Food & Drink

Style Profile: Dancer and Art Advocate David Rue

Rue is a dancer by profession, but these days he’s the one shining a spotlight on local and international artistic talent

By Andrew Hoge May 3, 2020

Fashion_0

This article originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Seattle Magazine.

This article appears in print in the May 2020 issue. Click here to subscribe. 

The passion in David Rue’s voice is palpable. When the Liberian-born trendsetter talks about his love for art and dance, he paints a picture as vivid as the artwork he promotes as public engagement associate at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). This role includes planning events around SAM’s latest exhibits, from public openings to the popular monthly SAM Remix parties, but Rue frequently adds his own spin, juxtaposing different artistic mediums alongside the artwork. “I like to think that seeing a moving body in front of, let’s say, a Kehinde Wiley painting will inspire guests to interpret the themes present in their own way,” he says.

BRIGHT SPOT
Although as a youth, he spent afternoons watching videos of couture fashion shows after school, Rue says he enjoys discovering unique finds at resale shops like Crossroads Trading Co. on Capitol Hill. His playful personal style—inspired by early-2000s street style and internet culture—is expressed through copious amounts of color, patterns and tailored separates.

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