Food & Drink
New School Art School: Seattle Artist League Puts People First
The new Northgate school offers flexible, community-centric art classes
By Megan Toal February 21, 2018
This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the February 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Artist Ruthie V. and City Catering owner Lendy Hensley met as teacher and student a few years ago at an oil painting class at the Pratt Fine Arts Center and quickly formed a close friendship, bonding over a love of art and the energy of the creative community.
Inspired by their shared values, the two formed the Seattle Artist League (Northgate, 10219 Aurora Ave. N; 206.483.9749) in 2016, calling it a “people come first” art school.
How is it different than nonprofit art centers like Pratt or Gage? Its founders see art as a shared activity and put students at the center of their approach to teaching. The one-and-a-half- to four-hour courses take the pressure off of creating perfect artwork; instead, students focus on experimenting with individual styles with the support and fellowship of classmates.
Classes range from figure drawing sessions ($14 per session) to six- to eight-week courses, such as portrait painting ($310), and are offered by a staff of artists and art academics in the morning, afternoon and evening hours to accommodate busy professionals, so that anyone with an interest in art—and connecting with others with similar goals—can pursue their dream.
Follow Us
Women filmmakers take center stage at SIFF
The 51st festival runs through May 25
The Seattle International Film Festival, now in its 51st edition, is breaking the filmmaking world’s notoriously sexist mold. More than half of the 245 films to be screened during the festival feature filmmakers who are female or nonbinary identifying. The festival kicked off Thursday night at The Paramount Theatre with a gala party and screening of Four Mothers, a…
Still Time to Catch Camano’s Studio Tour
The long-running island art event returns for its encore weekend May 17-18
If you’re up for a scenic drive and love discovering art where it’s made, the Camano Island Studio Tour is worth the trip. Now in its 26th year, what began as a 14-venue event listed on a single sheet of paper has evolved into one of the North Puget Sound’s most beloved art experiences. If…
Seattle Author Wins Pulitzer Prize
Tessa Hulls wins for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir
Seattle author Tessa Hulls has added a Pulitzer Prize to her growing list of accolades for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir. The 2025 Pulitzers were announced May 5. Feeding Ghosts won in the “Memoir or Autobiography” category. As Seattle magazine wrote in a profile of Hulls last year, Feeding Ghosts “braids together the narratives of…
These Cultural Landmarks Honor Seattle’s AANHPI Community
Here’s an overview of some notable spots and happenings
The first Asian American immigrants landed in Seattle in the 1860s, just a decade after the city’s founding in 1852. Seattle is plentiful with sites that tell crucial stories about Seattle’s Asian American community, whether you choose to learn about historic neighborhoods and buildings in the International District or browse sculptures and paintings at the…