Seattle Art Museum

🖼️ Next up in our #WomensHistoryMonth series: painter Honoré Sharrer. Sharrer marched to the beat of her own drum throughout her 75-year career. Tucked away in her rural upstate New York studio, she bucked trending art styles and sometimes spent years on a single painting. Known for her satirical work, Sharrer loved poking fun at female stereotypes and creating alternate realities. She was also drawn to the craft, themes, and metaphors of Northern Renaissance art. Her 1981 oil painting “Susanna and the Eldest” is based a tale from the Old Testament about sexual violence. In the story, two men spy on a woman while she is bathing and attempt to force her into having sex, then blackmailing her when she refuses. Eventually, their lies are exposed. In her reimagining, Sharrer gives Susanna unabridged agency. Instead of the demure victim, as she has been depicted throughout art history, Susanna splays out naked on the floor and stares directly at the viewer. An odd assortment of objects surround her to cultivate a dream-like state in the colorful room. This includes a skeleton in a top hat set upon a plinth that hovers above Susanna—a monument of death upon the leering men of her past? Check out our blog #SAMStories at https://lnkd.in/gkcHPv8D to read about all of our featured artists! #WomensHistoryMonth #FemaleArtists #HonoreSharrer #SusannaAndTheEldest #SAM #SeattleArtMuseum [🎨“Susanna and the Eldest,” 1981, Honoré Sharrer, 2012.16.1, © Adam Zagorin]

🎉 Exciting news: Ai Weiwei’s “Water Lilies” is now on view at the Seattle Asian Art Museum! Nearly 50 feet in length and made from 650,000 LEGO blocks, this is Ai Weiwei’s largest and most ambitious LEGO work to date. This striking reinterpretation of Claude Monet’s iconic work merges the lush beauty of Monet’s water lilies with Ai’s personal history. Displayed in one long panel on a single wall, “Water Lilies” offers an intimate gallery experience you won’t want to miss. Visit the Seattle Asian Art Museum today to witness the magic for yourself. Entry to “Water Lilies” is included with admission—tickets available at https://lnkd.in/gkqtyGH6! #AiWeiwei #AiRebel #WaterLilies #SeattleAsianArtMuseum

🧡 Museums are essential: they foster creativity, build community, and drive economic activity. Now, a new Executive Order threatens the future of The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which is the only federal agency committed to supporting museums like ours. At the Seattle Art Museum, we are dedicated to creating opportunities for everyone to experience art in all forms, from eye-opening exhibitions to hands-on workshops. Agencies like IMLS make that work possible. It’s time to stand up for art, creativity, and community. The American Alliance of Museums has put together a guide to help you advocate for IMLS and the museum field. Visit aam-us.org/advocacy to find all links and step-by-step-instructions. Make your voice heard!

😈Are you ready to rebel? SAM Remix, Seattle's favorite after-hours museum event, returns to the Seattle Art Museum on Friday, March 28. Not only can you experience “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei,” the exhibition everyone is talking about, but we’ve got a lineup of boundary-pushing artistic experiences in store, including: 💚 Hardcore pop artist TeZATalks 💚 Punk-pop from King Sheim 💚 DJ Kadeejah Streets 💚Eclectic beats of Nick Carroll chosen by False Prophet 💚 DJ set by SAM CEO Scott Stulen (!) 💚 Drag performance by BeautyBoiz 💚 Runway show from Dan McLean 💚 Stand-up comedy with The Southeast Asian Comedy Collective 💚 Gallery tours with SAM curators FOONG Ping & José Carlos Diaz 💚 Temporary tattoos by Ink by Bailee 💚 SAM member lounge 💚 Zinemaking 💚 Photobooth 💚 Low-sensory gameroom If you haven’t grabbed your tickets already, what are you waiting for? Head to visitsam.org/remix before they are GONE.

✍️ TOMORROW: Try your hand—and eyes—at ekphrastic poetry! Ekphrastic poems are those written about works of art. This spring, poet and writer Luther Hughes (they/them) leads a series of three workshops on the form, taking the exhibition “Following Space: Thaddeus Mosely and Alexander Calder” as inspiration. On three Sundays in March, April, and May, attendees will take in the large-scale wood sculptures of Mosley and the lofty works of Calder, discuss contemporary poems, and write their own ekphrastic poetry. Let’s get vivid with language about art! “SAM Creates: Vivid Description Poetry Workshop with Luther Hughes” takes place on March 16, April 13, and May 18; register for all three for a discount! More info at visitsam.org/events [📸: Installation view of “Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder” at Seattle Art Museum, 2024, photo: Natali Wiseman. Photo: Courtesy of Luther Hughes]

🐯 Our Women's History Month artwork spotlights continue with Seattle ceramicist Patti Warashina! Feminist themes radiate throughout her work. Inspired by her grandmother’s religious shrines, Warashina created a 12-part altar series that injects the devious into the divine, unpacking the female dilemma. Her 1976 sculpture “Tiger Lily” places a woman between two candles and a blooming flower, common altar elements associated with the Virgin Mary. Yet this woman is far from saintly. Surrounded by a ring of fire and clad in an animal print bodice, she embodies the rebellious Eve. She radiates power and resistance, transforming into a Tiger Goddess. By utilizing ancient clay techniques, Warashina pays homage to generations of family matriarchs. However, the transformation of these sacred statues into statement pieces flips tradition on its head. Her piece acknowledges the demure behavior women have been expected to embody and seeks to empower them to challenge these gender norms. 👀 Who else is on our list of women artists from SAM’s collection? Find out next week! [🎨“Tiger Lily,” 1976, Patti Warashina, 89.78, © Patti Warashina]

💚 “Everything is art. Everything is politics.” “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” is now on view at the Seattle Art Museum! Get tickets at visitsam.org/weiwei Globally renowned artist Ai Weiwei is celebrated as a disruptor of artistic canons and a champion of free expression. Organized by SAM, this major retrospective highlights the artistic strategies of his 40-year career for questioning forms of power. It marks the artist’s first US retrospective in over a decade and his largest-ever US exhibition. You don’t want to miss this.

👀 Ai Weiwei is everywhere! During his visit to Seattle, the artist visited all three SAM locations where his work will be on view this year. For the first time in its history, the museum is presenting the work of one artist at all three of its locations at the same time. This offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with Ai Weiwei’s work in different contexts across the city. Check out the details: 🏙️ “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” | Seattle Art Museum | March 12–September 7, 2025 🐫 “Ai Weiwei: Water Lilies” | Seattle Asian Art Museum | March 19, 2025–March 15, 2026 🌳 “Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze)” | Olympic Sculpture Park | May 2025–May 2027 “Ai, Rebel” opens to the public this Wednesday! Be one of the first to experience the exhibition that meets the moment. Get your tickets today at visitsam.org/weiwei [📸: Chloe Collyer]

💬 An unforgettable conversation. Artist Ai Weiwei appeared at Town Hall last night in an exclusive event for SAM members. He and FOONG Ping, SAM’s Foster Foundation Curator of Chinese Art and curator of “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei” shared many laughs and discussed many topics, including poker, artificial intelligence, his thoughts on time, and why he always uses his left hand when giving the middle finger in his “Study of Perspective” works (...he holds his phone with his right hand, obvs). The best way to experience “Ai, Rebel” is as a SAM member. Join now to get unlimited free admission, exclusive access on our new Member Mondays, and more. Details at visitsam.org/join [📸: Chloe Collyer]

🎥 Lights, camera, artist! Ai Weiwei sat down with the SAM team for an exclusive interview as we prepare to open to the public his first US retrospective in over a decade. Stay tuned for insights, stories—maybe bloopers?—from our day with the celebrated artist. Wednesday, March 12 is when the curtain rises on “Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei.” Get your tickets now at visitsam.org/weiwei [📸: Chloe Collyer]