There is perhaps no notion more devalued in the art world today than that of the artist as shaman. For centuries artists have inhabited the role and continued to re-create it as they sought to establish and maintain authority in an ever-changing world. In more recent times, this has meant explorin... [More]

On January 28th, at the peak of this unusually cold winter, in the small, secluded Steele Gallery on the fourth floor of the Gage Academy of Art on north Capitol Hill, I witnessed a most unusual sight – an installation and performance art piece by Seattle artist Amy Johnson entitled Queen Be... [More]

For an established artist at the brink of mid-career, especially one whose work has been characterized by radical innovations, the impulse to embrace the personal while placing oneself in a larger cultural context must be strong. Choreographer Sarah Michelson, who stunned Seattle audiences in 2005... [More]

For the second year, Seattle’s On the Boards joined forces with the Joyce Theater in New York City to host the A.W.A.R.D. Show, a performance competition in which twelve local choreographers competed for audience votes to claim a $10,000 prize. As was the case last year, four artists showcas... [More]

Consider for a moment our long-held notions of winter. It is bleak and desolate, a time of dormancy and repose. We face it with resolve each day, seeking evidence of its demise. Seattle art critic and horticulturist Jim Demetre sees a different winter, one of fragrance, color, dynamic space a... [More]