Occidental Fine Arts will be opening its lobby-level gallery for the first time since a fire gutted the historic building in 2024 this Thursday during the Pioneer Square First Thursday Art Walk.

The grand re-opening celebration will feature the jazz trio of Hans Teuber, Wayne Bliss, and Brian Moroney. Taz Matcha will also be serving ceremonial-grade matcha, as well as their modern takes on matcha lattes.

The building will also be open for the Beautiful Things exhibit on the second floor and art by the Seattle Prize Fellows. Conru Art Foundation founder Andrew Conru bought the building that previously housed Davidson Gallery in 2025 and began the renovation, culminating in Thursday's grand re-opening.

There are several gallery show openings this week. While Greg Kucera Gallery is nearing the end of Deborah Butterfield's spectacular show, J. Rinehart Gallery is opening Ariana Heizman's whimsical show of paintings and ceramic sculptures.

Butterfield's show is the 15th in the gallery’s history. Butterfield creates life-size equine figures out of bronze, giving the massive and heavy sculptures the appearance that they are made from weather-worn driftwood. According to Greg Kucera Gallery, "This new collection features a diverse range of works: delicate pieces composed of branch and leaf shapes; a singular piece including colorful molded found elements, and a large sculpture incorporating thick sticks and muscular chunks of wood — all deceptively cast in bronze."

In contrast, Heizman's exhibit at J. Rinehart Gallery (her third solo show at the Pioneer Square location) is colorful and cartoonish but no less thoughtful and fine art. "Influenced by children’s book illustration from the 1960s, historical ceramics, along with the French sculptor and painter, Niki de Saint Phalle, Heinzman’s exhibition is a celebration of color," J. Rinehart Gallery said in a statement.

Stonington Gallery is opening a group show featuring Alaska Native artists, including local artists such as Raven Skyriver, Karla Nolen, Thomas Stream, and Preston Singletary.

Michiko Hirashima's black and white photography show opens at Nino Studio & Gallery on Thursday with a reception until 9 pm, an hour after most Pioneer Square galleries close. Hirashima's evocative, visceral and intentional photography is as thoughtful as it is nuanced.

Commuters might encounter rush hour and Mariners traffic, as the Seattle baseball team will likely be wrapping up their game against the visiting Detroit Tigers at around 4:30 p.m. Once in Pioneer Square, art walkers can park for free at participating lots.

This week also celebrates the Second Saturday Ballard Art Walk. The Ballard Art Walk features 17 galleries stretching from 17th Avenue NW to 30th Avenue NW along the NW Market Street corridor. For more information and a complete list of participating galleries, go to the Visit Ballard website.