The Resident: Travel Guide to Seattle by Henry Art Gallery Director Sylvia Wolf
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The Seattle Art Fair brings together the Pacific Northwest’s strong collector base; local, national, and international galleries; area museums and institutions; and an array of innovative public programming. One of the participating art galleries is TheThe Resident: Travel Guide to Seattle by Henry Art Gallery Director Sylvia Wolf
The Seattle Art Fair brings together the Pacific Northwest’s strong collector base; local, national, and international galleries; area museums and institutions; and an array of innovative public programming. One of the participating art galleries is The Henry, home to a large variety of interactive installations and exhibitions, including works by Bruce Nauman, Sean Scully and Louise Bourgeois.Sylvia Wolf is the John S. Behnke Director of the Henry Art Gallery.She previously served the Whitney Museum of American Art as endowed chair and head of the department of photography from 1999 to 2004, and as adjunct curator from 2004 to 2008. Prior to the Whitney, she was at The Art Institute of Chicago, where she organized more than 25 photography exhibitions during her 12-year tenure.“We’re thrilled to be participating in the Seattle Art Fair,” she says. “Besides our staff and board attending many of the events, the museum is offering a tour of “Fun. No Fun. Kraft Duntz featuring Dawn Cerny” with our Associate Curator Nina Bozicnik on Saturday morning.” This is a commissioned work from the Seattle-based artist/architect team of David Lipe, Matt Sellars, and Dan Webb, in collaboration with Dawn Cerny, which investigates how space and memory mediate experience.Blouin ARTINFO spoke to Wolf on the best ways to get to know Seattle. Edited excerpts:What are your top recommendations for things to do in Seattle at this time of the year?Seattleites love to get near and on the water. We have Lake Washington, Lake Union, Puget Sound, and Green Lake all readily available for swimming and boating, or for a picnic with a bottle of Washington State Pinot Gris.What are some secret places in Seattle that everyone should discover?It’s not a secret to folks in Seattle, but out-of-towners should check out one of our favorite outlooks: Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill. Sunset is particularly spectacular. Plus, Doris Totten Chase’s sculpture “Changing Form” is there for the public to enjoy.What restaurants, bars, and cafes would you recommend in Seattle and why?There are so many to choose from! Among my favorites are Lark, for Pacific Northwest locally-sourced seasonal fare; The Whale Wins, for wood-fired, vegetable-focused menu; Westward, for waterside dining and superb seafood; or MBAR, to sip a Martini by an outdoor fire at this rooftop establishment with the best panoramic views in town. And you can never go wrong with coffee at Victrola.Where would you go and what would you do if you had a free morning or afternoon in Seattle?I would probably meander over to Elliott Bay Books to see what the booksellers are recommending, then take my new books over to Seward Park for a long walk and then read by the shore.Where would you head to in Seattle for the best shopping and what would you buy?If you love shoes, Nordstrom always has a gorgeous selection at their flagship store, but be sure to check out some of our smaller boutiques such as Clementine’s in Pioneer Square.Where would you recommend people stay (such as hotels or B&Bs) when they visit Seattle?Hotel Max has been a great friend to the Henry over the years – many of our artists have stayed there when they are in town. Hotel Deca, here in the University District and within walking distance of the Henry, has also hosted many artists and UW (University of Washington) families. The Thompson Seattle is right near Pike Place Market and has lovely views of the city, as well as a great little bar called The Nest on its top floor. The Hotel Sorrento is an old Seattle favorite. Get a cocktail and relax in the Fireside Room!What are the best places to see and buy art in Seattle?You must come to the Henry to see what contemporary artists are thinking about. Other places to visit are the Seattle Art Museum; Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience; the Northwest African American Museum; and the Frye Art Museum. On the University of Washington campus, the Jacob Lawrence Gallery and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture offer broad perspectives. The Olympic Sculpture Park overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains is not to be missed. Seattle art galleries feature a wide range of artists from the region and around the work. And of course there is the Seattle Art Fair!What are the best places to see live bands or musicians in Seattle and why?This city is known for its wide selection of live music. I keep an eye on who’s playing at the Triple Door and like to take in live jazz at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley or Tula’s Restaurant and Jazz Club. I also love the Seattle Symphony. Check out its schedule while you are in town. Last-minute tickets are often available. The Meany Center for the Performing Arts regularly premiers global musicians, and KEXP’s Gathering Space is a great place to experience this world-renowned radio station’s curated offerings over a cup of artisanal coffee.What upcoming projects are you working on?In November, we are opening “The Time. The Place: Contemporary Art from the Collection,” which features more than 50 artworks by an international roster of artists. The works in this exhibition entered our collection within the last 20 years – this was period during which the Henry reaffirmed our commitment to contemporary art and ideas in Seattle – and explores conditions and events of contemporary social and cultural life through the lens of time and place. We look forward to presenting these works—half of which have not been shown before.Which are the ongoing exhibitions at The Henry?We have several exhibitions open right now: “Doris Totten Chase: Changing Forms,” the first retrospective of Seattle-born artist Doris Totten Chase. This exhibition includes a selection of works created between 1956 and 2000 including paintings, sculptures, and videos.“Summer Wheat: Full Circle” features abstract-figurative paintings by NYC-based artist Summer Wheat. This exhibition features a suite of large-scale abstract-figurative paintings that serve as both portals to imaginary worlds and as mirrors that reflect interior states of being.“no. NOT EVER” is a visual and audio archive of stories that recovers a hidden history of cultural organizing in the Pacific Northwest. This living archive consists of video interviews that the Seattle-based collaborative If You Don’t They Will conducted with a network of rural and suburban activists in the Pacific Northwest who were working to counter white nationalism in their communities during the 1980s and 1990s.“Jacob Lawrence: Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis” features a suite of silkscreen prints that tell the Genesis narrative of creation through the revered American artist and University of Washington professor Jacob Lawrence’s recollected memories of time spent witnessing sermons in the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.And of course, you have to see our James Turrell Skyspace “Light Reign.” There’s no more calming space to relax and take in the ever-changing Northwest sky.Click here to view a slideshow of Seattle’s attractions Read more