Frame by Frame: Celebrating Northwest Art and Artists

Seattle hosts a rich tradition of art-making from Northwest Indian arts to contemporary artists. A spectrum of artists of every level and medium, of organizations, collectors and art lovers engenders a vibrant community within and beyond our city limits.

The Seattle Public Library has long held a significant place in this city’s arts infrastructure. Our collections continue to be an important resource for artists, educators and the general public as a source of information and inspiration in the arts.

For over 100 years, The Seattle Public Library has collected artworks by Northwest artists that can be seen in the Central Library and in branch libraries.  Containing works by such noted artists as Guy Anderson, Paul Horiuchi, James W. Washington, Jr. and Doris Totten Chase, The Seattle Public Library Northwest Arts Collection is a testament to the persistence of the significant presence of the arts in this region.

See for yourself! Opening tomorrow, February 6 and running through March 26 The Seattle Public Library will host the exhibit Frame by Frame:  Celebrating Northwest Art and Artists.

Yuletide Cheer from the Archives

~posted by Jade D.

In the library’s digital collections, we have a wealth of materials (from photographs and postcards to artwork and newspapers) which give a glimpse into Christmas celebrations of the past.

Frank A. Kunishige and the Seattle Camera Club

Black Veil by Frank A. Kunishige

This month at the Central Library, we are opening an exciting new exhibit dedicated to Frank A. Kunishige, a noted Pictorialist photographer and one of the first members of the internationally recognized Seattle Camera Club. The exhibit features a selection of 33 textura tissue photographs, donated in 1961 by Kunishige’s wife, Gin. The prints represent the full range of Kunishige’s artistic photographs, including flowers, landscapes, nudes and cityscapes. To accompany the new exhibit, we’ve created a new digital collection featuring our full set of 57 images.

Art at the Library: the Public Works of Art Project

~posted by Jade D.

L. H. Moller’s Children Chasing Butterflies

You may have noticed a few pieces of art when visiting your local library branch, but did you know that the Seattle Public Library has a rich collection of artwork featuring more than 300 pieces from Pacific Northwest artists? The library was one of the first locations in Seattle to offer a public art gallery and as a result, its art collection and connection with local artists grew. Today, some of the pieces of art are displayed at branches throughout the city and more are available for viewing through our Northwest Art Collection online.

Many of the pieces you can see in our online art collection were collected in the 1930s as a result of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), the first federally funded art initiative of its size, created to help support unemployed artists during the Great Depression.