Welcome to the West Seattle Art Walk! Thursday, April 11, 5pm to late (hours vary by location; see below). Like new buds pushing their way from a Spring flower bed, we are excited to welcome five new businesses and one new Partner to Art Walk this month! See notes below and be sure to stop by to say hello.
Our participating artists, businesses, and restaurants invite the community to stop by and join in celebrating our vibrant art scene. See the listing below for all businesses hosting art in April. For restaurant specials, click here.
This post will be updated as we receive more artist details. Check back again. Also be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook as those pages get updated more frequently.
(featured image by Tami Bensen)
Spring 2019 Walking Map: April 11, May 9, June 13
Congratulations to Megan Simmons, whose painting is featured in our Q2 print materials. Her work will be on display – and for sale – at Wild Rose’s in April, Next to Nature in May, and Virago Gallery in June, 2019
Pick up a hard copy of our printed walking maps at any of our participating Art Walk businesses or click here to view the Google map.
In the Junction:
John L. Scott Real Estate (Art Walk Partner)
4445 California Ave SW
Ross Swartwout, 5-9pm
Artist’s Statement: Ross Swartwout is a Seattle resident with a passion for creativity and art. He is Senior Art Director at Artitudes Design Inc., a local design agency, and pursues his passion for painting whenever he has a chance.
In his latest show of works, entitled Resurface, he explores his passion for nature, in particular the ocean. Additional significance is brought by additional works on display that have been in his personal collection for years, some shown prior others never before. Enjoy!
“We are tied to the ocean.
And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch,
we are going back from whence we came.”
-John F. Kennedy
If you are interested in any of his paintings or would like to request a commissioned work of art, please contact: Ross Swartwout, 206-427-5886
ross.image@gmail.com
rossswartwout.com/artwork
Verity Credit Union (Art Walk Partner)
4505 California Ave SW
Rosefit (New to Art Walk!)
4519 California Ave SW #1
Mari Shibuya, 6pm
Mural Reveal and Showcase of Art by Mari Shibuya for Rosefit
Mari Shibuya has been working on a mural for Rosefit over the months of February and March. Come see the completed wall and some select works by Mari Shibuya.
Mari is a local Seattle Artist, Muralist and Facilitator. In addition to their personal art practice, they lead creative empowerment for young people through organizations such as Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) Urban Artworks, Partners for Youth Empowerment (PYE) and Gage Academy.
To find out more about Mari and their work, please check out their Instagram page or www.marishibuya.com.
Capers
4525 California Ave SW
Cathy Woo, 5pm ’til late
The Glow of Authority
Cathy Woo has been privileged to work as a professional artist in the Seattle Area for many years. Her paintings have been exhibited in shows and galleries both locally and nationally. During that time, she has come to understand that the act of painting is her tool for discovering how to live life to the fullest rather than merely a method of producing pretty pictures to hang on a wall. The practice of painting is now embedded in her life, just as her life is embedded in her paintings…
Wild Rose’s
4529 California Av SW
Megan Simmons, 5-8pm
Featured Q2 Art Walk Artist! A West Seattle resident for nearly 20 years, Megan Simmons is a freelance graphic designer by day and an abstract artist at heart. Inspired by raw textures, street art, nature, lots of color and the space between objects, Megan’s art is bold and colorful. Mixed media art typically using acrylic paint, charcoal, water soluble crayons and collage on paper, wood panel or canvas.
Learn more about Megan’s work at her Instagram and Facebook page or website.
Virago Gallery
4537 California Ave SW
Alisa Sikelianos-Carter, 5-8pm (Note: Pre-Sale goes LIVE 4/9 at 10pm PST!)
Ancestral Majesty
About the Show/Artist
Alisa Sikelianos-Carter is a mixed media artist who works and resides in Upstate New York. Her luminous work envisions a speculative Afro-Futuristic dimension where Blackness represents both a breaking open of nothingness and a densely lustrous opportunity for the genesis of a new world.
Sikelianos-Carter asserts that Black features are a manifestation of a sacred and divine technology that have served as a means of survival, both physically and metaphysically. She envision a cosmically bountiful world that celebrates and pays homage to ancestral majesty, power and aesthetics.
Inspired by traditionally African and Black-American hairstyles, she uses web and catalogue sourced images to construct these new saviors. Through large scale paintings and the employment of luminescent materials she is creating a mythology that is centered on Black resistance and utilizes the body as a sight of alchemy and divinity.
In January 2018 she was awarded a Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, and will attend a residency at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY and The Wassaic Project in spring/summer 2019. In April 2018 she had her first solo show at Ori Gallery in Portland, OR and has exhibited Nationally at Collar Works, Troy, NY; Virago Gallery, Seattle; Concepto Gallery, Hudson, NY; Paradice Palase, Brooklyn; Iridian Gallery, Richmond, VA; Archer Gallery, Clark College, Vancouver, WA and White Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR. She received both her Bachelors and Masters in Art from SUNY Albany with a concentration in drawing and painting.
Learn more about Alisa’s work on her Instagram page and website.
Art Walk Bonus! Trunk show with Verso Jewelry http://www.versojewelry.com/
Alisa Sikelianos-Carter at Virago GalleryAlisa Sikelianos-Carter at Virago Gallery
NEXT TO NATURE (New to Art Walk!)
4543 CALIFORNIA AVE SW
Check back in May for a new artist!
RE/Max Junction
4400 SW Alaska St
Check back in May for a new artist!
FLYING APRON (New to Art Walk!)
4709 CALIFORNIA AVE SW
Chris Buckley, 7-8pm
Artist Statement
I am a Seattle based artist. My art is my visual diary reflecting all that excites me about the world around me, past and present.
ChrisBuckleyArt supports Bellevue Lifespring, a Bellevue based charity that helps students focus on their education and break the cycle of poverty, through programs that provide food, clothing, education and emergency assistance. Ten percent of all art sales will be donated to Bellevue Lifespring.
Learn more about Chris’ art at their Instagram page and website.
ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery
4711 California Ave SW
West Seattle Art Nest
4138 California Ave SW
Claire Braby, 5-8pm
About the Show/Artist:
My name is Claire and I am a calligrapher in West Seattle. I specialize in wedding invitations and decor, special event embellishments, and commercial work (menu chalkboards, signs, marketing boards, etc)! I also make cards and prints as well; mixing watercolor and calligraphy together.
I have been an artist since birth (ha!) and haven’t stopped creating since. I began my calligraphic art 2 years ago immediately after I exited my first calligraphy class. From the moment I took the first “up stroke’, I knew this was exactly what I needed to be doing with my life. Over the last 2 years, I have had the opportunity to create beautiful keepsakes for a number of brides (and grooms!) and have relished in the contrasting design process–there’s always something new to learn and I love it! Additionally, I have had the opportunity to teach and extend my knowledge of this art form with the community and a number of businesses in the area.
When the pen isn’t in my hand, a violin is. I have been playing the violin for nearly 30 years and I teach more than 15 students in the Seattle area out of my home studio. I grew up in West Bend, WI, a city about 40 minutes north of Milwaukee. Yes, I love the Brewers, Spotted Cow and CHEESE! 🙂 I moved to Seattle in 2016 and absolutely love the incredibly diverse landscape of mountains, water, and city views. It truly provides a lot of inspiration for my work. I also love coffee (lots and lots of coffee), reading, traveling, hiking, and snuggling with my furry son, Wisco (named after my home state).
I will have prints and cards for sale in addition to doing mini-calligraphy tutorials throughout the night. Stop by and try calligraphy out for yourself!
See more of Claire’s work at her Facebook and Instagram pages, or her website.
West Seattle Smile Co. (New to Art Walk!)
4150 CALIFORNIA AVE SW
Magdalena Cooney, 5-9pm
Despite being born into a repressive communist regime, Magdalena Cooney was destined to become a painter. Growing up in a children’s puppet theatre, her parents provided a magical cocoon, creating an alternate world marked by whimsy, fantasy and larger-than-life characters. Self-taught Cooney credits her parents and their cadre of artist friends as her first and most important teachers.
Her father, a set designer and puppet maker, and her mother, a graphic designer, influenced Cooney’s ability to create amidst a culture of censorship. The theatre was always Cooney’s “happy place,” and she believes it is the reason her paintings lean towards the evocative, non-objective rather than specific. From an early age, Cooney was acutely aware of the competing forces of dark and light at play in her life. These contrasts are apparent in the opposing hues seen in many of Cooney’s paintings. Her choice of color palettes also reflects her two homes: one echoes the famous red and orange rooftops of her birthplace, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), and the other is inspired by the cool grey and blue tones of her current home in Seattle, Washington. The contrast in colors moves through Cooney’s paintings as she expertly blends and layers to create fascinating, sensual swirls of emotion and texture. In her latest experimentation, Cooney uses unusual painting tools to create her large canvases for a complex textured look.
Not interested in shock value, Cooney says her paintings feel like home, a place in your heart that is precious and where you feel most like yourself.
Learn more about Magdalena’s work on her Instagram account or on Facebook.
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (New to Art Walk!)
4410 CALIFORNIA AVE SW
Maggie Sharar, 5-8pm
Divine Beings
A channel to the divine. A mother. A healer. A witch. A creator. This
is Maggie Sharar. Her watercolor paintings illustrate lost and found
souls. They invite you into a healing journey. A woman’s truth. Her
feminine portraits and forms embody sovereignty and the juicy
experience of being human. Each piece holds the energy of trauma,
love, sex, magic, healing, sisterhood, and connection. But most of all
Maggie’s work is a kinetic way to release energy. To feel the god
particle and hold it in her hands.
Maggie’s creative journey began long ago in the land of sand and sun.
Florida. There she grew up on nature coast soaking in the sights and
sounds of cicadas, alligators, moccasins, and manatees. She attended
Savannah College of Art and design in 2004. In 2007 the artist found
herself in the Orlando area, there she got her feet wet showing in
over 20 exhibitions with a series called The Birds. In 2010 the artist
and her young family made their way west to Seattle. Maggie’s found
herself in a world of solitude in 2017 when she began to plant the
seeds for this collection of paintings. This work illuminates a lust
to let go. To leave the physical body and find the roots of the
subconscious. Mote It Be.
Learn more about Maggie’s work at her Instagram and Facebook pages.
Art Walk Bonus! There will be a live DJ and live painting, as well as free tarot card readings.
Windermere Real Estate Hosted by Kim Tingley & Jacey Frangos
4526 California Ave SW
Click! Design That Fits
4540 California Ave SW
Shelli Markee, 5-8pm
Shelli’s work is a pure expression of her life—a simple life dedicated to family, friends and creative expression shared with others.
With a deep background in photography, fashion, garden design, and music, Shelli first explored jewelry and metalsmithing at Pratt Institute in Seattle in 2005. It was there she found herself captivated by this amazing medium that allows her to share and evolve her unique sense of style—and her love affair with metalwork continues to grow each day.
She continues to discover new inspiration and opportunity in every piece of metal, true happiness in every moment in her studio, and gratitude for the simple joy of being able to share her work with you.
Learn more about Shelli’s work on her Instagram and Facebook pages, and her website.
Wallflower Custom Framing
4735 42nd Ave SW
Deborah Streeter, 5-8pm
About the Show:
“My love of textures and patterns of fabric is as strong as ever. In recent years, the pieces of cloth scattered around my studio started begging to be stitched to painted paper. This show emerged out of a desire to let the paper and the cloth blend their voices together in my studio; to let myself blend two formerly disparate creative endeavors into one visual and tactile experience.
Each of these quilts is one-of-a-kind. The pieces are built from scraps of antique kimono silk, painted cotton, altered National Geographic Magazine pages, collage, and painted paper. Each individual scrap is only important in relationship to those that surround it. Together, they harmonize.”
About the Artist:
“I made my first quilt as a gift for my eldest sister during a college summer break. She lived far away and it seemed the perfect way to connect. Almost 40 years later, I still create quilts, as they celebrate my love of fabric and my desire to play with color, pattern and connection.
Quilting is a lesson in precision and I eventually realized that I prefer the imperfect freedom of other media. I began to hear the call of altered book and magazine pages, acrylic paint, stencils, and collage.”
Learn more about Deborah’s work at her
Note from Tracy at Wallflower: While you’re in the neighborhood, we welcome you to check out our closing sale! All custom framing is 15% off and all of our retail frames, mirrors, and framed art are 50% off through June.
In Greater West Seattle:
Canna West Seattle (Art Walk Partner)
5435 California Ave SW
Jen Clement, 5-8pm
Medium: Spray artist. Recently featured a custom painting as the backdrop at SXSW for the Seattle artist stage.
Canna will be hosting complimentary refreshments from 5-8pm and will also have a book signing with Mary J White, chef and author of Everyday Mary J, cannabis cookbook.
Learn more about Jen’s art on her Instagram. Join the Facebook invite here for the opening.
Viscon Cellars
5910 CALIFORNIA AVE SW
Jenna Howell, 5-9pm
Jenna Howell is a watercolor enthusiast. She has been painting with watercolor for nine years and finds inspiration from all types of subject matter. She has been teaching watercolor classes for over four years and and is passionate about encouraging others to learn to create with this medium as well.
You can explore more of Jenna’s art on her Instagram and Facebook pages, and her website.
Renee Walden – Edward Jones
6017 California Ave SW
LJ Sifri, 5-8pm
Artist Statement
I have started painting again after years of exploring other means of creating. I love that painting has opened my eyes to what is around me. My medium is acrylics. I love the vibrancy of the colors.
Office of Rebecca Mitsui (Art Walk Partner)
6021B California Ave SW
The Art of Jake Prendez, 5-8pm
Jake Prendez is a renown Chicano artist exhibiting his art and lecturing across the nation. Jake is also the owner/director of the recently opened Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery in West Seattle.
Learn more about Jake’s work at his Instagram and Facebook pages and his website.
Inner Alchemy, Treasures and Transformation
7354 35th Ave SW
Tami Bensen: The Soul’s Compass, 6-9pm
Tami is a natural Intuitive who specializes in reconnecting clients to their own internal guidance system. She has designed a simple yet powerful Inner child realignment practice. Tami calls herself an Intuitive Artist because she combines her psychic gifts with her own unique soul’s calling. Intuitive art as she describes it, is the process of letting go of self judgment to truly trust yourself. Using paints derived of pure crystals she creates healing works of art for her clients. These energy infused pieces speak the healing language of the soul. She joyfully guides private and group Intuitive art sessions in person and online.
Joins us for our Art Walk and Community party with a live art channeling by Tami, complimentary mini sessions with our Practitioners, great shopping and sips and nibbles!
Be sure to RSVP on EventBrite.
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