Send listings two weeks in advance to visualarts@seattleweekly.com.

Lectures and Events

Bainbridge Island Studio Tour An annual open-door tour of 47 artists’ studios and assorted galleries throughout Bainbridge Island. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Dec. 5. Various venues, downtown Bainbridge Island, www.bistudiotour.com, free, 360-779-2097.

Belle Epoque Costume Ball Dress up in your finest turn of the previous century corsets and cummerbunds and peruse WingNut gallery’s new selection of art inspired by end of the century decadence and dissipation. Entertainment will include a Vienna-style burlesque and 1920s tunes from the Bathtub Ginnies. 7-11 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. WingNut Galleries, 1205 E. Pike, $12, 206-328-2978.

Drawing Jam A fund-raiser and public-art event featuring a marathon of art creation, kids activities, and hands-on demonstrations. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. Seattle Academy of Fine Art 1501 10th Ave. E., $10 suggested donation, 206-526-2787.

Georgetown Holiday Artwalk Work by more than 30 artists living and working in the burgeoning Georgetown art scene, plus imports from Nepal. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4-Sun. Dec. 5. Rainier Cold Center, 5626 Airport Way S., free, 206-325-1077.

Holiday Art Sale Pratt Fine Arts Center’s annual sale of art goodies by students and faculty. Opening night party: 6-10 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. Sale: Sat. Dec. 4-Sun. Dec. 12. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 1902 S. Main St., free, 206-328-2200.

Holiday Art Sale Jewelry, painting, ceramics, quilts, kids’ crafts, and other original holiday gifts. 2-8 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. Gulassa Gallery, 10 Dravus St., free, 206-283-181.

Holiday Open Studio Five artists sell paintings, linocut prints, handbags, and jewelry. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4-Sun. Dec. 5. 5417 42nd Ave. S.W., free.

Lecture: Affect and Response UW English professor Kathy Woodward explores how we respond intellectually and perceptively to literature and visual art. 7 p.m. Wed. Dec. 1. Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, free with admission, 206-543-2280.

Lecture: Naga Textiles Robb Shep, an authority on the textiles of the Naga people of Northeastern India gives a talk and shares samples of authentic Naga blankets and shawls. 7 p.m. Wed. Dec. 1. Burke Museum, UW campus, N. E. 45th St. and 17th Ave. N.E., $5, 206-543-5590.

Lecture: Secrecy and Deceit In conjunction with SAM’s exhibit “Spain in the Age of Exploration,” scholar David Gitlitz will talk about his book Secrecy and Deceit, a history of how Jewish culture flourished in Spain despite being forced underground during the Inquisition. 7:30 p.m. Thurs. Dec. 2. Seattle Art Museum, 100 University St., free (reservations recommended), 800-621-2230.

Lecture: Technologies of Contemplation Our lives are increasingly hectic and busy these days—but David Levy, a UW professor of information technology, insists that art—and in particular some of the works in the Henry’s lovely “Work of the Work” show—can help us slow down and approach life more contemplatively. 7 p.m. Thurs. Dec. 2. Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, free with admission, 206-543-2280.

Panel Discussion: Art, Design, & Architecture Former Seattle P.I. architecture critic and Architectural Record contributing editor Sheri Olson leads a discussion among local artists and architects about the intersection between buildings and visual arts. 6-8 p.m. Mon. Dec. 6. Winston Wächter Gallery, 203 Dexter Ave. N., free (RSVP required), 206-652-5855.

Northwest Exposure Photo Contest Exhibit Spectacular wilderness photos from Washington Trails Association’s annual Northwest Exposure photo contest will be on display in a special one-day gallery installation. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. National Parks Conservation Association Gallery, 313 First Avenue S., Suite A, free, 206-625-1367.

Seattle Sampling An annual holiday open studio event featuring work by 64 artists working in ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, fabrics, and other arts and crafts. 4-9 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4 and Sun. Dec. 5. For a list of studio addresses (mostly in Fremont) visit www.seattlesampling.com; 206-783-5314.

Seward Park Clay Studio Holiday Show A holiday fund-raising party with food, entertainment, and lots of ceramic art for all your holiday gift needs. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. Seward Park Clay Studio, 5900 Lake Washington Blvd. S., $10, 206-722-6342.

SOIL Benefit Art Auction SOIL’s annual fund-raiser, party, and auction for this nonprofit, artist-managed gallery will feature more than 80 donated works by Fay Jones, Victoria Haven, Sam Trout, Mandy Greer, and oodles of other accomplished local artists. 6:30 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. Jem Studios, 6012 12th Ave S. (Georgetown), free, 206-369-8295.

First Thursday

911 Media Arts The contemporary new media center celebrates its move to new digs with an installation by the region’s most prominent and brilliant video artists, Gary Hill. This event will mark the premiere of Language Willing, a piece that’s supposed to be simultaneously frenetic and lethargic and will incorporate text from Australian poet Chris Mann. Reception: 7 p.m. 402 Ninth Ave., 206-682-6552. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Benham Tom Harris’ “Shadow Box” photos serve up strange little vignettes of nearly abstract assemblages that begin as drawings, and are further transmuted through the printmaking process. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 1216 First Ave., 206-622-2480. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Capitol Hill Arts Center “En Masse” envisions urban space through photography and design in the work of Luara Moore and Roseann Barnhill. Opening night includes improvised electronic noise by ndCv and Flox, B.B. Reception: 8-10 p.m. 1621 12th Ave., 206-388-0600. 6-10 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat.

D’Adamo/Woltz Mark Keller’s realist paintings of moody musicians, yuppie angst, and an inexplicable image of Charlie Parker playing for a cow have all the annoying self-pity of a David Gray song. Reception: 6-9 p.m. 303/307 Occidental S., 206-652-4414. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Davidson Dion Zwirner’s near-abstract paintings recall estuaries and wetlands, but there’s a lack of rigor to this new work—nothing really jumps out from the jumble. If you ask me, John Grade is a better interpreter of nature into abstraction (I enjoyed his show of large sculpture here earlier this year). This selection of Grade’s drawings and small sculptures delves into the microscopic world without being too literal about it. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 313 Occidental S., 206- 624-7684. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Foster/White A bunch of galleries are sponsoring group shows of smaller works (for those not able to drop 10 grand for your stocking stuffers). Foster/White’s “Small Works” will feature undersized paintings and sculpture by Eva Isaksen, Alden Mason, Gerard Tsutakawa, and many many others. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 123 S. Jackson, 206-622-2833. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Friesen Gallery Reilly Jensen’s intriguing abstract paintings are collectively titled “Cotard” after Cotard’s Syndrome, a psychological state in which a person believes his or her body has become a machine. Reception: 5-8 p.m. 1210 Second Ave., 206-628-9501. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Gallery 4 Culture Designer and photographer Thom Heileson’s richly layered photomontages and video offer up mysterious spaces (a kind of architecture of the unconscious) but there’s something that feels forced about it, a little too choreographed and slick. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Mon-Fri.

Grover/Thurston Michaelene Walsh’s ceramics are sort of creepy but nothing you couldn’t give to your aunt Edith for Hanukkah (well, maybe the monkey in red rubber gloves would freak her out a bit). Reception: 6-8 p.m. 309 Occidental S., 206-223-0816. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Garde Rail Thick with frostinglike layers of paint (her skies resemble nothing so much as Crest toothpaste), Toronto-based artist Jennifer Harrison’s row upon row of painted houses offer a cheery, but abandoned landscape of mythical happiness. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 110 Third Ave. S., 206-621-1055. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sat.

Linda Hodges A grab bag of artists who’ll be on display at Linda Hodges gallery in 2005, including Alfred Arreguin, Gayle Bard, and Jennifer Beedon Snow. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 316 First Ave. S., 206-624-3034. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Lisa Harris New still lifes and landscapes in pastels and paint by Skagit Valley artist Joel Brock. Reception: 6-8 p.m. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

Open Artist Studio Art in various media by Sharon Wilfong, William Boyd, and Greg McCorkle. Bonus: live trombone music! Reception: 6-9 p.m. OK Hotel Studios, 212 Alaskan Way S.

SOIL This month, the artist collective gallery SOIL becomes a video-performance-theater space with the Butoh-inspired antics of DK Pan as well installations by video artists Kaleb Hagan-Kerr, Robb Kunz, and others. Butoh-inspired performance: 8 p.m. 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Studio 12 “Passage” offers up a selection of photos from Seattleite Steve Gilbert’s recent travels in the Caribbean. Reception: 6-9 p.m. 619 Western Ave., sixth floor, 206-412-9094. Noon-4 p.m. Sat. or by appointment.

Two Bells Tavern In “From Tukwila to Tibet,” local artist Bruce Mclean makes monochrome, modern-day variations of traditional Tibetan Buddhist paintings. Opens Thurs. Dec. 2. 2313 Fourth Ave., 206-441-3050. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily.

William Traver Danish glass artist Tobias Møhl’s intricately detailed vessels and forms are notable in that they use no added colors. Reception: 5-8 p.m. 110 Union St., second floor, 206-587-6501. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Other Openings

Artemis “Seven Tiny Artists” refers to the size of the artwork, not the artists. On hand will be small and affordable paintings, photographs, jewelry, and other cool stuff by Liz Tran, Todd Karam, Kate Endle, and others. 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Atelier 31 Rebecca Raven’s 2- and 3-dimensional paintings inspired by the silent movie era. Reception: 6-8 p.m. Wed. Dec. 1. 2500 First Ave., 206- 448-5250. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Tues. and Sat. 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.

Consolidated Works “Flux” is a fusion of dance, video, and electronic sound by the SOM Performance collective. Performance: 8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3 & Sat. Dec. 4. 500 Boren Ave. N., $12, 206-860-5245.

Francine Seders Weak, misty pastel abstractions by Michael Dailey. Reception: 2-4 p.m. Sun. Dec. 5. 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.

Frank & Dunya Oh so happy stained glass light boxes, butterfly jewelry, and all that holiday jazz by Joline El-Hai and Betsy Resnick. Reception: 6-8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. 3418 Fremont Ave. N., 206-547-6760. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

G. Gibson Contemporary figurative photographs by Mona Kuhn and flower photographs by Ron van Dongen. Reception and book signing (van Dongen): 1-3 p.m. Sat. Dec. 4. Reception and book signing (Kuhn): 5:30-7 p.m. Wed. Dec. 8. 514 E. Pike St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sat.

Henry Art Gallery German artist Alex Lieber spends a week residency at the Henry installing and hanging his dynamic, constructivist creations, which look like architecture models exploded and turned inside-out. Residency installation and open studio: Fri. Dec. 3-Fri. Dec. 10. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Thurs.

Kirkland Arts Center An annual holiday sale featuring work by Kirkland Arts Center faculty, including Kamla Kakaria, Michael Otterson, and many others. Benefit preview party: 6-10 p.m Fri. Dec. 3 ($40, reservations required). 620 Market St. (Kirkland) 425-822-7161. 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.

Lipstick Traces Clothing emblazoned with all manner of animals (imagine Garanimals for grown-ups) by local designer Lorna Leedy. Reception: 5-8 p.m. Sun. Dec. 5. 303 East Pine St., 206-329-2813. Noon-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-6 p.m. Sun.

Metropolis: The Gallery Forget senile Santa and the friggin’ reindeer—Metropolis is putting good old Christ back into Christmas with a special group show, “Your Own Personal Jesus.” I have no idea who or what is showing, but this scrappy little co-op gallery in downtown Bremerton has done some cool stuff in the past, so what the hell, it might be worth the ferry ride. Reception: 5-8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. 318 Callow Ave. (Bremerton), 360-373-4709.

Nordic Heritage Museum Pinhole camera and water photography by Swedish-born, Kirkland-based artist Eva Sköld Westerlind. 104 N.W. 67th St., 206-789-5707. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-4 p.m. Sun.

Photographic Center Northwest A group show of selections from PCNW’s permanent collection. Reception: 6-8 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. 900 12th Ave., 206-720-7222. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon.; 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Sun.

Richard Hugo House Old-fashioned photos and artifacts fill morbid little altarlike shadow boxes by Lisa Mei Ling Fong. Reception: 5-7:30 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3. 1634 11th Ave., 206-322-7030. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri, noon-5 p.m. Sat.

Galleries

Ballard/Fetherston Michael Schultheis’ scrappy abstract canvases, plus Frank Huster’s photographs of crumbling walls and flaking paint. 818 E. Pike St., 206-322-9440. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Crawl Space “Does anyone really need to see another goddamn SOIL or COCA group show?” asks the press kit for “Members Only,” yet another goddamn group show—by folks like Gregory Schaffer, Kristen Ramirez, and Megan Szczecko. 504 E. Denny Way #1 (near Olive), 206-240-6015. Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Howard House Alex Schweder’s “Lovesick Buildings” is a brainy exploration of our six senses within buildings. Rubber and resin sculptures take the shape of weird, semi-biological forms— teethlike seats at war with a scattering of resin candies or a decaying amalgam of sugar, resin, and porcelain nipples. A seven-minute video features a mysterious, red-tinted journey by a colonoscopy camera in a tub of cherry Jell-O. Also on display: abstract works on paper and in collage by Robert Yoder, whose new collage/paintings venture into unusual materials, including vinyl, tape, and nail polish. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Jack Straw New Media Gallery “Yiju, Songs of Dislocation,” is Byron Au Yong’s multimedia exploration of his family’s forced migration from China. 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-634-0919. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Kuhlman “Swank” is a tribute to hard-drinking, and features Robert Rini’s paintings of Robert Mitchum, paper bag paintings by Chris Crites, and Sara Lanzillotta’s cocktail-swigging elephant dolls. 2419 First Ave., 206-441-1999. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sat.

Platform “Paperwork” is a group show tackling paper as both material and subject matter by photographer Debra Baxter, printmaker Harriet Sanderson, Brooklyn’s Alicia Wargo, San Francisco’s Ray Beldner (who creates sculpture with dollar bills), and New York photographer Zelig Kurland. 114 Third Ave. S., 206-323-2808. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery In the fifth of a series of “guest” shows highlighting various local galleries, Ballard/Fetherston shows work by Deborah Bell, Elizabeth Jameson, and Michael Schultheis. Also on display: a print show by local artists including Claire Cowie and Betty Merken. 1220 Third Ave., 206-343-1101. 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Suyama Space Brian Murphy returns with more of his watercolor self-portraits of the sort that wowed the crowds at the old Esther-Claypool space a couple years back. Once again facial features float off at odd angles, like unmoored islands of utter corruption, but this time the paintings are freakin’ HUGE. 2324 Second Ave. 206-256-0809. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Western Bridge The second part of Henry Art Gallery’s ambitious show “Work of the Work” (much of which was mounted with the help of William and Ruth True’s Western Bridge collection) showcases art that deals with perception and, lacking a better term, humanist religiosity. Kimsooja’s jukeboxlike Mandala: Zone of Zero broadcasts a cacophony of chanting from Tibetans and Gregorian monks, while Steve McQueen’s gritty video of trip-hop singer Tricky is a near-claustrophobic immersion in a trance state. Anne Appleby’s color field paintings derived from the fleeting colors of Montana’s outdoors offer a palpable, quiet grace, while Carston Höller’s immersive merry-go-round of fluorescent light takes you to another plane of existence. 3412 Fourth Ave. S. 206-838-7444. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

Wright Exhibition Space This show, curated by Virginia Wright, hopes to revive interest in color field painters Jules Olitski, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, and Kenneth Noland. Some of the pieces are magnificent in their lush disregard for anything but their own colors: Noland’s vast Vista surrounds the viewer with a bath of mauve, while Louis’ Mem is a subtle veil of browns. 407 Dexter Ave. N., 206-622-1896. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays.

Museums

Bellevue Art Museum The struggling BAM is resurrected briefly in this outdoor window display of mix-and-match “exquisite corpse” installations by glass artists Cappy Thompson, Walt Lieberman, and Dick Weiss. 510 Bellevue Way N.E., 425-519-0770.

Frye Art Museum Things are shaking up at the sleepy Frye Art Museum. Earlier this year, curator Robin Held left the cutting-edge Henry Art Gallery for the Frye, and now pop surrealist Mark Ryden’s disturbing paintings appear on the walls of the region’s most conservative art institution. Ryden is a skilled painter whose work combines cute wide-eyed children with the macabre. The press release for “Wondertoonel” offers a glimpse of the madness on the walls: ” . . . Fuzzy white bunnies ripped in half and gushing red blood; Abraham Lincoln and Jesus Christ juggling raw meat and parading balloons; and prepubescent girls languidly posing.” Perfect for the kids! Also on display: Henk Pander portrays modern-day tragedies—the New Carissa oil spill, terminal illness, and ground zero in Manhattan—with sentimental realism; plus, etchings by one of Seattle’s first homegrown artists, Paul Morgan Gustin. 704 Terry Ave., 206-622-9250. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Henry Art Gallery “The Work of the Work” is a narrow but tightly focused exploration of how art works on viewers. Much of curator Elizabeth Brown’s guiding aesthetic is to find art that is both accessible to those who don’t have an extensive background in art, but also art that stands up to rigorous critical scrutiny. Highlights include Seattle video genius Gary Hill’s Tall Ships, a video installation in which ghostly figures approach and recede; Kimsooja’s nearly still video of contemplation; Callum Innes’ lushly brushed abstract paintings, Wolfgang Laib’s radiant installation of hazelnut pollen, and Anne Appleby’s superb color field paintings inspired by Montana nature. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Seattle Art Museum “Spain in the Age of Exploration 1492–1819” offers a sampling of the dark visions of Velazquez, Zurbaran, El Greco, Goya, and other masters. This huge show of art and artifacts explores the cultural vibrancy of Spain’s golden age through paintings, altarpieces, documents, navigational instruments, suits of armor and other stuff of empire. Noteworthy are Juan de Flandes’ tender little biblical scenes, a magnificent bronze crucifixion by Bernini that rivals Donatello’s David in its voluptuousness; and a tapestry of human folly and inhumanity designed by Hieronymous Bosch. Also on display: “The View From Here,” offers selections of Pacific Northwest art from 1870 to 1940, while “Modern in America,” explores the interaction between photography and the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and other 20th century greats. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum “Hudson River School” is an OK collection of landscapes from 19th century American artists including Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole, and Frederic Church: heaps of pretty sunsets and over-the-top sublimity for all you nature lovers out there. Do wander over to two other exhibits: “Sense of Place” is an eclectic selection from the permanent collection, including a collage of memory by Randy Hayes, a lovely little Edward Hopper watercolor, and Merrill Wagner’s magnificent Rustoleum-on-steel abstraction, Estuary. Scott Fife’s retrospective is also fascinating—Fife works almost exclusively in cut cardboard. The Seattle-based artist’s huge dog sculpture, Leroy the Big Pup, manages to be both monumental and goofy at the same time, while his series “The Idaho Project” portrays the celebrities and participants in a ballyhooed 1905 trial for the murder of Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Wing Luke Asian Museum The juried exhibit “Beyond Talk: Redrawing Race” attempts to break open the lockbox of dialogue on race. 407 Seventh S., 206-623-5124. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.