DON'T MISS IT! June 9-15
DON'T MISS IT! June 9-15
Juneuary it is not! Thank the rainless heavens, false summer is out to play, and so are we! This week offers an embarrassment of art events and exhibitions that are all be must-see material. Across the city and across the board, we're celebrating Pride! At On the Boards, we're celebrating the weird and wonderful of experimental performance. If you've never been to a show at On the Boards, we recommend you dip into this one—a sampler of innovative ideas. (Then again, we recommend you dip into every show at On the Boards...but we digress.)
t4t: group show
The Factory
t4t—“trans for trans”—first appeared in the queer lexicon as a means for trans people to signify a romantic preference. Today, the term has taken on meaning that extends beyond the world of dating: It’s a mantra of trans solidarity, love, and community. Curated by Al Pastries, the Factory’s group show of the same name features 20 artists from the transgender community whose work embodies trans joy. Artists include Molly Vaughan, whose work was featured in our February 2025 issue, as well as Oli Lommen Anderson-Bigley, one of this year’s Pride on Public Display artists. Two other shows to catch on Thursday night during Capitol Hill artwalk: Steve Gilbert Studio is showing new work by the inimitable Katlyn Hubner, whose paintings are filled with succulent, sensuous, color-soaked human flesh, and Still Mighty Real: the annual Pride exhibit curated by beloved Capitol Hill luminaries Anouk Rawkson and Jordan Christianson. June 12
Cherry Picked: Spectrum Summer Salon
Spectrum Gallery
This group show at Spectrum is the perfect companion to the beginning of Seattle summer: long hazy days, frosty cocktails, and lots and lots of fruit. Featuring artists like Melissa Messer and Rachel Demy (both Public Display featured artist alums!), the works in this show will make you nostalgic for the good ol' days of grass stains and one-piece bathing suits, running through sprinklers at dusk. And peanut butter and jelly toast…? Don’t miss it.
June 12
Northwest New Works
On the Boards
“What the fuck did I just see?” is just one of the phrases that might roll off the tongue on your way out of the theater at this beloved performance incubator/festival. Hosted at On the Boards since 1983, Northwest New Works was indefinitely paused in 2019, but the people demanded its return, and here it is—more experimental than ever. In this year’s lineup, you’ll see composers collaborate with machine learning models, or follow an analytical chemist-turned-performer down a rabbit hole to plumb the depths of the philosophy of sound (in the guise of a green rabbit, of course). If you’re looking for a slice of Wonderland, you’ll find it here.
June 12-14
20 Years Of Hi-Fructose
Roq la Rue
This new exhibition at Roq la Rue is a collaboration with Hi-Fructose, a contemporary arts magazine (shout out) celebrating their 20 year anniversary in the biz. Since 2005, Hi-Fructose has been reporting on bold, genre-defying art in both print and digital iterations, and this exhibition pulls from the cream of the crop of artists featured across its pages over the years. Artists include Peter Ferguson, Casey Curran, Jenny Bird, Esao Andrews, and many more. Head to the gallery on Friday for the opening reception, 6-9 p.m.
June 13
queer joy
Slip Gallery + Washington Ensemble Theatre
queer joy, curated by Washington Ensemble Theatre and hosted at Slip Gallery in Belltown, is not your average exhibition. From edible art and immersive installations to drag shows and crafting, this weeks-long series of programs pushes the meaning of “sensory indulgence.” Participating artists include Lilia Deering, Hannah Gibbs, and Maria Maness, plus many more. There’s a Straight Pain Caber-GAY, wherein queer singers cover songs exclusively about the “weird pain straight people put themselves through” as well as a role play game featuring Raging Pussy Galaxy (we’re not sure what that entails, but hell if we aren’t curious).
June 13-July 3
