Seattle Art Blog - News, Discussion, and Events

“Love Empire: James Lawrence Ardena,” is on view at the ArtXchange Gallery, 512 1st. Avenue S., through October 31. Love Empire explores notions of the state of Filipino America, the lasting effects of colonization and the emotional constructs in which we confine ourselves. Ardeña’s work combines vintage and contemporary images from Filipino culture and media, found objects, organic materials and text encased between layers of resin. Shown: detail from 'Heart of the Son XI.

C Art Gallery, 855 Hiawatha Place South in Seattle, is continuing “Passion for the Cure,” a benefit for the Puget Sound affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in order to make the public aware of breast cancer. Special guest author, tv personality and breast cancer educator, Rene Syler will attend the reception from 5-8pm. 36 gallery artists are donating 58 works for the benefit.

Showing at Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Avenue S., through October 31 are: Karen Kunc’s “Order,” woodcut prints utilizing bold imager and patterns; Zha Sai’s “Rhythm of Shadows,” reduction woodblock prints capturing the natural environment on the banks of the Yangtze River; and Eugene Gresset’s “Les Mois,” turn of the century wood engravings depicting beautiful young women in seasonal costumes and gardens, created by one of the leading figures in the Art Nouveau movement in Paris.

Gallery IMA, 123 S. Jackson, opens from 6-8pm for a reception featuring Todd Bernave’s “Groundwork,” and Casey Curran’s “Biosphere.” Bernave’s latest group of mixed media work hovers between painting and sculpture with patterns of abstraction by layering materials including acrylic paints, resin, plaster, various metals and even asphalt. Curran’s latest kinetic wire and mixed media sculpture break though barriers that exist between art and viewer, relying on physical participation to bring to life self-contained biospheres. Shown: Todd Bernave, Asphalt 0909.

Gallery4Culture, 101 Prefontaine PL S.,opens from 6-8[m with an exhibition of Peter Nelson’s intriguing new media works, inspired by memories of the artist’s former best friends. Former Best Friends Forever consists of five video and installation works, each with accompanying audio dialogue, from five different guys who were at one point the artist’s “best friend.”

Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 3rd. Avenue S., opens from 6-8pm with “Tim Roda’s Recent Photographs,” on view through November 14. Concurrent with the gallery’s third exhibition of work by the artist, will be Roda’s first one-person exhibitions with Galerie Michael Janssen in Berlin from through October 31 and with Daniel Cooney Fine Art in New York from through October 31. Several works by Roda will be included in “Artist as Performer” at the Houston Center For Photography from through November 8. Also  on view at the gallery is Drew Daly’s “Visual Fiction,” the artist’s attempts to visually represent time, space and motion. Shown: Tim Roda, Untitled.

Lawrimore Project, 831 Airport Way S., opens "Masked Infants Milking The Earth - Cascades to Copper Canyon," new photographs and video by Seattle artist Susan Robb.Robb has been awarded a Pollock Krasner Fellowship; the first Stranger Genius Award; an Artist Trust Fellowship; a Performance Network Grant from 4Culture; commissions from the Seattle Department of Transportation, the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and Seattle Public Utilities.

Northwest Fine Woodworking, 101 S. Jackson Street, opens from 6-8pm with, “The Maker's Mark - NWFW's 2009 Member Furniture Show,” exploring the elements that define studio furniture and what goals each builder has for producing designs that convey artistic concepts and true individuality. The showcase runs through December 31st.  Each participating furniture maker will discuss his or her work informally at the opening night reception.

Opening from 6-9pm at OHGE Ltd., 831 Airport Way S., is “IV Toshain/Orgami,” work ranging from painting to photography, dimensional drawings and new media. Iv will attend the opening live from Vienna, Austria via Skype video phone. Iv' has shown her work throughout Europe and the United States with exhibitions in Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Chicago and New York.

“Contemplating Reality, a new body of work by Cheryl H. Hahn, opens from 5:30-8:30 pm at Patricia Cameron Gallery, 234 Dexter Avenue N. Hahn is currently the director of the Larson Gallery at Yakima Community College, is a former curator of the Lockhart Gallery,  Illinois State Museum, and exhibited her artwork at numerous venues, including the Bellevue Art Museum. Shown: Air, detail.

Patricia Rovzar Gallery, 1225 Second Avenue, opens from 6-8pm with a new collection of recent works in oil by artist Bill Brauer  through November 2. For the past 30 years has shown in galleries on both coasts. He has studied under the tutelage of Frederico Castellon and his works can be found in both private and corporate collections including the University of Vermont Museum where he has acted as both teacher and mentor. Shown: Return to the River’s Edge.

Pratt Fine Arts Center, 306 S Washington St, Suite 102, recognizes six instructor of the year recipients in “Pratt’s Pulse.” an exhibition from the jewelry, sculpture, print and glass departments. Running through October 30, the opening takes place from 6-8pm.

Shift Collaborative Studio, 306  S. Washington, opens from 5-8pm with Claire Mack’s personal symbolism and iconography, and Christen Mattix’s self-portraits and mindscapes. The show is on view until October 31.

Running through October at The Observatory, 106 Occidental Avenue, is “Encounters,” new work by Counsel Langley. The show opens from 6-9pm.