Jump to: Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day
MONDAY
FILM
Navajo Star Wars
Past Event
Like
List
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, this screening of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope will be presented in a Navajo language-dubbed format, which was voiced by almost 70 Navajo actors. Far out! The project was conceived by Navajo Nation Museum director Manuelito Wheeler and his wife, Jennifer, and the film is the first to ever be dubbed in a Native language. (It'll also include English subtitles.) Intrigued by the project? Read more about it here; Wheeler says it "shattered the world’s perception of Navajo people and Native people" and "brought awareness," which reminds me of a favorite Star Wars quote: "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." LC
(Grand Illusion, University District)
LIVE MUSIC
Noname
Past Event
Like
List
Chicago-born rapper Noname's style is thought-provoking, self-aware, and conversational with an improvisational flow to match her jazz-infused backing tracks. On her highly anticipated sophomore album, Sundial, she sorts through her thoughts and feelings around fame, race, capitalism, and the intersections between them. This is especially prevalent in "Namesake," where she calls out Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and even herself for being hypocrites. "Go, Noname, go" she raps. "Coachella stage got sanitized / I said I wouldn't perform for them / And somehow I still fell in line." Noname doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but she's brave enough to say the inside part out loud. She will support the album alongside experimental jazz vocalist ST0UT. AV
(Showbox SoDo, SoDo)
TUESDAY
COMEDY
Salon of Shame #105
Past Event
Like
List
I did it. You probably did it, too. Most everyone, at some point in their hormone-flooded adolescence, tried to make sense of the cruel, confusing world by putting pen to paper and writing it out. Maybe your teenage self had a journal filled with emo poetry or a spiral notebook of song lyrics for the band you hoped to start someday. Maybe you were one of the lucky kids that had a diary with a real deal lock on it to keep prying siblings at bay. For 18 years, Salon of Shame has given us a place to purge our most embarrassing adolescent screeds, on stage for an understanding audience. At each show participants bravely pry open those diaries and journals and read the most hilarious bits, shamelessly and armed with the knowledge that not the only one still holding on to pages and pages of teenage angst. STRANGER CULTURE EDITOR MEGAN SELING
(Theatre Off Jackson, Chinatown-International District)
FOOD & DRINK
National Pickle Day
Past Event
Like
List
Calling all pickle girls: L'Oursin's new next-door sibling Bar Bayonne invites you to a briny bash in honor of National Pickle Day. Indulge your deep-seated cravings for tangy cukes with charcuterie spreads, adorably teeny French pickles, cornichon-garnished martinis, and oozy melted raclette. Plus, proudly display your love of pickles with "swag très chic" available for sale. JB
(Bar Bayonne, Central District)
LIVE MUSIC
Altin Gün
Past Event
Like
List
Amsterdam-based six-piece Altin Gün revives the psychedelic-folk sound of mid-century Turkey, often fuzz-ifying traditional Anatolian songs and turning them into trippy grooves full of wah-wah guitars and retro organs. The band is even known to record their albums on tape to produce a '70s-quality sound. They will support their latest album, Aşk, which returns to their live-instrument roots after several albums of experimentation with synths and drum machines. Early roots reggae-inspired artist Pachyman will get the night started with some feel-good dub. AV
(Neptune Theatre, University District)
Liz Phair: Guyville Tour
Past Event
Like
List
Liz Phair's presence in my life is like a cool aunt who has been there through my purest joys and roughest patches. I was seven years old when her self-titled pop album was released. Fueled by a cocktail of Fruit Roll-Ups and Sprite, I danced around my room to "Why Can't I?" on repeat until I collapsed into bed. As a teen, I found my dad's copy of Exile in Guyville and cried in my car to "Fuck and Run" and "Divorce Song." In college, I dug deeper into the archives. I downloaded her Girly-Sound demo tapes from a questionable online forum and became obsessed with deep cuts like "Ant in Alaska" and "Batmobile." I've had phases with every single one of her albums, but Guyville is her magnum opus—it captures the nuances of womanhood in a way that no other album can (or will). She will celebrate its 30th anniversary by playing the album front to back, along with some additional hits. AV
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
READINGS & TALKS
Author Talk: Janani Elavazhagan, The Effortless Baker
Past Event
Like
List
I love the idea of transforming my kitchen into a de facto bakery, and Portland-based food photographer and recipe developer Janani Elavazhagan, creator of the blog Skillet to Plate, aims to help you to create professional-level baked goods at home with her debut cookbook, The Effortless Baker. Her unique recipes, including ricotta rasmalai tres leches, jaggery gingerbread townhouse cookies, and strawberry lassi coconut layer cake, draw inspiration from her Indian heritage and are worthy of a spot on your autumn baking bucket list. She'll give a talk and a cooking demonstration, followed by a Q&A and book signing. JB
(Book Larder, Fremont)
2023-2024 UW Public Lecture Series
Remind
Like
List
The University of Washington's 2023-24 season of public lectures hosts speakers exploring "race and social justice, artificial intelligence, the state of American democracy, disability activism, and more." The series continues this week: On November 14, human-technology interaction researcher Dr. Arathi Sethumadhavan will share case studies on how to predict and mitigate AI-related harms and create equitable, trustworthy experiences with the technology. LC
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)
WEDNESDAY
FILM
Dolly Parton ROCKSTAR: The Global First Listen Event
Past Event
Like
List
National treasure Dolly Parton is celebrating the release of her 49th (!) studio album, ROCKSTAR, with a first-listen fan affair. As the title suggests, Dolly will be trading her "Backwoods Barbie" aesthetic for leather, studs, and rock 'n' roll with classic rock covers featuring Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Steven Tyler, Debbie Harry, and Sting. The 30-song tracklist even has a cover of the Beatles' "Let It Be" with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, and Mick Fleetwood. The behind-the-album event will feature a sneak peek of select tracks and music videos from the album along with an exclusive interview and performances. AV
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill)
Folk Horror: A Primer
Past Event
Like
List
If you're big into recent releases like Midsommar,The Witch,Antlers, Lamb, and/or Men, you may be a fan of folk horror, which is certainly seeing a resurgence lately. Why? I theorize that it has something to do with late-stage capitalism and the climate crisis, which has us pondering our relationships with nature, ancient belief systems, and rural lifestyles. Or maybe we just like forests that go bump in the night. I don't know! Anyway, SIFF programmer Dan Doody will present "a concise introduction to the world of folk horror" at this class, which will be held both in-person at SIFF Film Center and online. Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? LC
(SIFF Film Center, Uptown)
LIVE MUSIC
Joy Oladokun
Past Event
Like
List
Ever since Nashville-based singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun saw Tracy Chapman on TV at age ten, she has been under the spell of the acoustic guitar. Now, she churns out folky R&B, rock, and pop songs about her experiences as a queer woman of color. She will support her critically acclaimed fourth album, Proof of Life, which features guest appearances from Mt. Joy, Manchester Orchestra, Chris Stapleton, Maxo Kream, and Noah Kahan. AV
(The Showbox, Downtown)
READINGS & TALKS
Trust For Public Land and SAL Present: An Evening with the Full Circle Everest Team
Past Event
Like
List
Hang on to your carabiners: Seattle Arts & Lectures and the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land, which promotes equitable access to the outdoors, will present this free evening with the Full Circle Everest Team, the first all-Black team to summit the highest mountain on Earth. (Yeah, that one!) Full Circle Expeditions executive director Philip Henderson, who has also summited Denali and Mount Kilimanjaro, will join sociologist/mountaineer Demond “Dom” Mullins and Trust for Public Land's Northwest director, Mitsu Iwasaki, to "amplify a national conversation about inclusion and equity in outdoor recreation." LC
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)
THURSDAY
FILM
Dark Dreams: The Original Film Noir Series
Remind
Like
List
Look out for cigarette smoke and midnight jazz riffs: Greg Olson, Seattle Art Museum's film curator from 1977 until the position's elimination in 2020, will return with Dark Dreams: The Original Film Noir Series. Olson's noir expertise has been long praised by local voices like film writer and professor Dr. John Trafton, who deemed this year's lineup a "thrilling and mesmerizing journey for die-hard noir fans and the uninitiated," and journalist Charles R. Cross, who called Olson "Seattle's all-time-best film curator." Nine films spanning 60 years of noir style will screen at SIFF Cinema Egyptian. LC
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill)
Fade to Black
Remind
Like
List
This fresh screening series will spotlight the exceptional work of Black filmmakers on one Thursday each month. Arrive right at 6 pm for the BIPOC filmmaker's meetup, where attendees can rub elbows with artists, creators, filmmakers, and film lovers; screenings start at 7 pm. On November 16, Langston will screen Buck and the Preacher, a '72 Western drama directed by and starring cinema legend and civil rights trailblazer Sidney Poitier. Criterion describes the flick as "reclaiming the Western genre in the name of Black liberation." LC
(Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, Central District)
MAJOR! Film Screening: Celebrate Transgender Awareness Week
Past Event
Like
List
In celebration of Transgender Awareness Week, Building Changes and The Lavender Rights Project will present this screening of the festival favorite documentary MAJOR!, which follows the life of pioneering trans activist and community organizer Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. (She was the first executive director for the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project, and has offered extensive contributions to oral history projects.) Stick around after the screening for a discussion with a resilient "lived experience panel" of Black trans advocates, plus bites and drinks. LC
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill)
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Gravity From the Moon: A Night of Native Voices
Past Event
Like
List
Hugo House's much-loved Hugo Literary Series will return with Gravity From the Moon: A Night of Native Voices, a Native American Heritage Month celebration of regional Indigenous talent. Presented in collaboration with the Snoqualmie Casino and kicking off with a land acknowledgment led by Duwamish elder Ken Workman, the evening will include readings from wordsmiths Sasha LaPointe and Iz White, tunes by teaching artist Nikki Suyama, and a ceremonial dance performed by Peter White. LaPointe will also offer a Q&A session. LC
(Hugo House, Capitol Hill)
PERFORMANCE
Live Wire Radio Show with guests Claire Dederer, Roger Reeves, and Sway Wild
Past Event
Like
List
Live Wire's 2023 offerings will continue on November 16 with a fresh edition of the honest and funny conversational show hosted by Luke Burbank. This time around, featured guests will include acclaimed memoirist Claire Dederer, who recently penned Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma, and poet and essayist Roger Reeves (one of my faves—drop what you're doing and read King Me if you haven't). Indie rockers Sway Wild will offer up "soothing vocal harmonies and electrifying guitar" to set the mood. LC
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)
FRIDAY
COMEDY
Ryan Hamilton
Past Event
Like
List
Squeaky clean Idahoan stand-up Ryan Hamilton will stop by Seattle on the heels of his writing gig for the 94th Academy Awards last year (we hope to hear more about how that went). According to the New York Times, the observational comic "often riffs on the absurdity of his own wholesomeness,” and he promises to chat about skydiving and hot air balloons for this set. Cute! LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
LIVE MUSIC
Cabins & Hideouts with Lauri Porra
Past Event
Like
List
Finnish bassist/composer Lauri Porra will take you on a voyage through a lush forest, a glittering lake, and finally a rustic summer cottage with his atmospheric new work Cabins & Hideouts. This part-concert, part-sound bath pairs orchestral instruments with sounds of the natural world (such as finch and Kuika birdsong) to capture the ambiance and daily rituals of living in a secluded cabin. AV
(Benaroya Hall, Downtown)
SYML
Past Event
Like
List
It's easy to see the title of SYML's latest album, The Day My Father Died, and think "damn that sounds depressing"—but it's quite the contrary! The album is full of polished, floaty radio-friendly pop tracks with cerebral lyrics that focus on love over grief. For this performance, he will play songs from the album with a full band after an opening solo set. AV
(Neptune Theatre, University District)
PERFORMANCE
Legendary Children 2023
Past Event
Like
List
Peep drag royalty of all genders and groove along to DJ sets at this buzzy celebration of the artistry of queer and trans BIPOC communities. Stay for the slay on a public runway and get an education from glamazons Pixie Mattel, Ariyah Albert, "shapeshifting transsexual" D'Mon, "evil" Virgo Viper Fengz, and others because reading is fundamental. Can't make it IRL? Special guests will strut their stuff on Instagram Live. LC
(Olympic Sculpture Park, Belltown)
SATURDAY
COMEDY
Iliza: Hard Feelings Tour
Past Event
Like
List
I work hard to stay removed from the world of weddings, nightclubs, and biological clocks, but I can’t deny that Iliza Shlesinger’s Netflix specials on those topics, like Confirmed Kills and Elder Millennial, are stunningly funny. Hot take: Shlesinger’s animal impressions are her ace in the hole. So don’t be off-put by her Elder Millennial impression, because that’s just a warm-up for when she becomes a baby-craving dragon. PORTLAND MERCURY ARTS EDITOR SUZETTE SMITH
(Paramount Theatre, Downtown)
FOOD & DRINK
Gobble Up Seattle
Past Event
Like
List
Just in time for Thanksgiving (and the subsequent holidays), Urban Craft Uprising will host this specialty food show for the seventh year in a row, promising over 100 local vendors hawking everything from caramels to small-batch pickles to nut butters (and yes, there are free samples). If you work up an appetite while shopping, seven food trucks, including the Jewish bakery Zylberschtein's and the Himalayan dumpling purveyor Kathmandu Momocha, will be on site to fuel your browsing journey. JB
(Magnuson Park Hangar 30, Sand Point)
LIVE MUSIC
Bushwick Book Club 2023-24 Season: Bushwick Bestiary
Remind
Like
List
The Bushwick Book Club isn't some stuffy after-school program—they're a collective of badass local musicians who also happen to be avid readers. This week, the ensemble will enter the "third chapter" of their 2023-24 season with a performance of songs based on NoViolet Bulawayo’s allegorical novel Glory. The book takes inspiration fromGeorge Orwell's Animal Farm with talking animals, political satire, and an overarching theme of personal and collective freedom. AV
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill)
Mudhoney
Past Event
Like
List
Somehow, Seattle's grunge sweeties Mudhoney have managed to maintain their cool factor for more than 35 years. That's nearly incomprehensible when you think about major label sellouts like Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters (calm down—I'm joking!) The quartet will play two hometown shows with tracks off their new album, Plastic Eternity, which Bandcamp Daily hailed as "a ripper that reaffirms their place in the annals of American hardcore and punk rock." LA-based garage rockers Hooveriii will open. AV
(The Crocodile, Belltown)
Sheila E: The Queen of Percussion
Past Event
Like
List
Of course, we all love Sheila E. for her '80s bops like "The Glamorous Life" and "A Love Bizarre." However, she is perhaps underrated in terms of her trailblazing drumming career, working with artists like Prince, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, Diana Ross, Bobbi Humphery, and Lionel Richie. And, with her multi-hyphenate status as an actress, mentor, and philanthropist, it's rare to catch her live these days! Don't miss the "Queen of Percussion" as she plays through her extensive discography with plenty of mind-blowing drum solos. AV
(Clearwater Casino)
WINTER HOLIDAYS
Julefest: A Nordic Christmas Celebration
Past Event
Like
List
The National Nordic Museum is once again hosting its annual weekend of holiday celebrations with music, dancing, and winter fare from Northern Europe. Modeled after a traditional Christmas market, Julefest includes photos with Santa, wares from over 30 local artisan vendors, and a Scandinavian bar for when you need to warm up your insides. SL
(National Nordic Museum, Ballard)
SUNDAY
LIVE MUSIC
A SMASH Benefit: Tribute to 35 Years of Sub Pop
Past Event
Like
List
Join a pantheon of PNW musicians as they pay tribute to the legendary Seattle-based label Sub Pop Records while raising money for SMASH (Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare). This time around, performers including Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service), Sea Lemon, Naked Giants, Eva Walker, and many more will cover artists like Nirvana, Mudhoney, the Shins, Beach House, and Fleet Foxes. AV
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)
MULTI-DAY
EXHIBIT
Honored to Tell
Remind
Like
List
The first cohort to graduate from the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute will share their oral history and "Black memory work" in this culminating exhibition, which was inspired by interviews with Black longshore workers, barbers, dancers, educators, and beauticians. I'm stoked to see Ricky Reyes, Eboni Wyatt, and Sierra Parsons's Making.Wavs zine and immersive reading room, Ariel Paine's barbershop installation, and Brenetta Ward's quilted scrolls. LC
(Wa Na Wari, Central District, Tuesday-Sunday)
Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science.
Remind
Like
List
Blending traditional knowledge and modern science, Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science. gathers stories from Indigenous communities to share perspectives on eco-restoration, traditional foods, and crafts. Visitors will come away with a better grasp on the issues Indigenous communities face and how they're working to solve them through sustainable—and sometimes ancient—practices. Designed with input from Tulalip, Cherokee, and Umatilla groups, the exhibition digs into the Cherokee use of native river cane for basket weaving, Tulalip gardening, Native Hawaiian aquaculture, and uses for the Columbia River's native lamprey. LC
(MOHAI, South Lake Union, Monday-Sunday)
FILM
50 Years of SIFF
Remind
Like
List
SIFF Cinema Egyptian's latest series offers a rare opportunity to catch 21 Seattle International Film Festival faves and Audience Award winners. Over the last five decades, the festival has screened over 10,000 films from all over the world, so seeing them all would be pretty much impossible. These screenings will help fill the gaps on your Letterboxd lists, though. The series continues with Boyhood and Run Lola Run this weekend. I'm jazzed that they'll screen the eerie Australian flick Picnic at Hanging Rock, a favorite of SIFF festivalgoers in 1979, later this month. LC
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill, Monday-Sunday)
Cinema Italian Style
Past Event
Like
List
This month's cinematic chef's kiss comes in the form of SIFF's 15th annual Cinema Italian Style. The roundup includes the best in contemporary Italian cinema, with both streaming and in-person viewing options. Take your pick of flicks across eight days of programming; the settimana di straordinari film italiani will include screenings of recently released films alongside Bellissima, Luchino Visconti's classic post-war comedy, in a new 4K restoration. The first 150 people who purchase a Cinema Italian Style pass will also score a 13” pizza courtesy of Tutta Bella. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Monday-Thursday)
Gaza Fights for Freedom
Past Event
Like
List
Show up for Palestinian liberation and learn more about the cause with SARI (South Asians Resisting Imperialism) and Means TV at this screening of Gaza Fights for Freedom. The documentary tracks the 2018-19 Great March Of Return protests as interpreted by journalist Abby Martin, who was denied entrance to Gaza by the Israeli government but continued to produce the project through the blockaded border with the help of Gazan journalists. The film spotlights "victims of the ongoing massacre, including journalists, medics, and the family of internationally-acclaimed paramedic, Razan al-Najjar," and is a "thorough indictment of the Israeli military for war crimes." All proceeds from the screening will be donated to the Middle East Children's Alliance. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, Monday-Wednesday)
The Holdovers
Past Event
Like
List
It's November. It's time to watch Paul Giamatti act his little heart out as a curmudgeonly educator at a New England prep school in the '60s, where a gaggle of students have been left behind on Christmas break. Honestly, though, have you ever heard a film premise that made you want to wear wool socks and drink apple cider more than this one? Plus, and perhaps most importantly, The Holdovers was directed by Alexander Payne, aka the guy who made Election and that movie about wine. It's going to be funny and charming!!! Enjoy. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Monday-Thursday)
Seattle Turkish Film Festival
Past Event
Like
List
Celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, the Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington's annual juried film festival will offer up a fresh collection of sought-after Turkish flicks. This year's program includes the Seattle premiere of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Cannes award-winning film About Dry Grasses, plus an array of short flicks and "two classic fantastik films from the vaults of '70s-80s Turkish cult cinema," Şeytan (aka Turkish The Exorcist) and The Man Who Saved the World (aka Turkish Star Wars). LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Friday-Sunday)
FOOD & DRINK
Li'l Woody's Fast Food Month
Remind
Like
List
For the month of November, local burger joint Li'l Woody's is cleverly recreating fast food favorites for its weekly specials. First up is the Jack in the Box-esque Sourdough Woody (November 7-13), with mayo, sliced tomatoes, Hills bacon, Swiss cheese, grass-fed beef, and ketchup on sourdough. (Curly fries are also available that week for the full experience.) Next is the fry-sauce-laden McDonald's dupe Li'l Big Mac (November 14-20). The Taco Bell tribute Li'l Crunch Wrap (November 21-27) comes after that, followed by the In-N-Out-inspired Woody's Style (November 28-December 4).
(Li'l Woody's, Capitol Hill, Monday-Sunday)
Miracle on 2nd
Remind
Like
List
In 2014, New York bar owner Greg Boehm temporarily transformed his space into a kitschy Christmas wonderland replete with gewgaws and tchotchkes galore. Now the pop-up has expanded to more than 100 locations all over the world and will be returning to Belltown’s Rob Roy this year. Beverages are housed in tacky-tastic vessels (a drinking mug resembling Santa’s mug, for example), bedecked with fanciful garnishes like peppers and dried pineapple, and christened with irreverent, pop-culture-referencing names like the “Bad Santa,” the “Yippie Ki Yay Mother F**r,” and the “You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out.” JB
(Rob Roy, Belltown, Monday-Sunday)
LIVE MUSIC
Cloudbreak 2023
Past Event
Like
List
Cloudbreak is our city's latest effort to support local music venues as they continue to heal from hardships faced during the pandemic. The festival, which takes place over four weeks and more than two dozen venues, will continue with indie rock band Smokey Brights, legendary Seattle punk band Mudhoney, and soulful singer-songwriter Brittany Davis, along with plenty of others. Plus, if you're planning a visit to Seattle or just craving a staycation, treat yourself to a night at one of the 71 participating hotels to gain free admission to the festival. Peep Cloudbreak's website for the full lineup of participating hotels and venues. AV
(Various locations, Monday-Sunday)
PERFORMANCE
Islander
Past Event
Like
List
"The songs are bops, one and all," said Theatrely of Islander, which seems like a shining endorsement to me. The bop-filled tale is set on a remote, sparsely populated Scottish island, where a young girl named Eilidh meets a mysterious stranger. Set to a contemporary Scottish folk-inspired score, the musical's sparse cast embodies a host of characters and develops an "expansive, ethereal soundscape" while "weaving, building, and layering their voices using live looping technology." Seattle Rep is the first stop on the production's North American tour. LC
(Leo K. Theater, UptownWednesday–Sunday)
Little Women
Remind
Like
List
It's not easy to improve upon greatness, and to me, "greatness" is personified by the 1994 film Little Women starring the trifecta of perfection that is Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, and Kirsten Dunst. (No, not the Greta Gerwig one. I said what I said!!) But hey, this theatrical interpretation might change my mind. Based on Louisa May Alcott's courageous 1869 novel, which dared to envision an "unladylike" woman author who writes penny dreadfuls and rejects her rich hottie neighbor, this production of Little Women was adapted by playwright Kate Hamill. I am hoping to see Amy put a clothespin on her nose. LC
(Seattle Repertory Theatre, Uptown, Tuesday-Sunday)
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Past Event
Like
List
This queer rendition of the Bard's The Merry Wives of Windsor, a light-hearted play wherein would-be seducer Falstaff's two mistresses outwit him at his own game, was adapted and directed by theatermaker Eddie DeHais. The rowdy, raucous take on the play romps through the small town of Windsor and devolves into total shenanigans when Mistress Page and Mistress Ford kick their wicked scheme into action. If you've only seen Shakespeare's more serious works, this production offers a chance to engage with some of his most comical characters. LC
(Center Theatre, Uptown, Wednesday–Sunday)
Seattle Butoh Festival 2023: Unveiling
Past Event
Like
List
At this recurring festival, which is on an "unveiling" theme this year, attendees can feast their eyes on the fascinating art of butoh, a contemporary form of Japanese performance inspired by ghosts, anguish, rapture, and the grotesque. (If that sounds incredibly cool to you, that's because it is.) Guest artists Shinichi Iova-Koga and Julie Becton Gillum will lead workshops, and members of the Seattle-based DAIPANbutoh Collective will present a series of "enigmatic and intriguing" new works. LC
(Yaw Theater, Georgetown, Friday-Sunday)
VISUAL ART
Arctic Highways: 12 Indigenous Artists of the Circumpolar North
Past Event
Like
List
Arctic "highways"—a modernized way of describing the flowing exchange of art and culture—were alive and well before the creation of artificial borders and nation-states in northern regions. Artist-curators Tomas Colbengtson, Gunvor Guttorm, Dan Jåma, and Britta Marakatt-Labba explore this history of cultural exchange in Arctic Highways: 12 Indigenous Artists of the Circumpolar North, which spotlights contemporary art and handicraft by Indigenous artists from Canada, Alaska, and Sápmi (the traditional Indigenous territory now called Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia). I'm popping on my mittens and ear-warmers to catch works by Matti Aikio, a Sámi artist with a background in reindeer herding, and Finnish urban Sámi photographer Marja Helander, whose snowy snapshots tell vivid stories. LC
(National Nordic Museum, Ballard, Tuesday–Sunday)
Calder: In Motion, the Shirley Family Collection
Remind
Like
List
I was lucky enough to spot Alexander Calder's buoyant abstract mobile Lizard (Lézard)at the Palm Springs Art Museum last summer, and therefore must recommend you thrill your eyeballs with this exhibition, which traces the kinetic modernist sculptor's career from the '20s through the '70s. Calder: In Motion, which pulls from a collection gifted by museum patrons Jon and Kim Shirley, offers a non-chronological narrative of the artist's mobiles, stabiles, paintings, illustrations, and more with dynamic works installed throughout SAM's galleries (including its double-height gallery, with overlooks from the floor above). By the way, I hope you're into Calder, 'cause his work is here to stay: This show promises to usher in "a new era at SAM," which will include "ongoing exhibitions and programs centered around Calder and his legacy taking place in downtown Seattle, the Olympic Sculpture Park, and through local and national partnerships." LC
(Seattle Art Museum, Downtown, Wednesday–Sunday)
Elizabeth Malaska: 2022 Betty Bowen Award Winner
Remind
Like
List
Elizabeth Malaska was one of my key inspirations during art school—her moody figures, fearless use of patterning, and not-so-subtle responses to power dynamics and the Western painting canon completely captured my gaze. As the winner of the 2022 Betty Bowen Award, Malaska's work will be celebrated in this solo exhibition. Malaska's paintings will continue to offer swift comebacks to historical genres and motifs, like the reclining nude, with "challenging and introspective" compositions that feel entirely new. LC
(Seattle Art Museum, Downtown, Friday-Sunday; opening)
Well Well Projects: Companions
Remind
Like
List
This cross-city pollination invites eight artists from the Portland collective Well Well Projects to showcase work in Seattle, while Vestibule artists will install an exhibition in Portland. Guest curated by prolific creator Alyson Provax, Well Well's exhibition, Companions, displays works by more than half of the member-run gallery collective's members. The show "operates as a forest," meaning that the multimedia work presented helps "create an environment of unique species that have come together in ways both interdependent and at odds." Expect a wide range of mediums, including paper-cutting, collage, ceramics, and more. LC
(The Vestibule, Ballard, Thursday–Saturday)
WINTER
WildLanterns 2023
Remind
Like
List
Grab some hot cocoa and get cozy with your friends, family, or Hinge date at this wintertime immersive experience full of giant glowing animal and nature scape lanterns, each representing flora and fauna from around the globe. Kids and those of us who are kids at heart will enjoy a magical snowy world in a polar regions exhibit, and marvel at brilliantly lit parrots and toucans in the Fine Feathered Friends zone. Arachnophobes might want to skip the Bugs and Blooms display, where vibrant flowers and giant spiders line your path (though we bet they won't bite). Let your imagination run wild in the Fantastical Folklore Realm as you search for mythical beasts from the white dragon to a pegasus. SL
(Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge)