Rachel Gallaher-Zenz
A San Juan Island Home for All Seasons
With an eye toward the future, Prentiss + Balance + Wickline helped two Seattle professionals design a house perfect for weekend getaways now—and permanent living during their post-retirement years.
It was early 2017 when a Seattle-based empty-nester couple started searching for a property in the San Juan Islands. They still had jobs in the city, but were nearing retirement and wanted a home they could use on weekends, and eventually settle in after they left the workforce. Initially, the two weren’t planning on a…
Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…
Inn at Langley: Where the Shore Meets the Sky
After a property-wide redesign, the Whidbey Island retreat reopens with a locally inspired take on vacationing in the Pacific Northwest.
Michelin-star chef Johnny Spero never planned to end up in the Pacific Northwest. A lifelong East Coaster born and raised in Baltimore, he began his culinary career at 16, working for a series of big-name chefs and restaurants before opening his own establishments in Washington, D.C., including Reverie, which earned him his Michelin star in…
Studio Sessions: Kelly Bjork
Fresh off the opening of a solo gallery show, Kelly Bjork talks working in pencil, the turning point in their career, and staying authentic in their art.
A longtime fixture in the local art scene, Kelly Bjork creates works that are intimate, relatable, and that hum with emotion. Working with pencil and paint, Bjork’s illustrations—often vibrantly colored and patterned—give viewers a glance into scenes of domesticity, highlighting simple moments between humans (or between a human and a place) that make up daily…
Studio Sessions: Colleen Louise Barry
Multi-hyphenate artist Colleen Louise Barry on discipline, the arts ecosystem in Seattle, and saving abandoned trampoline from the side of the road.
It’s hard not to smile around artist and writer Colleen Louise Barry. Bubbly and bright, she radiates optimism and cheer that would put most stereotypical Seattleites on edge. I think she is an absolute delight. Originally from Albany, Barry received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, before moving to Seattle in 2016. Once here,…
Seasonal Shift: The September/October Issue Arrives
September’s here, and in the Northwest that means a lot of things: back to school for the kiddos, that beautifully golden autumn light that comes with the waning summer, and, perhaps most importantly, the release of the September/October issue of Seattle magazine. Focused on fall arts and travel, it’s full of inspiring places to go,…
2026 Fall Arts Hit List—Visual Arts
The must-see gallery shows of the season.
September The 2026 Recology King County AIR Program Exhibition Through September 12 Recology King County To wrap up its latest artist residencies, Recology King County presents the 2026 Recology King County AIR Program Exhibition, featuring fashion designer Janelle Abbott and photographer Eirik Johnson. Held at Mutuus Studio, the show is the culmination of a residency…
2026 Fall Arts Hit List—Dance and Theater
The must-see dance debuts and theatrical performances of the season.
September Dance Whim W’Him: FALL ’26 September 12–20, Erickson Theatre Off-Broadway and Vashon Center for the Arts One of contemporary dance company Whim W’Him’s most popular programs, the Choreographic Shindig puts the power of curation into the dancers’ hands. For the FALL ’26 show, they chose three female choreographers—Kayla Farrish, Annie Rigney, and Jessi Stegall—to…
Rearview Mirror: Spinasse at Home, a New Spa Experience, and Seattle Mag’s Reader’s Choice Awards
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
YOUR VOTE MATTERS Everyone has a favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or local boutique. Call me old-school, but I will die on the hill that Caffe Vita has the best coffee in town. Disagree with me? Now’s your moment to speak up. Each year, we survey Seattle magazine readers, asking them to weigh in on everything…
Studio Sessions: Gabi Nirino
Working with textiles to explore ideas connected to nature, community, and womanhood, Buenos Aires-born Gabi Nirino never stops experimenting with her medium.
Gabi Nirino carries bag of materials with her almost everywhere she goes. Cloth, thread, yarn, textile scraps, collected fibers—the pieces inside are a network of inspiration waiting for her hands. “You can work with textiles anywhere—on the floor, on a plane—which is why I always carry a project in my bag,” Nirino says. “It’s like…
Rearview Mirror: A Buzz at Salish Lodge, Gourmondo’s Next Steps, and a Spooky Casino
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
NEXT STEPS, UNBOXED If you’ve lived in Seattle for any amount of time—especially if you work in a corporate setting—it’s likely that you’ve eaten something from Gourmondo, the longstanding Seattle catering and boxed-lunch company. Founded in Pike Place Market by Alissa Leinonen, Gourmondo recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with the announcement of Leinonen’s newest culinary…
Studio Sessions: Liz Tran
After 26 years in Seattle, artist Liz Tran returned to Oregon, but her impact on our city’s art scene will always remain.
Liz Tran’s work blooms with color, energy, and emotion. Bright drips and drops, petal-like shapes—in Tran’s skillful hands, canvas, paint, and fabric burst into dynamic studies of nature, transformation, life. Born and raised in Oregon, Tran spent the past 26 years in Seattle, returning to her hometown, Eugene, to be closer to her family—and the…
Rearview Mirror: Jimothy Fever, a Fresh Art Fair, and Goodies in Woodinville
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Unofficial mascot mug Really, is there anything else worth talking about right now? Jimothy has been in the collective consciousness for a little more than two weeks now, and I—along with most everyone I know, the entire city, half of the country, and a slice of the world—am obsessed with him. I don’t know if…
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