Visual Arts – Openings & Events

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Thursday, March 19, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Friday, March 20, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Friday, March 20, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Friday, March 20, 2015

Mega Miniature Golf Apocalypse Northwest industrial artists engineer some crazy crazy courses in a pop-up nightclub setting.  Smash Putt, 1110 23rd Ave $10-$20 Friday, March 20, 2015, 6pm

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Saturday, March 21, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Sunday, March 22, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Sunday, March 22, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Monday, March 23, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Monday, March 23, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Tuesday, March 24, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Let’s Go to the Louvre! Workshop Series Learn about and how to paint the masterpieces inside this famous museum. Ages 8-12.  Early Masters, 8815 Roosevelt Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98115 $55 Tuesday, March 24, 2015, 4pm

Let’s Go to the Louvre! Workshop Series Learn about and how to paint the masterpieces inside this famous museum. Ages 8-12.  Early Masters, 8815 Roosevelt Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98115 $55 Tuesday, March 24, 2015, 4pm

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Wednesday, March 25, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Thursday, March 26, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Thursday, March 26, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Friday, March 27, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Friday, March 27, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O??Toole??s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Saturday, March 28, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Saturday, March 28, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Sunday, March 29, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Sunday, March 29, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Monday, March 30, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Monday, March 30, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Tuesday, March 31, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Tuesday, March 31, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Wednesday, April 1, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Wednesday, April 1, 2015

• 

Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Thursday, April 2, 2015

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First Thursday Art Walk Beginning around 5 p.m. and often lasting to 9 p.m., the monthly art celebration includes venues like the Tashiro Kaplan Building, Roq La Rue, James Harris, Greg Kucera, and all the other Pioneer Square galleries. Occidental Park will also be full of artists and vendors. Occidental Park, S. Main St. & Occidental Ave. S. Free Thursday, April 2, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Thursday, April 2, 2015

• 

Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Friday, April 3, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Friday, April 3, 2015

• 

Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Saturday, April 4, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Saturday, April 4, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Sunday, April 5, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Sunday, April 5, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Monday, April 6, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Monday, April 6, 2015

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Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Tuesday, April 7, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Tuesday, April 7, 2015

• 

Eloquent Objects Although the tendency would be to view this selection of Southwestern art as a Georgia O’Keeffe show (with 22 of her paintings on view), the intent is to bring the New Mexico still-life tradition out of the desert and to our mossy climes. Thus another 40-odd works will represent her peers and heirs: Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Gustave Baumann, Eliseo Rodriguez, and a dozen more. Flowers, cow skulls, cacti, and the Painted Desert are surely represented here, but there’s a meditative way of seeing that’s equally important to the arid inspiration. The desert strips away everything excess (recall Peter O’Toole’s T.E. Lawrence saying he liked the desert because “It’s clean”), always a useful lesson for artists. This touring show is making its only West Coast stop in Tacoma. TAM has more works by O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in its permanent collection (some added with the recent Haub family bequest), though she’s the main draw here, and her influence extends far beyond Santa Fe. We’ll see that reach in a concurrently running companion show, The Still Life Tradition in the Northwest, featuring local names like Morris Graves, Norman Lundin, and Doris Chase. (Through June 7.) BRIAN MILLER Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 $14 Wednesday, April 8, 2015

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Maimouna Guerresi The former M.I.A. Gallery, which often features African art and photography, has moved south and changed its name to match that of its French-Somali expat owner. The old space was one of my favorite stops on the First Thursday Art Walk, but now it’s even closer to the action (and also next door to James Harris, a good neighbor to have). Inaugurating the new digs will be a selection of photos from the Italian/Senegalese Guerresi, whose studio scenes have a highly ritualized, almost theatrical aspect. The images in Light Bodies are less individual portraits of women than idealized renderings of high priestesses (or even saints, though the iconography is mostly Islamic). Colorful robes, chadors, and headdresses are elongated and enlarged, taking an almost architectural form; hats become minarets. Female bodies fall away, or become black voids, suggesting a kind of sublimation from flesh to spirit. The devotion is solemn, mystical, opaque: We’re not sure what specific texts are being read or icons worshipped. Guerresi’s often-looming figures are like peaceful giants from myth, figures removed from our petty, earthly concerns. In interviews, she’s cited the influence of the poet Rumi and Sufi mysticism. “Expressing cosmic beauty heals the diseases of the soul,” says Guerresi, who’ll attend the opening. BRIAN MILLER Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, 608 Second Ave. Free opening reception Wednesday, April 8, 2015