New Digital Catalog: Heart of Our Understanding – Drew Michael

In support of his first solo exhibition with our gallery, we are releasing this digital exhibition catalog of Drew Michael’s work. This is a young man who is extraordinarily gifted; a deep feeler and thinker, and wonderfully talented. We are proud to show his work this March, and to bring his vision to Seattle.

Read the catalog here:

2015: A Year for Public Art

2015 saw the collection of quite a bit of Northwest artwork by municipal and medical institutions in our region. The gallery was honored to work with institutions such as the City of Seattle, City of Tacoma, Ballard High School Foundation, University of Washington Medicine, and Swedish Medical Center to place artwork in public spaces and collections.

It is a pleasure to live and work in a region where art is considered an integral public asset, and celebrated for its power to provide a window on local history, contemporary issues, and its ability to heal. We thank these institutions for their support of local artists, and congratulations to all of the artists who had their work collected this year.

Swedish Hospital Edmonds Campus - with Jason Gobin paddles installed.
Swedish Hospital Edmonds Campus – with Jason Gobin (Tulalip) paddles installed.

Swedish Hospital Edmonds Campus detailSwedish Hospital Edmonds Campus

The new Edmonds campus of the Swedish Medical Center now boasts five beautifully painted paddles by Tulalip artist Jason Gobin. They were created especially for the lobby installation, to welcome visitors and patients, and give them a sense of Edmonds’ place and history.

A full set of the 18 prints making up RED: A Haida Manga, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (below) was acquired by the City of Seattle for the Seattle Public Utilities 1% for Art program. We are looking forward to seeing where they pop up in the City’s buildings and galleries!

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas - RED
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (Haida) – RED

Sculptures by Yahgulanaas, as well as flat artwork by Marvin Oliver, Alano EdzerzaQwalsius Shaun Peterson, Robert Davidson, Susan Point, and Maynard Johnny Jr. also entered the collection. Further works by Manuel Salazar, lessLIE Sam, and Preston Singletary were acquired for the Seattle City Light 1% for Art Collection. Many of the works were and are on display as part of the two-part exhibition “Seattle Simplified” at the Seattle Municipal Tower, a free gallery.

Cannonball Island - Mary Randlett - Silver Gelatin Print
Cannonball Island – Mary Randlett – Silver Gelatin Print
Spindle Whorl by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo (Squaxin Island)
Spindle Whorl by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo (Squaxin Island)

To give their new Olympia campus a local feeling, UW Medicine has selected photography by the renowned local artist Mary Randlett, and a satin-sheened spindle whorl by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo to complete their opening day collection.

The City of Tacoma has added four wonderful new pieces to their municipal collection, all by artists who live within Northwest Washington. Congratulations to Neeka Cook,Preston Singletary, Mary Randlett and Marvin Oliver!

Neeka Cook (Tlingit) – Chookaneidi Fortress
Glass basket by Preston Singletary
Glass basket by Preston Singletary (Tlingit)
A Touch of Blue – Marvin Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may remember the soaring “Elimination of Innocence” triptych from Thomas Stream’s summer exhibition when it made its debut. The three paintings have recently become part of the collection of the Musee Boulogne-sur-Mer in France, which will soon house one of Europe’s only collections of contemporary Alaskan art. Other works by Stream were collected by major local corporate collections this year, and a gift of an original painting was made to a University museum in the Midwest.

Thomas Stream (Sun'aq Aleut) - Elimination of Innocence Triptych - Gouache on Paper.
Thomas Stream (Sun’aq Aleut) – Elimination of Innocence Triptych – Gouache on Paper.

Demonstration: Lisa Telford

Thank you to weaver Lisa Telford (Haida) for showing us the techniques behind her incredible baskets and high heels! It was wonderful to sit with this fun, funny, and extremely talented artist and see the incredible amount of hard work, preparation and dedication behind each plait in her weaving. Lisa’s work can be seen at the gallery, and also in the Burke Museum’s permanent collection. Her high heels and high couture dresses made of woven cedar bark will knock you flat!

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Raven Skyriver Lecture at Little London Plane

Last night was a huge treat for the staff and our collectors, as glass artist Raven Skyriver and Seattle Aquarium veterinarian Lesanna Lahner gave a team talk at the lovely Pioneer Square wine bar Little London Plane. Raven, whose blown glass creatures are inspired by the marine life of the Pacific Ocean and beyond, spoke about his upbringing in the San Juan Islands, and how his connection to nature has directed his focus and his practice throughout his life. Lesanna, a pioneering young veterinarian, wowed us with wild stories about the marine animals in her care, and made us all think a little deeper about just how one would perform surgery on a fish. Thank you to Raven, Lesanna, Little London Plane, and all of our collectors who attended this very special event!


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Demonstration & Lecture: Marvin Oliver + Serigraphy

MARVIN OLIVER:

Rare Works On Paper

 

        brass-die-for-sea-bear-sea-bear

 

studying-golden-messenger

Opening Reception,

First Thursday, May 1st, 6-8pm

Artist Lecture & Demonstration:

May 14th, 7pm at Stonington Gallery

Free to Attend

Stonington Gallery is proud to present a collection of rare and new hand-pulled serigraphs by master contemporary artist Marvin Oliver (Quinault/Isleta Pueblo Tribes). A long-time educator at the University of Washington, curator at the Burke Museum, and full-time artist, Oliver is known for his innovative experiments in glass, print-making and large scale public art.

Professor of Art and American Indian Studies at the University of Washington since the 1970s, Oliver has created a new print each year to bestow on graduates of the program.

A wide range of these historic prints–many that are long since sold out–are for sale and on display from the artist’s archive in this exhibition. Also on display are select works in glass.

Incorporating the bright colors of his Southwestern heritage into painstakingly silkscreened prints–often made with ten colors or more–he mixes that inspiration with the formal designs of the Coast Salish peoples of the Northwest, resulting in iconic, energetic works. Techniques such as embossing or foiling appear in many print series, bringing the sculptural traditions of his Northwest Coast heritage to bear in 2-D works.

Marvin is the son of Emmett Oliver (Quinault), creator of the massive “Paddle to Seattle” in 1989 that brought tribal members together to recreate epic canoe journeys down the Northwest Coast. The event has become an annual “Paddle” that lands in a different place each summer since. A participant since the early days of the journey, Marvin is able to tie his experiments in glass and modern media to his strong, solid roots in traditional culture.

In his lecture and demonstration, Oliver will demonstrate how he painstakingly pulls his serigraphs–color by color–and embosses them.

Susan Point – New Horizons

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When is a print not a print? When it’s a glorious etched glass panel. This work was the result of a commission by a client who loved Susan Point’s poignant way of bringing together the elements of water and sky. The resulting artwork, “New Horizons”, was so successful that Point created the serigraphs Anvil Island State I and II from the original commissioned cedar and glass artwork.

 

Snoqualmie River Pole – David Franklin

With the commission of this housepost for the interior of our clients’ home, they wanted their pole to celebrate the ecology of the Snoqualmie River Falls area. The completed pole honors the fauna and flora–eagles, hawks, salmonberries, beavers, bears, and skunk cabbage–that are part of the clients’ daily lives.

Carved for private collection in 2013 by David Franklin.

Red Cedar
96″h
Snoqualmie River Pole - David Frankin