Seattle summer doesn’t arrive all at once — it trickles in, a little ore light here, a slightly warmer evening there. We’re not all the way in, but we’re close enough to start making plans. 1. Panda Fest I don’t usually trust anything with a mascot, but I’ll make an exception for the giant inflatable…

The Seattle International Film Festival, now in its 51st edition, is breaking the filmmaking world’s notoriously sexist mold. More than half of the 245 films to be screened during the festival feature filmmakers who are female or nonbinary identifying. The festival kicked off Thursday night at The Paramount Theatre with a gala party and screening of Four Mothers, a…

If you’re up for a scenic drive and love discovering art where it’s made, the Camano Island Studio Tour is worth the trip. Now in its 26th year, what began as a 14-venue event listed on a single sheet of paper has evolved into one of the North Puget Sound’s most beloved art experiences. If…

The first Asian American immigrants landed in Seattle in the 1860s, just a decade after the city’s founding in 1852. Seattle is plentiful with sites that tell crucial stories about Seattle’s Asian American community, whether you choose to learn about historic neighborhoods and buildings in the International District or browse sculptures and paintings at the…

The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…

After a successful run in the tech world, engineer and entrepreneur Andrew Conru, founder of the namesake Conru Foundation, is leaning in to one of his personal passions — art — with the launch of the Seattle Prize Masters Fellowship. Announced recently through the Conru Art Foundation, the one-year program, according to a press release,…

One night in December 2023, industrial designer Kate Bailey sat down to dinner with philanthropists and art supporters Shari D. Behnke and Edie Adams. It was a routine get-together at Adams’ house — the three women, each deeply involved in Seattle’s creative community, had grown close, bonding over their love of art. Adams and Bailey…

What did the Aurora Bridge or South Lake Union look like in the 1930s? Probably not the way you picture it. Before tech campuses and traffic jams, Seattle’s waterfront and cityscapes had a different kind of energy — one captured in some of the paintings now headed to Cascadia Art Museum. Thanks to a major…

This week, the Seattle Art Museum opened the largest-ever U.S. exhibition featuring the work of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. Spanning four decades of the artist’s career, Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei (March 12–Sept. 7) includes 130 works — a mix of sculpture, video, painting, wallpaper, furniture, and installation —…

A growing crowd of characters creates a palpable hum of geeky energy at Emerald City Comic Con, where “too out there” doesn’t exist.  It’s a heightened world combining all things comics, video games, books, TV and movies, as tens of thousands of attendees come together to revel, admire and celebrate all things nerdy. It’s truly…

One of the city’s most entertaining and, well, fun events is right around the corner. Plymouth Housing’s 16th annual Seattle Dances takes place at Fremont Studios March 8. Modeled after the iconic show Dancing With The Stars, Seattle Dances pairs local celebrities with a professional dancer. It’s all in the name of raising money for…

It’s hard to overstate the impact Asian comic art has had around the world. Manga, manhua, and other styles have shaped everything from movies to fashion trends. The stories go deep, the art is intricate, and no genre is off-limits. Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form is MoPOP’s newest exhibit and the biggest of…

If you’ve ever seen a Cirque du Soleil show, you’ll know the performances are always filled with death-defying stunts and feats of great strength that will often have audiences gasping in both fear and excitement. There’s usually a contortion act featuring artists bending their bodies in seemingly impossible ways. And if you’re like me, just…