art Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Tacoma unveils Black Lives Matter mural

By Lauren Gallup October 13, 2022

Along Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, the city’s new Black Lives Matter mural unfolds across the 23,000 square-foot Tollefson Plaza in bright colors. The mural cascades down the steps of the plaza and from different viewpoints, it reveals different faces, messages and meanings. The challenging space makes the viewer work to absorb the mural — something lead artist Read More

‘The Carnival of the Animals’ comes to life this October in Gallery 110

By Lauren Gallup October 11, 2022

The finale piece in Dorothy Anderson Wasserman's exhibit "The Carnival of the Animals," at Gallery 110 in Seattle. Photo by Lauren Gallup.

Four walls of Gallery 110 in Seattle have been transformed with dancing animals displayed within colorful, boxed scenes that jump to life against the otherwise white space. They are sculptures of human dancers, costumed like animals, the ensemble of Dorothy Anderson Wasserman’s latest exhibit, The Carnival of the Animals. It’s a study of music, dance, theater and visual Read More

In Conversation With Artists JW Harrington and Dorothy Anderson Wasserman

By Lauren Gallup August 24, 2022

On the second floor of the Catholic Community Services building, there’s a hallway that has been transformed into an art gallery. The Tahoma Center Gallery on South Yakima Avenue is showing “Black and White, abstracted,” a collection of 23 paintings by Tacoma artist JW Harrington. Harrington is a member of the Seattle artists’ cooperative, Gallery 110, and he and fellow Read More

How Do We Experience The World Around Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 32 – With Petra Kuppers

By Mindy Malone August 16, 2022

Petra Kuppers is seen through a screen. She is in front of a pink background. Sueann sits at the computer. A microphone is in view.

Photo of disability culture activist Petra Kuppers. Petra Kuppers holds many titles: disability culture activist, community performance artist, disabled woman, academic and writer, among more. She’s written several books, primarily… Continue Reading Read More

How Do We Experience The World Around Us? – With Disability Culture Activist Petra Kuppers

By NWPB August 16, 2022

Disability culture activist, community performance artist, and author of Eco Soma, Petra Kuppers, encourages listeners to contemplate the relationship they have with everyday objects in their life. In this episode… Continue Reading How Do We Experience The Read More

How Does Art Connect Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 31 – With Artist Jiemei Lin

By Mindy Malone August 2, 2022

Jiemei Lin wears a pair of headphones and a crocheted sweater on a tan loveseat.

Photo of Jiemei Lin recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on November 17, 2021. Born in Hangzhou, China, Pullman-based artist Jiemei Lin has made a home and a name for… Continue Reading How Does Art Connect Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 31 Read More

How Does Art Connect Us? – With Muralist Jiemei Lin

By NWPB August 2, 2022

The dandelion: in America, it is a distracting weed in an otherwise pristine lawn and in China, it is a valuable flowering plant used to treat common ailments. Both a… Continue Reading How Does Art Connect Us? – With Muralist Jiemei LinRead More

Step Into Gallery 110 At The Seattle Art Fair

By Lauren Gallup July 29, 2022

"Global Head Spin," a sculpture by artist Michael Abraham, was on display at this year's Seattle Art Fair.

Tri-Cities artist Greg Pierce travels the Pacific Northwest collecting rocks for his sculptures. Fused with clay and glass, each piece reinterprets the region’s landscape. He’s part of Gallery 110, which represents artists from across Washington state. Reporter Lauren Gallup spoke with Pierce at the Seattle Art Fair. Read More

Eastern Washington’s ‘Poet Laureate’ Hands Off Legacy

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour July 20, 2022

Jordan Chaney Listen (Runtime 1:59) Read Eastern Washington’s ‘unofficial’ Poet Laureate, Jordan Chaney, is leaving the state to explore new endeavors. A farewell show with the new directors of the… Continue Reading Eastern Washington’s ‘Poet Read More

Artists Bring People And Kids Together For Tacoma’s BLM Mural Project Design

By Lauren Gallup July 8, 2022

Images of the mural design, which will cover Tacoma's Tollefson plaza, created by Dionne Bonner.

Later this summer, Tacoma’s downtown Tollefson Plaza will be transformed into the first Black Lives Matter mural sanctioned by the city and other partners. The project is designed to acknowledge police brutality of Black people and racial inequities that came to nationwide attention after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Read More

How Can We Learn To Shape A Better Tomorrow? – With Community Organizer Nikkita Oliver

By NWPB June 21, 2022

Nikkita Oliver wearing a pair of headphones, a black flannel shirt and vest smiles while sitting on a black couch in front of a bookshelf.

Have you ever been inspired to make a change in your community after witnessing an issue within it? Nikkita Oliver, gender fluid abolitionist, artist, educator, poet and attorney, grew up… Continue Reading How Can We Learn To Read More

Kamiakin High School Art Show Winner

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour June 15, 2022

Georgia On My Mind-Margot Massey Listen (Runtime 1:00) Read In the Tri Cities, a Kamiakin High School rising senior won a statewide art award. Margot Massey’s painting is titled “Georgia… Continue Reading Kamiakin High School Art Show WinnerRead More

Tacoma-Based Artist Tells Stories Through Her Public Work

By Lauren Gallup June 7, 2022

Artist RYAN! Feddersen, who's first public installation was in Tacoma in 2019. Photo by Mario Gallucci Studio

For artist RYAN! Feddersen, art is a form of communication; a way to understand the world and a catalyst for meditation. “A lot of my interest in art was about making things for community, as a way to interpret our world,” Feddersen says. Continue Read More

Artist Creates Portraits For La Resistencia Of People Detained

By Lauren Gallup June 2, 2022

In an effort to bring awareness with art, artists have been creating portraits of people detained at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma since 2020. The portraits are posted on La Resistencia’s social media accounts, an organization working to end detentions and deportations. Read More

27 Years of Hilltop Artists On Display At GATHER Exhibit

By Lauren Gallup May 24, 2022

Museum goers admire "Ofrenda" by David Rios, one of the pieces in the GATHER: 27 Years of Hilltop Artists exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum. Photo by Peter Berkley.

In the year 2005, Trenton Quiocho was a Tacoma high school student who signed up for a glassblowing elective. The class, taught by the organization Hilltop Artists, would set him on a trajectory to a career in glass art. Continue Reading 27 Years of Read More

Estudiante de secundaria de Yakima gana concurso de arte del Congreso

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour May 23, 2022

Imagen de la obra “Silenced”, de Morgan Greene, que estará expuesta en el Capitolio. Read Una estudiante de último año de la escuela secundaria A.C. Davis de Yakima ganó el… Continue Reading Estudiante de secundaria de Yakima gana Read More

Yakima High School Student Wins Congressional Art Competition

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour May 20, 2022

Silenced by Morgan Greene Listen (Runtime :46) Read A Yakima A.C. Davis High School senior has won a Congressional Art Competition with her depiction of a woman and the symbol… Continue Reading Yakima High School Student Wins Congressional Read More

MFA Thesis Exhibition Begins

By Murrow News - Jackee Smith March 31, 2022

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, WASH – The end of the school year means final exams, job hunting, and, for Master of Fine Arts Graduate Candidates, art museum exhibitions. “This… Continue Reading MFA Thesis Exhibition BeginsRead More

David Govedare, Artist Behind Wild Horse Monument, Iconic Metal Work, Dies

By Rebecca White December 2, 2021

David Govedare speaks in front of his most well known piece, Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies.

David Govedare, the artist behind the iconic Bloomsday runner statues in Spokane’s Riverfront Park and the Wild Horse Memorial in central Washington, died just before Thanksgiving. Continue Reading David Govedare, Artist Behind Wild Read More

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art Painted With BLM

By Murrow News - Doyal D'angelo November 15, 2021

After receiving a grant, 20 Washington State artists are using their voices and artistic expression towards social justice efforts. The entire museum is currently filled with art that relates to… Continue Reading Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art Painted Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 17: Artist Jesse Clyde On The Art Of Being Present

By McKayla Fox July 6, 2021

In this episode of "Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella," cartoonist Jesse Clyde is radiating good vibes and positive energy. He shares how he tries to be present in the moment and explains how money and other societal distractions can take away from his artwork. Read More

17. Jesse Clyde

By NWPB June 22, 2021

In this episode of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella, cartoonist Jesse Clyde is radiating good vibes and positive energy. He shares with host Sueann Ramella about how he tries to be… Continue Reading 17. Jesse ClydeRead More

The Artist Behind A George Floyd Mural Reflects On How It Became A ‘Ubiquitous Icon’

By PBS Newshour May 14, 2021

A mural of George Floyd at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue S. in Minneapolis, United States, on January 18, 2021. (Photo by Tim Evans/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

One of the most recognizable images of Floyd sits just above the spot where he drew his last breath – at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis. It’s a haunting, 12-foot mural of Floyd, painted in black and white by Minneapolis-based artist Peyton Scott Russell. Read More

Brood X Is Back — But Cicadas Have Been In Chinese Art For Millennia

By NWPB News May 10, 2021

Album Leaf of Flowers and Insects, bequest of the Hofer Collection of the Arts of Asia, 1985.904.6 Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College/Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum

You might be using Cicada Safari to track Brood X, which appears to be slowly emerging from the earth in the U.S. all the way from Florida to Michigan. But cicadas are global citizens. In China, the critters have long been symbolically significant. Read More

Not Heading To Paris This Summer? The Louvre Has Digitized 482,000 Artworks

By NPR News April 20, 2021

The Apollon Gallery at the Louvre museum in Paris on Jan. 14, 2020. CREDIT: Stephanie de Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images

"The Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the least-known," said Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Musée du Louvre, in a statement on Friday. "For the first time, anyone can access the entire collection of works from a computer or smartphone for free, whether they are on display in the museum, on loan, even long-term, or in storage." Read More

Illustrators Build A Bridge For Young Readers, Says Artist James Ransome

By NPR News March 21, 2021

Artist James Ransome is a huge Parliament-Funkadelic fan. So much so, that one of their tunes provided the soundtrack when Ransome accepted the Society of Illustrators' Gold Award during a virtual ceremony on Thursday. Continue Reading Read More

5 Lesser-Known, Late-In-Life Works By Frida Kahlo Now On View In Dallas

By NPR News March 10, 2021

Frida Kahlo, Diego and Frida 1929 – 1944, 1944, oil on masonite with original painted shell frame, private collection, courtesy Galería Arvi © 2021 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, CREDIT: D.F./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

What more is there to say about Frida Kahlo? She died in 1954 at age 47. By now she's a cottage industry. Her face (that unibrow, the red lips, the scores of self portraits) reproduced on mugs, matchbooks, pandemic masks, of course tote bags. Read More

Happy Birthday To The Phillips Collection, America’s First Museum Of Modern Art

By NPR News February 27, 2021

After the deaths of his father and brother in 1917 and 1918, Duncan Phillips found solace in art. His wife, Marjorie Phillips, was a painter. They opened The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., in 1921. They are pictured in the Main Gallery, circa 1920. CREDIT: The Phillips Collection

One hundred years ago, America's first museum of modern art opened in a private mansion in Washington, D.C. Founder Duncan Phillips was an early collector of Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh. The Phillips was the first to buy a Georgia O'Keeffe. Decades ago, in this city of museums, it became my favorite one. Read More

Art Where You’re At: With Power, Poise And Confidence, These ‘Women R Beautiful’

By NPR News January 30, 2021

The Stoop Stare Down (Nia & Afiya, Two Generations in Harlem), Jan. 26, 2020, 3:30 p.m., 42 degrees CREDIT: Ruben Natal-San Miguel/Ruben Natal-San Miguel & Postmasters Gallery

Mama (Beautiful Skin) — Natal-San Miguel added the parenthesis — belongs to the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C. It's part of their first online exhibition. Twenty six of Natal-San Miguel's photos are on view in "Expanding the Pantheon: Women R Beautiful." His subject in this one has vitiligo. Pigment is missing from parts of her skin. She's dappled. And Natal-San Miguel Read More

Art Project Of Seesaws Built On U.S. Border Wall Win Prestigious Design Prize

By NPR News January 19, 2021

American and Mexican families play with a see-saw installation at the border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in July of 2019. The project has been recognized by a prestigious design award. Luis Torres/AFP via Getty Images

An art project that turned the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border into the temporary base for pink seesaws – inviting children on each side to come play together – has won the London's Design Museum award for best design of 2020. Continue Read More

‘I Just Followed My Interests’: Garry Trudeau On 50 Years Of ‘Doonesbury’

By NPR News January 14, 2021

Garry Trudeau is shown at his office on Dec. 22, 1972. AP

The ground-breaking comic strip Doonesbury has been with us for a half-century. It was the first daily comic strip to win a Pulitzer Prize for tackling social issues, politics and war. It's also been censored for some of those same reasons. Read More

‘Where Are The Women?’: Uncovering The Lost Works Of Female Renaissance Artists

By NPR News January 3, 2021

The final restoration project by the nonprofit Advancing Women Artists group features works by Violante Ferroni, an 18th century prodigy about whom little is known today. Francesco Cacchiani/AWA

For centuries in Italy — the cradle of Renaissance masters — women with artistic talent were not allowed to enter academies. And the names of the few female artists from centuries past have mostly faded into oblivion. Continue Read More

Play Us A Memory, Piano Man…And Recycle This Old Instrument

By Tom Banse December 24, 2020

Michael Rohde disassembling a 120-year-old piano to salvage the metal and fine wood for other uses. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3

Sure, you're a good Northwesterner because you recycle your beer cans, cardboard boxes and plastic milk jugs. But what about that dust-collecting piano you have long wanted to unload? It doesn't fit into the recycling bin. Creative upcycling might be the answer. Read More

‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 8: Stella Williams On Diversity In Literature And Art’s Impact On Community

By Mia Hunt December 8, 2020

Photo of author Stella Williams from a recording of Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella.

In this episode of "Traverse Talks with Sueann Ramella," author Stella Williams shares how her love for reading at a young age drove her to write about stories that showcased characters that looked like her. Read More

Roald Dahl Family Apologizes For Children’s Author’s Anti-Semitism

By NPR News December 7, 2020

British children's book author Roald Dahl, as pictured in 1971. Thirty years after his death, Dahl's family has apologized for the author's anti-Semitism. CREDIT: Ronald Dumont/Getty Images

The apology, which appeared as a note on the official Roald Dahl website, comes 30 years after the author's death. Continue Reading Roald Dahl Family Apologizes For Children’s Author’s Anti-SemitismRead More

Behold The ‘Potato Head’ Of Palencia, Another Botched Art Restoration In Spain

By NPR News November 11, 2020

Before and after the recent "restoration" of a statue in the northern Spanish city of Palencia. Courtesy of Antonio Guzmán Capel

The statue was once of a smiling woman in a pastoral scene. Now, it looks more like a melted candle with some gouged holes. Professional art restorers in Spain are calling for stricter oversight. Continue Reading Behold The Read More

‘The Writing On The Wall’ Finds Poetry Behind Bars, Projects It Onto Buildings

By NPR News October 25, 2020

"The Writing On The Wall" art installation projects writings by incarcerated people onto the sides of buildings, such as The New York State Supreme Court Building, above. Chemistry Creative

"Look at all the wisdom, look at all the heart that is imprisoned in our society," says Hank Willis Thomas, cofounder of the art installation project. Continue Reading ‘The Writing On The Wall’ Finds Poetry Behind Bars, Read More

Need 2 Minutes Of Calm? Inhale, Exhale … And Click Here

By NPR News July 11, 2020

Base for a water pipe (hookah), 1650-1700. India; Bidar, Karnataka state. Zinc alloy with inlaid silver and brass. CREDIT: Asian Art Museum

San Francisco's Asian Art Museum has been asking staffers to highlight favorite objects in the collection. Curator Forrest McGill chose the base of a hookah, made in 17th century India. Continue Reading Need 2 Minutes Of Calm? Inhale, Exhale … And Read More

9 Songs That Show How People Of The Past Coped With Pandemics

By PBS Newshour May 27, 2020

A work of art by Pierart dou Tielt illustrates the people of Tournai burying victims of the Black Death circa 1353.

Throughout history, people have turned to music during disease outbreaks as a way to seek spiritual guidance, express pain or even educate others about hygiene. The current moment is no exception. Continue Reading 9 Songs That Show How People Of Read More

WATCH: Missouri Penguins Enjoy ‘Morning Of Fine Art’ At Local Museum

By NPR News May 15, 2020

The birds were allowed to waddle through the galleries of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Both the museum and the Kansas City Zoo, which is home to the penguins, have been closed due to pandemic. Continue Reading WATCH: Missouri Penguins Read More

‘She’s Challenging You’: Alison Saar’s Sculptures Speak To Race, Beauty, Power

By NPR News May 12, 2020

"She's challenging you to sit down in that chair," Los Angeles artist Alison Saar says of her 2019 sculpture, Set to Simmer. CREDIT: Jeff McLane/L.A. Louver

Saar says the nude in her 2019 sculpture Set to Simmer has a message for the viewer: "If you want to look at me, don't just give me a sideways glance. Sit down in this chair and know me." Continue Reading ‘She’s Read More

‘If The Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Can I’: A Community Poem To Cope In Crisis

By NPR News April 30, 2020

Kwame Alexander, NPR's poet in residence, reads the latest crowdsourced poem, this one focused on how you've been affected by and coping during the global coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading ‘If The Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Read More

A Trip To Seattle’s Selfie Museum Poses A Boost To Self-Confidence

By NWPB News March 14, 2020

Tali Calles falls out of washing machine art installation at Seattle Selfie Museum.

Once finding it near Seattle's infamous Gum Wall, visitors will enter a small lobby leading to eccentric installations and flashy colors on every corner. After giving the front-desk your name, staff will stamp your hand and advise visitors of three important rules: have fun, take lots of pictures and don’t break anything. Read More

Trimpin Ambiente432 horns return to WSU

By Grace Arnis February 12, 2020

More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN – Trimpin: Ambiente432 returned to the main atrium of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the start of the spring semester. The exhibition is… Continue Reading Trimpin Ambiente432 horns return to WSURead More

How A College Prank Turned Into A Public Art Tradition

By PBS Newshour February 11, 2020

Lady Liberty atop Lake Mendota, seen in February 2019. Photo by Jeff Miller. Photo courtesy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The inflatable replica that rests on the lake’s solid surface isn’t a political statement, nor a throwback to the ending of 1969’s “Planet of the Apes,” but a decades-long tradition founded on a good laugh. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has staged the display at different times for more than four decades, starting in 1979 as a campaign stunt. Read More

Portraits Of Barack And Michelle Obama Going On Tour Next Year

By NPR News February 8, 2020

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama stand next to their newly unveiled portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery on Feb. 12, 2018. The portraits are set to go on a yearlong tour to five cities in June of 2021. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The National Portrait Gallery unveiled the official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama two years ago this month. Now it is sending them on a yearlong tour to five cities. Continue Reading Portraits Of Barack And Michelle Obama Going On Tour Read More

Making art is fun. But there's a lot more to it. It might serve an evolutionary purpose — and emerging research shows that it can help us process difficult emotions and tap into joy. Continue Reading Get Artsy For Health And Science: How Making Read More

Why Certain Poor Shepherds In Nativity Scenes Have Huge, Misshapen Throats

By NPR News December 29, 2019

A horn player (left) in this detail from a 1694 altar carving by Francesco Antonio d'Alberto in Piedmont, Italy, clearly has a swollen neck that signifies goiter, medical historians say. The thyroid condition was a sign of poverty in those days. Renzo Dionigi Shepherds

In some historical Nativity scenes, the shepherds have grossly enlarged thyroid glands — also known today as goiter. It's an apparent symbol of their poverty and iodine-deficient diet. Continue Reading Why Certain Poor Shepherds In Read More