Friday, April 3, 2015

Seattle: Museums and a Cathedral

Over the past two weeks, we've been heading out to check out one of Seattle's most well known and some of Seattle's less well known "attractions."  I "quoted" attractions because one of the places we went to check out was the St. James Cathedral between First and Capitol Hills.  

These three places are great to visit if you are interested in spending the day surrounded by magnificent bits of art!

Our first stop was the Frye Art Museum on First Hill.

704 Terry Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104

Open Tuesdays - Sundays 
Open from 11 am - 5pm
(Open from 11 am 7pm on Thursdays)
Closed on Mondays

Free Admission (Donations accepted!)

Free Parking



The current exhibits:

1.  1900 Adornment for the Home and Body

This exhibit is a collection of some of the end of the 19th century's/turn of the century aesthetics in jewelry, furniture, architectural and interior designs, prints, and other luxuries (dance cards!).  It fits quite well with the second exhibit of graphic prints from Pan magazine, which also is a collection of prints from the turn of the century.

***Sorry, no photos!***


2.  Pan:  A Graphic Arts Time Capsule of Europe 1895 - 1900

This exhibit features some of the turn of the century's most renowned artists works, which were printed in Pan.  The introduction stated that Pan, a Berlin-based journal for art, poetry and the like, was THE journal that transformed and influenced the artistic tastes of the time. 





3.  Future Ruins:  Rodrigo Valenzuela

The photos below are of Valenzuela's Hedonic Reversal exhibit, which showcased the aesthetic beauty of urban ruins without the attached stigmatism of a failed economy or failed social structure.




Our second stop, which is quite near to the Frye Art Museum, is St. James Cathedral up on First Hill.

St. James Cathedral:
804 Ninth Ave.
Seattle, Washington

This cathedral was suggested to us by a friend.  She had been suggesting this place to me for years…or did years ago!  We thought it would be a great place to visit…as we often times visit churches or temples in other countries.  So, why not visit a cathedral in Seattle!



The exterior and interior architecture of the cathedral is stunning.  It's definitely worth a viewing!







Fun Fact:  Wikipedia stated that, when the cornerstone (the foundation stone) of this church was laid down, more than 5000 people attended this ceremony, which was claimed as the largest religious gathering of the time.




Our final stop is one of the most popular museums in Seattle, which is known as the SAM or the Seattle Art Museum.

1300 First Ave.
Seattle, Washington 98101

Open on 
Wednesdays from 10 - 5 pm
Thursdays from 10 - 9 pm
Fridays - Sundays from 10 - 5pm

Admission is about $20 for adults

NOTE:  FREE admission on the FIRST THURSDAYS of each month (Donations accepted!)



Because we went to visit the SAM on the FIRST THURSDAY of the MONTH, we got free admission to view the general collections and installations.

An installation from the Asian Collection

From the Pacific Northwest Collection
A view of the American Collection


From the Modern & Contemporary Collection



From the Personal Histories Exhibit


From the European Collection
A mask from the African Collection

Apart of the African Collection

A view of the Modern & Contemporary Collection

From the European Collection

If you are into art or want to see some amazing works of art, check out the Frye Art Museum, St. James Cathedral, and the Seattle Art Museum!