Sylvia Wolf. Photo: Jonathan Vanderweit.
In Phillips' Museum Focus series, we speak with directors and curators around America about the institutions they lead and the what makes the cities they call home so unique. This week, we caught up with Sylvia Wolf, the John S. Behnke Director of the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, Washington. As the only museum dedicated to contemporary art in the region, the Henry is internationally recognized for groundbreaking exhibitions, for being on the cutting edge of contemporary art and culture, and for championing artists at every level of creation. Wolf previously served as curator of photography at the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Art Institute of Chicago. She is Affiliate Faculty at the University of Washington and the author of twelve books on photography and contemporary art. Since moving to Seattle in 2008, she has become an avid gardener and humble student of Pacific Northwest flora and fauna.
Installation view of Donna Huanca: MAGMA SLIT, 2022, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle. Photo: Jonathan Vanderweit.
PHILLIPS: What makes your city unique?
SYLVIA WOLF: The temperate climate and terrain. Situated between two mountain ranges, Seattle and environs offer more outdoor possibilities than any place I know of in the U.S. With mountains, water, towering trees, and expansive green spaces, it is an oasis. And while Seattle is well known for its independent spirit in music and technological innovation, its arts and culture scene make it a destination; with world class museums, performing arts, and science and culture offerings as well as numerous small independent art spaces that offer unique perspectives and experiences.
Chloë Bass, study for Soft Services. Photo courtesy of the artist.
P: Which local artists should we look out for?
SW: I look to artist-run spaces to feel the pulse of the local art scene. SOIL is a collective, nonprofit gallery in Pioneer Square that shows new and experimental work by local artists and curators. If you’re in town on the first week of the month, be sure to hit First Thursday in Pioneer Square, which is the largest art walk in Seattle with 30+ participating galleries and public spaces. WaNaWari in Seattle’s Central District is a center for Black art with free arts programming and Black-led, arts-based solutions to displacement and economic vulnerability — urgent issues in Seattle. I also look to the diverse programming of Seattle’s performing arts venues: LANGSTON, On the Boards, and Velocity Dance Center, to name a few. Seattle is rich in creativity. Coming out of the pandemic, it has been deeply moving and rewarding to experience art in-person again.
P: Any creative engagements in your area we should know about that are taking place in the coming months?
SW: There are many exciting offerings throughout the region! Seattle Art Fair returns in July with 60+ international and U.S.-based art galleries. Also, this summer the Henry is excited to expand its public programming and collaborations into Volunteer Park, which is home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum and Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture Black Sun (1969), and boasts views of downtown and the Space Needle. At the park, we will present a series of 14 stone benches by New York-based conceptual artist Chloë Bass, whose work examines themes of cultivation and wildness. Through our OffSite projects, we hope to provide meaningful chance encounters with art while also supporting artists whose vision is best realized in public spaces. And if you enjoy live theatre in an outdoor setting, see Seattle’s Shakespeare in the Park for free summer offerings.
James Turrell skyspace, Light Reign. 2003. Photo: Jonathan Vanderweit.
P: Where should we grab a drink or a bite when we are visiting?
SW: Where to start! Marjories is one of my favorite spots — their Steel Drum Plantain Chips are sublime. If you are looking for stunning rooftop views, Mbar, located in the heart of South Lake Union, and the Mountaineering Club, located in the University District, offer heart-stopping vistas. Communion, which is Black owned and chef’d, is a great spot in the Central District, which is also home to a myriad of fantastic Ethiopian places. If you love dim sum, I recommend Jade Garden in the International District. Walrus and The Carpenter in Ballard is excellent for oysters, TOMO is a new arrival in White Center, and Surrell is a Pacific Northwest wine and food destination. I could go on and on but I will stop here.
P: Any other not to be missed activities in your area?
SW: The 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum includes a vibrant collection of more than 40,000 plants from around the world and Discovery Park offers bluff to beach hiking. The Olympic Sculpture Park is a point of civic pride — a toxic waste site made into a gift to the public thanks to the vision of a handful of Seattle philanthropists. A trip to the University District using Seattle’s new Light Rail system offers a walk through the University of Washington’s Campus Art Collection, a tour of the newly expanded Burke Museum of Natural History, and a visit to the Henry, where you can immerse yourself in Donna Huanca’s kaleidoscopic installation MAGMA SLIT, commissioned by the Henry, or take moment of calm and respite within the meditative James Turrell Skyspace Light Reign. And if you wish to spend time on the water, a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island for lunch, ice cream, and a stop at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art will give you sea-level views of the Puget Sound, the Seattle skyline, and — if weather permits — the glorious Mount Rainier.
For further information about Phillips in Seattle and the Northwest please contact Silvia Coxe Waltner, Regional Director, Northwest at scwaltner@phillips.com.
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