I met California artist Chris Donnelly more than 30 years ago in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was in cosmetology school at the time. Everyone called him Batman, and everyone knew him. He had the coolest art collection of anyone I had ever met. He exuded cool. All these years later, he still cuts hair, and he still epitomizes cool. I continue to marvel at Chris’ … Continue reading Chris Donnelly
I really missed going to the art shows in Miami this past December. While I’ve spent hours on end looking at the shows on line, it is just not the same for me. I miss seeing the art in person, the thrill of discovery, people watching, and walking around shows from morning to night days on end until my feet ache. Design Miami always has … Continue reading Adam Silverman
It has been one year since I started Woman Seeking Art. My first post was on Viola Frey, whose show I had gone to see last Fall in Sonoma, California. While I did get to travel quite a bit to see art, it all came to a screeching halt in February of this year. A global pandemic was not exactly part of my original plan for an art/travel blog. Continue reading Thank you!
The inaugural issue of LIFE magazine was published on November 23, 1936. Dam at Fort Peck, Montana, by Margaret Bourke-White graced the cover. LIFE was a home for great artists like Bourke-White for over 60 years. Continue reading LIFE magazine’s first issue was published on November 23, 1936
Whenever I have a chance to do so in person, I stop and look at art by Wayne Thiebaud. His work is immediately recognizable, whether it be cakes, bakery cases, lollipops, gumball machines, figures or landscapes. Today Thiebaud turns 100! Continue reading Wayne Thiebaud turns 100!
Today I reached a milestone on my Peloton bike, 300 rides and 80 strength workouts. The bike has been a godsend while sheltering in place. I went through many instructors until I found the one who has gotten me on the bike at minimum five times a week. I’ve been loyal ever since. Cody Rigsby is motivating, hilarious, opinionated and talks so much that the time goes quickly. He has that way that makes you want to make him proud by working hard, even though I don’t know him, and never ride live. Continue reading A glimpse into quarantine life
I recently visited a sunflower farm, which made me think of the German artist Wolfgang Laib. I loved rewatching this wonderful Art 21 episode on him from 2014. Laib has been collecting pollen of various sorts, such as dandelion and hazelnut, since 1977. In 2013 the Museum of Modern Art held an exhibition of Laib’s work, including the extraordinary “Pollen from Hazelnut.” A room-size installation, … Continue reading Wolfgang Laib
The past four months I have been revisiting photos of art that I had seen prior to quarantine. I am comforted by the memories they provide me, and inspired to be looking at the art again. I cannot wait to get to see new shows again someday, but until then I plan to share some of the amazing art I saw prior to having started … Continue reading Klara Kuchta in Budapest, Hungary
I want to say hello and acknowledge that I have not been blogging for a while. Like all of you readers, I have of course been affected by sheltering in place during the pandemic. While you might think confinement at home would be a perfect opportunity to blog regularly, I’ve been selfishly using the time to focus on my own work as a maker, and … Continue reading I’m Back!
I was supposed to be in New York City a lot this April, and had a long list of art shows I planned to see on the first trip. Before every visit, I make a list. I organize it by neighborhood, plot out the days so that friends might join me, coordinate evening plans and fit everything in. Then I add on once I’m there. … Continue reading My week that didn’t happen, New York, NY
My last day in Toronto was a short one as I had a late afternoon flight to catch. I still had places I wanted to see on my list, and unfortunately had to postpone a few artist studio visits until my next trip. The day was grey and blustery, and a snowstorm was expected to hit the city pretty hard. Continue reading Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Harbourfront Centre and the Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario (day three)
I started day two in Toronto by arriving at the Art Gallery of Ontario as soon as it opened. I was excited to see the Diane Arbus show, as I have always loved her photographs, and she was the topic of one of the art history lectures at a Seattle lecture series I’ve been attending this year. I had a renewed interest in her, and her work and even learned that her name is pronounced “Dionne.” I never knew that. Continue reading Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), and a few great neighborhoods, Toronto, Ontario (day two)
I got a chance to go to Toronto right before the Coronavirus outbreak, so I now feel especially fortunate to have been able to see so much. I had never been to Toronto before but, having enjoyed everywhere else I’d been to in Canada, I was excited to explore. I got an old fashioned paper map from the hotel and plotted out the two and … Continue reading The Gardiner Museum, Bata Shoe Museum and MOCA Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
In 2006 the Glenstone Foundation opened a not-for-profit modern and contemporary art museum in Potomac, Maryland. I spent a recent Sunday afternoon at Glenstone and was delighted that the weather was mild and sunny. The Pavilions, completed in late 2018, added 50,000 square feet for additional exhibition space. The 300 acres it is situated on is comprised of woodland trails to the outdoor sculptures, pavilions … Continue reading Glenstone in Potomac, MD
One of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest is how easy it is to get to Palm Springs. I have really fallen for the desert, and I find a solid dose of Vitamin D helpful during the rainy and dark months in Seattle. If you plan ahead and can get reasonable fares directly into Palm Springs, it is the perfect weekend get … Continue reading Palm Springs, CA
My friend Janine is heading to Boston for a quick trip next month and over our favorite cocktails last week she asked me what art she should see when she is there. While Boston is full of good art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants (or simply the ‘Glass Flowers’) at the Harvard Museum of Natural … Continue reading Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA and the “Glass Flowers” in Cambridge, MA
It’s unusual to get to see the exact same art show in two different cities, only months apart. I first saw “30 Americans” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, this past summer. Then, right after Art Basel, in December, I went to Philadelphia and saw “30 Americans” again at The Barnes Foundation. It was fun and interesting to see the same work displayed at different venues. The traveling exhibition was conceived of and put on by the Rubell family, The exhibit was first on display at the Rubell Museum in Miami, FL and has been traveling for almost ten years, with only three more locations to go. Continue reading 30 Americans at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO and The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA
I had not been to the newly expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art since it reopened in May of 2016. I was impressed by its beautifully lit gallery spaces, overall size (170,000 square feet of exhibition space) and design. They have over 33,000 works of art in their permanent collection. I was hopeful that they would have one of the two paintings that they own by Bay Area artist Roland Petersen on view, but no such luck. I was enamored nevertheless. Continue reading The SF Museum of Modern Art and SFO Airport in San Francisco, CA
I used to stay at the hotel in Miami Beach in which NADA was held. It was easy to walk through multiple times, but the lighting was bad. NADA has always been a favorite show of mine as the art was cool, but the venue never felt right. That hotel was damaged in a hurricane and remains abandoned, and NADA is now housed at Ice Palace Studios. While a bit harder to get to, the venue is fitting for one of the must-see shows during Art Basel. Last year they had 134 exhibitors and approximately 15,000 visitors. They first launched the fair in 2003. I think this was the best year yet.
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As the Art Basel fairs have grown, I’ve gotten smarter, and have been staying longer. Even with that, it’s hard to fit everything in. This was my first time attending the Design Miami show, and it was the most beautiful of all of the art fairs. The galleries were obviously carefully selected and the booths were well-curated. Design Miami is not to be missed.
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I’m stepping away from the classic Art Basel fairs, to tie in the INK Miami Art Fair. Like Aqua, INK takes place at a Miami motel. The galleries are on the first floor, and many of the gallery owners stay on the second floor. The show has an open courtyard feel, and after all the years of tagging along with my brother and sister-in-law I’ve come to know the different galleries, owners, staff and the work they showcase. INK, on a whole, couldn’t be more welcoming… Continue reading INK Miami Art Fair in Miami Beach, FL
This is part three of my three-part post on Art Basel If you want to start at the beginning, here is part one and here is part two. Continue reading Part Three: Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Art Basel was huge, and I’m only showing a tiny portion of what I saw. So huge that I’ve split my visit into three parts. This post is part two. If you want to start at the beginning, here is part one. Continue reading Part Two: Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Art Basel Miami Beach takes place in the newly renovated Miami Beach Convention Center. I read that there was a new sliding scale pricing system implemented this year that supported the participation of smaller and mid size galleries. Along with the improved lighting… Continue reading Part One: Art Basel Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
The Miami Beach Convention Center has been newly renovated, and completed, since last year’s Art Basel. Meridians, curated by Magali Arriola, presented 34 large-scale projects that cannot normally be shown at an art fair. Directly upstairs (via an escalator) from the exhibition hall of Art Basel were large-scale sculptures and paintings, live performances, installations and video projections in about 60,000 square feet of space. Continue reading Meridians at Art Basel in Miami Beach, FL
Art Miami and Context Art Miami are in two adjacent tents located in Miami, FL. They are easy to get to from South Beach, but you have to take into account traffic. It took me an hour to get there, and 12 minutes to get back to my hotel. I went preview night and purposely went to Art Miami first, and to Context with an hour to spare. Art Miami was super… Continue reading Art Miami and Context Art Miami in Miami, FL
Pulse is in a temporary tent, very close to the UNTITLED tent. I got there for the opening VIP brunch, which was actually quite fun. It’s hard to beat the weather in Miami (indoor/outdoor brunch at 11 a.m. in December) and the CBD cocktails and CBD popsicles were quite the hit with the crowd. This is the 15th year for Pulse, with 65 exhibitors. Last year they had 10,000 visitors. Continue reading Pulse Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
Scope Miami Beach is another fair that makes its home in a tent, right on the beach. Scope has 134 exhibitors, and is in its 19th year. Last year they saw 60,000 visitors. The artwork I was drawn to at Scope happened to all include some sort of cool process or the repurposing of materials. I really enjoyed learning about the artists and their processes, whether from the gallery owners, employees, or the artists themselves. Continue reading Scope Miami Beach in Miami Beach, FL
UNTITLED, ART is one of many art fairs that are part of Art Basel Miami. The show is set up in a temporary tent, which is more like a building, right on the beach in Miami Beach. UNTITLED features 126 exhibitions and, in 2018, had 48,000 visitors. Continue reading UNTITLED, ART in Miami Beach, FL
I wanted to share some images from the exhibit in Gallery 1, Building a Different Model: Selections from the di Rosa Collection. They had a shuttle to the Viola Frey show in Gallery 2, although you can also walk through the vineyard on the property to get there. Continue reading di Rosa permanent collection in Sonoma, CA
Right in the center of town, next to a UC Davis fraternity house, is the John Natsoulas Gallery. I stopped in to visit on the way to the Kathy Butterly show. The gallery is huge, and packed with art. Paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculpture and even a book publishing company in the basement. Continue reading John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, CA
