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TUESDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Buena Vista Social Orchestra Past Event Like List
In 1996, British record producer Nick Gold, roots rock guitarist Ry Cooder, and bandleader Juan de Marcos González organized the Buena Vista Social Club to revive popular Cuban music of the 1940s. Taking the name from a long-gone Havana music venue, the trio recruited veteran musicians from back in the day—some of whom had been retired for many years—to bring son, bolero, and danzón music to the masses. You may be familiar with the ensemble if you've seen Wim Wenders' 1999 critically acclaimed documentary, Buena Vista Social Club, which follows the band's formation. The band's current iteration is led by trombonist Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos, who directs key players from throughout Buena Vista Social Club history to continue the group's legacy. AV
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

READINGS & TALKS

Marisel Salazar: Latin-ish — Bold Flavors that Break Boundaries Past Event Like List
James Beard Award judge, Michelin Guide contributor, restaurant critic, and food writer Marisel Salazar has dedicated her career to celebrating the Hispanic diaspora. Her new debut cookbook Latin-ish contains over 100 recipes based on cuisines from across the country, including Floribbean, Tex-Mex, Alta California, NYC Latine, and more, resulting in enticing dishes like San Antonio-style migas, mango Chamoy salads, guava cream cheese cinnamon rolls, Cuban pizza, and plantain upside-down cakes. Join her for a conversation about the vibrant range of Latine-influenced gastronomy at this event hosted by Town Hall. JB
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)

THURSDAY

COMEDY

Flock! Live Queer Comedy Remind Like List
Calling all trans, bi, sapphic, gay, butch, femme, pan, enby, and ally folks! This recurring night of stand-up pulls from the well of Seattle's finest queer comedians, and it's grown to become one of the city's buzziest showcases. This time around, FLOCK! will head to Capitol Hill's newest comedy haunt, so head there to squawk along with the best of 'em. LC
(Comedy/Bar, Capitol Hill)

FRIDAY

COMEDY

Dungeons and Drag Queens: The Flamboyant Fall! Past Event Like List
Hear ye, hear ye, theydies and gentlethem: Described as "fantasy and hilarity on a magical journey" by the South Seattle Emerald, drag queens of the bard, druid, and paladin variety will play the legendary tabletop game of monsters and mayhem in this recurring show. Dungeons and Drag Queens has been making waves from the West Coast to NYC, and it's what the high-fantasy fashion queens deserve. Mysterious Dungeon Master Paul Curry will lead the way through the "rollicking, frolicking" improvisational fantasy drag comedy show, which will include improvisational tunes by Carson Cutter this time around. LC
(Broadway Performance Hall, Capitol Hill)

Eugene Mirman: An Evening of Whimsy and Mild Grievances Past Event Like List
You might know Eugene Mirman best by his voice: He's played aspiring keyboardist and prankster Gene Belcher on Bob's Burgers for over a decade. But the Moscow-born comic's sharp, deadpan style has also shown up on HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim’s Delocated, Archer, and oodles of other TV shows and specials over the past two decades. Mirman is a key figure in the "alt comedy" scene, so if that's your thing, show up to this set to learn from the poker-faced master. LC
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

FILM

Paris, Texas: New 4K Restoration Remind Like List
Paris, Texas is my favorite film of all time, and my second and third are True Stories and 3 Women, both of which could arguably exist in Paris, Texas's universe. A disheveled Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) meanders out of the matte desert, where he's reunited with his eight-year-old son, Hunter, and his billboard-designing brother in the neon canyons of Los Angeles. He tries on different roles: He imagines becoming the "rich father," accomplishing nothing but to chase after his son's affection. A road trip then guides Hunter and Travis back to the root of their trauma. The result is a neo-Western that feels spiritually in tune with Twin Peaks, Repo Man, and—hear me out—the myth of Odysseus. It also did more to promote pink fuzzy sweaters than the entirety of Barbie's endless press campaign. By the way, I'd typically balk at a 127-minute runtime, but Wim Wenders' ultra-deliberate filmmaking (and Robby Müller's choreography) demands a slow read. Certain shots linger long after the credits roll. LC
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill)

LIVE MUSIC

(G)I-DLE: ‘i-DOL’ World Tour 2024 Past Event Like List
K-pop group (G)I-dle is known for shattering stereotypes as an all-female five-piece that self-produces and writes much of their own music. Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua will stop by the Tacoma Dome to support their sophomore album, 2, which Billboard says as lyrically examines "female empowerment, trusting one’s instinct, destiny, and love."
(Tacoma Dome, Tacoma)

Gracie Abrams: The Secret of US Tour Past Event Like List
Singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams (we’ll save you a Google—director J.J. is her dad) makes emotional pop songs about heartbreak full of quivering vocals and sparse arrangements. Her star has risen in recent years after clinching an opening slot on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and subsequently collaborating with the pop superstar. Although Abrams’ nepo baby status has helped her break into the mainstream, her sheer talent for songwriting stands on its own. Prepare for the show by listening to her stirring sophomore album, The Secret of Us. AV
(WaMu Theater, SoDo)

The Softies, Seapony, and Lisa Prank Past Event Like List
I shrieked when I saw this lineup! The Softies are one of the best, most underrated bands of the '90s. The duo of Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, Gaze, Go Sailor) and Jen Sbragia started their delightfully saccharine indie pop project back in 1994 with a handful of records on Olympia's K Records and Oakland's Slumberland Records. Their debut album It's Love is pure pop perfection with gentle jangly guitars, breathy harmonies, and diary entry-esque lyrics. Trust me, I listened to a lot of twee pop as a teenager and none of it holds up for me the way the Softies do. The pair disbanded in 2000, but luckily, they've reunited for a handful of PNW shows this year. Don't miss opening sets from indie pop gems Seapony and Lisa Prank. AV
(Fremont Abbey Arts Center, Fremont)

READINGS & TALKS

Jesmyn Ward with Ijeoma Oluo Past Event Like List
Two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward's latest novel, Let Us Descend, follows an enslaved woman in the antebellum South whose journey leads her through "the rice fields of the Carolinas, the slave markets of New Orleans, and into the heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation." Ward, who's also a creative writing professor at Tulane University, will be joined in conversation by the self-proclaimed "internet yeller" Ijeoma Oluo, who penned the powerful tomes So You Want To Talk About Race, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, and Be A Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World — and How You Can, Too. LC
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)

SATURDAY

COMEDY

Leslie Jones: Live Past Event Like List
Leslie Jones does far more than kick spectral ass—she's a three-time Emmy Award nominee with stints on SNL and Our Flag Means Death under her belt. Lately, she's taken on a Daily Show guest hosting gig and starred in Coming 2 America opposite Eddie Murphy, walking away with an MTV Movie Award for her performance. I'm a fan of Jones's podcast, THE FCKRY, which exposes the inherent fuckitude of varying topics each week. Here's hoping she'll share more no-fucks-given insights at this show. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

LIVE MUSIC

AFROPUNK Seattle Past Event Like List
Since 2005, AFROPUNK has brought its annual arts festival to Brooklyn, Paris, Atlanta, Johannesburg, Miami, Minneapolis, and Bahia to highlight alternative Black creators around the globe. This year, the festival is teaming up with KEXP and Friends of Waterfront Park for a mini-festival along the pier featuring jazzy R&B singer-songwriter Cautious Clay, local punk trio Black Ends, and DJs BLAST, Lace Cadence, and Faridaguyzzz. AV
(Pier 62, Downtown)

CupcakKe Past Event Like List
CupcakKe's new album Dauntless Manifestocontains multitudes. The album zig-zags from touching, emotional tracks about depression like "Rock Paper Scissors" to humorous sex-positive anthems like "Queef" (which includes pearl-clutching poetry like "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, He gon’ make this pussy fart.") Despite covering such varied topics, the album is impressively cohesive in its delightfully dreamy production reminiscent of Beyoncé's Lemonade. She will return to Seattle with support from Portland-based rapper Karma Rivera. AV
(Showbox SoDo, SoDo)

Magdalena Bay: The Imaginal Mystery Tour Past Event Like List
Synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay, known for their ethereal vocals, colorful Y2K aesthetic, and green-screen music videos, will stop by on their Imaginal Mystery tour to support their new album Imaginal Disk. Continuing a trajectory of making absurdist pop music, the sci-fi concept album explores a misshapen CD-shaped object that gets inserted into a person's forehead (check out the album cover if you need a visual). AV
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

READINGS & TALKS

Khushbu Shah with J. Kenji López-Alt Past Event Like List
With her debut cookbook Amrikan: 125 Recipes From the Indian Diaspora, Food & Wine writer and editor Khushbu Shah asks the question, “What is Indian food in America?” She delves into the answer not only with irresistible-sounding recipes I'm eager to add into my rotation, like saag paneer lasagna, achari paneer pizza, spinach tadka dal with rice, panipuri mojitos, and masala chai Basque cheesecake, but also with images and essays that meditate on the connection between food and identity. As Shah told the New York Times in a 2019 interview, "Food is undeniably intersectional. It’s impossible — it’s irresponsible — to deny it." She'll chat about the release with chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt. JB
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)

SUNDAY

SPORTS & RECREATION

Rave Green Run Past Event Like List
This year, the Sounders' Rave Green Run will take participants through the team's newly built Renton headquarters and training facility. The 5K (which they say is "flat," music to my ears) raises money for the RAVE Foundation, which builds fields for free play to make soccer more accessible to youth. Speaking of kids, they can sign up for Sammy's One Mile Kilometer Dash. All finishers receive a special scarf, race shirt, and access to the Finish Line Festival, where awards and giveaways will be doled out. You might hear a familiar voice over the loudspeaker: former Sounder and current team broadcaster Brad Evans emcees the event. SL
(The Sounders FC Center at Longacres, Renton)

MULTI-DAY

COMEDY

I Saw You: A Comedy with Heart Remind Like List
See someone? Say something. I Saw U, The Stranger's take on Craigslist Missed Connections, returned in March, which means you can read pickup lines like "How's your praxis? Because I think we could be more than just a theory ;)" whenever you want. Unexpected Productions has since devised an improvised response to the column, transforming the weekly listings into comedy sets that "imagine what would happen if the individuals actually went out on a date." I hope they address the love blossoming at Biscuit Bitch. LC
(Unexpected Productions' Market Theater, Pike Place Market, Friday–Saturday)

SketchFest Seattle 2024 Past Event Like List
If you dig Netflix's I Think You Should Leave or HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show, here's your opportunity to see sketch experts from beyond the confines of your couch. SketchFest Seattle will return for its 25th year to gather a gaggle of the strongest sketch comics in the country. With slapstick shows planned across three nights, featuring local and farther-flung chuckleheads like Honey Roasted Hams, Drop the Beer and Run, Maple Daddies, Field Trip, and Bad Medicine, you can expect to hear nonstop laughs coming from Unexpected Productions’ Market Theater. LC
(Unexpected Productions' Market Theater, Pike Place Market, Friday–Sunday)

Taylor Tomlinson - Tries Out New Ideas Past Event Like List
Age is just a number, but it can also work in your favor—just ask Taylor Tomlinson, a member of Forbes’ 2021 class of 30 Under 30. The now 30-year-old comedian began performing stand-up at 16, an era in which I was busy being distinctly unfunny. On the heels of her Netflix specials Quarter-Life Crisis and Look at You, Tomlinson will return to the stage to continue slinging jokes for the millennial-and-under set. ("I don't know if you've tried to convince a dude on a dating app to wear a condom lately," says Tomlinson, "but it's kind of like convincing a five-year-old to wear a jacket over his Halloween costume.") LC
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, Friday–Saturday)

EXHIBIT

Stephanie Syjuco: After/Images Past Event Like List
Stephanie Syjuco's artworks were objects of my obsession in art school—the Manila-born conceptual artist often draws from archives, museums, and library collections to craft disruptive responses to colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, and war. It'll appeal to you if you're a nerd for research and good politics. In Stephanie Syjuco: After/Images, the artist considers the camera, describing it as a "technology of imperialism that records and creates racialized American histories." The exhibition’s reconstructed archival photographs, videos, and installations center the US occupation of the Philippines, American colonization overseas, and the troubling ideology of Manifest Destiny. LC
(Frye Art Museum, First Hill, Wednesday–Sunday; closing)

Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks Remind Like List
In my opinion, happiness could be defined as 200,000 Lego bricks arranged in "hands-on construction areas" for free play, and MOHAI's latest exhibition makes the dream come true. Towers of Tomorrow also features models of skyscrapers from all over the world, constructed by a real-deal "Lego-certified professional," Ryan "Brickman" McNaught. (Cool job alert!) Visitors can scope McNaught's plastic creations and imagine their own by adding to a futuristic Lego "metropolis" inside the exhibit. LC
(MOHAI, South Lake Union, Tuesday–Sunday)

FESTIVALS

MEXAM NW Festival 2024 Remind Like List
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from mid-September to mid-October, a time during which many Latin American countries celebrate their national independence days. MEXAM NW Festival is an exhilarating multi-event, multi-venue festival curated by the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle that showcases the vibrancy of Hispanic and Mexican American culture. The festival kicks off with live mural painting and celebrations in Lakewood and Auburn and concludes in mid-October with a Día de los Muertos concert. Two of the biggest events in Seattle take place on September 14 and 15, with the Fiestas Patrias Parade in South Park on Saturday and Fiestas Patrias Sea Mar at Seattle Center all weekend long. Expect tons of Latin American food, mariachi bands, folk dancing, arts and craft markets, and community joy. SL
(Various locations, Saturday–Sunday)

San Gennaro Festival Past Event Like List
This Georgetown Italian street fair returns for its 10th year, bringing together the best local Italian cuisine with live music, a vendor market, and family-friendly entertainment. If you close your eyes and ignore the architecture (and the language), you can almost imagine yourself at a market in Italy, eating delicious food amid the daily bustle. The procession of San Gennaro (the patron saint of Naples) is a hallmark of the festival, and will kick off Saturday morning. You can even register your kids for a talent show, and help them search for all 20 regions of Italy among the vendor booths. SL
(1225 S Angelo St, Georgetown, Friday–Sunday)

Washington State Fair 2024 Remind Like List
Lest you forget, most of Washington state is farmland, which translates to communities with county fairs. Check out the biggest and best there is at the annual Washington State Fair, founded in 1900 in Puyallup. (If you don't know how to pronounce the town's name, ask a local and brace yourself for the jingle they sing back). Featuring outdoor concerts, rodeos, quilt and flower displays, vegetable creations, baby bunnies, and photo exhibits from local and international artists, there’s fair fun of all stripes. Plus, '90s rock band Matchbox Twenty, rapper Wiz Khalifa (with support from Burien local Travis Thompson), and comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias are on the tour circuit this year. Don't forget to grab a classic Fisher fair scone to munch while walking around, or get a baker's dozen to take home—my mother always freezes them to enjoy beyond the summer season. SL
(Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup, Tuesday–Sunday)

FILM

Alien: Romulus Past Event Like List
After galactic badass Ellen Ripley (and Jonesy) somehow survive a catastrophic hurtle through space aboard the Nostromo, everyone's favorite mega-capitalists at the Weyland-Yutani corporation have deteriorated the Jackson's Star colony into a dystopic hellscape whose atmosphere is so thick and toxic that inhabitants can't see the sun. Desperate for another life, the colony's orphans and misfits team up to steal cryostasis chambers from a suspiciously abandoned spacecraft. You can probably guess what abject horrors might be aboard that derelict craft, but who am I to spoil it for ya? Just remember: In space, no one can hear you scream. Alien: Romulus is a fun return to the original Alien form, full of dingy retrofuturism and nods to the original for the real xeno-fans. LC
(SIFF Cinema Downtown, Belltown, Tuesday–Wednesday)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Remind Like List
It's not complicated. If Winona Ryder is on the screen, I'm seated in the audience. Even a reprisal of Beetlejuice, in which a frankly annoying spirit haunted a family back in the '80s, will suffice as long as Ryder appears. Director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton return for this fashionably late sequel, which follows three generations of the Deetz family (including Lydia, who's now a mom, played by Ryder) as they return home to Winter River and discover a portal to the afterlife that's been carelessly left open. I'm betting someone says a certain name three times. LC
(SIFF Cinema Downtown, Belltown, Thursday–Sunday)

Blink Twice Remind Like List
Channing Tatum seems like unlikely casting for the role of a suspicious tech billionaire, but BlinkTwice—Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut—makes brave choices, I suppose. The flick follows a cocktail waitress who falls for Slater King (played by Tatum) at a gala. When she joins him on a private island, strange occurrences deepen her questions around King and the island itself. If you're into Knives Out or White Lotus, it'll likely appeal. Plus, Kravitz reports that the film is "based on a true story," but perhaps not in the way you'd expect—Blink Twice illustrates the "infinite obstacles women often face in the entertainment industry, particularly in relation to the power dynamics with their male colleagues." LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Tuesday–Thursday)

CatVideoFest 2024 Past Event Like List
There's nothing you could say to convince me that you don't already watch cat videos at home. The question, therefore, is this—why shouldn't you watch cats do their weird, wonderful thing on a big screen? Oscilloscope Laboratories' annual fest compiles the most exemplary cat videos from unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and Internet icons, creating a program that appeals to the kitty video connoisseur in all of us. If you truly need another reason to attend, a portion of ticket sales support cat-focused charities and welfare associations. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, Saturday–Sunday)

Derek Jarman: Do We Continue to Grow Marigolds Even as The Emergency Sirens Blare? Remind Like List
Although his death of AIDS-related illness in '94 cut his life and career criminally short, Derek Jarman's revolutionary directorial style sent shockwaves through the queer cinema canon that still reverberate now. Modern directors using avant-garde aesthetics, poetic sensuality, and experimental storytelling techniques like Andrew Haigh, Xavier Dolan, and Luca Guadagnino have Jarman to thank—I said what I said. Jarman's gutsy, myth-drenched films will make your September more vivid and romantic, with screenings of the homoerotic Roman Empire-set Sebastiane (complete with a Brian Eno score), the writhing, angry AIDS crisis epistle The Garden (featuring Tilda Swinton), and BLUE, Jarman's final work, in which the director "fills the screen with blue—still and unyielding for an hour and nineteen minutes." LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, Tuesday–Sunday)

The Secret Life of Plants Past Event Like List
I'll sing the praises of The Secret Life of Plants to anyone who asks—the '79 flick begins as a psychedelic meditation on flora and expands to reflect on Earth, space, awareness, and life itself, with groovy tunes by Stevie Wonder to boot. Smoke a bowl and get thee to Northwest Film Forum for consciousness-raising time-lapses of plant growth, space rituals, and paradisiacal interpretive dance. LC
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill, Friday–Sunday)

Seven Samurai: 70th Anniversary Restoration Past Event Like List
If you're going to see a movie, see a fucking movie. Like, say, Akira Kurosawa's all-time classic Seven Samurai (1954), one of the finest adventure stories (and dramas, and romances, and comedies, and action flicks...) ever put on film. SIFF Cinema Egyptian's got all three-plus hours of this can't-miss movie on the big screen in a 4K restoration. PORTLAND MERCURY CONTRIBUTOR ERIK HENRIKSEN
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill, Tuesday–Thursday)

Un Bouquet de Breillat Remind Like List
Catherine Breillat's filmmaking approach is very, well, French—she often seeks to illuminate the taboo in provocative explorations of desire, violence, and women's psychology. Grand Illusion's celebration of the controversy queen spans every decade of her directing career, including screenings of brand-new 4K restorations (A Real Young Girl, 36 Fillette, and Perfect Love) and Janus Films' 35mm print of my favorite Breillat, the abrupt and rattling 2001 film Fat Girl. LC
(Grand Illusion, University District, Tuesday–Sunday)

FOOD & DRINK

Cider Summit Seattle 2024 Past Event Like List
Listen up, lovers of apple-based libations: This festival billing itself as the "region’s largest hard cider tasting event" is poised to make a triumphant return, with over 150 drinks from more than 40 producers and both local and international options in the mix. This year also features a pre-opening cider/cheese/charcuterie tasting, an expanded mead selection, cider cocktails, fruit spirits, craft vendors, and more. JB
(South Lake Union Park, South Lake Union, Saturday–Sunday)

LIVE MUSIC

Pink: The Trustfall Tour Past Event Like List
During a cultural juncture that has included the Eras Tour, the Renaissance World Tour, and the Chromatica Ball, the caliber for touring female pop stars is in the heavens—and Pink is reaching it (LITERALLY). Pink has long been known for her stunts—aerial silks, acrobatics, trapeze, and other gymnastics—but takes it to a whole new level on her Trustfall tour by catapulting herself into the air and flying around the arena. In the same spirit as the infamous Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran meme, women are out here shooting themselves out of cannons while Ed Sheeran just stands on stage in a hoodie (just sayin'). Similar to the structure of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, Pink’s set is divided into four acts, marking each epoch of her career. My favorite is her M!ssundaztood era..."Don't Let Me Get Me" belongs in the Great American Songbook! AV
(Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, Tuesday–Wednesday)

Sweet Dreams: The Music of Patsy Cline Past Event Like List
On what would be the week of legendary country singer and original sad girl Patsy Cline's 92nd birthday, revel in a perpetual state of heartbreak as local artists Star Anna, Miller Campbell, Jessica Lynne Witty, Hillary Fretland, and more perform her classic songs. AV
(Triple Door, Downtown, Friday–Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Remind Like List
Jillian Armenante directs this Tony-nominated play, which brings biting wit and satire to an unfortunate truth we're all already familiar with: Behind every powerful man is a "binder full" of women preventing his antics from causing a full-blown crisis. Eastern European vocalists Dunava will blend gorgeous harmonies on opening night, and on September 15, a post-show Women in Politics panel will "explore specific challenges that women face in the political arena, and share diverse perspectives on what it means to be a political woman." LC
(ACT - A Contemporary Theatre, Downtown, Saturday–Sunday)

TITANISH Remind Like List
Your fave doomed romance flick is parodied in this unsinkable musical comedy, which comes complete with original music and fast-paced action that's more hilarious than tragic. Titanish will crash on stage again after winning the 2022 Broadway World Critics' Choice Award for best new musical; the escapist spoof "has songs and satire on deck," according to Crosscut. (Jokes about the Titanic are either too soon or arriving just on time, depending on your thoughts about last June's submersible implosion.) LC
(Seattle Public Theater, Green Lake, Thursday–Sunday)

VISUAL ART

A.K. Burns: What is Perverse is Liquid Remind Like List
A.K. Burns, a New York-based multimedia artist (and current fellow at Harvard's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study) dials into queer perspectives through videos, sculptures, and installations, highlighting transfeminist issues through an imaginative lens. Focusing on Burns' Negative Space series, this solo exhibition delves into the artist's "intersections of landscapes, human bodies, and water." The works pull from non-linear and sci-fi sources to challenge the status quo. What is Perverse is Liquid "reflects on environmental vulnerability, marginalized communities, and their relationships with place," using negative space as a setting upon which to imagine new and evolving systems for marginalized voices. LC
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, Saturday–Sunday; opening)

Audineh Asaf: Remember Me Remind Like List
First-generation Iranian American artist Audineh Asaf was raised hearing stories of imprisonment, execution, and persecution under an oppressive regime. After immigrating to the United States, Asaf's world still felt shaped by her cultural identity, and the "ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran" also found its way into her distinctive multimedia artworks. Drawing from both American quilting and Persian weaving practices, Asaf's tapestries "illuminate and humanize the experiences of individuals who have faced unimaginable hardship," while textured collages depict political prisoners, poets, and protestors whose fearless perspectives serve as inspiration. LC
(Gallery 4Culture, Pioneer Square, Thursday–Sunday; opening)

Jeffry Mitchell: Alligators, Elefants, & Alphabets Remind Like List
"If Jesus comes back, I'm introducing him to Jeffry Mitchell," former Stranger writer Jen Graves once opined. "Jeffry can bring Christ up to speed on things like humor and gayness and art, and Jesus can feel good about what humanity's been up to, and together they can visit the Berninis in Rome." The self-proclaimed "gay folk artist" creates work that is flatly impossible not to love. It’s playful, human, and elaborate, with a friendly vitality that nods to the importance of both meticulous craft and self-acceptance. This solo exhibition of Mitchell's work features sculptural works in clay, neon, and wood, plus works on paper, which are "foundational" to his detailed process. LC
(Traver Gallery, Downtown, Thursday–Saturday; opening)

Nikki McClure: Something About the Sky & Other Wonderings Remind Like List
McClure is the kind of person who will, say, wrap up an interview at her home on a breezy July day by suggesting a spontaneous dip in the sea. It was there, in that post-interview moment, that it clicked. We became a frame of her artwork. The water circling out from our bodies, the sunlight dancing across the surface of the sea, the seal coming over to say hello. You can feel the magic yourself this summer at her career-spanning solo exhibit at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. The show, Something About the Sky & Other Wonderings, includes pieces ranging from her very first art show in 1996 to her latest book, Something About the Sky. And, in true McClure style, she’s made a little room for visitors to soak in their own creativity. STRANGER ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Winslow)

Twilight Child: Antonia Kuo and Martin Wong Remind Like List
Queer diasporic Chinese artists Antonia Kuo (who was born in 1987 in New York City) and Martin Wong (who was born in 1946 in Portland, and passed in 1999) represent artistic resonance across generations. Twilight Child will mount Wong's "rarely exhibited biomorphic clay sculptures," paintings, and archival materials, each carefully chosen in partnership with Kuo as part of the Frye's "artists' artists" series of collaborations. Alongside Wong's work, Kuo will share "photochemical" paintings that respond to Wong's poems and sculptures created at her family's local industrial metal casting company. LC
(Frye Art Museum, First Hill, Wednesday–Sunday)

Zachary Schomburg: Cake, Hands, and Light Past Event Like List
Zachary Schomburg, a Portland poet who "combines narrative techniques with surrealism to great effect" (Stranger news editor Rich Smith) is my favorite kind of person, insistent on creating in myriad mediums. And as an illustrator and painter, Schomburg's work still feels informed by his writing practice. Cake, Hands, and Light, the artist's first solo show at Koplin Del Rio, "leans into light and color" with juicy, vivid compositions and great titles. "Pity the Mean," "Sorry Head," and "Pawn Cake" are some of my faves. LC
(Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Georgetown, Wednesday–Saturday; closing)