art

  • Fiction Picks for Black History Month 2024

    February is Black History Month and this year, it’s got a special theme: African Americans and the Arts. It’s a great time to read books by and celebrating Black artists across form and genre, so here are some titles to check out centering stories of Black artists. Teju Cole writes thought-provoking, meandering philosophical fiction; his… Continue reading

  • ‘Black Activism in Print’ Exhibit Highlights Art and Community Activism

    Black Activism in Print: Visual Art from the African American Collection, now on view at the Level 8 Gallery of the Central Library, is more than just an art exhibit. Though it features beautiful art prints by prominent artists and activists Charles White and Elizabeth Catlett, it is also a wonderful opportunity to learn about… Continue reading

  • Wintering Over: Art in Shades of Dark and Light

    Winter, like life, comes in shades of dark and light. Herein lies the drama of an indispensable duo meant to be seen, in multitudes of splendor, in paintings photographs and drawings. Let us go into the season with an Invocation of Beauty seeking not, its Genesis but Graciela Iturbide’s Mexico and Antonio Berni’s Juanito and… Continue reading

  • Stay at home and be inspired with the Seattle Art Museum

    With the closure of arts institutions to the public due to the outbreak, many museums and galleries are digitizing their content to be viewed online. The Seattle Art Museum is just one museum making their collection accessible and engaging, despite not being able to view art in person. The SAM blog has articles, videos, and… Continue reading

  • Mandalas, Muffins, and Mimosas

    I recently took a mandala rock painting class with a bunch of girl friends last month. I was surprised at how lost we all got into painting our mandalas and how fast the two hours they had scheduled for our group went! The art studio we went to also offered us muffins and mimosas while… Continue reading

  • Frame by Frame:  Celebrating Northwest Art and Artists

    Frame by Frame:  Celebrating Northwest Art and Artists

    Seattle hosts a rich tradition of art-making from Northwest Indian arts to contemporary artists. A spectrum of artists of every level and medium, of organizations, collectors and art lovers engenders a vibrant community within and beyond our city limits. The Seattle Public Library has long held a significant place in this city’s arts infrastructure. Our… Continue reading

  • Intiman’s CAUGHT: Beyond the Theatre

    Imagine yourself at an art exhibition viewing the installation of an internationally known artist. This is how the play CAUGHT begins, a compelling work for those who relish unconventional narratives and conceptual art.  The audience is a part, not apart, from the action of a “labyrinthine exploration of truth, art, social justice and cultural appropriation,… Continue reading

  • Bird Week: Put a Bird On It!

    Bird Week: Put a Bird On It!

    The Seattle Public Library is partnering with the Seward Park Audubon Center for Bird Week, April 23-30, in celebration of the center’s 10th anniversary and the National Audubon Society’s 2018 Year of the Bird. Long before Portlandia made it a meme, artists and craftspeople have been adorning their work with birds. One of the earliest… Continue reading

  • Here’s Looking at You!: Documentary Films about Artists

    An artist’s life can be as compelling as the work they produce. A documentary, at best, strives to render a portrait of the artist as honestly as possible. This, of course, is as close as any of us will get to being in the same room with a person whose life and work draws us… Continue reading

  • #BookBingoNW2017: Art and Artists

    What is art, anyway? Merriam-Webster defines it as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” With such a broad definition, there are many different directions readers can go with this particular Book Bingo square. Here are a few strategies for filling this square: Fiction A few authors,… Continue reading

  • Ralph Steadman: Evocative Frenzy

    I am unceasingly inspired by the artistic wizardry of Ralph Steadman, particularly his knack for evocative frenzy. Though clearly an expert draughtsman, he’s made a career out of twisting conventional imagery with a demented cartoon sensibility. What appears at first in his work to be frayed and chaotic ends up revealing character with a greater… Continue reading

  • Art Books in Nature

    West Seattle’s Camp Long will be hosting another fabulous event Aug 20-21. Visit the park to walk in the woods, witness musical performances across diverse genres, or participate in art activities, writing workshops and open mics, juggling, costumed hikes through the forest, and naturalist events. The festival also features the “Museum of Sound” where artists… Continue reading

  • A Rich and Ripe Bounty: Northwest Arts and Artists

    Traveler, the season is ripe. Ripe for taking in an abundance of art. Artists abound and their work is to be found in, near and far from Seattle. This summer, on any given weekend, you can attend any number of art fairs and festivals as well as art walks. Did you know that Pioneer Square’s… Continue reading

  • Peculiar Nonfiction

    ~posted by Frank Nonfiction is vast. When you look beyond cookbooks and biographies, you’ll find some niche titles that you may not have known there was an audience for. Here are some of the most singular works of nonfiction published in the past year; perhaps one of these oddball titles is just the one for you.… Continue reading

  • Night of Disguise at SAM

    Join The Seattle Public Library’s social media team at The Seattle Art Museum for a ‘Night of Disguise‘ and have some incognito fun on Friday, June 19, from 7 to 11 p.m. Buy tickets here and use discount code twitterdisguise0619 to get $5 off. The Library has plenty of resources to help you prepare for the exhibition! Browse our African masks and art quick picks online,… Continue reading

  • A Pacific Northwest Gem: Bill Holm and Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form

    By Rebecca Bill Holm’s Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form was the first work to systematically organize and describe this unique type of American art. First published in 1965, it has since become a foundational text for students, scholars, artists and others interested in learning about Northwest Coast Native American* art history, designs,… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Pictures about Pictures

    Two critically acclaimed documentaries about art, Finding Vivian Maier and Tim’s Vermeer, have recently been released on DVD. The holds list for those titles is a bit long, so while you wait for your copy to come in feel free to check out these other fascinating documentaries about art and the lives of artists. Continue reading

  • Learning on the right side of the brain

    Autumn’s overstuffed backpacks and pencil cases always trigger feelings of expectation and excitement. And although school bells and hall passes may be a distant memory, it’s never too late to learn something new. I’ve always wanted to be able to draw but any attempts inevitably led to frustration and doodles that a second grader would… Continue reading