Sam Birchman At Form/Space Atelier

Sam Birchman, Sammy, 2012

     Sam Birchman enumerates his seventh solo show at Form/Space Atelier December 14- January 5.  Vernissage December 14, 6PM.

     Seattle native Sam Birchman studied painting at The Evergreen State College. and apart from a couple of years in France and a year in New York, has lived in Seattle his whole life.  Birchman received his BFA from Evergreen State College in 2004, and was one of five recipients of a Senior Thesis in Studio Painting grant.  Birchman keeps a small studio above a hair salon in  downtown Seattle for about five years now, and that is where he spends his time painting when not working at his day job as a cabinetmaker for J.A.S Design/Build. 

Layne Goldsmith At Bellevue Arts Museum

Layne Goldsmith, Study For Babel I, 2006

Layne Goldsmith, distinguished faculty at The University Of Washington School Of Art, presented  “Tradition and Creativity: Innovations in Fiber Work” after a museum-led tour of the exhibition BAM Biennial 2012: High Fiber Diet in conjunction with Northwest Designer Craftsmen.

Ms. Goldsmith, currently the author's professor at The University Of Washington, is uniquely qualified to weigh in on the traditions and innovations in fiber work.  Her 30 years as UWSoA faculty have necessitated her continuing inquiry into fiber art, revealing the past and future of the discipline.

Ms. Goldsmith, affable, even adorable, is one of the most well-respected persons in her field, and a world-renown designer of textiles through her own artistic practice Layne Goldsmith Studio , creating "custom carpets that honor, expand, and preserve tradition in contemporary interiors".

Included in Ms. Goldsmith's presentation were Marcel DuChamp's "16 Miles Of String" and work by fellow UWSoA faculty Michael Cepress.

Exhibiting at The Bellevue Arts Museum while Ms. Goldsmith made her presentation is the BAM Biennial, this iteration fiber, "High Fiber Diet".

Rock Hushka and the author sharing an art moment.

Hushka's "Whitsun"

The star of the BAM Biennial is Rock Hushka.  Hushka's "Counter-Practice (Candlemas)" is part objective, part performative artwork. Artist Rock Hushka performs in the gallery every Friday (1 - 5pm) and Sunday (12:30 - 4:30pm) through February 24, 2013. Hushka is performative artist as he embroiders in a recreation of his studio with music from his collection on the theme of salvation. Music will cycle randomly at all times during the exhibit and serve as a surrogate in his absence.  The author, a colleague of Hushka, observed BLOODSTAINS on the embroidery whilst viewing Hushka's artwork.  The author and Hushka agreed some amount of suffering is necessary for the process of art to occur.

The Beet-Dyed Brilliance of Allison Manch

Allison Manch's three three Biennial-exhibited objects are familiarly thought-provoking and remarkably well-constructed.  Especially fantastic was the use of beets to stain one of her artworks being exhibited.

A towering Paul Komada installation honoring the Occupy movement.

Paul Komada's installation of knitted signal flag-looking squares paid homage to the Occupy movement.

Shelia Klein's evanescent scrim installation

Sheila Klein's interactive curtains provided obfuscation to viewers needing a little privacy.

Michael Cepress' wearable art showed incredible fit and finish, while increasing the profile of Dadaist absurdity themes.