Bellevue Art Museum Features Nikki McClure’s Cut-Paper Art
The Olympia-based artist elevates the daily to divine in her deceptively simple designs.
By Seattle Mag October 17, 2012
This article originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.
If you live in the Northwest, you’ve likely seen Nikki McClure’s bold black-and-white scenes on calendars, cards and journals. Born in Kirkland, the Olympia-based artist uses an X-acto knife to cut each intricate, evocative image out of a single sheet of paper. The resulting artwork is deceptively simple, depicting the mundane moments that make up a life: riding a bike through dandelion fields, hanging laundry on a line, darning clothing, lounging in a hammock. The images embody an appealing familiarity—looking at them feels like putting on a favorite sweater as fall’s first chill hits the air. Bellevue Arts Museum’s first-ever survey of her work, Nikki McClure: Cutting Her Own Path, 1996–2012, is the perfect chance to dive deeper into this artist’s view of the world—and while you’re at it, pick up one of her beautiful new 2013 calendars in the gift shop.
11/13–2/03/2013. Times vary. $7–$25. Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE; 425.519.0770; bellevuearts.org