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New Exhibit Explores the Legacy of Cornish College of the Arts

Unveiling the history of Cornish College of the Arts

A group of people looking at art in a museum.
A group of people looking at art in a museum.

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.

THROUGH 5/1  David Martin, curator of the newly opened Cascadia Art Museum in Edmonds, may well be our region’s leading authority on Northwest art history.

His extensive knowledge, which encompasses the many forgotten strains of local painters and photographers, has been put to great use in creating Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Centennial Tribute to Nellie Cornish and Cornish College of the Arts, a show that explores the legacy of Cornish on its 100th anniversary. The exhibit, which includes artworks, archival photographs and ephemera—much of it newly uncovered and never before shown—focuses on both the school’s visual and performing arts traditions, frequently highlighting their glorious and often chance intersections.

This remote location, far from the centers of the era’s art world, where choreographer Martha Graham and painter Mark Tobey taught, and dance legends Robert Joffrey and Merce Cunningham studied, is brought vividly to life as we are introduced to the countless other artists and educators who laid the groundwork for Seattle’s now vibrant art scene.

Times and prices vary. Cascadia Art Museum, 190 Sunset Ave., Edmonds; 425.336.4809; cascadiaartmuseum.org

 

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way. 

What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common?  According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot.  “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture.  This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.

Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

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!),…