Revving up for its eighth edition of stellar artworks, presented by galleries from the Pacific Northwest—as well as national and international galleries—is the esteemed Seattle Art Fair.The 2024 show presents approximately 85 of these galleries, “providing a diverse array of artistic expression,” says fair director, Kelly Freeman.
Ronald Hall, The Rebirth, acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24.” Courtesy of James Harris Gallery.
“Attendees can expect to find a wide range of artworks spanning various mediums,” Freeman continues. “Our exhibitors showcase both modern and contemporary art, featuring works from emerging artists as well as established names in the art world. This variety ensures that there is something to resonate with every visitor, from seasoned collectors to first-time art fair attendees.”
Find prominent displays like James Harris Gallery, based in Dallas, Texas—where it recently relocated from Seattle. “We will be exhibiting artists who we have represented for a long period of time,” says gallery owner James Harris. This includes works by Fay Jones, Mary Ann Peters, Claire Cowie and Ronald Hall—a Brooklyn artist, who lived in Seattle before a residency moved him to Skowhegan, Maine, in 2016.
Romson Bustillo, Truth Vessel, hand blown and cold worked glass, 17 x 12 x 12.” Courtesy of J. Rinehart Gallery.
“His artistic practice directly draws upon his experience as an African American man and his childhood growing up in the rougher parts of Pittsburgh,” says Harris. “He distorts domestic interiors, plantations and other environmental structures into eerie dreamscapes that invoke historical and contemporary issues involving race and social constructionism.”
The artist also incorporates media references. For example, Hall’s piece Rebirth, on view at the Seattle Art Fair, has an image on the back of a male figure’s shirt that’s associated with the art of the Black Panther Party. “Hall created an image on the shirt in the likeness of Emory Douglas’s art…,” says Harris. “It’s intended to be an homage to the artist. The little girl holding the strings is meant to be symbolic of the importance of strong family ties within the black community, and how those family ties are still affected to this day by the history of slavery in America. The background is an appropriated remake of a painting of George Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation titled The East Front of Mount Vernon, painted in or around 1787.”
Ruth Armitage, Past Horizons, oil, 24 x 24.” Courtesy of Waterstone Gallery.
J. Rinehart Gallery, is “excited to showcase an exhibition of Seattle-based artists who have been gaining national recognition,” says owner and director, Judith Rinehart. The Seattle gallery will be exhibiting a large-scale work by Emily Gherard, a selection of drawings by Julie Alpert and glass vessels by Filipino American artist Romson Bustillo.
About his piece Truth Vessel, Bustillo shares, “These glass and related artworks belong to the series Bahandi,a term that signifies wealth, treasure or riches in various Philippine languages, including my mother tongue, Bisaya. In the context of these works, the meaning is intertwined with burial practices that encompass offerings and funerary vessels, burial jars, secondary burial jars, markers and grave goods. Though I am specifically referencing pre-colonial Philippine and Southeast Asian practices, burial traditions and burial objects have been a defining human practice throughout our world, from prehistory onward.”
Attendees to the 2023 Seattle Art Fair browse a variety of artworks.
Aside from the diverse gallery presentations, Freeman adds that there is special programming curated by creative director Nato Thompson. “In addition to a series of compelling conversations on a myriad of topics, we’re again including the New Artists / New Collectors program (presented by Bank of America), designed to foster relationships between emerging artists, galleries and collectors,” says Freeman.
The festivities kick off with an ticketed Opening Night Preview on July 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. Public fair hours Friday through Sunday. Visit the fair website for details. —
Seattle Art Fair
July 25-28, 2024
Lumen Field Event Center
800 Occidental Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134
(212) 518-6912
www.seattleartfair.com
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