Making an appearance in the "Front Room"

I had such a great time at Juan Alonso Studio last week...

Juan Alonso-Rodriguez pauses for a moment at his birthday fundraiser. ©Lisa Myers Bulmash

... I'm coming back to his space this week too!

I've been invited to show some of my work in the Front Room Gallery at Juan Alonso Studio. On First Thursday art walk in Pioneer Square, I'll debut a new collage as well as some others you might have missed. Details:

Oh, and in case you were wondering, last week's fundraiser was a smash! Juan presented small works by 120 artists, including me, and raised a pretty penny for Lambda Legal, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood.

I'm just amazed I've gotten to double-dip, so to speak, and spend more time with such a wonderful artist. Will you join us?

Juan Alonso Studio fundraiser: claim your art

It's finished and delivered: the 6" x 6" artwork I created for next week's fundraiser at Juan Alonso Studio!

Juan is partnering with Project 106 artist studios for this fundraiser, which will benefit the ACLU, Lambda Legal and Planned Parenthood. With that last organization in mind, I made this piece honoring Anarcha, Betsy and Lucy. They were three of twelve enslaved women who survived the medical experiments of Dr. J. Marion Sims. Because of their sacrifices, he became known as the father of modern gynecology.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

More importantly, the women's sacrifices back then mean more women today recover from difficult childbirths. I hope the sales of artwork in this show can help support women who depend on Planned Parenthood for their health care.

Credit: Juan Alonso Studio

At first, all the art was going to be available first-come-first-served, starting April 28th. But so many people liked the art they saw online, Juan is now taking reservations for specific artworks. So I think it's all right to say this: if you want one, SPEAK NOW or forever hold your peace.

Good luck staking your claim!

"Jacob Lawrence" & "Seeing Nature" at SAM

It still gets me: most famous paintings I see in person are smaller than I'd imagined. Human-scaled, in spite of their larger-than-life reputations.

I made sure not to miss "Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series" before it moves on from the Seattle Art Museum. I wasn't disappointed. Although the pieces outline an epic change, following the paintings and captions around the room makes the exhibit feel something like a bedtime story.

And by "bedtime story," I'm thinking more "Grimm's Fairy Tales, original gory recipe" rather than "Grimm's Fairy Tales -- now with added Disney sweetness." Intimate, but sharp-edged. I could imagine living with these paintings.

I could also see myself living with a painting by Georgia O'Keeffe or Edouard Manet... but it's not the same. Which makes me wonder: what's it like to live in Paul Allen's house? Does he pass Manet's paintings of Venice canals on his way to get coffee from the kitchen?

At first I was going to skip "Seeing Nature." Few landscapes pull me in like portraiture or other narrative works that include the human figure. But I did find a few pieces I liked. Still, "Seeing Nature" makes me think more of the names involved -- and the guy who owns them -- than the works themselves. It's more a traditional museum experience of Western culture, the kind of thing that's Good for You.

I suppose big names (Jacob Lawrence, Paul Allen) were the reason I made time to see both exhibits. But once I arrive at a museum, I prefer a spectacle in which I can find something personal.