Art All Around

As you may know, I love art. Maybe it's because I'm a visual learner or I get distracted by all the colors and forms...who knows. There's something about stretching your thinking and interpreting a piece. And in the past few weeks, my fellow art-lover Maddie (art history major extraordinaire and superstar Seattle Art Museum employee) invited be to tagalong to a few art events happening in Seattle.

First up was Summer at SAM hosted at the Olympic Sculpture Park, nestled right on the Puget Sound with views of Alki and the Olympics and ART! Maddie has been covering most of the events on social media, but made sure I came to Dog Night.

Probably the best combination in the world, dogs + art. There were local vendors serving up some delicious food. We opted for some popsicles to cool off from the Seattle heat wave.

There was live music, strolling through the park, crafts, and just a good time. Apparently Macklemore was enjoying the festivities too, but we couldn't catch a glimpse of him.

It was the perfect summer night!

Maddie also invited me to go to the Seattle Art Fair a few weeks later. I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was at Century Link in the convention area (aka lots of art on display) but other than that, I was in the dark. When I arrived, I saw rows and rows of booths filled with local and international art.

I hurried around to try my best and see everything. In my haste, I only snapped a few pictures of my favorites and forgot to jot down some names.

The art was amazing and diverse. There was something new and innovative at every turn.

Finally, I took a trip to the Henry Art Gallery on the University of Washington campus. Seeing as it is summer, the Henry is a bit sparse, but there is still a lot going on!

I was most excited to check out Martin Creed's Work No. 360: Half the air in a give space

Basically, it's a massive room filled with balloons. Creed, a Turner Prize winner, takes the volume of the room and divides it in half, then fills it with sixteen inch balloons. At the Henry, there are 37,000 silver balloons.

The best part? You can walk throughthe room and immerse yourself in the balloons. Creed aims to give the visitor a tangible experience since most of the time there are signs EVERYWHERE stating "Please do not touch the art". With visitors maneuvering their way through the sea of balloons, it creates a dynamic, ever-changing piece, not to mention and incredible experience.

I was reluctant to go in, but I had to. When do you get an opportunity like this?! The gallery worker cracked the door open just enough for me so the balloons wouldn't all come spilling out and I forced my way in. Soon I was engulfed by silver balloons and I was buzzing.

Then, naturally, a brief moment of panic and claustrophobia hit, but was quickly overcome by a wave of awe and giddiness. I cannot describe the experience, but it was amazing and I highly recommend going before it leaves the Henry.

Art pushes boundaries and your thinking and many people write it off because they just don't "get it". And you don't have to get it. Successful art makes you feel something, anything really, whether it be confusion, happiness, fear, etc.

So I challenge you to get out to a gallery or museum and wander around, who knows, maybe you'll find your new favorite piece.