Diaphaneity Opens February 16 Platform Gallery
114 Third Avenue South, Seattle, Washington, 98104
In his exhibit entitled "Diaphaneity," Matt Sellars' new sculptural work reminds us that memories are as thin and ephemeral as a vanishing barn. Just as light pours through the structure's bare slats, a memory often is a fleeting moment. All the works reference various stages of the life cycle with a mixture of humor and sadness. Their forms, which have become an element in his visual language, come from his memories of the rural landscape of his youth. The artist celebrates the tenacity of people who work these small farms and their ability to endure.

Shard Opens at the Center on Contemporary Art [CoCA] on February 11.
410 Dexter Ave N Seattle WA 98109, Hours: Wed-Sun, noon - 5pm Curated by Seattle poet David Francis, Shard aims to bring together parallel developments in visual art and contemporary poetry and will feature an ongoing installation of diverse media, totaling approximately 60 pieces by more than 30 artists from the United States and Europe, including a special focus on work by current faculty, staff, and students Cornish College of the Arts. During the run of the exhibition, nine evening events will take place at CoCA in Seattle, including readings, a panel discussion, and gallery talks Artists include: Judy Allen, Bob Campbell, David Francis, Jon Gierlich, Adriana Grant, Kathleen Rabel, and Rebecca Woodhouse.

Swallow Harder: Selections from the Ben and Aileen Krohn Collection
at the Frye Art Museum: February 24 through May 14, 2006 Swallow Harder is a snapshot of the contemporary collection of Ben and Aileen Krohn. Since its beginning in the late 1990s, this Seattle-based collection has grown to several hundred pieces, including series by notable artists in photography and works by emerging artists in video. The forty-seven works exhibited in Viewpoints Gallery feature regional, national, and international artists including: Alice Wheeler, Claire Cowie, Scott Fife, Matt Greene, Amie Dicke, and Anthony Goicolea. The premise of Swallow Harder is that some of today’s most inventive and provocative artwork is representational. This belief suffuses the art of these artists working in video, photography, painting, performance and sculpture. The Krohns are collectors following this lead. The Krohns have consistently collected in depth the works of artists who intrigue them. The exhibit is curated by Chief Curator Robin Held.

New Members Show at Soil
Satomi Jin, Isaac Layman, Chauney Peck
February 2 through February 26, 2006 The gallery presents artists Satomi Jin, Isaac Layman, and Chauney Peck, in their New Members Show.
Satomi Jin "Plants grow and live certainly and invisibly. They are quiet but determined. My work is focused on the essence of a six hundred years old tree, onion cells under microscope, and blackberry bushes around Seattle. A simple individual can create a complex structure for the larger system. I choose to use a simple, repeated shape and color to achieve the similarity, or the sameness."
Isaac Laymans color photographs explore the material aesthetics of utilitarian objects. Constructing rudimentary temporary sculptures with plywood, extension cords, and the like, Layman's work creates a sophisticated visual play revealing textural qualities, elegance of line, and intriguing color fields not commonly associated with these objects.
Chauney Peck constructs a human-size mountain made of spinnaker cloth and wood strips. It retells the story of a ski resort in the French Alps that wrapped the mountain in a massive mylar emergency blanket to prevent snow melting due to global warming. Her delicately constructed mountain alludes to the role reversal of humans and nature.

New sculpture by Julia Haack at Gallery 4 Culture
101 Prefontaine Pl S, Seattle WA 98104, Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
closed government holidays; the gallery is open and free to the public
The patina of salvaged materials is fundamental to this new group of simplified forms. Haack's involvement in the construction and recycling trades has brought an awareness of the quantity of discarded consumer material. Challenged to develop this exhibition using only cast-off components, Haack responds in part to the material's previous dictates. The artist combines architectural references with textural studies to make structures with grace and formal beauty.

Carol Wax at Davidson Contemporary Print.
Excellent Advice for Young Printmakers
"The topic of working at home brings me to your questions about advice I might have for young printmakers. While it's nice to have your own press, even if you make your plates at home, going to a communal or cooperative workshop to print has advantages. In printmaking there are many ways to skin a cat - you will learn new tricks by watching and talking with other printmakers. Also, most printmaking studios receive and post prospectuses for print competitions and exhibitions that you might not hear about otherwise. Working in a communal shop and entering competitions also brings you into the folds of a network of printmakers who are both proud of our rich tradition and eager to share information about new technologies. I've found this international community of printmakers to be full of creative, generous, supportive people who have made being an artist all the more rewarding. Now, with the availability of the internet, having websites like Worldprintmakers.com makes it even easier for printmakers to exchange information and provides an important service that I hope printmakers on all levels will support."