Seattle Art Museum

The Seattle Art Museum's collection focuses on Asian, African and Native American folk and tribal art. Especially good are the displays of masks, canoes and totems from Northwest coastal tribes. The permanent collection has a small but representational selection of paintings by European and American modern masters, but a rather thin and disappointing display of works by contemporary artists. Contemporary standouts include several Joseph Cornell boxes on the top floor and work by Harlem Renaissance painter Jacob Lawrence, who spent his last 30 years in Seattle. Traveling shows are found in the Special Exhibits gallery and are often outstanding; films and lectures take place in the 300-seat auditorium.

Seattle Asian Art Museum
Discover the splendor of Asian art and culture at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Set in Capitol Hill's beautiful Volunteer Part, this historic art-modern building houses a world-renowned collection of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan art. Take a free gallery tour, and visit the Seattle Asian Art Museum Store.
 

Seattle Art Museum Home
The building itself, a postmodern structure faced in limestone and ornamented terra cotta, makes the most of its hillside location; the spacious galleries step down the slope and are linked by immense staircases. This Robert Venturi–designed building has proven to be controversial, however, as only a third of its 145,000 sq feet is actually devoted to usable exhibition space. Jonathan Borofsky's four-story action sculpture, Hammering Man, waves tools at the museum's front door. The museum is planning to expand its downtown building and build an 8-acre outdoor sculpture park at the foot of Broad St, next to Myrtle Edwards Park.

Directions to the Seattle Art Museum
The new museum entrance is located on First Avenue on the corner of Union Street.

Heading North: I-5 to Seneca Street exit, west on Seneca Street to First Avenue, and turn right (north).

Heading South: I-5 to Union Street exit, west (toward Puget Sound) on Union Street to First Avenue. The museum is one block south.

From I-90: Heading west, merge onto I-5 North, take Madison Street exit. Turn left on Madison and right on First Avenue.



www.seattleartmuseum.org/