Arts
Studio Sessions: Yaminee Patel
A second generation Indian American, artist Yaminee Patel uses her work to explore her heritage, a childhood growing up in the Midwest, and the larger economic and cultural factors surrounding agricultural practices around the world.
Over the past year, Yaminee Patel has narrowed her artistic focus, centering rice as the medium for her work. A symbol of sustenance, survival, hard work, and culinary tradition, rice is a deeply important element in many cultures around the world. It also represents the idea of sharing a meal together, creating human-to-human connection, which…
15 SIFF Movies to Put on Your List
From Boots Riley’s opening-night film to a local documentary about human composting and one very talked-about chicken.
The Seattle International Film Festival is back for its 52nd year, which means your moviegoing ambitions are about to get a little unruly. It runs May 7-17 with 203 films from 71 countries and regions, including 18 world premieres and 10 U.S. premieres. The fun, and the problem, is figuring out where to begin. I’ve…
Chihuly Returns to Venice
The Tacoma-born artist marks 30 years since ‘Chihuly Over Venice’ with three new glass works along the Grand Canal.
We’re standing on the Accademia Bridge in Venice, watching massive cardboard boxes marked “FRAGILE” craned up from a barge. It’s a few weeks before the opening of Dale Chihuly’s new exhibit, and from this vantage point, we can see all three monumental works on the Grand Canal being assembled. “It really did start here,” says…
Photo Essay: Ferry Therapy
Words and photographs by Anna Starr.
Riding the ferry is my favorite Seattle pastime. At any given time on a Washington State Ferry you will find a group of tourists with too many suitcases, someone in work clothes peacefully napping, a jigsaw puzzle diligently being completed, lovers having a Titanic-esque moment on a balcony (fun fact: those balconies are called pickleforks),…
AANHPI Month: Where to Celebrate, Eat, and Learn Around Seattle
From festivals and museum exhibits to food tours and historic neighborhoods, here are a few ways to mark the month across the region.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month—known as AANHPI Month—is observed in the U.S. each May. It began as a weeklong observance in 1978 and expanded to the full month in 1992. Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in the United States extend back much further, including to the late 16th century, when…
Studio Sessions: Raili Jänese
The Kirkland painter brings a playful eye to daily life and the little rituals of being human.
Artist Raili Jänese pays close attention to the small stuff. It might be a goose on the move, a rabbit in the yard, or a person lost in the rituals of coffee or cooking. The Estonian-born artist, now based in Kirkland, makes colorful acrylic works that turn everyday behavior—human and animal alike—into something funny and…
Getting Ghosted: A New Northwest Novel Tackles Alienation in the Face of Loss
Kim Fu’s latest novel turns a rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter into the backdrop for a story about grief and loneliness.
In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put…
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…
A New Home for Seattle Artists in Pioneer Square
Actualize AiR expands its footprint with studios and a public gallery
Three years after launching Actualize Artist in Residency (Actualize AiR), founder Kate Bailey has relocated the venture to Pioneer Square. The women-led arts organization, originally opened in downtown’s Coliseum Theater, focuses on supporting emerging artists through long term residencies in free or low-cost studios. Early this year, Actualize AiR opened its new space—which spans 14,000…
Studio Sessions: Lauren Boilini
Seattle artist Lauren Boilini talks about animal behavior, field research, and the whale fall installation she counts among her proudest works.
Lauren Boilini has spent years building dense, teeming painted worlds full of animals, movement, and tension. Her work often starts with close observation—time in the field and conversations with scientists—and turns that research into large-scale paintings that feel charged, layered, and alive. Born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, Boilini studied painting and art history at…
Washington’s Spring Festivals Go Way Beyond Tulips
From cherry blossoms in Seattle to shorebirds on the coast, these spring festivals celebrate the state’s natural abundance.
From our rivers flowing with snowmelt and salmon to valleys dotted with wildflowers and berries, to forests filled with mossy trees and mushrooms, nature is an inseparable part of Washington’s culture and ecosystem. It shapes what we eat and drink, what inspires our art and outdoor lifestyle, and even our cities. Nature is part of…
The Story Behind the Bing Cherry
A new picture book follows Ah Bing from orchard history into folklore.
Seattle illustrator Julia Kuo first came across Ah Bing in a history book. She was reading The Making of Asian America: A History when a detail caught her attention: the Bing cherry, the most popular sweet cherry in the United States and a signature fruit of the Pacific Northwest, was tied to a Chinese immigrant….
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