Luminous Labels: Object 2

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke on Oct 20 2011

Luminous Labels: Object 2

Luminous: The Art of Asia opened last Thursday, October 13. The exhibition plays with space, time, and context, especially Do-Ho Suh’s multimedia installation, Gate. Suh and SAM curator Catherine Roche worked closely on this show, and their perspectives and thoughts are represented throughout the exhibition by way of the labels.

We have the views of an innovative artist and a talented curator – all that’s missing is YOU. We invite you to join the conversation by writing your own “Luminous Label”! Every other week, we will be posting a new object featured in Luminous, and we want YOU to create a label.

Our first installment of Luminous Labels yielded some interesting labels for the painting Krishna in a garden. We received some valuable feedback on the project, and based on those comments, we have decided to make a few changes to Luminous Labels.

Instead of choosing one single label, declaring it “the best,” and posting it in a SAM gallery, we have decided to post as many labels as possible on our blog. Our goal is to add as many voices to the conversation, to show a diversity of ideas and perspectives and spark dialogue. We will be inviting everyone to write labels for a total of 7 different objects over the course of the exhibition, October 13- January 8. Your label must be 60 words or less and to be considered for the second installment, be submitted to luminous@seattleartmuseum.org by 5pm Monday, October 24. Have fun and be creative!

The second installment of Luminous Labels is the Gyodo mask of a bodhisattva (pictured below). It is a Japanese mask from the Heian Period (794–1185), 1158.

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Write Your Own Luminous Label

Seattle Art Museum on Oct 4 2011

Write Your Own Luminous Label

In honor of our exhibition, Luminous: The Art of Asia, opening October 13, we are launching something fun and interactive for all you SAM fans! We are kicking off a promotion called “Luminous Labels” today.

SAM curator Catherine Roche recently wrote about the art of label writing and the difficulties that curators face when telling the objects’ stories to the public. We are calling on you to write your own label for some of the artwork featured in Luminous. The winning labels will be displayed in the gallery next to the official ones.

We will be posting a picture of the work that we want you to label on our blog every other Monday morning. It is up to you to write the label for it–drawing on your interpretations, perceptions and feelings towards the piece. There is really only one rule: it must be 60 words or less. Other than that, we encourage you to have fun and be creative!

For week 1 of Luminous Labels, you will have until Friday morning, October 7, at 9:00am to submit your label to luminous@seattleartmuseum.org. The chosen label will be displayed on October 13–the opening day of Luminous: The Art of Asia–in the gallery next to the official one!

We will be inviting people to write labels for a total of 7 different objects over the course of the exhibition, October 13- January 8. Each label that is chosen will be printed up, just as a real label would be, and posted right next to the official label. Who doesn’t want to see their work displayed in a museum gallery for all the visitors to see?

Our first piece is Krishna in a garden (ca. 1660-1700).

SAM curatorial coordinator, Natasha Lewandrowski, has supplied some questions to ask yourself while creating your label that may help get your started.

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The Art of Creating a Label

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke on Sep 30 2011

On October 13, Luminous: The Art of Asia opens at SAM Downtown. SAM houses one of the finest collections of Asian art in the United States and Luminous showcases that. Totaling 160 pieces, this exhibition meshes the ancient with the contemporary while leaving room for individual interpretation and questioning.  Do Ho Suh is an artist who has worked closely with SAM over the years and has contributed his own contemporary installation to the show as well as his perspectives, ideas and questions, which pepper the labels of various pieces on display.

A common thread that runs through Luminous is the highlighting of difficulties in museum practices. Museums have a very difficult job telling the public the intended message of their pieces in an accurate and concise manner. In discussions with Catherine Roche, the curator of Luminous, Suh said, “The museum is a space of displacement. Every object in a museum has been moved from its original context and placed on a pedestal.” He goes on to mention the important role that the museum has; piecing together gaps to tell the overall story. The question remains – what is the best way for the museum to tell the story? There are three common ways: guided tours, audio guides, and the ever-present labels.

We asked Roche to give us insight on the formation and importance of those labels. She wrote:

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TASTE Restaurant announces new hours

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 26 2011

Beginning Wednesday, October 5, 2011 TASTE Restaurant will update their hours to more closely complement the hours of the museum.

TASTE Restaurant’s new hours of operation:

• Wednesday-Saturday, 11 am – 9 pm
• Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm
• Monday & Tuesday, closed

Remember – this doesn’t take effect until October 5, so you’ve got a few more days before the Restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.

– Calandra Childers, Associate Manager of Public Relations

SAM Goes Inside the Fishbowl at the Seattle Times

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 16 2011

SAM Goes Inside the Fishbowl at the Seattle Times

Carole Carmichael, has a new position at the Seattle Times (Assistant Managing Editor/Community Engagement) and is working with David Boardman, Executive Editor, and the staff to engage with the community in new ways. One of her tactics is inviting community organizations to the table to give feedback and be part of the process.

This week, Sandra Jackson Dumont, SAM’s Deputy Director for Education and Public Programs/Adjunct Curator, and I visited the Seattle Times and “audited” a news editors meeting.  The editors discussed highlights from yesterday’s paper and website and then the top stories for the day and Sunday.

We were then asked to give feedback about the paper and discuss what is happening at SAM and out in the Seattle world of creativity.  Let’s just say there was no shortage of suggestions for what might be compelling for them to cover.

This type of transparency is something that we are working hard at too. It was great to see them committed to pulling back the curtain as much as SAM is committed to demystifying the museum and our practice.

Do you have some ideas of ways in which we could open up our process?

 -Cara Egan, Director of Public Relations

Carole Carmichael and Sandra Jackson Dumont

 

Free PARK(ing) Day at SAM on September 16

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 15 2011

Free PARK(ing) Day at SAM on September 16

On Friday, September 16 from 10 am – 2 pm, SAM and The Trust for Public Land will bring PARK(ing) Day downtown by hijacking parking spots, feeding the meters and adding a few more square feet of green space to Seattle.

Developed by Rebar, PARK(ing) Day is a one-day global event in which artists, activists and citizens collaborate to transform parking spots into temporary public parks.

Come visit our temporary park by Hammering Man on University Street between First and Second Avene, and check out a variety of fun activities:

  • All ages hands-on art making with teaching artist Elizabeth Humphrey
  • An artist-designed cornhole game (bean bag toss)
  •  A 12 pm concert by classically trained sarod and tabla musician James Whetzel
  • Interactive photo/design activity led by Seattle Design Festival
  • “What’s Your Park Personality” quiz by TPL

Also, make a purchase of at least $10 at SAM SHOP on Friday and get a free Olympic Sculpture Park t-shirt!

PARK(ing) Day is free and open to the public. Visit us at our pop-up park, and then come inside the museum to enjoy more art.

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Create “pop-art” during PARK(ing) Day on September 16 from 10 am – 2 pm.

Need a Venue for an Event? Look No Further Than the Seattle Art Museum!

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke on Sep 15 2011

Need a Venue for an Event? Look No Further Than the Seattle Art Museum!

Museums are beautiful, tranquil places filled with some of the most beautiful pieces of art that history has to offer. Imagine holding a corporate meeting at the Seattle Art Museum to impress some important clients, or imagine impressing your friends by renting out the Seattle Asian Art Museum to throw a party, or even more amazing, imagine yourself getting married in the Olympic Sculpture Park with the Seattle waterfront as your backdrop! Many people are unaware that we can make these dreams a reality.  You can rent just a portion of the museum or the entire building if it suits your needs and then have the event catered by our fabulous restaurant TASTE.

Jamie and Jared felt that the Olympic Sculpture Park was the perfect place for a ceremony and had an afternoon that they will never forget. Jamie and Jared were married on September 18, 2010 in the Park and our summer TASTE intern, Kristina Krug, had the chance to ask them a few questions about their wedding. Here’s to wishing them a happy one year anniversary from all the folks here at SAM!

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Totems and Trees: A Tour of the Native American Art Galleries

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke on Sep 14 2011

Hello SAM fans! My name is Lindsay Baldwin and, I am a (very) recent graduate of Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication as well as in French. My number one passion is traveling. I was lucky enough to have lived in Edinburgh for six months. During breaks, I traveled extensively through Europe. I have visited many museums around the world and if I had to choose one of my favorites (besides SAM, of course!) it would have to be the Van Gogh Museum. I am very excited to be a part of this great museum for the next three months and cannot wait for the challenges that lie ahead.

If you have not yet checked out the Native American art that SAM has to offer, then I suggest that you put a tour of the galleries on your to-do list.

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Jenny Heishman Announced as 2011 Betty Bowen Award Winner!

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 13 2011

Jenny Heishman Announced as 2011 Betty Bowen Award Winner!

Today the Betty Bowen Committee announced that Jenny Heishman is the winner of the 2011 Betty Bowen Award. The award comes with an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000. In addition a selection of Heishman’s work will be on view at SAM beginning October 20, 2011. The Betty Bowen Committee, chaired by Gary Glant and administered through SAM, has selected local artists to win cash prizes for 33 years.

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Beauty Shot Fridays: “Green” Winner and Our Final Question

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 6 2011

Beauty Shot Fridays: “Green” Winner and Our Final Question

We have really enjoyed the Beauty Shot Fridays project that we put together to give people an opportunity to respond to the themes in our Beauty & Bounty and Reclaimed exhibitions.

Last week we asked, “What does ‘green’ mean to you?” and offered two tickets to Beauty & Bounty to the photographer behind our favorite photo.

SAM staff member Liz Stone selected the winner. Liz is a digital media assistant and a member of the SAM Goes Green Team. Of the winning entry she said, “I like this photo for its simple act of gratitude. Green means all of the things people posted here and more but I found that in almost all of the submissions this week there was a sentiment of gratitude in them. Whether it was the appreciation of a backyard wonderland, or a velvety forest full of life, to the recognition of all the possibilities Earth provides―it never hurts to take a moment―and a breath―and thank the Earth for its bounty.”

Congratulations to Atsuko Nagakura! She was the photographer behind our favorite “green” Beauty Shot. There were many great pictures to choose from. Click here to see the complete album.

Beauty & Bounty and Reclaimed close September 11 so this week’s Beauty Shot Fridays question is our final one. We want to know: How has your landscape changed?

Send your photo response to beautyshots@seattleartmuseum.org by 4 pm on Friday. Our favorite photo will win a $25 SAM gift card and a copy of Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast: A Superb Vision of Dreamland by SAM curator, Patricia Junker.

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Free days at SAM!

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 2 2011

If you missed the opportunity to take advantage of free admission to SAM and the Seattle Asian Art Museum on First Thursday, don’t fret. This weekend, there are several ways you can come visit us for free!

First Fridays: Admission is free for seniors 62+ the first Friday of every month. (And by the way, teens aged 13-19 get in free every Second Friday from 5-9 pm.)

First Free Saturday Presented by Wells Fargo: On September 3 from 11 am – 2 pm, bring your family to the Seattle Asian Art Museum to create ink drawings with music from the drums played across Asia, including Japan, Korea, India and the Philippines.

Bank of America’s Museums on Us: On the first full weekend of every month, Bank of America cardholders receive free admission at SAM and the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Blue Star Museum Program: SAM and the Seattle Asian Art Museum are participating with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and over 1,000 museums in the US by offering free admission to military personnel and their families.Over 2,000 people have already come to SAM thanks to this program. Just show your military ID. The military ID holder plus up to five  immediate family members (spouse or child of ID holder) are allowed in for free per visit.

If none of these free days apply to you, please remember that admission at SAM and the Seattle Asian Art Museum is suggested, and we welcome you to pay what you can.

As Delightful as a Double Rainbow: Summer Interns Sara and Hailey

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 2 2011

As Delightful as a Double Rainbow: Summer Interns Sara and Hailey

We’re saying goodbye to the last of our summer interns. Here’s a little about Sara Portesan and Hailey Hargraves’ experience at SAM in their own words. -Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Hailey Hargraves, summer intern at the Seattle Art Museum

SAM’s School & Educator Intern Hailey Hargraves treds lightly on Carl Andre’s Lead-Aluminum Plain.

Hello all! Our names are Hailey Hargraves and Sara Portesan, and we have spent the past three months as interns in the Education Department here at the Seattle Art Museum. In light of our time here, which is sadly coming to an end, we decided to interview each other and give you (the delightful and dedicated reader) a better idea of both ourselves and our roles here at SAM.

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A Day as an Intern at SAM

Seattle Art Museum on Sep 2 2011

We’re saying goodbye to the last of our summer interns. Here’s a little about Alex Wade’s experience at SAM in his own words.
-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

By Alex Wade

My alarm goes off at 7:30 am. Of course I hit snooze for those oh so crucial extra five minutes.  Then it’s off to the shower.  I get dressed and walk to the bus stop.  It’s 8:13 am and the 345 arrives a few minutes late like always.  I take my seat and ride to the Northgate Transit Center where I hop on the 41.  I get off at my stop and walk through the tunnel.  As I continue through the tunnel, I can see the light  (figures huh?).  I come out of the tunnel at 2nd and University right in front of SAM. It’s an impressive building and I always feel important as I swipe my card key to get into the employee entrance.  The security guard says, ”Hi Alex” as I sign in and type my pin code into the computer. Then it’s off to the 5th floor, a floor you would never expect existed unless you worked at the museum. A floor where everything that keeps the museum going is thought of, implemented and carried out.

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Surf’s Up! Catch a Wave Film Series Contest

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 30 2011

The sun is out, and we’re celebrating by giving away a pair of tickets to this September’s film series, called Catch a Wave: The Art of Surf Culture. All you have to do is leave a comment that answers the following question. We’ll pick the winner out of the correct answers and let you know who won on Friday, September 2. Start guessing!

Which of these writers have written about surfing?

  1. Alexander Hume Ford
  2. Jack London
  3. Mark Twain
  4. Tom Wolfe

Good luck!

Dear SAM: A Love Letter From a Summer Intern

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 17 2011

Dear SAM: A Love Letter From a Summer Intern

Dear SAM,

I usually begin letters more eloquently than this. There’s usually a smooth intro, a “how do you do,” a nifty tidbit about my life. But brutal honesty is all that’s coming to mind now and I think we’re now close enough for that. So here it goes: I am going to miss you immensely. And here’s why…

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Beauty Shot Fridays: What is one of your favorite summer explorations?

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 16 2011

The Stranger’s Jen Graves is on to us.

We like exploration.

In fact, we like it so much that it’s the focus of this week’s Beauty Shot Fridays question:

What is one of your favorite summer explorations?

Send your photo response to beautyshots@seattleartmuseum.org by 4 pm Friday. Our favorite entry will win two tickets to “hitRECord
at the Movies with Joseph Gordon-Levitt” on August 23 at the Neptune Theater.

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7 Tips for Having an Awesome Time at SAM Remix

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 12 2011

1. Print your tickets at home.
We’ll admit it: the Will Call line can be a little slow. So we suggest you print your tickets at home and skip it altogether.

2. Get in the right line.
The PACCAR Pavilion will close at 4:00 pm and the park will close at 6:00 pm to the public. The doors for Remix will open at 8:00 pm. Print-at-home ticket buyers enter at Western Avenue and Broad Street. Will Call ticket holders and ticket buyers enter at Broad Street and Elliot Avenue (near the Neukom Vivarium).

3. Bring cash and your ID.
There isn’t an ATM machine at the Olympic Sculpture Park. We suggest picking cash up before coming to the park. The nearest ATM to the park is located at Ellington Grocery & Deli, corner of First Avenue and Clay Street.

Remix is an 18+ event. All guests 21 and older will need to show ID at the two ID Check stations in order to receive a wristband to consume alcohol. There will be one ID check station at the main entrance on Western and Broad and a second ID check station along the Z path. Look for the white tent with lights.

4. Wear warm clothes and comfy shoes.
The weather forecast for Remix is sunny with temperatures in the 70s. However, once the sun goes down, it can get a little chilly at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Ladies (and some gents), remember that you will be a park with grass so we would advise against wearing heels.

The first 50 people wearing gingham will get into Remix for free. The first 50 line will be at the Western Avenue and Broad Street entrance.

5. Know where the restrooms are located.
Inside the PACCAR Pavilion, there are restrooms available for use. Additionally there will be temporary facilities along the Z Path in the park.

6. Carpool, bus, bike or take a taxi.
We encourage using public transportation or cabs to the Olympic Sculpture Park. The parking  garage will be closed to the public there is some street parking and several pay lots surrounding the Olympic Sculpture Park.

7. Reap the benefits of being a SAM member.
Get the VIP treatment at the Remix Members Lawn. Perks include the opportunity to mix and mingle with Remix artists, and a first-class viewing area of performances in the Gates Amphitheater.

Not a SAM member? Join tonight! Turn your Remix ticket in for $10 off a new SAM membership. Offer good on Student- ($30) through Patron-level memberships. Please present your Remix ticket at the Membership Table or Members Lawn to redeem this offer. Offer good onsite only during Remix.

Get to Know the Olympic Sculpture Park After Dark at Remix

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 11 2011

Get to Know the Olympic Sculpture Park After Dark at Remix

At SAM Remix on August 12, experience the Olympic Sculpture Park in new and unexpected ways with highly-opinionated tours led by artists, Remix co-hosts and special guests.

  • 8:30 pm: Steven Vroom, Executive Director & Curator of Exhibitions, 911 Media
  • 8:45 pm: Erin Fetridge, Canoe Social Club, Remix Co-host
  • 9 pm: Sharon Arnold, Artist and Youth Program Manager, Gage Academy
  • 9:15 pm: Julie Parrett, Landscape Architect
  • 9:30 pm: Susan Robb, Artist
  • 9:45 pm: Stephanie Pure, American Institute of Architects Seattle, Remix Co-host
  • 10 pm: Kathy Lindenmayer, One Reel/Bumbershoot, Remix Co-host

Tours will meet on the Mosley Path near Dante’s Inferno Dogs. If you don’t have your Remix tickets yet, click here to buy them now!

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Photo: Robert Wade

Art You Can Touch, Throw and Smell at SAM Remix

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 9 2011

My co-workers and I were talking about the upcoming SAM Remix at the Olympic Sculpture when someone mentioned that there would be artist-designed cornholes at the event.

I must admit that the term “cornhole” made several of us first think of this, but we soon learned that cornhole is actually a bean bag toss game, which fits in nicely with this Remix’s county-fair theme. Remix cornhole will feature play boards designed by Troy Gua and Dumb Eyes.

One of the best things about Remix is that you get the chance to experience art in unexpected ways:

  • Contribute to a collective massive paint-by-numbers landscape, and watch the image take form as the night progresses.
  • Join Seattle artist Nicholas Nyland and guests for a journey to the East Meadow. Illuminate the path with luminaria and admire the sunset from Gretchen Bennett’s sculpture, The Jetty.
  • Witness the newest iteration of Carolina Silva’s Air Below Ground, a series of actions composed by the artist to take place on, in and around her wooden platform and frame sculpture.
  • Sample the Olympic Sculpture Park’s signature scent, created by artist Susan Robb. Inspired by the park’s geography and art, the artist’s “spritzers” will offer Remix guests the chance to wear the scent of their choice.

So not only will you be surrounded by the amazing art of the Olympic Sculpture Park, you’ll have the opportunity to create, share and talk art all night long at SAM Remix. Click here to buy your tickets now!

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Love Takes SAM by Storm

Seattle Art Museum on Aug 8 2011

Love Takes SAM by Storm

SAM’s hallways recently echoed with joyous shrieks and laughter. Although perhaps a common occurrence, the aura of joy and excitement was not from a new art piece or an exhibition opening or even a Soundsuit…

It was a marriage proposal! A young man named Storm Bennett proposed to his long-term girlfriend Stephanie in the hall of the Seattle Art Museum in a most creative way… Read More

Satisfaction Guaranteed for Thursday at the Park

Seattle Art Museum on Jul 28 2011

Satisfaction Guaranteed for Thursday at the Park

FINALLY—we’re going to have nice summer weather for this week’s “Thursday at the Park,” an evening of live music, art and food at the Olympic Sculpture Park from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

I’m really looking forward to seeing hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction perform. Their energetic beats and tight rhymes are sure to get the crowd dancing.

Tonight’s “Art Hit” tour will feature On-Site artist, Gretchen Bennett, who will discuss her temporary work installed in the Olympic Sculpture Park. Coinciding with the event is the launch of Bennett’s new Publication Studio book, Windfall Alphabet, which showcases recent work by the artist, as well as an essay by New York-based art critic and writer, Jill Conner. The tour meets in the PACCAR Pavilion at 6:30 pm.

After the tour, maybe you’ll be inspired to make your own art. This week’s art activity is creating abstract pendants. Materials are supplied, and all ages are welcome to participate.

Say aloha to Pai’s Food Truck, which will be making its first appearance at the Olympic Sculpture Park this summer. Pai’s serves Thai-Hawaiian dishes, such as lemongrass huli huli chicken. Veraci Pizza, Whidbey Island Ice Cream and our very own TASTE will provide other yummy bites. This week’s doughnut from TASTE pastry chef Lucy Damkoehler is sweet cheese empanada. I had some last week, and while I don’t think they’re anything like an empanada, I would definitely say that they’re delicious.

Sweet cheese empanada doughnuts from TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park

See you at the Sculpture Park in the sun!

-Madeline Moy, Digital Media Manager

Photos: Robert Wade, Madeline Moy

Top photo: Specter by Gretchen Bennett

Beauty Shot Fridays: Summertime Sun and Fun

Seattle Art Museum on Jul 27 2011

Beauty Shot Fridays: Summertime Sun and Fun

In hopes of procuring more sun from the sky this week, we asked people to send us photos of their summertime fun in the sun. Photos did not have to be of Seattle or from this summer but could be of anything sun- and summer-related. I’ve selected a few of our brightest submissions from last week and written some of my thoughts on them… Read More

Applications for Betty Bowen Award Due August 1

Seattle Art Museum on Jul 24 2011

Applications for Betty Bowen Award Due August 1

The annual Betty Bowen Award is now in its 33rd year and, as the application deadline nears, the Betty Bowen Committee is looking forward to awarding a cash prize to a visual artist living and working in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. The application is available at callforentry.org and the deadline for submissions is August 1. Over the years, this award has had an impact for artists in our region, and it reflects the commitment Betty Bowen had in supporting the vision of contemporary artists in her time. We wanted to share some insights into the strength of this memorable advocate for the visual arts in our region.

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