On View

Cultural Cascades                                                                                  

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ON VIEW

 From Talking Sidewalks to Monet, the Cultural Cascades provide a feast for the eye and imagination. Discover both traditional and eccentric public art that has captured the hearts of residents and the envy of the nation; vibrant monthly gallery walks; Northwest Coast art and traditional Asian arts that illuminate history; inspiring architecture and gardens; and a diverse collection of museums that have on view the classical to the contemporary to the whimsical.

ON VIEW IN TACOMA

• Tacoma Art Museum –Tacoma Art Museum is a nationally recognized facility that features the largest collection of glass by Dale Chihuly, paintings by Northwest artists and American and European masters, and special traveling exhibits of national and international art. A large new facility, designed by architect Antoine Predock, opened in May 2003 near the Washington State History Museum and Museum of Glass.
• Washington State History Museum – Designed by Arthur Erickson to echo Tacoma’s historic architecture, the Washington State History Museum combines with the Tacoma Art Museum and new Museum of Glass to comprise a rich cultural corridor along Pacific Avenue. The History Museum includes interactive dioramas about the state’s history, people and places. Home of the largest collection of pioneer, Indian and Alaskan artifacts on the Pacific Coast, it also features traveling exhibitions such as one on the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Celebration.
• Third Thursday Art Walk – The many art galleries in downtown Tacoma open new shows every third Thursday of the month, staying open into the evening.  Local museums also stay open and offer free admission. Tacoma’s eclectic galleries showcase the best of contemporary craft, and are gaining a national reputation for shows of quilts and textiles, turned and carved wood, and metal arts. Third Thursday is a great time to browse the scene, meet guest artists and perhaps buy that perfect piece of art.
• Spectacular Gardens – Thanks to our temperate climate, local gardens are abloom most of the year. Visitors love to explore Lakewold Gardens Estate, formerly a 10-acre private estate designed by noted landscape architect Thomas Church. The 1908 W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, one of only three Victorian-style conservatories on the West Coast, houses 500 species of exotic tropical foliage and flowers. At Point Defiance Park, specialty areas range from a traditional Japanese Garden to stunning rose, dahlia, iris and Northwest native gardens.

ON VIEW IN PORTLAND

• Talking Sidewalks, Dancing Fountains and the “Fish Garage” – Public art plays an important role in Portland’s urban landscape, from the city’s first piece of public art, Skidmore Fountain, to the inspired works displayed at the Westside MAX light rail stations.  In fact, public art is so important that city and county ordinances require that 1.33 percent of all major capital building budgets be set aside for art that is free for the public to view.  Among our favorites: the Talking Sidewalk, a city sidewalk engraved with whimsical quotes, sage proverbs and wisecracks; the Weather Machine, a 25-foot-tall kinetic sculpture that predicts each noon whether the day will bring rain, sun or storms; and the “Fish Garage,” a downtown parking garage whose exterior is covered with oversized, brightly painted fish cutouts.
• Portland Art Museum – The collections of the Portland Art Museum, the oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest, encompass more than 33,000 pieces, including intricate, multi-layered Native American transformation masks; elegant English silver; soft-hued Impressionist paintings; African artifacts; sculpture; and more. In 2008, the Portland Art Museum celebrated 115 years as the most comprehensive visual arts resource in the region.
• First Thursday, Last Thursday – One of the best times to explore Portland’s gallery scene is on the first or last Thursday of each month.  During the aptly named “First Thursday Gallery Walk,” galleries and shops in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, downtown Cultural District and Pearl District stay open late, inviting the public to mingle with exhibiting artists.  Complementing First Thursday is Northeast Alberta Street’s “Last Thursday” event, which showcases a relatively new enclave of galleries in the ethnically diverse Alberta neighborhood.
• From Quirky to Kitschy – Portland’s quirky nature is reflected in some of its more unusual museums.  Stark’s Vacuum Cleaner Museum showcases the most complete collection of vacuums in the United States.  Arranged in chronological order, the exhibit ranges from hand-pumped machines of the 1800s to glitzy, streamlined models of the 1990s.  Not far from Stark’s is The Velveteria, a museum dedicated entirely to velvet paintings.  And for a post-museum bite, don't miss Voodoo Doughnut, a decidedly quirky downtown doughnut shop with a voodoo theme.  Surrounding Voodoo’s pastry cases are pin-cushion dolls, skeletal hands and, oddly, snapshots of beaming wedding couples.  This freewheeling motif makes sense when you learn that Voodoo’s owners not only make the best doughnuts in town, they are also ordained Universal ministers who can marry you on the spot.
  

ON VIEW IN SEATTLE

• New Olympic Sculpture Park Offers Great Art and Gorgeous Vistas - Seattle Art Museum opened the 9-acre, $85 million Olympic Sculpture Park in January 2007.  Designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, the park seamlessly connects Seattle’s bustling Belltown neighborhood to the central waterfront via an iconic z-shaped traverse from Western Avenue to Elliott Bay, providing a continuous landscape of native plantings and a diverse setting for a wide range of sculpture. The park features internationally-recognized artists, including Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois, Roy McMakin, Richard Serra, Beverly Pepper, Mark Dion, Teresita Fernandez and Tony Smith. Panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains, Elliott Bay and Puget Sound add to the experience.  
• New SAM open in downtown Seattle - The opening of the new Seattle Art Museum in May 2007 marks the beginning of a dynamic new era for the art museum in the heart of downtown Seattle. The new building by architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture seamlessly blends with the existing facility designed in 1991 by Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates, and more than doubles the museum's exhibit and public spaces.  In recognition of the expansion    and SAM's 75th anniversary in 2008, the museum has received an unprecedented series of gifts from prominent collectors, adding nearly 1,000 works of art from  40 collections, valued at more than $1billion.
• Dazzling New Central Library – The Seattle Public Library opened the new $165.5 million Central Library in downtown Seattle in May 2004. The library was designed by Dutch architect and Pritzker Prize Laureate Rem Koolhaas and his team from OMA and Seattle-based LMN Architects. The 11-story, 362,987-square-foot building features an angular glass and steel facade surrounding five levels and a four-level "books spiral," which houses the library's nonfiction collection in a continuous run. The new structure expands the library's collection capacity to 1.4 million books and materials, and offers 400 public computers and wi-fi access. Not only of interest to local residents, the library offers docent- guided architectural tours and includes public art installations by Ann Hamilton, Gary Hill and Tony Oursler. Fun fact: the bold new building includes enough glass to cover 5 ½ football fields.
• Museums for every interest – From traditional or contemporary art at the Seattle Art Museum, Henry Art Gallery, and several alternative spaces, to natural history and culture at the Burke Museum, our many museums offer delightful diversions. The Seattle Asian Art Museum has the finest collection of Japanese porcelain outside Japan; the Wing Luke Asian Museum in the International District explores the culture and history of Asian Pacific Americans. Located in the charming Ballard neighborhood, the Nordic Heritage Museum is the only museum in the United States to honor the legacy of immigrants from the five Nordic countries. The free Frye Art Museum celebrates representational art, mixing period masters with contemporary artists. History buffs will delight in the Museum of History and Industry and its 1.2 million piece historic photograph collection, and the Museum of Flight’s exploration of the amazing story of aviation. For something completely different, the Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project is the only museum of its kind in the world, offering interactive exhibits, pop culture, live music and more. The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, co-located with EMP at Seattle Center, is another first in the world.
• Leaders in Public Art – Seattle was one of the first cities in the nation to adopt a 1%-for-public-art ordinance, embracing the artist’s role in civic life and creating opportunities for artists to work designing manhole covers, civic plazas, and our unique bus tunnel, among other projects. Some of the most beloved works include Jack Mackie’s famous “Dance Steps” along Broadway on Capitol Hill, several fountains by George Tsutakawa, and Isamu Noguchi's "Black Sun" at Volunteer Park. A  significant recent addition to Seattle’s public collection is an ever-changing light installation by artist Leni Schwendinger at McCaw Hall, home to Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. 
• First Thursdays – Some 50 galleries located in historic Pioneer Square and the downtown area open their new exhibitions on the first Thursday of each month by extending their evening hours.  It’s a happening scene, with local artists, collectors, arts aficionados and generally interesting people mingling to check out exciting new works by emerging young artists and Northwest icons alike.

ON VIEW IN EUGENE

• Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon Reopens - Reopening October 3, 2004, the new Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon will provide a welcoming destination for curious visitors. Discover significantly expanded gallery spaces featuring engaging exhibitions and a full complement of inviting programs. Educational facilities and stunning gathering spaces offer opportunities for inspiration, learning, and enjoyment.
• The World's Oldest Shoes - The University of Oregon Museum of Natural History is home to the oldest known pair of shoes found during an archeological dig. Dating back 10,000 years, these petite shoes are only one of the highlights in this fascinating museum. Oregon's ancient past can be traced through exhibits featuring geology, archaeology and botany. Even the museum's grounds provide learning opportunities as native plant species are featured in their Glenn Starlin Courtyard.
• The Nation's Oldest Outdoor Arts Market - The Saturday Market is a must for locals and visitors alike. The ideal place for scrumptious food, entertainment and unique art work, its no wonder the Saturday Market has been a staple in Eugene for over 30 years. In fact, the Saturday Market is the oldest continually running outdoor art market in the U.S. Come to people watch, find the perfect gift or simply soak in the scene - tie-dye and Birkenstocks are optional!
• Galleries Galore! - Eugene's many galleries open their doors to special tours the first Friday of every month. Local art experts lead participants through an ever-changing collection of galleries explaining the works on display. Many of the local artists meet the tour to give personal insight into their special talent. Personalized education, unique art and camaraderie join to make these free tours worth a mint!

ON VIEW IN VANCOUVER, BC

• Buschlen Mowatt Gallery - Vancouver’s foremost gallery of contemporary fine art is host and primary sponsor of the biannual Vancouver International Sculpture Project, the six-month exhibition of major public sculpture in Vancouver’s parks and urban landscape.  Buschlen Mowatt has two spaces  - Main Floor at 1445 West Georgia Street and Buschlen Mowatt Annex at 647 Howe Street. Both feature illustrious artists from Helen Frankenthaler and Tom Wesselmann to renowned Canadians Sorel Etrog and Venice Biennale participant Wanda Koop.
• The Vancouver Art Gallery – This impressive building was originally designed in 1907 by Francis Rattenbury, the same Victoria-based architect who designed the BC Parliament Buildings. The VAG’s building for many years served as the city’s law courts. Instead of gowned men in creative wigs dealing with the creative stories of plaintiffs, defendants and criminals, it now features various collections of works. It houses the world’s most extensive works of BC artist Emily Carr, plus a vast number of ever-changing exhibits of contemporary and historical art. 
• The Museum of Anthropology - Located at the University of British Columbia, the museum, housed in a spectacular building, owns one of the world’s finest collections of Northwest Coast Indian art, plus many other fascinating exhibits. Its best-kept secret? The wing built to house a collection of 1,600 pieces of 15th to 19th century European ceramics. The museum also houses a magnificent collection of West Coast native Indian materials. The concrete and glass structure, which echoes the mood and tradition of the longhouses of the Northwest Coast First Nations, displays huge totem poles, canoes and feast dishes in its Great Hall and marvelous collections in its side galleries. Artisans of the Kwakwaka’wakw, Nisga’a, Gitksan, Haida and Coast Salish peoples are represented by the mystical creations along with treasures from Europe and elsewhere. The setting opens onto an outdoor sculpture complex where tribal houses and memorial poles stand against an expanse of sea and mountain. Renowned carvers—such as the late Bill Reid and Mungo Martin, as well as Douglas Cranmer and Norman Tait—have put their stamp on this scene.
• Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery - With comprehensive collections of high-quality art work from the Northwest Coast First Nations, Plains & Inuit tribes, the gallery is a must-see for Native art enthusiasts. Boasting superb gold, silver and argillite jewelry, masks, totem poles, sculptures, bowls, rattles, paintings and prints, the gallery has a wide-ranging collection that would pique anyone's interest. 

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Revised June 2004