ArtsLink

This Thursday, December 3rd, is a great time to check out art for FREE in Seattle! Galleries in Pioneer Square open their doors from noon to 8 pm offering food and drinks, socializing, new local and international art. Seattle’s First Thursday is the first Art Walk of the US, and in historic Pioneer Square, it’s really a great scene.

Learn more at “http://www.firstthursdayseattle.com/about.php”

I’ll be heading to the SAM to check out the Michelangelo exhibit and some of the permanent collection. Here is what SAM Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting & Sculpture, Chiyo Ishikawa and Susan Brotman have to say about the exciting Michelangelo exhibit:

This exhibition brings one of art history’s greatest figures to Seattle for the first time. Drawn exclusively from the collection of the Casa Buonarroti in Florence, the show explores Michelangelo’s complex personality and different aspects of his life and career. Centered around twelve original drawings by Michelangelo, the exhibition also features portraits of the artist, personal documents, and decorative arts from the Casa Buonarroti.
The primary focus of the exhibition is Michelangelo’s preliminary work for the Sistine Chapel in Rome, including a selection of working drawings for the Sistine Ceiling and the Last Judgment. Together, these objects give modern viewers insight into the artist’s working process, from sketches to finished studies. This exposure would have appalled Michelangelo, who burned many of his drawings hoping to sustain the idea that divine inspiration, not human labor, was responsible for his celebrated masterpieces.
The Casa Buonarroti was founded in 1612 by Michelangelo’s great-nephew as a monument to his famous relative, on the site of the artist’s former home. Housing original works of art, including the largest collection of Michelangelo’s drawings in the world, it now acts as the protector of the artist’s legacy.

I will also be looking at 3 particular pieces of Ancient Art in the SAM for an Art History course. For those of you fellow procrastinators in 201, First Thursday is a great opportunity to get going on this assignment. If you have already chosen a work to write about, this may be a good opportunity to have another look in person in a festive environment. From my own experience, visual analysis is best done with time, and if possible, several visits in person with the artwork.

I’ll report back on my Michelangelo thoughts soon!
-Milena