The Seattle Art Fair, which takes place this year July 25-28, is a huge deal, with thousands of art lovers, collectors, curators and gallerists — many from out of state or overseas — converging on Lumen Field Event Center. Local art organizers hope fairgoers will also venture into the streets, galleries, museums and alternative spaces to experience some of Seattle’s vibrant creative energy.
Here is a sampling of some “satellite shows” that promise to sparkle.
Shift Gallery
Now marking its 20th anniversary, Shift Gallery continues to shift perspectives and foster creative freedom, with more than 150 members and guest artists cycling through this artist-run space over the years. For its celebratory exhibition, “Shift at 20,” in a clever curatorial move, each current member chose a former member to pair with. Current member Karey Kessler, for example, invited Mary Coss to show alongside her, due to their shared exploration of what is hidden and revealed through maps.
Through July 27; artist meet-and-greet 2-4 p.m. July 27; 312 S. Washington St., Seattle; free; shiftgallery.org
Base Camp Studios
Base Camp Studios is known for its exuberant, ambitious programming, which is clearly shown with the big group show at each of its two locations. Nick Ferderer, founder of Base Camp Studios, describes “Cotton Candy” as a “summery sweet pop art show with sips of surrealism.” Meanwhile, at Base Camp 2, the nine exemplary Northwest artists who are part of “WILD LIFE,” curated by Jeremy Buben, reveal facets of animal aesthetics and behaviors from the abstract to the anthropomorphic.
Through July 28; Base Camp Studios 1, 2407 First Ave., Seattle; Base Camp Studios 2, 1901 Third Ave., Seattle; free; basecamp206.com
Pottery Center Northwest
Using their experiences as a queer and trans nonbinary person, Canadian artist Jai Sallay-Carrington creates hybrid forms in which goats, deer and birds with human torsos exist powerfully and beautifully just as they are. Pottery Center Northwest will also host its annual Summer Artist’s Market, with 25 local artists selling their artistic and functional creations.
Jai Sallay-Carrington exhibition, July 22-Sept. 21; artist talk and reception, 6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. July 26; artist workshop, noon-4 p.m. July 28; Summer Artist’s Market, noon-6 p.m. July 27; 220 Third Ave. S., Seattle; all events free except the artist workshop ($185.00; registration required); potterynorthwest.org
Forest for the Trees
Back for its third year, Forest for the Trees, produced by ARTXIV, is a sweeping and dynamic set of art events with the vibe of a music festival. As in previous iterations, multiple floors of the historic RailSpur building will hold exhibitions, each with its own theme, roster of artists or curatorial partnership. On floor 5, for example, you can see a collection of large-scale paintings by some outstanding artists who created the work on-site. And floors 7 and 8 will host a preview of the Downtown Seattle Mural Project (along with the Seattle Arts Week After Party on July 25).
This year, FFTT is expanding beyond the walls of RailSpur to unveil 20 new public art surfaces throughout Pioneer Square. To achieve this, FFTT partnered with a coalition of local building owners, city planners and neighborhood organizations. You can watch the artists creating their murals July 20-28 at the sites listed at st.news/FFTT.
July 24-28; RailSpur, 419 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle, and throughout Pioneer Square; free; some events are 21-and-older; for event info visit @ffttnw on Instagram or artxiv.com/fftt24
“Urban Garage: An Artistic Assembly”
Curated by artist Stephanie Hargrave, this group exhibition gathers work by the residents and studio artists of the much-loved Tashiro Kaplan building, home to dozens of galleries and studios. In a demonstration of the community spirit that the TK building is known for, SlipStitch Studio helped arrange space for this pop-up show in a nearby vacant storefront.
July 26-28; 220 Jackson St. S., Seattle; free; 206-227-5332, stephaniehargrave.com
BAM Arts Fair
Notice the “s” at the end of “art” here. Hosted by the Bellevue Arts Museum, this festival wraps its arms around varied arts and crafts, displayed by the makers themselves. And there are hundreds of them, along with music and dance performances, food and drink, and kids activities. Going strong since 1947, this is the largest arts and crafts fair in the Pacific Northwest.
July 26-28; Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way N.E., and Bellevue Square, 575 Bellevue Square, Bellevue; free; bellevuearts.org/artsfair
Actualize AiR
Folks are very excited about the way the women-run Actualize AiR (which stands for Artists in Residence) has transformed Seattle’s old Coliseum Theater into 30 artist studios, providing much-needed, long-term working space at no cost. This inaugural exhibition offers visitors the unique chance to walk through the studios, which also function as galleries. The caliber and diversity of artists is impressive and most will be on-site, conversing with the public about their finished or in-progress work.
July 27-28; 500 Pike St., Seattle; $15 suggested ticket price; st.news/actualize-air
Correction: Nick Ferderer is the founder, rather than co-founder, of Base Camp Studios.
