Seattle is hosting a number of gallery exhibits featuring the art of basketry for the entire month of January. Judy and I visited the Pacini Lubel and Fountainhead Galleries on opening nights, and were treated to a visual feast, to say the least! The amazing objects in these outstanding displays are very impressive. The baskets and sculptural pieces are constructed from a huge variety of materials and range from a few inches to many feet in size.

The exhibits coincide with the Bellevue Arts Museum exhibit titled ‘Intertwined, Contemporary Baskets from the Sara and David Lieberman Collection’, which runs through March 22, 2009.

Here’s an excerpt from the BAM website about the Lieberman show:

Providing an international look at contemporary basket making and its current level of innovation and experimentation, Intertwined includes over 70 traditional and non-traditional baskets from the prestigious Sara and David Lieberman collection. Highly textural and boldly shaped, the works in this extensive exhibition utilize a range of materials and techniques from traditional organic to commercial, and often surprising media like fish skins, porcupine quills and grocery bags. Represented artists include the well-known international to the regional, and works range from functional containers to closed, sculptural forms.

The following galleries are exhibiting baskets in January:

Fountainhead Gallery, 625 W McGraw St, Seattle WA 98119
Phone: 206.285.4467
Masters of Contemporary Basketry
January 8 – February 1, 2009

DUO • ©2008 Lindsay Ketterer Gates • Stainless steel mesh, pistachio shells, anti-tarnish silver wire, beads

SECRETS • ©2008 Nancy Koenigsberg • Coated copper wire, shredded paper

Pacini Lubel Gallery, 207 2nd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206.326.5555
Contemporary Basketry – Redefining Sculpture
January 8 – January 31, 2009

ACROSS THE SKY • © Charissa Brock • Black bamboo, waxed Linen thread, fused glass, steel

CROSSING OVER • © Dona Anderson • Bamboo, pattern paper, thread • Photo Credit: Richard Nickel

Arts Council Gallery, 1507 Wall Street, Everett, WA
Phone: 425-257-8380
Containers, Containment and Contents
January 9 – February 12, 2009

MUSEO, 215 First Street, Langley, WA 98260
360.221.7737
Baskets…an Evolution
Jan 3-Feb 2

CHICKEN FOOT SKIN POT • © Allen Moe • ceramic/mixed media

ARTIFACT HYBRID II • © Danielle Bodine • Mixed media

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, check out Northwest Basket Weavers, an organization promoting ‘the art and tradition of basketry’ with classes, a monthly newsletter and annual events, since 1982.

©2009 HANG TIME - interactive wire sculpture, 8.25'' h x 11.75'' w x 5'' d • wire, wood, acrylic paints and mediums, beads.

HANG TIME is the title of my newest interactive sculpture. Trapeze Man swings from side to side when you turn the crank at bottom right, and you control the action by how fast you turn the crank. Trapeze Man can swing in a gentle, relaxed motion and achieve an almost meditative state, or he can swing quite vigorously and get a good physical workout (and in the process you can exercise your hands and wrists and keep them limber, too!).

HANG TIME is for sale in our online store – click here for details.

©2009 HANG TIME - Here I am operating Hang Time for the first time and having quite a time

©2009 HANG TIME - Cranking mechanism is attached to back side and hidden from view

My ‘Telescope Book’ Class is the first in a series titled ‘Books that Pop, Move, and Go BOOM!’, offered by Seattle Center for Book Arts (SCBA). The three classes, including Flag Book with Karen Vance Chickadeleach and Jacob’s Ladder with Chandler O’Leary, take place on consecutive Sunday evenings from 4-7 pm, starting with my class on Feb 22 (Click here then click on Yvonne Jenks & Evelyn Finley to read what two artists say about their Telescope Books).

Click SCBA for information on all three classes in the ‘Books that Pop, Move, and Go BOOM!’ series, instructor bios, registration details, additional classes, resources and more.

Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year filled with peace, joy and prosperity!

Brrr! The last month of 2008 was very cold in beautiful Seattle, Washington, with a record low of 14˚ on the 20th. Seattle and surrounding areas got hit hard with snow for two weeks starting on the 13th. Photos above were taken on December 23rd on Queen Anne right out side our front door, facing South and North. Downtown buildings are visible in the background in the top image. We were snowed in for 7 days – very surreal and unusual for Seattle.

…Seattle had record snowfall on December 14, 20, 21, and 24. Total snowfall for the month was 13.9 inches at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport – other areas around Seattle received much more snowfall, up to two feet in some areas.

This quote is from ‘Seattle Climate Data’ for December on Beautiful Seattle. Click the link to read more.