Seattle Art Museum

Artists often use potent cultural symbols to communicate deeper meanings. Sometimes those are also highly personal symbols. Kendrick Lamar’s new video for “squabble up”—off his surprise album “GNX” and directed by Calmatic—is filled with visual references to his neighborhood and Black cultural touchstones. There are also two that resonated with contemporary visual art, including one with a recent connection to SAM. In 2022, the museum had the honor to present the work of Lauren Halsey. Her solo show was in honor of her 2021 win of SAM’s Gwendolyn Knight and Jacob Lawrence Prize, awarded biennially to early- to mid-career Black artists. At the center of her show was “We Are Still Here” (2021), an installation featuring proud declarations of Black-owned businesses and signs of her South Central neighborhood–including the same “JESUS SAVES GANGSTERS TOO!” sign that Lamar holds in the video. Halsey’s exhibition at SAM also featured her celebrated works of carved gypsum relief panels reminiscent of temple walls. The artist has used this body of work in a lauded commission for The Met’s Roof Garden—and also for the cover art of a limited edition reissue of Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 “To Pimp a Butterfly.” For Halsey, it all comes back to her community, which is why she established and self-funded the community center Summaeverythang in 2020, which applies her ideas of self-directed action to lived experience. Supported by a dedicated team of volunteers (including Halsey), the center sources and distributes boxes of fresh, organic produce to the Watts and South Central Los Angeles areas and is a site for the empowerment of Black and Brown people. Oh, by the way: Who can name the other contemporary art reference in the video? – [Installation view of "Lauren Halsey" at Seattle Art Museum, 2022, 📸 Natali Wiseman.]

🎁 How’s that holiday shopping list going? Same. May we suggest you Give the Gift of art? A SAM membership makes life more colorful for someone you love. They’ll get free and unlimited access to all three SAM locations, member-only invitations and discounts, and that fuzzy feeling knowing they’re supporting the museum’s mission. So mark your calendars: When you purchase a membership at the Individual through Patron levels now through December 2, you’ll get 15% off. Friendly SAM staff is standing by—no, really—to help you get your gift ready by the holiday you celebrate. It even comes in a cute envelope and everything (we’re an art museum after all). More info: https://bit.ly/4g3FUiF You can also give us a call at 206.654.3210 or email us at membership@seattleartmuseum.org. _ #GivetheGift #SeattleArtMuseum #SeattleAsianArtMuseum #OlympicSculpturePark #HolidaySeason #SeattleHolidays #SeattleArt #SeattleArtist #SeattleMuseum

🫂 “Whether you're searching for a group activity or a means of escape, these exhibitions are perfect for family time.” For CULTURED, Nicole Hur gathers 11 exhibitions on view now around the US that “unpack our complex relationships to home,” including “Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams” at the Seattle Art Museum. Scott’s vivid work beguiles viewers with beauty and humor while confronting racism, sexism, ecological devastation, and complex family dynamics. Hur also gives a shout-out to the room in the exhibition devoted to a collaborative weaving project. Bring yourself, family, and friends to unwind and unravel with a communal art project that everyone can do! Note our holiday hours this week! The Seattle Art Museum is closed Thursday for Thanksgiving and open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am–5 pm. Read the CULTURED Magazine article: https://bit.ly/4fVxt9q Get tickets to SAM: https://bit.ly/3NoFDKW – [📸 Chloe Collyer]

Be moved by art that takes you from the earth to the sky. “Following Space” pairs the sculptural visions of American artists Thaddeus Mosley and Alexander Calder. Mosley, a Pittsburgh-based contemporary sculptor inspired by modernist aesthetics and traditional African wood carvings, is recognized for his innovative concept of “weight in space,” in which sculptural forms appear to defy gravity. 17 of his large-scale wooden sculptures are paired with five seminal artworks by Calder, who revolutionized modern sculpture by introducing movement to the medium. “Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder” opens November 20 at the Seattle Art Museum. Tickets are now on sale—get yours today! visitsam.org/calder _ [📹 L.Fried]

🍵 "If not solace, such relics at least bring perspective. These breakable ceramic bowls, vases and bottles have survived multiple centuries of turmoil, to sit before us in a time the original makers could never have imagined." Brangien Davis of Cascade PBS recently shared some timely—but we think timeless—advice to dwell in art and nature at once. Among her recommendations was the idea of visiting the exquisite ceramics, paintings, and more of “Meot: Korean Art of the Frank Bayley Collection” at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in the bucolic setting of Volunteer Park. We can’t think of a better place to contemplate what makes art (or anything) stand the test of time. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gyc58vuR Info and tickets: https://lnkd.in/gw8BHUsg Or (and this is just a thought) become a SAM member and drop in anytime you need an art break. – #SeattleAsianArtMuseum #Meot #FrankBayleyCollection #KoreanArt #KoreanArtist #ContemporaryArt #VolunteerPark #SeattleArt #SeattleMuseum #SeattleTourism #SeattleEvents #KoreanCeramics #KoreanPaintings #KoreanCalligraphy #BuncheongWare [ 📸 Installation view of “Meot: Korean Art from the Frank Bayley Collection,” 2024, photo: Chloe Collyer]

🌊 Next Thursday, November 14, hear from an artist whose work explores the intersections of language, racial identity, and American history. Bethany Collins is the 2023 winner of the Gwendolyn Knight and Jacob Lawrence Prize, SAM’s biannual award for early to mid-career career Black artists. “SAM Talks: Bethany Collins” celebrates the opening of her solo show, “At Sea.” She will give a wide-ranging talk about her conceptually driven work, which takes language as both subject and medium. 🧠Be inspired during the artist talk 🍷Enjoy refreshments from the cash bar 🪩Dance to a live set from DJ Faridaguyzzz 🎨Check out the show anytime between 6–8:30 pm Tickets are $15 / $10 for SAM members & students with ID. Get yours now: https://lnkd.in/gq_5f75f – [ 📸 Evan Jenkins 🎨 Courtesy Alexander Gray Associates, New York; PATRON Gallery, Chicago, © 2024 Bethany Collins]

🎶 “Jazz is the personification of transforming overwhelmingly negative circumstances into freedom, friendship, hope, and dignity.” –Quincy Jones (1933–2024) Legendary musician and producer Quincy Jones has passed away at the age of 91. He’s seen here in a SAM collection photograph from 1989 by Eduardo Calderón for the 1993 book by jazz historian Paul de Barros, “Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle." Here you see Jones captured by the photographer’s 1950s Rolleiflex in an intimate setting: warm smile, at ease, and with just some of the evidence of his incredible success and impact on the music industry on view behind him. Though technically he only lived in the Seattle area for eight years of his young life, it was where Jones discovered his passion for music and created lasting connections—and established an enduring legacy in the city. Read Paul de Barros’s remembrance in The Seattle Times: https://lnkd.in/g2-JS5gY – [“Quincy Jones,” negative 1989, printed 2022, Eduardo Calderón, Peruvian, born 1949, silver gelatin print, 16 x 20 in. General Acquisition Fund, 2022.32.2. Provenance: The artist; purchased from artist by Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2022. 📸 Scott Leen]

🥇 Appearing at the Seattle Asian Art Museum next week: Olympian and entrepreneur Apolo Anton Ohno! On Tuesday, October 29, Ohno will share reflections on his childhood in Seattle; offer unique insights into mental health, sports, and Asian American representation; and talk about his "hard pivot" into authorship, business, and entrepreneurship. He will be joined by special guest, Paralympic athlete and 2024 Paralympic medalist, Taylor Swanson. Apolo Ohno appears as part of a three-part SAM Talks series presented with Asia Society Seattle. Each talk will feature Asian and Asian American artists, writers, business and community leaders and others engaged with Asia. Save the date and stay tuned for details on the next two talks, taking place on February 20 and May 15. Details and tickets for next Tuesday's talk: https://lnkd.in/gAMtPSrS

💀 💐 How are you celebrating Día de los Muertos this year? Join us at the Seattle Art Museum on Friday, November 1 from 6 to 9:30 pm as we honor the holiday’s colorful and culturally rich traditions. This free and family-friendly celebration—hosted in partnership with renowned Oaxacan artist Fulgencio Lazo and El Consulado de México en Seattle—is a joyful tribute to life and a beautiful way to honor the memory of our loved ones who have passed away. Witness enchanting dances performed by Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueño, listen to soul-stirring musical performances by La Banda Gozona and Buena Vibra, inspire your creativity with an engaging art-making activity led by printmakers of Taller Burro Press, and much more! Plus, Fulgencio Lazo and his dedicated team of volunteers are returning to SAM this year to create another intricate tapete (sand painting) that reflects the spirit and essence of Día de los Muertos. Visitors are invited to take an up-close look and admire Lazo's beautiful tapete in SAM's Brotman Forum through Sunday, November 10. Community Celebrations at SAM are presented by PNC Bank. Reserve your free ticket: https://lnkd.in/ghpVGAaV _ [📸 Alborz Kamalizad]

🔥 “Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams,” the 50-year retrospective for the visionary Baltimore artist, is now on view at the Seattle Art Museum! In her work, Scott uses beauty and humor to challenge unequal social roles, confront traumatic histories, and agitate for freedom. In over 140 works, including sculptures, jewelry, quilts, garments, performances, and mixed-media installations, you will experience the world through her eyes as she confronts racism, sexism, classism, and what she calls “all the ‘isms’ society offers.” 🎟️ You'll want to see this revelatory work up close! Learn more and get tickets: https://lnkd.in/gF6Q9n95 _ [📸 Chloe Collyer]