From Shy Teen to Arts Leader

Here’s a guest post by Maddie Thomas, of SAM’s Teen Advisory Group!

Three years ago I was strolling through SAM’s Olympic Sculpture Park and saw a poster for an event called “Art Attack – Teen Night Out.” The title of the event seemed appealing, but the poster design is what really caught my attention: an abstract, romantic depiction of a teenage Rapunzel-esque girl with billowy swirls of hair. Fascinated by the uniqueness of the occasion’s advertisement, I marked my calendar with the date and time and was excited to attend. I had only been to the SAM a handful of times before and loved it, so going to a teen focused event there seemed great.

There was only one problem. Three years ago also marked my first year of high school. As a freshman I was fairly timid. I’d grown up loving art but none of my friends at the time were artistic. I couldn’t think of anyone to invite who would appreciate the event. The evening Teen Night Out rolled around, I didn’t end up going. I was too scared attend an event of that scale on my own and never found anyone to go with me.

Filled with regret, the following summer I checked SAM’s website to see if there were any other upcoming teen events. I realized Teen Night Out only happens twice a year, once in fall and once in the spring. But while browsing the website I discovered a teen program at the museum called the Teen Advisory Group (TAG). The website described TAG as a group of teen leaders who were “highly opinionated, creative, visionary, loud, committed, etc.” It also revealed that TAG did the planning for Teen Night Out! Mystified, I immediately filled out an application for the program online. A few months later as a sophomore, I got an email informing me about an approaching meeting for teens who were interested in the program. I attended the meeting, and a few other interviews, then received a confirmation email saying I’d been accepted into the program. I was ecstatic!

At the very first meeting, I felt an energy and common ground with the other teens in TAG I had never experienced before. Everyone seemed united. Even though there were over 20 of us, we all had mutual creative interests and a strong appreciation for art. Additional meetings and various “ice-breaker” games revealed that we shared even more collective interests. I was finally making up for the lack of artistic friends that I had freshman year.

Making new friends was a definite bonus of TAG, but it wasn’t why we were there. Members of TAG get to interact with the community through volunteering at local events, be creative with art activities and occasional lessons from SAM Teaching Artists, and are granted opportunities to meet and interview artists. While the Nick Cave: Meet me at the Center of the Earth exhibition was at the SAM, TAG members got a preview of the exhibit. Three days before it was open to the public, Nick Cave himself came to the museum and gave us a personal tour of his work. The tour with Nick was stunningly intimate; wet paint signs covered the walls, various sculptures still needed to be unpackaged and assembled. The raw version of the exhibit was the most fascinating time I viewed that show (I probably saw it over 20 times): I never had been part of something so exclusive. SAM provides amazing opportunities for teens, that moment in the galleries with Nick being a fine example. Though volunteering and special opportunities are wonderful, the major focus of the group is curating Teen Night Out.

I’m a junior this year. I have returned for a second year to be part of TAG, and I’m currently in the process of helping to plan our next Teen Night Out on Friday, April 13. The event is being organized to show off the museum’s special exhibition: the fabulous Gauguin & Polynesia, as well as showcase local musicians, dance groups and artists. The focus of the event will be to bring teens into the museum and prove that SAM breaks traditional museum stereotypes: the notion of museums being boring places with stuffy security guards telling you not to touch things. That image doesn’t fit SAM in any way. SAM is a friendly, modern, energetic museum full of diversity, which will be showcased at Teen Night Out.

As an efficient way to plan for Teen Night Out, we’ve divided our TAG group into specific committees to focus on individual elements of the event. These committees include: promotion, tours & event operation, interactive activities, and performance. I am on the performance committee and will be stage managing the event with my fellow TAG member Chris Cosby. Stage managing will give me the chance to interact with the performers by helping them load in, make them comfortable in their green room spaces, make sure all goes well with sound checks and set up, as well as load out. I stage managed during last year’s Nick Cave focused Teen Night Out; it can be rather stressful, but I know everything will go smoothly this year with help from Chris.

Looking forward to the upcoming event has also caused me to reflect on my entire experience with TAG so far and how much I’ve changed. Being a member of TAG has boosted my self-confidence tremendously. I’m now a better leader and more efficient when working with a team. At our weekly meetings I’m exposed to a wide range of perspectives, which has helped me grow as a person and look outside of myself. Though I get the added bonus of service learning hours for school through TAG, my main motive for being a member is to participate in new experiences. I especially valued being a summer counselor at SAM Camp, and speaking at an Art Education Forum this past March with Mayor McGinn and other passionate youth. Being a TAG member has further increased my interest in the art world. I would love to be on a public relations or marketing team for an art museum someday. Most importantly, thanks to SAM I’m no longer that timid little freshman who felt like she had no artsy friends and was afraid to speak up for herself. I am now a powerful junior with a bright and creative future ahead, and enough confidence to inspire other teens to get involved.

-Maddie Thomas, Teen Advisory Group Member

TASTE-ing Gauguin & Polynesia

TASTE Restaurant at SAM has translated the vibrancy of Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise into flavors!  The modern, fresh and artistic restaurant is furthering the experience of the exhibition with their new exhibition-inspired menu.

In designing the menu, Executive Chef Craig Hetherington sought to evoke bold, individual flavors while upholding TASTE’s mission of using the best local ingredients.  With no more than five or six ingredients per dish, each choice reflects the vivid yet simplistic character of Gauguin’s work.  Instead of simply serving Hawaiian food, Hetherington added Polynesian flair to fine local ingredients for a refined interpretation of island cuisine.

The Gauguin-inspired dinner experience begins with a selection of small plates.  The St. Jude Albacore Poke is a traditional Tahitian dish highlighting flavors of soy, vinegar and ginger.  Another excellent choice is the House Made Spam, crafted from locally raised pork loin and shoulder.  The plate offers a sophisticated twist on musubi, a traditional island treat.

The Seared Qualicum Beach Scallops is the perfect entrée to complement the exhibition.  In designing this dish, Hetherington drew inspiration from Gauguin’s French roots as well as his travels in Polynesia.  A distinctly European chevre potato purée meets the tropical taste of pickled ginger on the plate.  TASTE offers special menu choices based on seasonal offerings.  Hetherington creates flavors with fresh market fare; a recent special was Mahi Mahi with Spicy Pineapple and Browned Butter.

The Rum Cake is the perfect sweet ending to a Gauguin-inspired dinner.  Made with fresh pineapple, mango, kiwi and papaya, and topped with mascarpone cream, this dessert is tantalizing and tropical.  Bring your GO! Gauguin coupon to get a free Rum Cake!

If you can’t make it to TASTE for dinner, stop by for lunch or happy hour!  The Lunch menu offers Grilled St. Jude Albacore.  Like the scallops, this selection combines French and Polynesian fare with a soy and truffle reduction.  Kahlua Pork Sliders are featured for happy hour and are served with a green papaya slaw.

At the TASTE bar, Lead Bartender Duncan Chase works for hints of Gauguin in his exhibition-inspired cocktails.  Chase explained that Gauguin would have been drinking absinthe in Paris during his life.  However, serving absinthe would have resulted in “a lot of very drunk guests” he points out with a smile.  Instead, TASTE hand crafted a double-infused pepper vodka for their Special Exhibit Gauguin & Polynesia drink “Hiva Oa.”

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” said Chase, admitting that the special vodka was simply a delicious experiment.  He mixes the liquor with mango puree and basil.  The cooling effects of the fresh ingredients make the cocktail drinkable for people who don’t necessarily like heat in their drinks.  The initial spice of the pepper vodka dissipates with the sweet mango and crisp basil.  Chase calls the cocktail “the fire and the extinguisher all in one glass!”

Chase invites you to come try the drink; he is very proud of the creation.  “Of all the bartenders in this city, I have the biggest license to be pretentious,” he jests, “after all, this is an art museum.”

Visit TASTE to extend your Gauguin & Polynesia experience and taste the flavors of the exhibition.  Visit www.tastesam.com for more information.

TASTE

Open Tuesday – Sunday

Tuesday | 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Lunch & Happy Hour

Wednesday – Saturday | 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Lunch, Happy Hour & Dinner

Sunday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Brunch

Closed Monday

Located at 1300 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
Reservations | 206.903.5291 | GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!

– Sean C. Fraser, Public Relations Intern

SAM Art: A focus on ceramics

Through much of Greek art history—from the abstract grave or cult carvings of the Cyclades to the generalized portraits of the Hellenistic period—the Greeks often depicted women as ideals of beauty and grace. For both men and women, in fact, Greek beliefs held that external appearance was the manifestation of internal character. As a result, the artistry lavished on appearance and personal adornment rivals that given to public monuments.

This small ceramic figure was created in a world where Greek culture was dominant, and on the move. Following the path of Alexander the Great’s conquests across Europe and West Asia, Greek art and culture spread across the Mediterranean world. Ceramic sculptures already had a long history in these areas, but arguably reached an apex in the Greek region of Boeotia during this period. Produced in multiples in workshops, their compact size and relative inexpense allowed them to be exported to major Hellenistic markets. Tanagra figurines—these finely modeled figures of seated, standing and dancing women—exemplified the Greek ideals of femininity, celebrating the perfection inherent to beauty.

Seated tanagra figurine, 4th–3rd century B.C., Greek, Boeotia, Hellenistic period (ca. 323-31 B.C.), terracotta, pigment, 6 1/2 x 3 5/8 x 4 1/2 in., Norman and Amelia Davis Classical Collection, 66.101. Currently on view in the Ancient Mediterranean and Islamic art gallery, fourth floor, SAM downtown.

 

Art Going Dark: SAM’s Participation in Earth Hour

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about global warming and the issues facing the world due to climate change. What you might not have heard about is a little event called Earth Hour. Earth Hour is a worldwide event that was started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 by the World Wildlife Federation and over the last 5 years has exponentially grown to include135 countries and more than 5,200 cities and towns around the world. It occurs on the last Saturday of March, from 8:30–9:30 pm. The goal of the event is to encourage environmental action and change on a grassroots level. So on March 31st at 8:30 pm people, businesses and cities around the world are encouraged to shut off non-essential lights in their homes, offices and facilities with the hope that people will commit to ongoing environmental change. And SAM will be among the multitude participating! Read More

Vinyl Records: A “Comeback” Reinterpreted

I’ve had many conversations about the supposed “comeback” of vinyl records throughout my time interning at the Theaster Gates: The Listening Room installation and the Seattle Art Museum Record Store project that was located in Pioneer Square from December 13, 2011 to January 31, 2012 . Being from a younger generation who came of age in the last decade or so, it’s interesting to be engaged in these conversations with people of all generations.  It’s as if a reawakening to the objects of records has struck contemporary culture into a jolt of nostalgia and remembrance. People of older generations have expressed sudden excitement to get all their friends to go down into their basements or open closets and shuffle through boxes of old records.  This is exactly what we interns did to relocate the 2,000 or so records owned by Bernie Hall to our Record Store; his collection makes up over half of the records included in the Record Store project. It’s as though these objects are buried treasures from long ago, or perhaps tokens of a forgotten past among old metal keys, old photographs, or old newspaper clippings. These records are time capsules of cultural history and each record collection reflects the owner’s personal relationship to this past, their own path through history.

Many in my generation started by discovering records from someone else’s collection before we got into buying our own. In growing up shuffling through our parents’ records, we established a new kind of relationship with these vinyl objects. This younger generational relationship to records is about learning our cultural history through listening to these material recordings of the past, but this is a past we haven’t experienced ourselves. We discovered record albums’ significance to past and present culture through not only listening to their innovative sounds but through the storytelling and literature glorifying the weight these iconic albums hold. From our engagement with these time capsules, our own creation and collection of musical taste developed into the colorful complexity that is contemporary music and culture.

I’ve grown up during the era of post-modern reflection and recycling of past pop-culture. Every decade in the 20th century has its own style and culture and the music of each decade sets the tone of attitude behind the decade’s style of pop-culture. Ordinary objects are stylized by colors, patterns, typefaces, and graphics. I grew up loving the adventure in discovering objects that embody the style of particular decades.  I established a permanent love for ‘thrifting’, or object-seeking. I always search for records because they are objects with more than just style; the music narrates ideas and moods of a cultural era and the album cover, through visual design, embodies a link to cultural ideas and moods of a period.

Often “thrifters” of my generation have an interest in the era our parents grew up in, and in the exchange of styles from decades before and after. Though records have been reinterpreted as an aesthetic phenomenon, they never lost their historical relevance; their quality and influence continue to inform contemporary culture.

Both collecting the material object and the activity of playing records on a record player are seen as an aesthetic art.  In owning physical records, you accumulate a collection that expresses a certain knowledge of aesthetic taste and historical knowledge.

Though not every kid I knew had their own record player, they most likely had someone in their family, if not their parents, who had an appreciation and insight to the timeless quality of vinyl sound and of the quality in the activity of playing a record. There is an art to slowing down and appreciating the music and design of a record, both in exploring the cover and sleeve design, and in setting up the stylus and sitting back to soak up the highest quality analog sound to come from a piece of physical material. It takes patience and agility to gently set up the record player and continuously attend to the player to keep the music playing.  My generation grew up defining this experience as cool, sophisticated and well-cultured.

So why the noise about a reawakening and resurgence of an object never really lost of appreciation, let alone lost from sight? Maybe it has something to do with our day and age of uncontrolled digital information exchange and virtual experience of media and culture. The preciousness of a physical material object which holds memories and creativity on record, a vinyl record….this is a treasure that younger generations have rediscovered and desire to collect for their own study of our historical past. Studying these objects allows new generations to impact their own creative intentions by reflecting on and overtly referencing iconographic records. This isn’t a ‘comeback,’ it’s a reinterpretation of these iconic objects that embody music which will always be relevant to future creative culture.

 -Paige Smith, Curatorial + Community Engagement Intern

Last photo: Joe Lencioni, shiftingpixel.com

 

SAM Art: A model, a saga, a lecture

The small-scale totem pole is an indigenous genre that pre-dates contact: Captain James Cook personally collected one at Nootka Sound in 1778. Some model poles are diminutive, specific versions of the forty- to sixty-foot poles erected to honor the lineages of deceased chiefs and nobles. Small-scale examples of Native longhouses with totem poles erected in front were commissioned by anthropologists for World’s Fair and museum displays. By the mid-19th century, these easily portable and compelling sculptures were in steady demand by outside buyers, as they are today.

A master carver of ceremonial arts, nearly all of Hemasilakw’s life was shadowed by the potlatch ban. He pushed the traditional origins of his art style toward distinctively modern refinements, evidenced in the bold sculptural forms and exuberant painting of his full-size poles. Even his model poles powerfully convey the personalities of each mythic figure.

Joseph Hillaire and the Saga of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair Totems with Barbara Brotherton
Members Art History Lecture Series: New Perspectives
March 21, 2012
7:00–9:00 pm
Plestcheeff Auditorium, SAM downtown

Model Totem Pole, early 20th century, Arthur Shaughnessy (Hemasilakw) (Kwakwaka’wakw, Dzawada’enuxw, Kingcome Inlet, 1884–1945), wood and pigment, 36 ¾ x 10 ¼ x 5 ¾ in., Gift of June Bedford in honor of Steve Brown, 2000.51. Currently on view in the Native American Art galleries, third floor, SAM downtown.

 

Copacino + Fujikado – Creative Minds Surrounded By Art

We asked our dear friends at Copacino + Fujikado (a local brand and marketing communications agency) to blog about how they use the SAM Gallery to bring art into their creative work environment. Here’s what they have to say.

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

                  — Pablo Picasso

Our company uses the tools of art to do the work of commerce.  We tell stories about the brands we represent through design, photography, illustration and creative writing.

 Our product is innovation. So, naturally, we want our work environment to inspire original thought and expression. Provocative visual art on our walls is important as it reminds us that our job is to look at familiar things in fresh, new ways.

That’s why, every three months, we take a happy, three-block trek from our office building to the Seattle Art Museum Gallery at the corner of Third Avenue and University Street. There, we browse through hundreds of original works from Northwest artists—available for rent at very reasonable prices.

We’ve displayed several pieces since we moved to our new office space eighteen months ago. Some notables include:

  • “The Jacks”—a Warholian portrait by Troy Gua that’s a mash-up of Jack Kennedy and Jack Kerouac
  • “Jove”—a playful abstract collage by Richard Hutter
  • “Ascending” by Kentree Speirs”—a celebration of nature using dramatic colors and forms

The last piece was so admired by a visiting client (and avid collector) that she sought out this Portland artist and purchased two of his works.

Thanks to the SAM Gallery, we have an impressive rotating art collection that that inspires our staff and guests. At prices that please our CFO.

-Jim Copacino, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Copacino + Fujikado

For more information, visit SAM Gallery.

 Future of the Past, Todd J. Horton, oil on panel, 2009, 36”x36”

 

 

 

Faith In Analog

Until recently my attachment to records has been more or less superficial, but when I started buying ethnographic records a couple years ago I began to see how they are loaded with cultural significance for both the listener and the cultures producing them. On one such recording, entitled Afro-Cuban Music from the Roots: Tumba Francesca la Caridad de Oriente (subtitled “percussion and voices traditional and experimental”), I heard how a musical performance can be hugely influential to both the tangible and spiritual elements of a culture’s identity. Now, after being a part of the Record Store project and meeting luminaries such as Seattle’s own DJ Riz, known for his role in the independent radio station KEXP, I can firmly say, and I don’t think I’m alone here, Records are my religion.

Afro-Cuba – Tumba Francesca. 2006. Soul Jazz Records. Personal photograph by author. JPEG file.

Records are an audio phenomenon in a vinyl medium. Vinyl is a medium formatted to articulate a musical vision and in exchange the music acts as the idea-force behind the record. The idea of the neighborhood record store, now often a rare survivor of a former era, is a space with the power to put these receptacles of music’s most essential qualities into the world.

Records are indeed objects of beauty, and I would go further to say they are objects with allure and seduction. We are drawn to the music and what it evokes in us when we put a record on a turntable. Through the attraction we are able to relive familiar moments from the past or become familiar with new musics of the world. Part of this draw is how records allow us to derive pleasure from a listening experience and the recognition of our own “place” in that moment in time.

In the same vein architectural space may be viewed as “a setting into work of truth through recognition and orientation.” To quote the architectural historian Alberto Pérez-Gómez, “the space of architecture, always elusive and mysterious, is the space in which we may perceive ourselves, if only for a moment, as whole.”[1] In his Timaeus Plato names this space the “chora,” or the third element of reality in which we encounter our “other half.” I saw this happen in the Record Store all the time, especially when a slow jam like Bobby Womack’s T.K.O. made its way onto the speakers.

 1983. The Listening Room, Seattle, WA. 2 March 2012. Personal photograph by author. JPEG file. 

Love Wars by the R&B duo Womack & Womack. 1983. The Listening Room, Seattle, WA. 2 March 2012. Personal photograph by author. JPEG file.

What I see as the real beauty of SAM’s Record Store project is its freedom from monetary distinctions and ability to fully create a Platonic “chora” for anybody who walked through its door. In my own Platonic view – record stores give form to this third dimension of reality in which time becomes endless and determined only by a continuous rotation of sound waves.  The neighborhood record store allowed its patrons this perception of completeness through music. I saw this potential realized by one patron of the Record Store who visited almost every day during extended “breaks” away from his job cleaning the streets in Pioneer Square. For him and the rest of us the Record Store became, in the words of Alberto Pérez-Gómez, “a site of resistance against the collapse of desire that drives Modernist technological utopias.”[2]

Reflecting on my time at the Record Store there is no place I could have better pictured myself after coming out of the ethers of academic life. Although the storefront Record Store is in the process of transformation the idea, like the song, remains the same. In fact you will be able to see the Record Store “popping up” again in the future so stay tuned in to the music.

-Ryan R. Peterson, Curatorial + Community Engagement Intern 


[1] Holl, Steven. 1996. Intertwining. pp. 9-10

[2] Ibid.

A Night Out with GO! Gauguin

The exotic flavors and colors associated with Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise have inspired bartenders around town to create special exhibition drinks.  This Friday night, enjoy a Polynesian-influenced libation with your GO! Gauguin coupon!

SAM is hiding two Gauguin & Polynesia tickets at one of these partner locations.  At noon today on Facebook and Twitter, we will reveal a clue for the location of this hidden pair of tickets.  The first person to reach the location and say, “Go Gauguin!” wins the tickets.

The following restaurants all have special Gauguin & Polynesia cocktails.  Tweet a picture of your cocktail tonight to @iheartSAM!

TASTE Restaurant
At SAM Downtown, 1300 First Ave. 

If you’re already at the museum, present your GO! Gauguin coupon while dining at TASTE to receive a complimentary exhibit inspired dessert. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Lecosho
89 University

Come on down to Lecosho – just a stroll away from SAM on the Harbor Steps – and receive 15% off your bill with your GO! Gauguin coupon. You may also enjoy The Gauguin, a special Polynesian-inspired cocktail, for only $5. Not valid with other offers, discounts or during happy hour.

Library Bistro and Bookstore Bar
92 Madison Street

Present your GO! Gauguin coupon during happy hour from 4–7 pm for a Polynesian-inspired cocktail at the Bookstore Bar or take 10% off your food bill in the Library Bistro Monday–Friday, 11:30 am–2:00 pm. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Marché
86 Pine Street

Dine at Marché located in Pike Place Market and delight in their special Gauguin-inspired menu items. Enjoy the Pousee au Crime cocktail, which means “the drink made me do it,” an intoxicating blend of French agricole rhum shot with cane sugar and lime juice for $8. Or try the Tahitian vanilla bean pot de crème with huckleberry conserve for $7.

Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant & Satay Bar
1401 Third Avenue

Satisfy your taste palette with a discounted, special Polynesian-themed appetizer and cocktail when you present your GO! Gauguin coupon at Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant & Satay Bar. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. No substitutions.

– Sean C. Fraser, Public Relations Intern

GO! Gauguin Restaurant Deals

On Thursdays and Fridays, SAM is open until 9 pm. So spend a night at the museum and have dinner before or after your visit to Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise. A variety of Seattle restaurants are offering special menu items and discounts. To take advantage of these deals, simply print out your GO! Gauguin coupon.

SAM is hiding two Gauguin & Polynesia tickets at one of these partner locations.  At noon today on Facebook and Twitter, we will reveal a clue for the location of this hidden pair of tickets.  The first person to reach the location and say, “Go Gauguin!” wins the tickets.

TASTE Restaurant
At SAM Downtown, 1300 First Ave. 

If you’re already at the museum, present your GO! Gauguin coupon while dining at TASTE to receive a complimentary exhibit inspired dessert. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Andaluca
407 Olive Way
Please present your GO! Gauguin coupon for dinner and enjoy 15% discount on your entire food purchase. Offer cannot be combined with any another discounts or promotions.

Fonté Café & Wine Bar
1321 First Avenue
Come see Gauguin & Polynesia at the Seattle Art Museum and present your ticket stub or GO! Gauguin coupon to enjoy 15% off your bill at Fonté Café & Wine Bar located just across the street from the museum. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts, not available at happy hour.

Gordon Biersch
600 Pine Street
GO! Gauguin and save at Gordon Biersch, conveniently located in the heart of downtown at the Pacific Place Shopping Center. Present your GO! Gauguin coupon to enjoy 20% off your entire bill.

Harried and Hungry
1415 Third Avenue
Hungry? Short on time? Hurry on in with your GO! Gauguin coupon and treat yourself to a scrumptious Curried Chicken Salad or a delightful Hawaiian Pizza for a special art-lovers price of just $4.95. Open Monday–Friday from 11 am–2 pm. In honor of the exhibition, Harried and Hungry will be presenting Polynesian-inspired works by local artists on their walls starting in February, so you can bask in the ambience of the tropics while enjoying lunch.

Il Fornaio
600 Pine Street
Present your GO! Gauguin coupon at Il Fornaio at the Pacific Place Shopping Center for a complimentary appetizer or dessert with the purchase of an entree. Offer valid in the Cucina or Risotteria during the exhibition period. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.

Japonessa
1400 First Avenue
Just a hop and a skip away from SAM, at the corner of First Avenue and Union Street, Japonessa offers a 20% discount off your next bill when you present your GO! Gauguin coupon. Not eligible for happy hour items. Cannot be combined with other offers, discounts or promotions.

Lecosho
89 University
Come on down to Lecosho – just a stroll away from SAM on the Harbor Steps – and receive 15% off your bill with your GO! Gauguin coupon. You may also enjoy The Gauguin, a special Polynesian-inspired cocktail, for only $5. Not valid with other offers, discounts or during happy hour.

Library Bistro and Bookstore Bar
92 Madison Street
Present your GO! Gauguin coupon during happy hour from 4–7 pm for a Polynesian-inspired cocktail at the Bookstore Bar or take 10% off your food bill in the Library Bistro Monday–Friday, 11:30 am–2:00 pm. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Marché
86 Pine Street
Dine at Marché located in Pike Place Market and delight in their special Gauguin-inspired menu items. Enjoy the Pousee au Crime cocktail, which means “the drink made me do it,” an intoxicating blend of French agricole rhum shot with cane sugar and lime juice for $8. Or try the Tahitian vanilla bean pot de crème with huckleberry conserve for $7.

Mexico Cantina y Cocina
600 Pine Street
At Mexico Cantina y Cocina, located in Pacific Place, you can redeem your GO! Gauguin coupon to enjoy a complimentary appetizer or dessert of your choice with the purchase of one entrée. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Pike Brewing Company
1415 First Avenue
Present your GO! Gauguin coupon at the Pike Pub for your choice of $2 off of a Pike Pint, $4 off of a Pike Pitcher, or 15% off of their merchandise. The Pike Brewing Company is a gravity flow brewery, brewing fine ales and serving a local and sustainable menu. Located on the corner of First Avenue and Union Street, right across the street from SAM. Enjoy a beer before or after the museum. Offer not available during Hoppy Hour, Monday–Friday, 4–6 pm.

The Triple Door
216 Union Street
GO! Gauguin at the Musicquarium Lounge when you present your coupon and receive 15% off your bill during Gauguin & Polynesia. Named for its stunning 1,900 gallon freshwater aquarium, the Musicquarium features live music and entertainment most nights of the week. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts, not valid during happy hour. Located at The Triple Door on the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street.

Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant & Satay Bar
1401 Third Avenue
Satisfy your taste palette with a discounted, special Polynesian-themed appetizer and cocktail when you present your GO! Gauguin coupon at Wild Ginger Asian Restaurant & Satay Bar. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. No substitutions.

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Experience the Art and Culture of French Polynesia at Community Day on March 10

Join us at SAM Downtown on Saturday, March 10 for a fun-filled celebration of French Polynesian art and culture that the whole family can enjoy.

The first 400 people in line at Hammering Man at 10 am will receive free tickets to Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise! These are timed tickets, which means that they are for various time slots throughout the day. Please proceed to the Gauguin & Polynesia gallery entrance on the 4th floor 10–15 minutes prior to the time listed on your ticket.

Community Day activities include art making, tours, dancing and live music.

  • Experience the power and beauty of Tahitian dancing and drumming performances by Te’a rama, including a Marquesan haka (a Polynesian traditional welcome) with performances at 10:30 am and 1:45 pm in South Hall, and 11 am and 2 pm in the Plestcheef Auditorium.
  • Enjoy French café music by Rouge in South Hall at 12:30 pm.
  • Participate in all day art making activities will include: paper leis, Polynesian-inspired printmaking, tiki masks, mixed media postcards, and landscape pastels.

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Photo Credit: Dan Bennett

GO! Gauguin Deals for Performing Arts

It’s day three of GO! Gauguin Week and we’re highlighting deals that allow you continue exploring your inner artist through music and theatre.  Act soon to take advantage of these deals which provide an opportunity to explore French culture and modern art with specific performances in March and April.

Don’t forget that you’ll need to print your coupon, available here, in order to take advantage of these awesome deals.  At noon today on Facebook and Twitter, we’ll be releasing a clue for the location of the hidden pair of tickets for Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise.  The first person to reach the secret location and say, “Go Gauguin!” receives these tickets.

Seattle Symphony
200 University Street

Sights and sounds make for a profound experience and when you present your GO! Gauguin coupon at the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office you will receive 10% off the all French program Morlot Conducts Debussy & Ravel on March 15 and 16 at Benaroya Hall.  Hurry in to buy your tickets for next week’s concert as the offer is good through March 16, 2012.  This offer cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Taproot Theatre Company
204 N. 85th Street

Receive 20% off tickets to Taproot Theatre’s Freud’s Last Session running from March 23 through April 21, 2012.  In Freud’s Last Session  C.S. Lewis and Freud meet for a stimulating exchange about life, love, and God.  For tickets and more information visit their website.  To receive the discount use IHEARTSAM online or call the box office at 206.781.9707 and present your coupon at Will Call.  This offer is not valid with other offers or previously purchased tickets.

 

"Red" at the Seattle Repertory Theatre

Seattle Repertory Theatre
115 Mercer Street

Enjoy $5 off tickets to Red, playing at the Seattle Repertory Theatre until March 24, 2012.  Winner of six Tony Awards, this sizzling 90-minute drama about famed abstract expressionist Mark Rothko is one of the most intellectually riveting shows to hit Broadway last season.  The discount is available for any performance but not valid for D level seating.  Use SAM when purchasing your tickets online to receive the offer and don’t forget to visit a real Rothko at SAM in the Modern and Contemporary Galleries when visiting Gauguin & Polynesia.

Return tomorrow for information regarding the GO! Gauguin partner restaurants and learn about the fabulous food deals from local restaurants!

-Sarah Lippai, Public Relations Intern

GO! Gauguin Travel and Tourism Deals

Whether you live near or far from Seattle, consider taking an urban vacation and join the city in celebrating Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise while taking advantage of great deals from our GO! Gauguin travel and tourism partners. Just print your GO! Gauguin coupon.

SAM is hiding two Gauguin & Polynesia tickets at one of these partner locations.  At noon today on Facebook and Twitter, we will reveal a clue for the location of this hidden pair of tickets.  The first person to reach the location and say, “Go Gauguin!” wins the tickets.

Amtrak
Take advantage of great Amtrak savings on your way to see Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise.  For those bound for Seattle, save 15% off your coach fare on Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight or Empire Builder routes.  This special discount offer is valid from any station stop along the way between Los Angeles and Vancouver BC, Canada to Seattle.  Along the route of the Empire Builder, valid for all stations in Montana, Idaho, or Washington state.

Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau
SAM is proud to participate in the SCVB’s 2days in Seattle campaign where they are spreading the love about traveling to Seattle in Portland, Vancouver and San Francisco.  The CVB also has two visitor information centers in Seattle to help visitors to our city plan their itineraries. One is at the Pike Place Market and the other is at the Convention Center.

Four Seasons Hotel Seattle
Our official hotel sponsor for Gauguin & Polynesia has put together a terrific package to celebrate. Stay in style at Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, located across the street from SAM, and enjoy VIP access for two to the exhibition. Perfect for art lovers, this package also includes a commemorative gift: a 400-page, full-color catalogue featuring more than 60 pieces of Gauguin’s work, including paintings, sketches and sculptures.

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
The Georgian Restaurant at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel features the finest of Pacific Northwest Cuisine in one of downtown Seattle’s most historical settings.  Join them for dinner every Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30-10:00 pm to enjoy a $49 three-course menu inspired by fresh seasonal flavors and regional ingredients.

Hotel Ändra
The sophisticated Hotel Ändra is the perfect complement to Gauguin’s elusive paradise.  Guests who GO! Gauguin save 15% on their Seattle stay.  Mention the Gauguin rate while making your reservation (online using rate code GAUGUIN or by calling 877.448.8600) and present your online coupon or SAM ticket at check-in to receive the discount.  This offer is valid for new reservations only and cannot be combined with other offers.  Subject to availability and blackout dates may apply.

Many other Gauguin & Polynesia hotel packages are also available from partners including, the Alexis Hotel, the Inn at the Market, the Mayflower Park Hotel, and the Seattle Bed and Breakfast Association.

Gauguin’s life was dominated by travel. Follow him to Seattle and experience your own paradise!

-Sarah Lippai, Public Relations Intern

Get Great Deals and Win Exhibition Tickets During GO! Gauguin Week

As part of a city-wide celebration of the exhibition Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise, area businesses and arts and cultural organizations have created some wonderful special offers for visitors to the exhibition.

This week, SAM will be highlighting a select group of these GO! Gauguin partners each day to reveal great deals around the city.  If you haven’t already, be sure to print your coupon here.

Today we would like to recognize our retail partners participating in the GO! Gauguin program. Be sure to visit them and take advantage of these discounts!

Baby & Co.
1936 First Avenue
Present your GO! Gauguin coupon for something fabulous! Treat yourself to 10% off any single item at Baby & Co. during their celebration of Gauguin & Polynesia. Does not apply to sale items; certain restrictions apply.

Fran’s Chocolates
1325 1st Avenue
After your visit to SAM, cross the street to enjoy Fran’s Gauguin Salted Caramel Box which includes seven pieces of Fran’s award-winning gray and smoked salt caramels for $15. Savor local artisan chocolate while you support SAM, 20% of the proceeds from the sale of each box will be donated to the Seattle Art Museum. Present your GO! Gauguin coupon and receive a complimentary Fran’s award-winning dark hot chocolate beverage with any $30 purchase. Limit one per customer.

FriendShop in The Seattle Public Library
1000 Fourth Avenue
Receive a 15% discount from the FriendShop when you present your GO! Gauguin coupon or a ticket from SAM to the exhibition. The FriendShop features cards, jewelry and gifts by local artists and all proceeds benefit The Seattle Public Library. Open 7 days a week.

Macy’s
1601 Third Avenue
As a supporter of the Seattle Art Museum, Macy’s is offering you a special 10% savings! Take your GO! Gauguin coupon to the Fine Jewelry or Furniture department of the downtown Seattle Macy’s store to receive a 10% off Visitors Pass. Certain exclusions apply.

sandylew
1408 First Avenue
Just walk up a half block north of SAM and present your GO! Gauguin coupon at sandylew for 10% off storewide anytime during the amazing run of the Gauguin exhibition, February 9–April 29, 2012. Not to be combined with other special offers or discounts. Sandylew is a women’s boutique proud to be a neighbor and support of our remarkable Seattle Art Museum!

Perennial Tea Room
1910 Post Alley
Warm up with a visit to the Perennial Tea Room, located between Stuart and Virginia Street in Pike Place Market. Present your GO! Gauguin coupon or mention Gauguin & Polynesia to receive 10% off any purchase. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Excludes tea to go.

Vetri Glass
1404 First Avenue
Founded in 1998, Vetri Glass is proud to be recognized by collectors and artists alike as an exhibitor of exciting and innovative new work in glass. The mission of Vetri is to offer innovative work of the highest caliber, at accessible prices. Present your GO! Gauguin coupon for 10% off any one purchase during the Gauguin & Polynesia exhibition at SAM. Offer cannot be combined with other specials or discounts.

White House/Black Market
Pacific Place
Just present your GO! Gauguin coupon and enjoy 10% off your entire purchase at White House/Black Market located in Pacific Place. Cannot be combined with any other coupon or offers and valid only at the Pacific Place location.

As if awesome specials and discounts weren’t enough, SAM will also be hiding two Gauguin & Polynesia tickets at a partner location each day.  SAM will reveal the location of the pair of hidden tickets daily at noon on Facebook and Twitter.  The first person to reach the location will win the tickets.

Stay tuned for the first clue which will be released at noon today, and take advantage of all our special partner offers throughout GO! Gauguin Week and for the run of the exhibition!

-Sean C. Fraser, Public Relations Intern

Gauguin Gray and Smoked Salt Caramels
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