This article appears in print in the September 2018 issue. Read more from the Fall Arts Preview feature story here. Click here to subscribe.

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A Spirited Return
Ghost Gallery reappears on Capitol Hill

When Capitol Hill curator Laurie Kearney’s long-running art haven Ghost Gallery shuttered in January, many feared it had met the same fate—total, unsalvageable demise—of so many other small galleries cast aside in the wake of the city’s explosive growth. Kearney proves otherwise; she relocated a new and improved Ghost Gallery farther up Capitol Hill to an enviable address in Chophouse Row, thanks to an ally there—Jody Hall of Cupcake Royale—who’s renting her a newly built-out, 700-square-foot space behind her cupcake business.

Kearney, who had a soft opening of the relaunched biz in July, is still offering her unique curatorial mix of handcrafted jewelry, eclectic art objects and a small wine selection alongside monthly art shows. But, she says, Ghost Gallery 2.0 will focus on themes that bridge the arts and sciences, and highlight artists exploring social, biological and environmental themes (such as JoEllen Wang’s intricate, anatomically incorrect watercolor series, Disembodying Women, the gallery’s August show). “For people that have been going to Ghost Gallery for a long time, the gallery will feel similar with a darker aesthetic,” says Kearney.

Upcoming exhibits: Katrina Haffner, 9/13–10/7; Michael Alm, 10/11–11/4; Izzie Klingels, 11/8–12/9; Kimera Wachna, 12/13–01/06/2019. Times vary. Free. Ghost Gallery, Capitol Hill, 1111 E Pike St., Suite B; ghostgalleryshop.com

Art in Action
Dancer and Seattle Art Museum public program coordinator David Rue’s SAM Remix helps art bring us together

“It’s important…not to ignore what’s happening in the world; to use the arts to navigate a place to learn and to not be afraid to be uncomfortable—I’ve grown so much from being uncomfortable—and to lean in to the power of community partnerships and collaboration; I’m really interested in how all the arts can combine to be a reflection of the world we want to live in,” says David Rue, who coordinates the museum’s most eclectic night of the year, SAM Remix, an evening of performance, visual art, music, dancing and more.

This year’s event takes its theme from the museum’s major fall exhibition, Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India (see here). 11/9. 8 p.m.–midnight. Ages 21 and older. Prices vary. Seattle Art Museum, downtown, 1300 First Ave.; 206 625.8900; seattleartmuseum.org

Cinema Season
It’s time to head inside for these fall film festivals
By Austin Iverson

Classic theater buffs will enjoy SIFF’s Stage to Screen series (9/16–2/10/2019; siff.net) of star-studded productions from Britain’s National Theatre, such as Frankenstein (directed by Danny Boyle, and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller).

The Port Townsend Film Festival (9/21–9/23; ptfilmfest.com) shows a variety of feature films, documentaries and shorts, and this year honors actor and humanitarian Danny Glover, who appears Friday, September 21.

The popular French Cinema Now (9/27–10/4; siff.net) features current films by established and up-and-coming French filmmakers.

Seattle Art Museum’s 41-year-old Film Noir Series (9/27–12/6; seattleartmuseum.org) screens old and new classics, including Vincent Price and Gene Tierney’s Leave Her to Heaven and Michael Mann’s steamy Heat, some in 35-millimeter format.

Pakistan is the focus country at this year’s Tasveer South Asian Film Fest (9/28–10/7; tsaff.tasveer.org), with shorts, documentaries and experimental films tied to the festival theme, #KnowMe.

In its 13th year, the Tacoma Film Festival (10/4–10/11; tacomafilmfestival.com) bills itself as “a celebration of independent film mirroring the diverse and eclectic sensibilities of Western Washington’s second largest city.”

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in October with the Seattle Latino Film Festival (10/5–10/13; slatinoff.org), this year highlighting the work of filmmakers from Spain.

The Social Justice Film Festival (10/5–10/14; socialjusticefilmfestival.org) looks at those working for a more equitable world; this year’s theme is “Hope & Democracy.”

The provocative Twist : Seattle Queer Film Festival (10/11–10/21; threedollarbillcinema.org) connects filmmakers and viewers from around the world. 

One of the largest gatherings of young filmmakers in the world culminates at NFFTY, the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (10/25–10/28; nffty.org).

Prego! Cinema Italian Style (11/8–11/15; siff.net) spotlights the best of current Italian film.