. Frye Art Museum. 704 Terry Ave. (206) 622-9250. Admission and parking are always free. Closed Mondays.
The work of Kathy Liao is included in a group show entitled “Observing Observing – A White Cup” on view from Sept. 12 – Oct. 31 with opening reception set for Sat., Sept. 12 from 2 – 4pm. This show emphasizes the powers of observation over content with the motif of a white cup as a constant. Prographica Gallery at 1419 E. Dennuy Way. (206) 322-3851 or go to prographicadrawings.com.
Upcoming shows include “Gods and Monsters”, new work by Mio Asahi in September and new work by Eunice Kim in October. Asahi creates a folkloric world all her own with images of powerful women who call the wind and tame dragons. Also through Sept. is a show of etching and aquatint prints by Azumi Takeda. Her work captures the absurdity and darkness of city living in which we are surrounded by many but connected to none. A subtle humor and playfulness balances her bleak urban vision. And Seattle artist shows his collages culled from posters he found in the cities of Paris and Cochin in India. Also on view through Sept. Traditional Japanese prints have a world of their own that can seems at times a bit neat and fussy as if looking at a well manicured garden locked in a greenhouse. Gallery founder/curator Beth Cullom broke a glass pane in the roof of that greenhouse and let the sunshine in when she started showing contemporary print work by artists influenced by the Japanese tradition but not chained to it. She got her training working for Carolyn Staley, the Northwest specialist in ukiyo-e and modern Japanese woodblock prints but when she opened her own gallery, she took a more modern and refreshing approach. Since April of 2015, after receiving a cancer diagnosis, Cullom has elected to begin the process of closing her gallery in order to spend time with family and devote time to getting well. We wish her a speedy recovery. Davidson Galleries is loaning their space for her final show with studio e for an exhibit of works by Juliet Shen in Oct. Meanwhile, the gallery is hosting a special event, a 44th Anniversary auction & Beth Cullom Benefit set for Thurs., Sept. 17th from 5 – 9pm. If you appreciate what Beth Cullom has brought to the area with her gallery then please come out and support her recovery. For full info. on this event, go to davidsongalleries.com/auction. Oct. 1 -31 brings a 10 year survey exhibition of Seattle artist Eunice Kim who works in the unique printmaking process of collagraphy. Davidson Galleries. 313 Occidental Ave. S. (206) 624-7684.
Hongzhe Liang and Mathew Bell present “A Translation Service”, a dual show of installation work from Sept. 17 – Oct. 17. Cornish instructor/sculptor Robert Rhee who ran an artist Airbnb earlier has a solo show of his own work made from gourds in cages. The work is stark, spare and ultimately moving if his earlier work in “Out of Sight” is anything to go by. This solo show is entitled “Winter Wheat” and is on view Nov. 5 – 28. Both shows at Glassbox Gallery at 831 Seattle Blvd. S. Go to glassboxgallery.com for details.
“Here’s What I Got” is a grab-bag of work by gallery artists including Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. Krab Jab Studio at 5268 Airport Way S. # 150. For details, go to krabjabstudio.com.
“Rebels Of The Floating World” is the title of a forthcoming show featuring work by two acclaimed contemporary urban artists who explore our complex transitions between tradition and history. New work by Jonathan Wakuda Fischer who has turned the Japanese woodblock tradition on its head and made it contemporary and Louie Gong who will be showing a new series of paintings. Opens Oct. 1 from 6 – 8pm on First Thursday and remains on view through Oct. Artxchange Gallery. 512 First Ave. S. (206) 839-0377.
“Passages” is a show of new works in oil by local artist Z.Z. Wei. It continues his involvement with the Northwest landscape with the motif of a car on the road as the compass. Artist reception takes place Sept. 3 from 6 – 8pm. The show remains on view through Sept. 28. Patricia Rovzar Gallery at 1225 Second Ave. in downtown Seattle. (206) 223-0273 or go to www.rovzargallery.com.
On view through Sept. at SRG Gallery are works in acrylics and ink by Shahana Dattagupta. 110 Union St. #300 in downtown Seattle. (206) 973-1700.
New work by Megan Quan Knight opens Oct. 22 at ArtsWest Gallery. On view through Nov. 22. 4711 California Ave. S.W. (206) 938-0339 or go to artswest.org.
“Voices of Sumi Art” is a group show of local artists who work with Japanese sumi ink on rice paper. Artists include Fumiko Kimura, Voski Chakirian-Sprague, Selinda Sheridan and David Berger. On view from Sept. 1st – 12th. Handforth Gallery on the second level of Tacoma Public Library at 1102 Tacoma Ave. S. Library hours are Tues. & Wed. from 11am – 8pm and Thurs. – Sat. from 9am – 6pm. (253) 292-2001.
The work of Keiko Hara is included in the group show entitled “From The Artist’s eye” on view now through Sept. 23rd. Curated by Kathleen Rabel and Lisa Young, the exhibition features original prints with mixed media elements. Museum of Northwest Art at 121 South First St. in La Connor, WA. (360) 466-4446 or go to www.museumofnwart.org.
Bellevue Arts Museum brings a wonderful show of handcrafted collaboration between husband and wife in “In The Realm of Nature: Bob Stocksdale & Kay Sekimachi. Individually and together, these two artists pushed the use of wood/paper as a material to new creative heights. Stocksdale specialized in the use of woods from around the world in his bowls. Sekimachi’s work inspires as visual poetry applied to material. Not to miss. Up until Oct. 18, 2015. Signe S. Mayfield, the curator of this show will talk about the collection on Fri., Oct. 2 at 7pm. $5 admission. 510 Bellevue Way NE. (425) 519-0770 or go to www.bellevuearts.org.
The 2015 Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival takes place Oct. 2 – 4 at the Maple Hall & Civic Garden Club in La Connor, WA. For details, go to www.laconnerquilts.org or call (360) 466-4288. Sponsored by La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum.
On Sept. 25, Grace Gow Jewelry will hold a trunk show from 3 – 7pm. Opening Sept. 26th, ceramics by Reid Ozaki and Matt Allison from 4 – 6pm. (206) 381-3000. KOBO at Higo. 604 South Jackson. Email is hello@kobo seattle.com.
Kobo has a sister shop on Capitol Hill at 814 East Roy St. Ann Chikahisa will have a jewelry trunk show there on Sept. 19 from 1 – 3pm. Grace Gow has a jewelry trunk show there on Sept. 26 from 1 – 3pm.
Japanese ceramic sculptor Kensuke Yamada who exhibits locally at Patricia Rovzar Gallery talks about his work at Pottery Northwest on Oct. 24 at 7pm. Free. 26 First Ave. N. (206) 285-4421.
Photographer Michael Kenna has spent a considerable amount of time in Japan taking images of landscapes and still-lives. There is a pristine, precise delicacy to his work that catches every detail. A new series entitled “Forms of Japan: Photographs” comes to G. Gibson Gallery with an artist and booksigning reception set for Nov. 5th from 6 – 8pm. 300 South Washington in Pioneer Square. Go to www.ggibsongallery.com for details.
Fram Kitagawa is Director of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Trienniale, one of the largest art festivals in the world. He gives a talk entitled “Art in the Age of the Global Environment” on Nov. 12 at Henry Art Gallery. Free. 15th Ave. NE & NE 41st St. (206) 543-2280.
“Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty” is a show that should prove to be a family favorite. On loan from the Japanese American National Museum, the show lands in Seattle at the EMP Museum at Seattle Center on Nov. 14 and remains on view through May 15, 2016. The show looks on the history of the Japanese icon and her influence on popular culture. Includes an extensive product survey, with rare and unique items from the Sanrio archives, alongside a selection of innovative contemporary artworks inspired by Hello Kitty and her world. 325 – 5th Ave. N. (206) 770-2700.
Abmeyer & Wood presents the work of two contemporary sculptors, Erika Sanada and Calvin Ma. Sanada makes strange sculptures of animals and Ma turns robots into wooden action figures. Nov. 30 – Jan. 2. 1210 Second Ave. (206) 628-9501 or go to abmeyerwood.com.
“Mugen/Infinity” is a show of new work by local lighting designer Yuri Kinoshita who creates wonderful illuminated sculptures for rooms both private and public. Oct. 20 – 31 with tea ceremonies set for Oct. 23 & 24. Pottery Northwest at 226 First Ave. N. (206) 285-4421 or go to potterynorthwest.org/index.htm.
Oct. 18 is Building 30 West Open Studios. Free. 1pm – 5pm. Seattle artist Suiren (Renko Dempster) has a studio here. Tour these artists studios in Magnuson Park at 7400 Sandpoint Way NE. (206) 684-4278.
The Bemis Building is a large warehouse of artists studios and every year they have an open house and you can see the work and studios of the artists within. The Fall 2015 Bemis Art Show takes place Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 Free admission. 55 S. Atlantic St. in Sodo. Live music and entertainment. Go to www.bemisarts.com for details.
“Escapism” is the title of a group show at Vermillion. Includes work by Eva Yuewang. 1508 11th Ave. (206) 709-9797 or go to vermillionseattle.com.
Woodside/Braseth Gallery’s annual Fall Salon show on view through Sept. 19 includes work by Northwest artists including Paul Horiuchi, George Tsutakawa and others. Also on view through Oct. 17 is “Works by Northwest Master Paul Horiuchi (1906-1999)”. 1201 Western Ave. (206) 622-7243 or go to woodsidebrasethgallery.com.
The First Friday Lecture for Nov. 6 at Seattle Art Museum downtown is “Intimate Impressionism” by Chiyo Ishikawa, SAM’s Deputy Director for a Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture. She talks about items in the current traveling exhibition entitled “Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art” now on view at SAM. At 11am and free with museum admission.1300 First Ave. (206) 654-3210 or go to www.seattleartmuseum.org.
The Yakima Valley Museum has the current exhibit, “Land of Joy and Sorrow – Japanese Pioneers of the Yakima Valley” up until 2018. It tells the history of Japanese families who created a community there before the war. Only 10% of families returned to re-settle there after the war. 2105 Teton Dr. (509) 248-0741. In related news, a softball from this collection that saw play at Heart Mountain internment camp and owned by George Hirahara has been given to the Smithsonian and was on display in the incarceration section of the exhibit, “The Price of Freedom – Americans at War”. (As reported in the North American Post.) In other news, Hirahara’s Oregon photographs of the Japanese American post-WWII experience in the Pacific Northwest are now available online at Densho. To see his documentation of Nikkei Oregon life in “New Partner Collection: Frank C. Hirahara Photographs From The Oregon Nikkei Endowment”, go to http://www.densho.org/new-partner-collection-frank-c-hirahara-photographs-from-the-oregon-nikkei-endowment/. Also a profile of the Washington State University Hirahara Collection of photos from Heart Mountain is now featured on the Japanese American History Not For Sale Facebook Page by going to https://www.facebook.com/japaneseamericanhistorynotforsale.
Cascadia Art Museum is a new Northwest museum in Edmonds, WA. Their inaugural exhibition is entitled “A Fluid Tradition: Northwest Watercolor Society…The First 75 Years” on view through Jan. 3, 2016. It includes the work of George Tsutakawa amongst dozens of others. 190 Sunset Ave. in Edmonds. Go to cascadiaartmuseum.org for details.
Seattle ceramic artist Akio Takamori and Lead Pencil Studio (Annie Han & Daniel Milhayo) were both recipients of the Contemporary Northwest Art Awards given by the Portland Art Museum which will give all winners a group show which has been re-scheduled to run from Feb. 13 – May 8 in 2016. The extension will allow some artists to do brand-new work site-specific to the PAM space. Also Ai Weiwei’s “Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads: Gold” remains on view through Sept. 13, 2015. “Anish Kapoor – Prints from the Collection of Jordan Schnitzer” remains on view until Oct. 25, 2015. The Portland Art Museum is at 1219 SW Park Ave. Go to www.portlandartmuseum.org for details.
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene has the following – Opening Oct. 3 and remaining on view until Jan. 3, 2016 is “Expanding Frontiers – The Wadsworth Collection of Post War Japanese Prints”. Remaining on view until July 24, 2016 is “‘True’ Korean Landscapes & Virtuous Scholars” and “Benevolence & Loyalty: Filial Piety in Chinese Art” up until July 31, 2016. 1430 Johnson Lane. (541) 346-3027.
The work of noted Northwest ceramic sculptor Patti Warashina is included in SOFA, the annual expo show of sculpture, objects, functional art and design in Chicago. Nov. 6th – 8th, 2015. Opening night on Nov. 5th at Navy Pier. Go to sofaexpo.com for details.
New and recent shows /activities at the Wing include the following – “Tales of Tails: Animals in Children’s Books is the latest show to open at the museum. Sept. 3rd First Thursday Toddler Storytime has the free telling of the book, “Lissy’s Friends” with a fun art activity. 11am – 12pm. “CONSTRUCT/S” is a new group show that presents a diverse group of six international, national and local female artists who will transform The Wing’s art gallery into a multi-sensory, interactive exploration of identity, subjectivity, history, culture and gender. It is curated by Dr. Stacey Uradomo-Barre. It remains on view through April 17th, 2016. Artists include the following – Terry Acebo Davis from California recreates her mother’s bedroom drawing upon the fact that she is suffering from dementia. This room is a place she yearns to return to and the piece deals with a fragmented narrative of memory, loss, identity, and Filipino American culture. Kaili Chun from Hawai’I has an interactive installation of man-made steel bars that unlock to grapple with issues of subjectivity and community and reflect the continuous socio-political negotiation of Native Hawaiians with the mainstream society. Yong Soon Min from California, after a career exploring Korean American Identity and colonialism now examines her own personal struggle of pain and trauma as she tries to recover from a cerebral hemorrhage that affected her ability to form language and memories. Min has shown previously in Seattle with temporary art installations. Tamiko Thiel (Germany) & Midori Kono Thiel (Seattle) present a mother-daughter collaboration combining traditional calligraphy with mobile technology. Their augmented reality installation virtually links art and culture with physical landmarks significant to the local Japanese American community. Lynne Yamamoto from Massachusetts went to Evergreen College in Olympia as a student. She has shown here previously with an installation at Suyama Space and a show at Greg Kucera Gallery. Her new piece here was inspired by the early 20th century tent houses of Japanese immigrant farmers. This work interweaves family memories and community history, evoking the migratory nature of the Japanese American farming community. She also has a public art commission at the Seattle Public Library planned as well. A catalog for this show is available. Yamamoto makes two local appearances. She gives an Artist Workshop on Sat., Sept. 26th at 10:30pm at the Wing where she will engage the audience with an art activity based on her installation in the show Her work is rooted in stories of her family history as Japanese immigrants to Hawai’i. She also gives a free talk about her work at the Seattle Central Library on Sat., Sept. 26th at 2pm. Commissioned by the City of Seattle. Level 4, Room 2 at 1000 4th Ave. downtown. The Young Family Collection of Qing Dynasty robes opened Jan. 15th . “Who Gets To Belong?” is an exhibit that looks at the Immigration Act of 1965 that lifted the quotas for Asian Pacific Islander immigration. This exhibit which opens March 5th from 6 – 8pm will look at the cultural and political climate that pushed for this act. “Do You Know Bruce?” is a major new show on the personal, intimate story of martial arts artist and film star Bruce Lee and the significance of Seattle in his life. Opens Oct. 4th with the full support of the Lee Family. The Wing is the only museum in the world, outside of Hong Kong, to present an exhibition about Bruce Lee’s life. The Lee family has plans to eventually open a permanent museum on Bruce Lee’s life and legacy in the Chinatown-ID neighborhood. Year 2 of the exhibition opens Oct. 3rd, 2015 and digs deeper into the significance of Bruce Lee and his impact in media during a time of racial stereotypes and barriers. Includes text panels by national blogger Phil Yu (aka Angry Asian Man) plus Green Hornet toys, personal letters, behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of “Way of the Dragon” and “Enter the Dragon”, hand-written film notes, rare photos inside his early Chinatown studio and much much more. A new set of Bruce Lee’s Chinatown Tours begin Oct. 6th. 719 South King St. (206) 623-5124 or visit www.wingluke.org. Closed Mondays. Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm. First Thursday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm. Third Saturday of each month is free from 10am – 8pm.
“Voices of Nisei Veterans – Permanent Exhibition and Collections” is composed of rare collections preserved by the Nisei Veterans Committee and tells the story of Japanese American veterans before, during and after WW II. Access is by pre-arranged tour only. For reservations or information, email info@nvcfoundation.org or tours@wingluke.org. Jointly sponsored by the NVC Memorial Hall and The Wing. 1212 South King St. The August 18th edition of Seattle Channel includes a tour of this exhibit by Josephine Cheng. Go to www.seattlechannel.org for details.
“Pacific Voices” is an ongoing exhibit that celebrates the language, teachings, art, and cultural ceremonies of seventeen cultures from the Pacific Rim. Burke Museum at the University of Washington. 17thth Ave. NE & E 45th Streets. (206) 543-5590 or try Washington.edu/burkemuseum.
Currently on view at Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park – First Free Saturday family activity takes place from 11am – 2pm. “Chiho Aoshima: Rebirth of the World” looks at the work of this pivotal member of the Japanese neo-pop art movement whose work merges the sweetness of kawaii culture with the cloudy future of a post-apocalyptic world. Includes photography, drawing and an animated video installation. Remains on view through Oct. 4th. “Calligraphic Abstraction” is a group show exploring the world of calligraphy in all its’ various forms of beauty from a Mark Tobey painting to Islamic, Chinese and Japanese examples. On view until October 4th in the Tateuchi Galleries. The Gardner Center’s “Saturday University” Series continues with these talks. “Focus on Asia: Photography Past and Present” by Frances Terpak, Curator of Photographs at the Getty Research Institute. Sat., Sept. 26th at 9:30am. “Paradox Of Place: Contemporary Korean Art” is a new show set for Oct. 31, 2015 – March 13, 2016 at the Tateuchi Galleries. This is the first major exhibition of Korean contemporary art in over a decade in Seattle. This show was put together in collaboration with Ms. Choi Eunju, former chief curator of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea. Six leading-edge Korean contemporary artists’ representative works will be in this show. Works range from mix-media, installation, video art, to photography, all of which are prominent forms in Korean contemporary art. Co-organized by the Seattle Art Museum and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea with generous support from the Korea Foundation. The Oct. 2 “First Friday Lecture” is by SAM’s curator of Japanese and Korean Art. She will the futuristic worlds created by Chiho Aoshima in her current exhibit, “Rebirth of the World.” “Saturday University” is a series of talks on art and ideas at Seattle Asian Art Museum every morning at 9:30am $10 admission. . The series includes the following – Christopher Pinney, Professor of Anthropology and Visual Culture at University College, London addresses the topic of “Is there an Indian Way of Photography?” on Oct. 3. On Oct. 10, Karen Strassler, Associate Professor of Anthropoly at City University of New York talks about “Photography & Making of Indonesia today”. Julia Adeney Thomas, Associate Professor of History at Notre Dame talks about “Humanitarian Photography and Japan’s Atomic Pain: The Ethical Vision of Morizumi Takashi from Iraq to Fukushima” on Oct. 17. Oct. 24 brings Professor Douglas Fix of History and Humanities from Reed College who tackles the topic of “19th Centiury Portraits of Taiwanese Aborigines”. Oct. 31 Korean contemporary artist Jung Yeondoo talks about his work in the show “Paradox of Place: Contemporary Korean Art” (a new show opening the same day at SAAM) in a talk entitled “Dreams Come True, Almost”. Christopher Phillips, Curator at ICP, New York talks about “Chinese and Korean video Art” on Nov. 7. Deepali Dewan, Senior Curator of South Asian Arts at Royal Ontario Museum address the topic of “Paint and Photography in India” on Nov. 14. Yasufumi Nakamori, associate Curator of Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will talk about the show he curated for that museum entitled “Experiments in Japanese Art & Photos, 1968-79” on Nov. 21.For complete information on all events, go to seattleartmuseum.org.
Seattle Japanese Garden recently celebrated its 55th anniversary. Upcoming events include the following – A Maple Viewing Festival is set for Oct. 11th. For more details, go to www.seattlejapanesegarden.org.
Lois Yoshida once again teaches a new series of classes entitled “Introduction to Ink and Brush Painting” on Sundays – Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4 from 10am – 4pm. It’s just part of the many Fall Studio Art Classes held at Frye Art Museum. Register now. 704 Terry Ave. (206) 622-9250.
The 20th Annual Northwest Jewelry & Metals Symposium takes place Oct. 17 at Broadway Performance Hall at 1625 Broadway in Seattle. To register, go to www.SeattleMetalsGuild.org and click the “Programs & Events” link.
Tacoma Art Museum has opened a new wing to accommodate the gift of a new collection. “ART OF THE AMERICAN WEST: The Haub Family Collection at Tacoma Art Museum just opened. Included in the present show is work by contemporary Chinese American artist Mian Situ. He creates epic paintings in the European tradition but inserts Chinese American immigrants as protagonists in scenes in which they’ve previously been missing. The photography of Seattle photographer Chao-Chen Yang is included in a group show entitled “Northwest in the West: Exploring Our Roots”. This show explores the distinct identity of Northwest art and how it has adopted, adapted and reacted against its western roots. A theme particularly apt and timely since the museum is building a new wing to house their new collection of Western art. Both shows through the fall of 2015. “Roger Shimomura: An American Knockoff” was last seen in a smaller edition at Seattle’s Greg Kucera Gallery. A greatly expanded touring version is on view through Sept. 13 at the museum. In this series, Shimomura inserts himself as an aging Asian Everyman in various guises, both political and poignant. “Partners in NW Art: Selections from the Aloha Club Collection” is a group show of Northwest artists that were collected by the Tacoma community club from 1948 – 1971. This collection was given to the Museum by the organization. Ceramic artist Patti Warashina is represented in this collection. Opens June 27th and remains on view through Sept. 3rd. “Art AIDS America” is a groundbreaking exhibition that underscores the deep and unforgettable presence of HIV in American art from the 1980’s to the present. Co-curated by TAM Chief Curator Rock Hushka and Dr. Jonathan Katz who directs the Visual Studies Doctoral Program at the University of Buffalo. Opens Oct. 3rd and remains on view through Jan. 10th, 2016.Tacoma Art Museum is at 1701 Pacific Ave. (253) 272-4258 or go to TacomaArtMuseum.org.
Catch Tacoma artist Yuki Nakamura who is building a special installation of suspended porcelain, paper and Mylar with eerie digital projections as part of the Bellingham National 2015 Art Exhibition and Awards on view through Sept. 6th, 2015. Guest-curated by Scott Lawrimore, now at the UWs Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Whatcom Museum at the Lightcatcher Building at 250 Flora St. (360) 778-8930.
Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center in Portland has “Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community” a show that celebrates the lives and contributions of Oregon’s Nikkei community, and evokes memories of shared experiences – from early settlement through the trials and tribulations of WWII and into the 21st century. On view through Sept. 27th, 2015 is “Yosegaki Hinomaru: Souvenir, Heirloom or Art?” This exhibition explores a time seventy years ago when families sent their sons off to war carrying personal items, and neither the son or the property returned. Open Tu. – Sat. 11am – 3pm and Sundays, noon – 3pm. 121 NW 2nd Ave. (503) 224-1458 or email info@oregonnikkei.org.
“Meet Me at Higo” permanent exhibit- Part Two” presented and sponsored by the Wing is a multi-media presentation and self-guided tour that tells the origins and history of the store as a Japanese American five and dime. At Kobo at Higo, 604 South Jackson. E-mail info@koboseattle.com or call (206) 381-3000.
KOBO Gallery at Higo in Japantown/International District always has interesting shows of new ceramic work or work that conveys an Asian aesthetic. Go to koboseattle.com for updates. 604 S. Jackson St. (206) 381-3000.
The Art History Lecture Series with Rebecca Albiani for the upcoming year includes a series of talks on “Netsuke: Miniature Masterpieces of Japanese Sculpture” set for Jan. 14th at 11am and 7pm and Jan. 15th at 11am. The talk is repeated three times. To register, call (206) 432-8200.
“Off site” is the title of an installation by Mumbai-based artist Reena Saini Kallat that re-creates immigration routes around the world using electric wire, circuit boards and speakers across a giant map. On view until Oct. 12th. Opening Dec. 11 and remaining on view until Jan. 24, 2016 is a survey of the work of South Korean contemporary artist Kim Beon. His conceptually driven videos, installations and drawings brim over with a warm sense of humor. Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby St. in Vancouver BC, Canada. (604) 662-4719 or go to vanartgallery.bc.ca.
“Generation to Generation – History of Chinese Immigrants in British Columbia” is an ongoing exhibit of photographs from the 1800s and 1900s. Chinese Cultural Centre Museum at 555 Columbia St. in Vancouver BC, Canada. (604) 658-8880 or go to cccvan.com.
“Mingei: Japan’s Enduring Folk Arts” is on view from June 20th to Oct. 11th at the Nikkei National Museum in Burnaby, BC Canada. Over 100 works gathered from all over Japan attest to the power and joy of Japan’s folk art tradition. 6688 Southoaks Crescent. (604) 777-7000.
“Buddhist Arts of Asia” is a group show tracing Buddhist art through various countries in
Asia. From the gallery’s permanent collection. Through Sept. 20th. Art Gallery of Greater Victoria at 1040 Moss St. (250) 384-4171 or go to aggv.ca.
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has the following shows – “First Look – Collecting Contemporary Art at the Asian” gives the museum a chance to open up their collection of new acquisitions and show new work by the likes of Yako Hodo, Yang Yungliang, Xu Bing and Zeng Chonglin. Up until Oct. 11, 2015. “Woven Luxaries – Indian, Persian and Turkish Velvets from The Indicator Collection” stays on view until Nov. 1, 2015. “Continuity And Pursuit” is a show of paintings by Yoong Bae until Dec. 13, 2015. “Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Paintings (14th – 18th century)” comes down Nov. 1, 2015. “Picturing Sound, Creating Mood” is a series of twelve paintings from the 18th to 19th century that reveal the multisensory world of Indian painting up till Nov. 22, 2015. 200 Larkin St. (415) 581-3500.
“Raycraft is Dead” is the title of a mixed media installation by L.A. based South Korean artist Won Ju Im. In it, she deconstructs the spaces of her own home and invites the viewer to rethink our everyday experiences in our own spaces. Includes sculptures, video projection and collage. On view until Dec. 6, 2015 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts at 701 Mission in San Francisco. (415) 978-2700.
“New Stories from the Edge of Asia: Tabaimo” marks the first solo museum exhibition of this amazing Japanese artist who uses alluring large-scale surreal animations that combine everyday objects and experiences. Opens Feb. 5, 2016 at the San Jose Museum of Art. 110 South Market St. (408) 271-6840. Not to miss!
The Japanese American National Museum has the following current and upcoming exhibitions. Ongoing is “Common Ground: The Heart of Community” is a historical group show that incorporates hundreds of objects, documents and photographs collected by the Museum on over 130 years of Japanese American history. Opening Oct. 11 and on view until Jan. 24, 2016 is “Giant Robot Biennale 4” an annual show showcasing the diverse creative works brought together between the pages of that popular zine which is a staple of alternative Asian American pop culture. Looking further down the road is an important photography show entitled “Making Waves: Japanese American Photography, 1920 – 1940” tentatively set for late Feb. of 2016 and curated by Southern California photography historian Dennis Reed who has curated a previous excellent show of the Japanese Camera Club of Los Angeles. 100 North Central Ave. (213) 625-0414.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has the following shows. “Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East” remains on view until Jan. 3, 2016. “Ritual Offerings in Tibetan Art” continues until Oct. 25. 2015. “Living for The Moment: Japanese Prints from the Barbara S. Bowman Collection” opens Oct. 4 and remains on view until Jan. 16, 2016. 5905 Wilshire Blvd. (323) 857-6010.
The work of noted Northwest ceramic sculptor Patti Warashina is included in SOFA, the annual expo show of sculpture, objects, functional art and design in Chicago. Nov. 6th – 8th, 2015. Opening night on Nov. 5th at Navy Pier. Go to sofaexpo.com for details.
Oakland Museum of California presents a major exhibition on historic and contemporary pacific cultures and peoples and their interactions with California. “Pacific Worlds” opens May 30th and remains on view through Jan. 3rd, 2016. The show explores the on-going connections and intersecting experiences of Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians, along with Filipinos, Native Californians, and American collectors and colonists. 1000 Oak St. in Oakland, CA. For details, go to museumca.org or http://www.museumca.org/.
“Ishiuchi Miyako: Post War Shadows” is a retrospective of his self-taught photographer who emerged out of the shadows of WW II in a mostly male generation of Japanese photographers. Her work offered a different perspective on the Japan she knew, the hometown port city of Yokosuka. Later work would fuse both the personal and political as she did work on Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Frida Kahlo’s clothing and the map of the skin found on different torsos. Opens Oct. 6, 2015 and remains on view until Feb. 21, 2016. “The Younger Generation: Contemporary Japanese Photography” is a complimentary group show of young women photographers that have surfaced in the 1990’s influenced by Ishiuchi’s work. They include Kawauchi Rinko, Onodera Yuki, Otsuka Chino, Sawada Tomoko and Shiga Lieko. This show has identical exhibition dates as Ishiuchi’s show. J. Paul Getty Museum. 1200 Getty Center Dr. (310) 440-7330.
New work by Seattle artist Diem Chau is on exhibit through Oct. 31st, 2015 at the Philadelphia Zoo as part of “Second Nature”, an array of artist installations that ell the stories of endangered species through the use of recycled, reduced, reused, repurposed and renewed materials. Her series of carved crayons “Precious Few” take the forms of 48 animals on the endangered species list. The zoo is at 3400 W. Girard Ave. in Philadelphia. Their phone # is (215) 243-1100. Diem Chau is represented locally by G. Gibson Gallery (ggibsongallery.com) and she is open to commissions.
“Discovering Japanese Art: American Collectors and the Met” tells the story of how the Museum built its comprehensive collection of Japanese art beginning in the 1880s up to the modern era. On view until Sept. 27th, 2015. “Asian Art at 100: A History in Photographs” is a survey of the Met’s Asian galleries photographed from 1907 – 19 45. Through May 22, 2016. “Celebrating The Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection”. Over 300 items from what many consider the best Japanese art collection outside of Japan are on view from Oct. 20 through July 31, 2016. 1000 – 5th Ave. (212) 535-7710 or go to www.metmuseum.org.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston organized the traveling show entitled “For A New World To Come: Experiments In Japanese Art And Photographs, 1968-1979”. Vietnam War protests and opposition to a treaty extending American military occupation rocked Japan and fueled the Japanese arts movement at this time. For the first time, many artists and movements heretofore unknown to the West are exposed. This stimulating exhibition comes to New York split into two different venues. The first segment shows at New York University’s Grey Art Gallery through Dec. 5, 2015. Go to nyu.edu/greyart for details. The other portion of the show hits Japan Society Gallery from Oct. 9, 2015 through Jan. 3, 2016. Go to japansociety.org for more information.
“Japanese Kogei/ Future Forward”. Twelve different artists show different changing approaches to Japanese “handcrafts” – especially in the area of ceramics. Oct. 20 – Feb. 7, 2016. Museum of Arts and Design in New York.
Some upcoming shows at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston include the following – “Crafted Objects in Flux” is a group show that look at artists who “simultaneously blur and expand craft’s landscape.” Seattle artist Etsuko Ichikawa is included in this show and she has plans to do a live performance sometime during the run of the show. On view August 25th – January 10th, 2016. In related news, the museum has hastily pulled an event labeled “Kimono Wednesdays” scheduled to run throughout July from a show they organized entitled “Looking East: How Japan Inspired Monet, Van Gogh, And Other Western Artists”. Visitors were invited to don museum-provided kimonos while posing for photos in front of Monet’s “La Japonaise”, a painting of the artist’s wife wearing a kimono. Protestors charged the museum with perpetuating racist stereotypes by presenting Asian culture as exotic. The museum apologized. A counter-protest by Japanese women in kimonos materialized and the new museum director has promised a community forum on the issue.465 Huntington Ave. in Boston. (617) 267-9300. An update on this. Keiko a writer from Boston who has been covering this issue on her blog has emailed me to correct some of the above information. She says the event was not cancelled but modified and that no formal apology has been given. For her perspective on this on-going controversy, go to http://japaneseamericaninboston.blogspot.com/2015107/monets-la-japonaise-kimono-wednesdays.html. This show will travel on to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco where it opens Oct. 30 and remains on view until Feb. 7, 2016 (asianart.org for details.) “Made in the Americas: The New World Discovers Asia” is a new exhibition that proves that the Asian influence on the West is not a recent phenomenon. It examines these influences across continents as early as the late 16th/ early 17th century. On view through Feb. 15, 2016.
“Reopening Of The Renwick Gallery”. The first building in the nation designed specifically as an art museum officially reopens after a two year renovation with “Wonder” in which nine contemporary artists were invited to create room-size installations inspired by the building itself. Maya Lin is one of them. Opens Nov. 13 and remains on view until July 10, 2016. The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery are along the museum mall in Washington, D.C.
Opening Sept. 10th and on view through Jan. 3, 2016 is “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms”. It showcases recently excavated objects that highlight the prosperity and achievements of the little-known Philippine Kingdoms that flourished long before the Spanish discovered the region and colonized it. They affirm the unprecedented creativity, prosperity, and sophisticated metalworking tradition of the pre-colonial period. They also attest to flourishing cultural connections and maritime trade in Southeast Asia during what was an early Asian economic boom. Also showing at the same time is “Video Spotlight: Philippines”, an exhibition of contemporary video art by Poklong Anading, Martha Atienza, and Mark Salvatus. Coming in 2016 is “Kamakura: Realism And Spirituality In The Sculpture Of Japan” More than 40 sculptures which show the relationship between realism and sacred use of the objects. The Kamakura era is often regarded as a period similar to the Renaissance in Europe. Feb. 9 through May 8, 2016. Asia Society Museum at 725 Park Ave. in New York City. Go to AsiaSociety.org/museum for details.
“Pinaree Sanpitak – Ma-Lai’ is the title of a show dedicated to the work of one Thailand’s most respected contemporary artists. Her primary inspiration has been the female body. On view through Oct. 24 at Tyler Rollins Fine Art at 529 West 20th St. in New York. Go to www.trfineart.com for details.
In March of 2016, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will take over the building designed by Marcel Breuer that was once the Whitney Museum. A retrospective of the Indian modernist painter Nasreen Mohamedi (1937-1990) will be one of three opening exhibits in this building. The Met’s current artist-in-residence, jazz composter/pianist Vjay Iyer will do a number of appearances as well. The building will now be known as the Met Breuer. Madison Ave. and 75th St. in New York or go to metmuseum.org for details.
The first U.S. survey of the work of Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Hongtu comes to the Queens Museum of art. The artist left China in 1982 and settled in Queens. Oct. 18 – Feb. 28, 2016. Email info@queensmuseum.org for details.
“Sotatsu – Making Waves” is a major show of that Edo-period, 17th century Japanese screen painter taking place at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery this fall from Oct. 24th – Jan. 31st, 2016. Over 70 pieces of work from American, European and Japanese collections including work by later artists influenced by Sotatsu. 1050 Independence Ave. SW in Washington DC. (202) 633-1000.
“Designing Traditions Biennial IV – Explorations in the Asian Textile Collection” is an exhibition that shows how traditional Asian craftsmanship inspires contemporary creativity. Through Jan. 3. 2016 at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. 20 N. Main St. in Providence, R.I. Go to www.risdmuseum.org for details.
“Japanese Tattoo: Perseverance, Art and Tradition” is a groundbreaking photographic exhibition that explores the master craftsmanship of traditional Japanese tattoos and their enduring influence on modern tattoo practices. On view until Nov. 29, 2015 at Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. A traveling exhibition on loan from Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. 200 N. Boulevard in Richmond, VA. (804) 340-1400.
“Martin Wong: Human Instamatic” covers the full trajectory of this Chinese American painter from his Bay Area roots to his pivotal role in documenting the multicultural environs of the Lower East Side of New York. Opens Oct. 9 and remains on view through Feb. 12, 2016. Bronx Museum of the Arts in Bronx, New York. 1040 Grand Concourse. (718) 681-6000. The West Coast site for this traveling exhibition will be Sept. – Dec. 2017 at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in their new location on Center St.
Although the late Japanese artist Onichi Koshiro never traveled West, his work bore innovations from European modernism that surface in his mastery of the traditional Japanese art tradition. The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo gives him the first retrospective of his work in twenty years and includes oil paintings, photographs, drawings, printmaking and book design. Jan. 13 – Feb. 28, 2016.
Korean modern sculptor/installation artist Do Ho Suh (his work is in Seattle Art Museum’s permanent collection) has a show of his translucent “fabric buildings” at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Feb. 12 – Sept. 11, 2016.
“Harajuku – Tokyo Street Fashion” looks at Harajuku’s current trends and wide influence around the world. Opens Nov. 19 and remains on view through April 3, 2016. Honolulu Museum of Art at 900 Beretania St. Go to www.honolulumuseum.org for details.
New York’s Guggenheim Museum has indicated that their interest is their growing contemporary Chinese art program is serious by hiring Jou Hanru and Xiaoyu Weng as new Curators of Contemporary Chinese Art.
Singaporean curator and arts administrator Tan Boon Hui was appointed director of New York’s Asia Society Museum and vice president of the institution’s global arts and cultural programs.
British sculptor Anish Kapoor designed a public art piece in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles entitled “Dirty Corner” which is comprised of a huge steel funnel. It and the rocks around it were sprayed in white paint with anti-Semitic slogans. The steel and rock sculpture faces the royal chateau and is 200 feet long and 33 feet high. This is the second time it has been damaged. Shortly after installation, it was splattered with yellow paint and then cleaned up. But this time around, Kapoor says he will not clean up the damage and the words of graffiti should stay. He told Le Figaro the following – “I had already questioned the wisdom of cleaning it after the first vandalism. This time, I am convinced that nothing should be removed from these slurs, from these words which belong to Anti-Semitism that we’d rather forget. From now on, in the name of our universal principles, these abominable words will become part of my work, they will overlay it and stigmatize it.”
Performing Arts
“SOUND” is a new play by Don Nguyen that explores the impassioned dispute on Martha’s Vineyard between a fiercely protective deaf father and his hearing ex-wife over the use of cochlear implants to restore their daughter’s hearing. They struggle to find common ground in a world that separates deaf and hearing cultures. In a parallel story, 130 years earlier in the same place, Alexander Graham Bell is on a quest to invent he first hearing aid and cure deafness. His devastating actions leave feelings of loss and betrayal in the deaf community. A bi-lingual play in American sign language and spoken English with a mixed cast of deaf and hearing actors. Co-directed by Desdemona Chiang and Howie Seago. Through Oct. 4, 2015. Co-presented with Azeotrope at ACT Theatre’s Bullitt Cabaret. 700 Union St. (206) 292- 7676.
Nonsequitur’s Fall Concerts at the Chapel present a wide-ranging series of experimental music and sound art as part of the Wayward Music Series at the Chapel Performance Space in the historic Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Some highlights include the following – Scrape is a collective string orchestra founded by Jim Knapp and Eyvind Kang. They will perform compositions by Wayne Horvitz, Sumi Tonooka, Jarrad Powell and Knapp himself on Oct. 8 at 8pm. Two Americans and Two Japanese collaborate in the give-and-take world of electroacoustic improvised music. With Tetuzi Akiyama on guitar, Bryan Eubanks on saxophone, Jason Kahn on percussion and Toshimaru Nakamura on electronics. Set for Friday, Oct. 30 at 8pm. Judy Dunaway is considered the “mother of balloon music” and she comes to Seattle on Sat. Nov. 14 at 8pm to improvise with local instrument builder and sound-finder Susie Kozawa and friends. 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. on the 4th floor of the Good Shepard Center. For details on the whole series, go to websites for Nonsequitar or Wayward Music Series.
Noted concert pianist Michi Hirata North plays one of the most difficult piano concertos by Tchaikovsky with Julia Tai conducting the Philharmonia Northwest Orchestra in a “Michi Hirata North 75th Anniversary Piano Concert” at UW’s Meany Hall on Sept. 20th. North made her debut as an eight-year-old prodigy playing Mozart with the Shin Philharmonic Orchestra (now known as the NHK Orchestra). She still teaches and performs, flying to Taiwan several times a year to teach master classes. Ticket sales will benefit the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington. Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets. 15th Ave. N.E. & N. E. 40th St. on the Seattle UW campus. (206) 568-7114.
The Steve Griggs Ensemble plays “Music Made from Japanese American Memories of WW II” at the Panama Hotel Tea Room at 2pm every Saturday in 2015. Free. 605 South Main St. Sponsored by 4Culture, National Park Serice, and Earshot Jazz. For details, go to panamahoteljazz.blogspot.com.
Dr. L. Subramaniam makes a rare Seattle appearance with Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad as part of the Seattle Theatre Group’s 2015/2016 season. They will appear on Sept. 10th at the Moore Theatre. Subramamiam is an acclaimed South Indian violinist, composer and conductor. He is trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and western classical music. He is respected for his virtuoso playing and compositions in orchestral fusion. He comes from a family tradition of musicians and has released over 200 recordings. Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad come from a South Asian family that are masters of Qawwaili Sufi music. They belong to a music school founded in the 14th century that remains the best known to this day. (206) 812-1114.
2015 Aki Matsuri, the 18th annual fall festival that features all kinds of modern and traditional aspects of Japanese culture takes place over the weekend of Sept. 12 and 13 at Bellevue College located at 3000 Landerholm Cl. S.E. 10am – 6pm on Sat. and 10am – 4:30pm on Sun. For details, go to www.enma.org.
Jazz Alley, one of Seattle’s finest jazz clubs features the following. Japanese piano sensation Hiromi returns to Seattle with her w