With nearly 100 galleries from over a dozen countries participating in this year’s Seattle Art Fair, the 10th edition, prioritizing what to see can be overwhelming. By all means, take in the out-of-town galleries as it is a unique opportunity to see them. Here are some recommendations with an emphasis on local artists and galleries. And, don’t forget to visit the Bellevue Arts Weekend.

Here is some food for thought.

-Hall Spassov is celebrating 20 years in operation this summer. Founders Erik Hall and Amy Spassov will be participating in both the Seattle Art Fair and Assembly Art Fair this week. At the Seattle Art Fair, the gallery will be featuring new works by Amber Cowan, Jeff Peters, Yool Kim, Mona Cliff and Spassov. The gallery will also show works by Seattle-based artist Michelle Robinson, Australian artist Korynn Morrison, and Portland-based artist David Rice, alongside new works by Morgan Bak, Peter Combe, Hall, Kit King, Shoichi Okumura and Erik Andor.

-AMcE Creative Arts will be showing a flora-themed show, “Growth,” featuring art by Io Palmer, Kendra Larson, Niki Keenan, Christopher Russell, Kaoru Mansour, Brooks Shane Salzwedel, Robert Hardgrave and Anne Hieronymus.

-Fantagraphics Books will be celebrating their 50th anniversary during the Seattle Art Fair. animator, fine artist and cartoonist extraordinaire Jim Woodring will be speaking on Saturday from 4 to 5 pm and will be signing his newest book, “Quacky,” immediately after. The book is published by Fantagraphics and due for release in mid-August.

-Negarra A. Kudumu will lead a panel of local artists in celebration of Artist Trust's 40th anniversary on Sunday from 2 to 3 pm on what it takes to thrive as an artist locally. According to the Seattle Art Fair program, “In a time shaped by rising costs, and deep social and political uncertainty, many artists are faced with difficult questions about whether – and how- they can continue to live and work in the places that shape their practice. This panel centers artists in conversation with one another about the real conditions of staying: what makes it possible, what makes it difficult, and who gets to remain.

-Studio e is showcasing its artists across three venues this weekend in a show titled Holding/Finding/Changing. Holding will be presented at the Seattle Art Fair. Finding will be at their home in Georgetown. Changing will be showcased at the Assembly Art Fair at West Canal Yards. According to Studio e, “Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, the exhibitions bring together a diverse range of works by represented artists including Ko Kirk Yamahira, Emily Counts, and Warren Dykeman …”

-Seattle native ceramicists Alex Anderson and Emily Counts will be speaking on a panel moderated by Frye Art Museum curator Georgia Erger to discuss, “ceramics’ unique capacity to probe nuanced explorations of cultural aesthetics, identity politics, and familial inheritance,” according to a statement by the Seattle Art Fair. The panel is at the Lumen Event Center Theater on Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

The upstart Anderson is now based in Los Angeles. The California College of the Arts-trained Counts currently calls Tacoma home.

There are other arts events around town worth your attention.

-The Coliseum of Art will be open for extended hours on Friday for the Fourth Friday Downtown Art Walk. The Coliseum of Art kicks off its summer music series on Friday with the Latin funk band performing at 8 pm. Check the Coliseum of Art website for updates on shows throughout the summer.

-Actualize Air is opening their summer showcase with an opening reception on Friday from 6 to 10 pm. Titled “Recollection,” the show is curated by Shannon Hobbs and features new work by Actualize Air 2026 Resident Artists.

-”A Soft Place to Land,” a giant mural by Tacoma’s Cristina Martinez will be christened across the street from the Lumen Field Event Center on Saturday at noon. The mural is the largest ever mounted in Pioneer Square and SoDo. The celebration continues with a print signing with Martinez at Populus Seattle just north of the new mural. The hotel caps the weekend’s festivities with a brunch at Salt Harvest, the lobby level restaurant at Populus, 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday.

Firm, Populus' rooftop bar, is teaming up with local vinyl record label Restless Planet and Forest for the Trees to host happy hours from 3 to 6 pm, Friday-Sunday.