Border Crossings and Curveballs: Spring Arts Preview 2012

Refresh your cultural awareness without renewing your passport.

By Seattle Mag February 16, 2012

bordercrossing

This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.

Marvel at splendid Egyptian artifacts excavated from the tomb of TUTANKHAMUN: THE GOLDEN KING AND THE GREAT PHARAOHS (5/24–1/6. Times and prices vary. Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N; 206.443.2001; pacificsciencecenter.org).

Discover the films of 20th-century Indian filmmaker RAJ KAPOOR (3/30–4/12. Times and prices vary. SIFF Film Center, 305 Harrison St.; 206.324.9996; siff.net), an artist of huge acclaim in his home country, but barely known in ours.

Fall under the spell of the erhu and other ancient instruments in a performance by the SEATTLE CHINESE ORCHESTRA (4/20. 8 p.m. $10–$15. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave.; 206.652.4255; townhallseattle.org).

Augment your visit to Seattle Art Museum’s Gauguin show with the multigenre film series SOUTH SEAS DREAMS: TAHITI AS A CINEMATIC PARADISE (3/30–4/27. Times and prices vary. SAM’s Plestcheeff Auditorium, 1300 First Ave.; 206.654.3100; seattleartmuseum.org).

Witness an ancient indigenous culture’s modern art renaissance in ANCESTRAL MODERN: AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL ART (5/31–9/2. SAM, 1300 First Ave.; 206.654.3100; seattleartmuseum.org).

Marvel at the vividly dyed woven robes from 1800s Asian outposts in COLORS OF THE OASIS: CENTRAL ASIAN IKATS (3/15–8/5. Times and prices vary. Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E Prospect St.; 206.654.3100; seattleartmuseum.org).

Last but not least, dig deeper into Northwest Filipino culture in I AM FILIPINO, an exhibit of stories and artifacts (Opens 3/1. Times and prices vary. Wing Luke Museum, 719 S King St.; 206.623.5124; wingluke.org).

CURVEBALLS
Labels fail in the face of these genre-bending (and mind-expanding) arts events

Red, Black and Green: a blues
You may remember Oakland-based Marc Bamuthi Joseph (above) from his show the break/s, in which he pondered the influence of Jay-Z and hip-hop culture. Now, he’s using his fast-paced, multimedia performance style to tackle the impacts of climate change.
5/31–6/3. 8 p.m. Seattle Center House, 305 Harrison St.; 800.838.3006; cdforum.org

Poetry Apocalypse
The Mayans predicted we’ll all be goners this year, but we’re hoping the end of the world can wait until after this Seattle Rock Orchestra show, featuring original music inspired and accompanied by the work of seven local poets, including Seattle magazine Spotlight award winner Karen Finneyfrock.

4/6. Check website for times and prices. Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave.; 206.652.4255; seattlerockorchestra.org
Café Nordo’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Cooking up so much more than dinner theater, this local troupe will awaken your appetite for inspired, gourmet food, immersive storytelling and, for this installment only, compulsive collecting as was popular in the Victorian era. Be warned: These shows sell out fast.

Opens 5/5. Times and prices vary. Washington Hall, 153 14th Ave.; cafenordo.com

 

 

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