This Week’s Events: Nov 5 – Nov 11, 2007

Wednesday, November 7

Microsoft – Artful Readings discussion series featuring “The Art of Travel,” by Alain de Botton Hosted by Anne Leigh Parrish. This book is a philosophical look at what de Botton calls the "ubiquitous but peculiar" activity of traveling for fun, with essays on airports, landscapes, museums, holiday romances, photographs, exotic carpets and the contents of hotel mini-bars. Accompanying this selection will be two pieces by British artists Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell entitled Air Routes of the World (Day) and Air Routes of the World (Night). The discussion takes place on the Microsoft Redmond Campus, Building 33, Conference Center. 6:30 – 7:30 pm. For more information call 425.706.4272.

Thursday, November 8

SAM Gallery – Opening reception for two new shows. “Body Image” features eight artists who utilize the human figure and portraiture as vehicles to explore complex issues of identity, personal passion and social change, or to articulate concepts about the self and others. “In Focus: West Coast Galleries at SAM Gallery” showcases artwork from San Francisco’s Toomey-Tourell Gallery.


Microsoft – Artist Lecture Series presents “Benjamin Edwards.” Edwards has taken a number of cross-country road trips, taking digital photos along the way, which he loads into his computer. In Automatic City, Edwards isolates various visual elements from the photographs and reduces them to their basic geometry. The result is a blended composition which becomes emblematic of what he refers to as the "American consumerist utopia." 6-7 pm. Free and open to the public. For driving instructions to Microsoft Building 33 call 425.706.0033. For more information call 425.706.4272.

Ouch My Eye - “Conspiracy of Silence” film event. A UK film company came to the US and produced a documentary on the Franklin case. Although scheduled to air on the Discovery Channel, it was pulled at the last minute, and all copies were ordered destroyed. A cutting room copy survived and is showing at Ouch My Eye at 8 pm.

West Seattle Junction Art Walk - 6pm - 8pm. For information and maps visit Hotwire Coffeehouse, 4410 California SW, Seattle, or call 206/935-1510. Participating galleries include:

* Twilight Artist Collective @ Hotwire Coffeehouse West - "Kelly Patton" presents new paintings based on fairy tales.

* Cupcake Royale - "Graham Fracha," current mixed media paintings inspired by the artist's interest in the ebb and flow of architectural and natural forms.

* 8 Limbs Yoga - Amy Smith Photography & Design presents "Buddha Magic" - intimate photos of a variety of Buddhas from around the world.

* Arts West - Carole Barrer and Matt Bazemore follow up with innovative interpretations of inner and outer life with an impressive use of paint on canvas in the "Common and Uncommon Ground" exhibition.

Friday, November 9

Roq La Rue - Opening reception for work by "Brian Despain and Ryan Heshka, and Scott Musgrove." 6-9 pm.

BLVD Gallery - Opening reception for "Process" a show featuring graffiti artists and style writers Hews, Sneke, and Virus, provides the viewer a rarely seen glimpse into the approach and evolution of their art. 6-10 pm.

Microsoft - "Film Series, John Baldessari's Film Transferred to Video." John Baldessari, a celebrated conceptual artist known for his innovative teaching practices and his cheeky observations of the art world, brings this same nervy attitude to his filmmaking. 6 pm. Free and open to the public. For driving instructions to Microsoft Building 33 call 425.706.0033. For more information call 425.706.4272.

CoCA - "2007 Painting Marathon Auction." Artists start painting Thursday at 9 am and work 24 hours straight. Watch them work, then buy the art! The event features 3 Silent Auctions & 1 Live Auction. 5:30 - 9:30pm. After Party to 2am. Tickets: $20 General Admission, $40 VIP, and $500 Table. Buy tickets here.


Suite 100 – “Sweet 100 Holiday Show” exhibiting one hundred works of art by thirty-six artists, perfect for the holiday gift-giving season. From oils and acrylics to gouache and ink, from photography to screen prints, "The Sweet 100" draws from the best in a variety of mediums. Additionally, part of the proceeds from Sweet 100 will be donated to Child's Play Charity. Opening reception 6-11 pm. Show runs through December 21.

Saturday, November 10

Tacoma Art Museum – "Michael Honey," Fred and Dorothy Haley Professor of Humanities at the University of Washington Tacoma and author of Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign, discusses how groups such as the Freedom Quilting Bee, which included women from Gee’s Bend, were formed as a result of the Civil Rights movement. Members of the St. John Baptist Church Gospel Choir will open this lecture by performing a selection of hymns from the Civil Rights era. This program is free with museum admission. Seating for this program is very limited and available on a first-come; first-served basis. 2 pm.

Pratt Fine Arts Center – “One Hot Night: Pratt Fine Arts Center Open House.” Watch artists pour bronze, make prints, blow glass, forge steel and more. Learn about art classes, workshops and scholarships. Tours, food, entertainment and a no-host bar. Free admission, free parking, open to the public. 6-9 pm.


SEED – “Arts Gumbo: Japan.” One World Taiko will perform a contemporary style of Japanese drumming with fluid movement and heart pounding rhythm. Their repertoire includes traditional pieces taught to them by world-renowned groups Kodo and Ondekoza from Japan, as well as original compositions. After the performance, One World Taiko will teach audience members some Taiko drum techniques and movements. Complementary Bento Box dinners will be provided at 7 pm. This family series is held from 5 to 8 pm at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center (3515 S. Alaska St.), in Columbia City. Tickets for the performance are $8 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. Tickets are available at the door or in advance by calling 206-725-7517. Dinner and the workshop are included in the price.

Gallery 1412 – “Apostrophe” a monthly series presenting three solo artists in one hour, testing for vistas within the camera obscura. Without theme or intermission, a dancer, musician and poet present their work, posing questions about the compositional frame (page, body, breath, instrument, floor, room) and how it shapes imagination and space. Co-presented by gallery 1412 and Seattle Improvised Music. Curated by Beth Graczyk, Gust Burns and Melanie Noel. Featuring Jeffrey Allport (music), Amy O’Neal (dance), and Karena Youtz (poetry). 8 pm. $5 - $15 (sliding scale). Gallery 1412 is located at 1412 18th Avenue (at Union Street).

Northwest Film Forum – “In the Kingdom of Shadows: Two Stereoscopic Films by Zoe Beloff.” These films explore the prehistory of cinema, not simply from the point of view of technology, but from a psychic perspective, how the projection of images grew out of the desire to manifest the unconscious. 7 pm.

Ballard Second Saturday Artwalk - Galleries and participating businesses open from 6-9 pm. Start at the south end of Ballard Ave, and work your way up the street to Market and continue.

Art & Soul – Opening reception for photography by “Michael Matisse.” This show will feature a selection of photographs the artist has taken over the last ten years, including some prints from his series "Eye to Eye on the Ave" which features portraits of homeless youth. Reception 6-9 pm (during the Ballard Art Walk). Show runs through November 30. Art & Soul is located at 2860 NW Market St.