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

Lectures and Events

Artist Lecture: C. James Meyer Virgina Commonwealth University professor and jewelry artist C. James Meyer talks about the art of contemporary jewelry. 4 p.m. Thurs. Aug. 11. Facere Jewelry Art Gallery, 1420 Fifth Ave. (U.S. Bank/City Centre), Suite 108, free (RSVP requested), 206-624-6768.

Artist Lecture: Tibetan Thangka Painters Three Tibetan artists living in exile in India—Tsetsen Dorjee, Gyurme Sonam, and Ngawang Chephel— discuss and demonstrate the art of Buddhist sacred paintings. 5:30 p.m. Thurs. Aug. 11. Fort Worden State Park, Building 204 (Port Townsend), free, 360-385-3102.

Meet the Artists The gallery’s current show, “Women I Know in Their Underwear,” offers not-quite-nude paintings by Pam BergLundh, plus abstract collage in various media by Elizabeth Halfacre. 3- 5 p.m. Sat. Aug 13. Gallery 110, 110 S. Washington St., free, 206-624-9336.

Openings

Artcore Tattoo-influenced paintings of big-eyed ladies, most with a hefty dose of blue eye shadow, by Costa Rican artist Alex Nuñez. Reception: 7-10 p.m. Sun. Aug. 14. 5501-A Airport Way S., 206-767-2673. Ends June 5.

Artemis Sun-drenched realist paintings of Seattle locales and other stuff by Anne Duffy. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Sat. Aug. 13. 3107 S. Day St., 206-323-0562. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Francine Seders “Large Works” is a brief show of, well, large works by gallery artists. The first week includes big paintings and sculpture by Juan Alonso, Michael Dailey, Marita Dingus, Caryn Friedlander, and Alan Lau. The second week showcases art by Guy Anderson, Alfonse Borysewicz, Lauri Chambers, Andreas Grunert, and gory scenes by longtime Northwest artist Michael Spafford. Opens Tues. Aug. 16. 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.- Sat.; 1-5 p.m. Sun.

Roq La Rue “The Devil’s Hobby Hut” brings together two cranky masters of lowbrow art: Seattle’s own Charles Krafft and San Francisco–based poster artist Frank Kozik. Krafft will display more of his fantastic porcelain weaponry, SPONE reliquaries made with human ashes, and satanic, Delft-style ceramics made during a recent residency at the European Ceramic Work Centre in the Netherlands. Kozik, known for revitalizing the rock poster for such bands as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Beastie Boys, shows new works on paper, plus an assortment of 100 Japanese-style evil robot toys. Reception: 6-10 p.m. Fri. Aug. 12. 2316 Second Ave., 206-374-8977. 2-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-4 p.m. Sun.

Schmancy Oddball toys are the new hip art medium, peddled by stores like Schmancy in Belltown and OKOK on Capitol Hill. “Plush You!” features a motley assortment of stuffed animals from Stuart Bloomfield, Beck Wheeler, Heidi Kenney, and David Huyck. These one-of-a-kind critters are reasonably priced and weird, and the kids love ’em. Reception: 5 p.m. Fri. Aug. 12. 1930 Second Ave., 206-728-8008. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon- 5 p.m. Sun.

Solomon Fine Art “Natural Selection” offers nature-inspired art by Denver’s Trine Bumiller and Washington, D.C.–based painter Isabel Manolo. Manolo’s work, a series of remembered landscapes executed in near-abstract acrylics, looks the most promising. Opens: Wed. Aug. 10. 1215 First Ave., 206-297-1400. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Stonington Gallery “Awakenings: A Gathering of Contemporary Coast Salish Artists” showcases the work of 20 Native American artists from the Pacific Northwest, including cedar sculpture, glass, basketry, and metalwork by Shaun Peterson, Susan A. Point, Marvin Oliver, and others. Opening night includes Native song, dance, and the release of an accompanying book from University of Washington Press. Reception: 6-9 p.m. Sat. Aug. 13. 119 S. Jackson St., 206-405-4040. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Verite Coffee New paintings of a childhood world run amok by Rachel Van Citters. Opens Sat. Aug. 13. 2052 N.W. Market St., 206-782-9557. 6:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 6:30 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat.; 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.

Last Chance

Ballard/Fetherston “Summer Salon,” a sampler of gallery artists, features regulars Deborah Bell, Gary Komarin, Michael Schultheis, plus new additions Carolyn Cole and Melissa Furness. 818 E. Pike St., 206-322-9440. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Crawl Space University of Washington MFA graduate Jason Wood’s new photographs explore the origins of everyday objects. 504 E. Denny Way (#1), 206-240-6015. Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Francine Seders For the past several years, local photographer Spike Mafford has been trying to figure out how to bring the aesthetic experience of visual art to both the blind and sighted. The results of his experiments are on display in a new show, “Braille.” Mafford has incorporated tactile elements, including Braille lettering and raised forms, into his printed photos with the goal of discovering how a printed photograph changes after being touched by arts “viewers.” 6701 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-782-0355. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.- Sat.; 1-5 p.m. Sun.

Galleries

Art/Not Terminal Portraits by photographer Mike Henley, plus a group show of sketches and paintings from the Figure Workshop, an institution in which Eugene and Laura Pizzuto have led local artists in human-figure studies for the last 35 years. 2045 Westlake Ave., 206-233-0680. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

ArtsWest Ceramic wall sculptures (hopefully done in Delft-style blues) by Julie Lindell, plus black-and-white photos of everyday people and objects by Ron Hammond and Zuzana Sadkova. 4711 California Ave. S.W. (West Seattle), 206-938-0963. Noon-7 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Benham “Beyond the Landscape,” nearly abstract photographs of the outdoors by resident artists Bruce Barnbaum and Phyllis Uitti-Maslin. 216 First Ave., 206-622-2480. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Bluebottle In his second solo show at Bluebottle, painter Charles Glaubitz shows more of his frenetic, politically charged paintings. A child of American and Mexican parents, Glaubitz inhabits the strange and artistically vibrant cross-border environment of San Diego and Tijuana. Stocked with satanic Mickey Mouse figures, pollution-belching maquiladora factories, masked wrestlers, and heroic children, Glaubitz’s work is a complex vision of the messy march of globalization. 415 E. Pine St., 206-325-1592. 1-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

CoCA New digitally created exercises in lush abstract color—a kind of Op Art for the cyber age—by New York–based artist and photographer Matthew Klein. Plus, Philo’s Cave, a sculptural installation by UW MFA candidate Tivon Rice.410 Dexter Ave. N., 206-728-1980. 2-8 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun.

Davidson Intensely colored abstract stripe paintings by Matthew Landkammer. Plus: “The Personal Politic,” innovative and satiric prints by three contemporary artists: Kurt Kemp (California), Michael Krueger (Kansas), and Jenny Schmid (Minnesota). 313 Occidental Ave. S., 206-624-7684. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Foster/White Glass baubles in primary colors by California artist Elin Christopherson. 123 S. Jackson St., 206-622-2833. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

G. Gibson Eight artists taking a peek at nature are part of “You Can’t See the Forest,” a group show of photographs, collage, and mixed-media constructions. Includes a forest collage by Seattle photographer Paul Berger and lovely skyscapes by Scotland’s Iain Stewart. 300 S. Washington St., 206-587-4033. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Gallery 110 “Women I Know in their Underwear” offers not-quite-nude paintings by Pam BergLundh, plus abstract collage in various media by Elizabeth Halfacre. 110 S. Washington St., 206-624-9336. Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat.

Gallery 4 Culture Watercolors, prints, and drawings by Bay Area artist William T. Wiley. Raised in Richland, Wash., Wiley has been a part of the counterculture art movement since the ’60s, making surreal and politically charged illustrations deeply coded with layers of allusion and symbols. 506 Second Ave., Suite 200 (Smith Tower), 206-296-7580. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Garde Rail Gallery artist Kevin Titzer guest curates a show inspired by the music of the those brainy, overgrown kids They Might Be Giants. The show brings in over a dozen new artists, which is a relief, as it’s been a while since this gallery has had any new artists’ work on display. 110 Third Ave. S., 206-621-1055. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Greg Kucera New work by Montana artist Deborah Butterfield, who does clever, larger-than-life sculptures of horses from found wood. (The wood is lost in the bronze-casting process, leaving an amazingly realistic trace of weathered wood grain.) Other, smaller pieces are made from found scrap metal and copper. 212 Third Ave., 206-624-0770. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Howard House Local artist Juniper Shuey’s debut solo show, “Mystery in Which We All Participate,” explores notions of perception, the body, and religious transformation through video, installation, and one inflatable sculpture. The most impressive piece is A Thousand More Things Have Gone Right Than Gone Wrong, a projected video of faces emerging from milky liquid, all projected on a table piled with flour. Another installation, You Will Find Yourself Eventually, projects the viewer’s visage on a screen of sprayed water. This is skilled, virtuoso new media art, but it all left me feeling a bit cold. The video Revelation of an Unexpected Cooperation, for instance, is clever: Construction workers build a wall in front of a choreographed couple wearing animal masks. But it doesn’t quite transcend that overgrown-art-school-project feel. 604 Second Ave., 206-256-6399. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Jack Straw New Media Gallery Rene Yung’s installation “Four Dignities” uses fabric screens and quiet audio to encourage viewers to experience the Buddhist concept of mindfulness in four states: sitting, walking, standing, and lying down. 4261 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-634-0919. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Kobo at Higo “Scenes of Japan” features Kiyoshi Toda’s photographs exploring the culture of his native Japan. 602-608 S. Jackson St., 206-381-3000. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Lisa Harris Boldly colored abstract paintings with an intuitive sense of form and balance by Seattle’s Victoria Johnson, plus narrative collages by Iren Mahler. 1922 Pike Pl., 206-443-3315. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.

Marenakos Stonearium Seattle gallerist Bryan Ohno, now without a permanent gallery space, links up with the Marenakos Rock Center to present a show of steel sculpture by Isamu Noguchi, plus stone work by Kazutaka Uchida, Richard Hestekind, Kentaro Kojima, and Alexandra Morosco. 3220 First Ave. S. (two blocks south of Starbucks headquarters), 206-667-9572. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.

Photographic Center Northwest “Focused” presents the results of PCNW’s 10th annual photo contest, this year judged by Mary Virginia Swanson. The results are varied: Standouts include Patty Carroll’s uncanny staged tableaux in fabric, and tsunami images from Sri Lanka by Wyatt Gallery. 900 12th Ave., 206-720-7222. Noon-9:30 p.m. Mon.; 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery “Summer Introductions,” offers debuts by eight local artists new to SAM’s Rental/Sales Gallery, including Anna Fidler and Stephen Yates. 1220 Third Ave., 206-343-1101. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

Seattle LGBT Community Center “Before and After” features photographic vignettes of Seattle by local artist Amy Abadilla. 1115 E. Pike St., 206- 323-5428. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sun.

SOIL “Girls Growing,” a group show curated by Jess Van Nostrand, includes work that rips apart all the clichés about the transition from girlhood to womanhood. Featured artists include Barbara Wijnveld and Margi Geerlinks (Netherlands), Jenny Zwick (Seattle), Kipling West (Calgary), and Ginny Ivanicki (Vancouver). 112 Third Ave. S., 206-264-8061. Noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun.

Suyama Space In Utah-based artist Paul Stout’s oddly compelling installation “Second Nature,” huge blades of “grass” grow up from assorted Victorian coffee tables. Don’t miss Stout’s virtuoso mechanical bugs under glass in the adjacent space. 2324 Second Ave., 206-256-0809. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Vidya Earth-mothery sculpture in sandstone, marble, and alabaster by local Heather Cole. 619 Western Ave. (second floor), 206-374-6107. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

West Edge Sculptural Invitational Seattle’s Harbor Steps get a dose of mediocre sculpture for the second summer in a row, including works by locals Ann Morris, Gerard Tsutakawa, Claudia Fitch, and Ross Palmer Beecher. Harbor Steps to Benaroya Hall, between Third Avenue and Western Avenue at University Street, 206-334-5040.

Western Bridge German artist Daniel Roth’s strange and subtle installation River Styx presents “evidence”—in drawings, sculpture, and photography—of an underground river running west from Seattle, below the Olympic Peninsula, and out to a burial island off the coast. Also on display is Rodney Graham’s clever second look at an old oak tree, Roni Horn’s obsessive 100-photo installation You Are the Weather, and a justly famous series of portraits of four sisters taken over 30 years by Nicholas Nixon. And speaking of the River Styx, you’ll feel like you’ve been to hell and back after experiencing Gary Hill’s numbing video Wall Piece, a study in frustration, artistic struggle, and the failure of language. 3412 Fourth Ave. S., 206-838-7444. Noon-6 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.

William Traver Venetian glass artist Davide Salvadore’s variations on the musical instruments, sculpture, and culture of Africa. 110 Union St., second floor, 206-587-6501. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Winston Wächter The human figure is the theme of “Figuration,” a sampler of work by gallery artists. Most notable is Brian Murphy, whose unsparing self-portraits are studies in dissolution and excess; other artists include Generation X’s answer to Norman Rockwell, Bo Bartlett; James Croak, who makes sculptures of people from cast dirt; and painters Tony Scherman and Alex Katz. 203 Dexter Ave. N., 206-652-5855. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Wright Exhibition Space “Aboriginal Vision” offers selections of contemporary Australian Aboriginal art from the expansive collection of UW international studies professor Margaret Levi and her husband, Robert Kaplan. 407 Dexter Ave. N., 206-264-8200. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thurs.-Fri.

Museums

Bellevue Arts Museum BAM is back with a retooled mission as an accessible (read: noncontroversial) place for art, craft, and design. Executive director Michael Monroe launches the resurrection with “The Artful Teapot,” an impressive but safe collection of 250 teapots-as-sculpture. Albert Paley’s new Art Nouveau iron work is nice and intricate, kind of like a Chihuly is nice and intricate. (Fans of the Tacoma glassmeister can see one of his newly commissioned works in BAM’s lobby.) And for those who just can’t get enough glass, there’s an exhibit of art and posters from the early days of the Pilchuck Glass School. 510 Bellevue Way N.E., 425-519-0770. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Thurs.); 11 a.m-5:30 p.m. Sun.

Burke Museum Subhankar Banerjee’s magnificent photos of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are the result of a two-year expedition among caribou and tundra. Savor these images, before ExxonMobil and BP bring their “low-impact” drilling apparatus to ANWR. Also on display: traditional and contemporary Native American art depicting arctic animals. UW campus, Northeast 45th Street and 17th Avenue Northeast, 206-543-5590. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (until 8 p.m. Thurs.).

Frye Art Museum “Taking and Making” features recent work by Oliver Herring, the German-born artist whose experiments in photography, video, and sculpture take novel turns, including a life-size self-portrait sculpture made from snapshots. Also: “Spectatorship and Desire: Lust” rehangs some of the Frye’s permanent collection in a salon-style jumble. 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 German-born Seattle artist Trimpin does amazing things combining technological gizmos with more analog stuff like typewriters, player pianos, and other musical instruments. (His best-known work is the immense Roots and Branches sculpture of robotically controlled guitars at EMP.) The next year or so is going to be something of a Trimpin celebration, with local galleries and museums showcasing the artist’s various kinetic sculptures. At the Henry, the wonderfully titled installation Phfftt involves some 200 electronically controlled woodwind instruments that visitors can play with a series of two dials—or one can simply listen to one of 12 manic, lighthearted, or sinister works by the composer. Also on display: Do not miss the magnificent Francis Bacon painting Study for a Pope IV, on display in its own room. Seattle is lucky to have this picture, on loan from an anonymous West Coast patron. The 1961 work is a late piece in Bacon’s startling series of popes; this one conveys a haunting combination of authority and impotence. The skull-like head seems to shift and shimmer before your eyes, and the feeble hands make the pontiff seem very fallible indeed. Also: “Seeing the Unseen,” a fascinating collection prints of X- ray, microscopic, time-lapse, and other 19th- and 20th-century photographic novelties. UW campus, 206-543-2280. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.

Seattle Art Museum “Isamu Noguchi—Sculptural Design” is an unorthodox and splashy exploration of the eclectic 20th-century sculptor-designer. The exhibit is a visual and sonic extravaganza designed by theater experimentalist Robert Wilson. Various rooms evoke different themes in Noguchi’s long career: His work in the theater with the likes of Martha Graham takes the shape of a brooding theatrical space; intensely material sculptural works are set in a Zen rock garden, complete with several tons of raked gravel. Other rooms suggest Noguchi’s mission to popularize art through mass-produced design. There are moments when the project goes over the top: The canned thunder and lightning accompanying a model of a monument to Benjamin Franklin, complete with kite and key, is a bit much. Still, this is a fascinating look at an artist who managed to span divides between cultures and artistic disciplines. Also on display: “Africa in America” is a varied and complex exploration of slavery, displacement, and ethnic culture as portrayed in African-American art of the late 20th century, including work by James W. Washington Jr., Kara Walker, Ellen Gallagher, Oliver Jackson, and Marita Dingus. 100 University St., 206-654-3100. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.

Tacoma Art Museum Jewelry doesn’t have to make the diamond barons at DeBeers rich. Case in point: “Zero Karat,” a touring collection of jewelry made from such nonprecious materials as aluminum and Chinese newspapers. Also on display: “Carving a Legacy,” contemporary interpretations of traditional Native American art by Shaun Peterson, Greg Colfax, Karen Reed, and others. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-272-4258. Every third Thursday free and open until 8 p.m. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Wing Luke Asian Museum “Women and Violence” explores domestic violence, sexual abuse, war, trafficking, and the “mail-order bride” phenomenon, specifically focusing on the Asian/Pacific Islander community. 407 Seventh Ave. S., 206-623- 5124. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.