Subjected to the light of day, Sarah Palin doesn't look like a maverick at all.
Exposing a construction-site scam only a San Francisco cop could love.
Ronald Taylor is one of perhaps hundreds of innocent people Harris County has put in prison.
Sloppy U.S. government paperwork is putting the lives of asylum seekers at risk.
Send listings two weeks in advance to visualarts@seattleweekly.com.
Lectures and Events
Art of India Art professor Ajay Sinha discusses how Indian art was originally set in context as well as the modern use of traditional Hindu imagery. 7 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 21. Seattle Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park, 1400 E. Prospect Ave., 206-625-8900. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.
Bellevue Art Museum Community Forum Meet Michael Monroe, BAM's new executive director, and offer feedback on the museum's plans to reopen as a craft museum. 7-8 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14. City of Redmond Council Chambers, 8701 160th Ave. N.E. (Redmond), free.
Betty Bowen Artist Award Victoria Haven, whose superb show "Wonderland" is now on display at Howard House, accepts the prestigious annual award presented by Seattle Art Museum. 5:30 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14, Seattle Art Museum, 100 University St., free, 206-654-3100.
Indian Art Market Weavings, baskets, jewelry, prints, carved wooden masks, and photographs by artists from a number of local tribes. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16. Daybreak Star Arts Center, Discovery Park, free (salmon lunch $10), 206-685-4425.
Panel Discussion: New Wave Structural Engineering Complex, computer-aided engineering is allowing architects to do astonishing things never before possible—from Rem Koolhaas' Seattle Public Library to Santiago Calatrava's Olympic Sports Complex. A panel of architects, including Tom Kundig, David Miller, and Edward Weinstein explore the new frontiers in architecture. 7 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14, Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, $5, 206-543-2280.
Pilchuck Glass School Benefit Auction The annual fund-raiser for the region's premier glass art school will feature more than 150 works in glass. Free public preview: 5:30-8 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14. Auction: Fri. Oct. 15 Westin Hotel, 1900 Fifth Ave., $200 (reservations required), 206-621-8422, ext. 44.
Political Chalk Talk Illustrator and political caricaturist Steve Brodner (whose merciless pics have appeared in Mother Jones, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker) gives a live "chalk talk" art demonstration on how to skewer the 2004 candidates. 3 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23. University Book Store, 4326 University Way N.E., free, 206-545-4386.
Openings
Crawl Space University of Washington MFA graduate Gregory Schaffer's "Come Clean" offers up deadpan photos of Wal-Marts, parking lots, and other banal locales—and finds odd moments of beauty in things like melted ice cream on hot pavement. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 504 E. Denny Way #1 (near Olive), 206-240-6015. Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Greg Kucera I have mixed feelings about the work of Darren Waterston, whose "13 Paintings" opens this week. From what I've seen, there's no doubt that these watery, astral abstractions have a fine sense of composition and color. But there's just something a little too easy about it all—a little too pretty and celestial in a New Agey sort of way. But see it for yourself—he's quite popular (and yes, I'll admit it, that probably has something to do with my unease). Reception: 6-8 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14. Artist talk: noon, Sat. Oct. 16. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.
James Harris Jeffry Mitchell's watercolors of puppies and flowers find inspiration in the Japanese sumi tradition, but they just seem a bit too sugary-sweet. This show will also feature Mitchell's assorted ceramic flowers and vases. Reception: 6-8 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14. 309A Third Ave., 206-903-6220. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.
Kirkland Arts Center "Ruffle: Decadent Vexation" features fluff with a purpose by Elizabeth Jameson, Mandy Greer, Kris Lyons, and Anna Maltz. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 14. 620 Market St., Kirkland, 425-822-7161. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.
Platform In his second gallery show in town (the other is at Suyama Space) Brian Murphy uses odd angles and mirrors to paint honest, unflattering self-portraits. Reception: 3-5:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.
SCCC M. Rosetta Hunter Art Gallery "Back on Broadway" returns some notable alums of Seattle Central Community College to SCCC's gallery, including Linda Young, Bret Corrington, and Iosefatu Sua. Reception: 5-7 p.m. Wed. Oct. 13. 801 E. Pine, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 5-7 p.m. Tues & Thurs. 206-344-4379.
Square Room In "Valley of the Dolls" Brian McGuffey, Laura Thacker, and other artists offer variations on dolls in ceramic, paint and concrete. Reception: 6-10 p.m. Fri. Oct. 15. 1316 E. Pike St., 206-267-7120.
Last Chance
G. Gibson "Homage to Aperture," a collection of work celebrating the 50th anniversary of the influential photography publisher, includes shots by the great ones: Imogen Cunningham, Ansel Adams, Sally Mann, Edward Weston, et al. 514 E. Pike St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Sat. Oct. 16.
Hugo House Prints and light boxes by Mary Simpson and Valerie McEvoy (from Alaska and Ireland, respectively) that explore the theme "Another Country." 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat. Ends Fri. Oct. 15.
Jack Straw New Media Gallery Seattle's Iole Alessandrini installs interactive lasers and other optical gizmos in this multimedia experience intended to explore "the distributed body, multiple-self, and transmigration of presence." 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-634-0919. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Ends Fri. Oct. 15.