The Seattle Art Fair returns to the Evergreen State metropolis to showcase an eclectic mix of contemporary and modern work in a myriad of mediums, as well as traditional and experimental processes. The 2025 event boasts over 85 participating galleries and cultural partners, including local, national and international exhibitors.
Visitors to the 2024 Seattle Art Fair enjoy a plethora of contemporary art options and unique programming.
“The mission of the Seattle Art Fair is really about celebrating the unique cultural energy of the Pacific Northwest while fostering meaningful connections between artists, collectors, institutions and the public,” says event director Kelly Freeman. “This year, we’re emphasizing how regional legacies—like the studio glass movement—continue to shape contemporary practice. We want to offer an environment where discovery thrives, and where both established and emerging voices are in active dialogue.”
Bridget Davies, The Three Graces II, ink and 23k gold leaf on paper, 30 x 42”. Courtesy of Quantum Contemporary Gallery.
Centered around the "legacy of glass” in the Pacific Northwest, Freeman is working closely with Pilchuck Glass School, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, and Upstate New York's Corning Museum of Glass to present site-specific installations, neon works and guided tours for the event. “For instance,” she says, “Seattle-based sculptor Kelsey Fernkopf is creating a large-scale neon installation for the fair, and there are curated talks and theater programming focused on the evolution and innovation in glasswork." Other exhibitors showcasing glass artists include Pittsburgh Glass Center, JC2 Gallery, A Lighthouse called Kanata, Stonington Gallery, Traver Gallery and others.
Freeman adds that organizers are excited about additional programming like Ben Miller’s live painting project inspired by Washington’s Elwha River. “He’ll use a fly-fishing rod to build his canvas cast by cast,” Freeman explains.
Susan Melrath, The Sun Also Rises, mixed media, 24 x 36”. Courtesy of Museo Gallery.
Attendees will find other event highlights like Susan Seubert’s ambrotype photographs of icebergs—part of a larger UNESCO-backed environmental project; several debut galleries bringing fresh perspectives “like Cordata Gallery’s presentation of David Syre’s monumental landscapes,” says Freeman, “and there’s a deeper integration of regional talent across the fair this year, thanks to contributions from Portland and Seattle galleries alike.”
These galleries include Seattle’s AMcE Creative Arts, Greg Kucera Gallery, J. Rinehart Gallery, TASWIRA Gallery, Winston Wächter Fine Art and Woodside/Braseth Gallery, as well as Portland’s Russo Lee Gallery.
Hailing from Langley, Washington, Museo Gallery will be returning to the 2025 event, featuring an impressive lineup of gallery artists such as landscape painter Pete Jordan, magical realist Laura Hudson and Claudia Pettis, who often paints animal life. “Visitors will also be able to admire the vibrant abstractions of Laura Viola Preciado; the contemporary, painterly interpretations of the natural world created by Michael Dickter; and the joyful graphic pieces by Robin Kerr,” says Nancy Whittaker, Museo co-owner.
Ben Miller, Colorado River, CO, acrylic on polycarbonate, 48 x 72"
One such highlight at the Museo booth, is the mixed media painting The Sun Also Rises, by Susan Melrath. “[This piece] is a continuation of Susan’s exploration of form and color through rural structures and landscapes,” continues Whittaker. “Her work is a masterclass in color—subtle, yet full of unexpected combinations that bring energy and harmony to her compositions. This piece, like much of her work, invites a quiet kind of reflection, evoking both a sense of place and the inner landscape of memory.”
The Seattle Art Fair kicks off on Thursday, July 17 with a VIP Preview from 4 to 6 p.m., and continues through July 20. Visit the website for details. —
Seattle Art Fair
July 17-20, 2025
Lumen Field Event Center
800 Occidental Avenue, S Seattle, WA 98134
www.seattleartfair.com
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