Seattle - Washington State - page 105

Seattle Asian Art Museum Housed in a renovated Art Deco building,
the Asian art collection has an emphasis on Chinese and Japanese art but also
includes pieces from Korea, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Himalayas.
Exhibits of Chinese terra-cotta funerary art, snuff bottles, and Japanese netsukes
(belt decorations) are among the museum's most notable collections. One room
is devoted to Japanese ceramics, while three rooms are devoted to Chinese
ceramics. The central hall is devoted to the stone religious sculptures of South
Asia (primarily India). There are frequent lectures and concerts.
1400 E. Prospect St., Volunteer Park (14th Ave. E. and E. Prospect St.). & 206/654-3100. www.seattleart
museum.org. Admission $3 adults, free 12 and under. Free to all on first Thurs and first Sat of each month
(free for seniors on 1st Fri of each month). Admission ticket valid for $3 off admission to the Seattle Art
Museum if used within 1 week. Wed-Sun 10am-5pm (Thurs until 9pm); Tues 10am-5pm between Memorial
Day and Sept 1. Closed Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Bus: 10.
Volunteer Park Conservatory This stately old Victorian conservatory,
built in 1912, houses a large collection of tropical and desert plants, including
palm trees, orchids, and cacti. There are seasonal floral displays also.
1400 E. Galer St. & 206/684-4743. Free admission. Labor Day to Memorial Day daily 10am-4pm; Memor-
ial Day to Labor Day daily 10am-7pm. Bus: 10.
NORTH SEATTLE (INCLUDING THE U DISTRICT,
FREMONT & MONTLAKE)
The Fremont District, which begins at the north end of the Fremont Bridge
near the intersection of Fremont Avenue North and North 36th Street, is Seat-
tle's funkiest and most unusual neighborhood. Even livelier, though not nearly
as eclectic or artistic, the University District (known locally as the U District)
has loads of cheap restaurants and the types of shops you would associate with
a college-age clientele. But the main attractions for visitors are the two excellent
museums on the university campus and the nearby Museum of History and
Industry, which is just across the Montlake Bridge from the U District.
Burke Museum Located in the northwest corner of the University of
Washington campus, the Burke Museum features exhibits on the natural and
cultural heritage of the Pacific Rim. Permanent exhibits include Life & Times,
which covers 500 million years of Washington history (and prehistory) with lots
of fossils, including a complete mastodon, on display. The second permanent
exhibit, Pacific Voices, focuses on the many cultures of the Pacific Rim and their
connections to Washington state. There is also a smaller temporary exhibit
gallery. In front of the museum stand three modern totem poles carved in the
style of the 1870s and 1880s.
17th Ave. NE and NE 45th St. & 206/543-5590. www.burkemuseum.org. Admission $6.50 adults, $5 sen-
iors, $3 ages 6-18, free for children under 6 (higher ticket prices in effect for special exhibits). For $1 more,
you can get admission to the nearby Henry Art Gallery. Free the 1st Thurs of each month. Daily 10am-5pm
(1st Thurs of each month until 8pm). Closed July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Bus: 70.
Henry Art Gallery The focus here is on contemporary art with retrospectives
of individual artists, as well as exhibits focusing on specific themes or media.
Photography and video are both well represented, and for the most part, the
exhibits are the most avant-garde in the Seattle area. The museum's latest cut-
ting-edge installation is a Skyspace by artist James Turrell, who uses light to cre-
ate his artworks. The Skyspace is a small room with an oval opening in the
ceiling to frame the sky. At night, the outside of the glass Skyspace is illuminated
by an ever-changing light show. Located on the west side of the University of