The Seattle Art Museum downtown has recently reopened, tripled in size, and boasts a stylish makeover by Allied Works Architecture.
The collection is substantially enhanced, too. Close to 1,000 works have been donated recently to the museum, with an estimated value of over $1 billion. Among the new acquisitions: Edward Hopper's "Chop Suey," Brancusi's "Bird in Space," and Mark Rothko's "Orange on Red." Nice to have generous friends.
One particularly welcome feature is SAM Downtown's two floors of art for which no admission is charged. In the 5,000-square-foot Brotman Forum is an eye-popping installation (click on the second floor) by Cai Guo-Qiang called "Inopportune: Stage One." Nine Ford Tauruses suspended at dramatic angles from the ceiling, with protruding light tubes, suggest an explosive accident or deliberate act. It has a terrifying beauty.
written on Wednesday May 16, 2007
gifts,
makeover,
museum.
