For most of the Northwest, it’s been a remarkably dry and sunny summer so far. But Downtown, the Seattle Art Museum has been socked in since late June. That’s when a phalanx of 40 smiling clouds arrived via stacks of large cardboard boxes, each stamped with an identical puffy likeness.
And while we’re due for a bit more seasonal sun (knocking vigorously on wood), this particular indoor cloud cover won’t disperse for at least two years.
Little Cloud Sky is SAM’s new lobby installation, created by an LA-based duo who goes by FriendsWithYou (Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III). It replaces local artist John Grade’s massive Middle Fork, an exact cedar replica of a living Western hemlock, which was suspended in the same spot for eight years.
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Made of inflated thermoplastic and each four feet wide, the cartoony faces have black oval eyes, an upturned half-circle mouth and a touch of pink at the cheeks (at least I think those are cheeks). FriendsWithYou has employed this Little Cloud motif in various global installations, all intended to spark joy, positivity and connection. On their website the artists say the character is a “healing art object” and “a symbol of hope and the unification between humans and the natural world.”
The local installation was commissioned by José Carlos Diaz, SAM’s deputy director for art, who said in a press release that he hopes visitors “will feel the sense of optimism in the atmosphere.”
Like many of us, I could use a dose of optimism in my atmosphere , so I recently visited Little Cloud Sky in person. I walked into the lobby (official name: Brotman Forum, which is free to enter), looked up and waited for positivity to rain down.
Reader, it didn’t happen. In fact, as I noted when the installation was first announced in February, I find the cumulus army a little creepy. The vibe I get is Squid Game (are there cameras inside those impenetrable eyes?), or a Black Mirror episode about cute but sinister tech. In fact, if a cynical sci-fi read was the intention behind the piece, I might be a bigger fan because... Mission accomplished.
But the creators seem genuinely intent on promoting good vibes and happy gatherings, which I totally agree we could use more of right about now. And I’ve heard from several friends who appreciate Little Cloud Sky as an escape from what can feel like very dark days indeed. So if you go stand below Seattle’s new plastic cloudscape, send me an email and let me know — does it make you feel good, bad or nothing at all?
My favorite new way to escape into the clouds is with NASA’s Astronomy Photo of the Day. Yes, I’ve mentioned it before, but I mean, look at this one from July 29! Talk about (gas) clouds with depth.
That image is from a galaxy 50 million light-years away. Slightly closer to home are a couple art shows that reveal the vast diversity and beauty of clouds, whether real, imagined or metaphorical.
Just downstairs from Little Cloud Sky, in the SAM Gallery (adjacent to the gift shop), comes the new group show Overcast (Aug. 6 - 31). This collection features work by Northwest artists, and serves as a “compare and contrast” for all kinds of cloud art.
Liz Tran’s “Hazy Daze” is a polka-dotted and drippy sky, inspired in part by outer space and the Big Bang. Julie Devine depicts the dance between mountains and clouds in minimalist oil paintings. Jeremy Rise creates textile clouds with repurposed materials, whether a “Chance of Clouds” or “Chance of Rainbows.” Nichole Dement’s foggy encaustics covering photo-based materials suggest clouded memories.
And Kalina Winska’s colored and layered shapes combine her exploration of common cloud shapes with the molecular formulas of greenhouse gases. As she puts it, these vivid works are “abstracted snapshots of land- and cloudscapes visibly marked with human activity.”
Bonus: If you fall in love with one of these clouds, remember that SAM members can rent the art at SAM Gallery for three months and then choose to buy or give it back. It’s a nice option for new — or indecisive — collectors.
One more cloudfront I’m happy to see come in: the new exhibit Sky Becomes Water (Aug. 2 - 27), by Mount Vernon artist Lesley Frenz. These dreamlike acrylic paintings recall the clouds perhaps most familiar to Northwest residents — a blend of blue-green-gray that morphs seamlessly from water body to mountain range to wet sky.
Rain or shine, there’s more in store for music fans this weekend as we hold our breath and make the leap into August.
< The Thing Festival kicks off a month of Saturday concerts this weekend, with an indie lineup including Father John Misty, Orville Peck and Deep Sea Diver (Aug. 2 at Remlinger Farms in Carnation). Note that organizer STG Presents recently cancelled the planned Aug. 16 event, which was set to showcase Latinx and Spanish-language bands, due to “community safety concerns.” Also at issue was “uncertainty about artists’ ability to secure the necessary visas,” a worry that has increased with Trump administration policies on immigration and customs.
< Death Cab for Cutie makes a homecoming appearance in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the album Plans. Opening for the Bellingham-born band is Nation of Language. (July 31 and Aug. 2 at Climate Pledge Arena)
< The South Lake Union Block Party is back (Aug. 5), with artisan vendors, food trucks, yoga and local bands including power pop from Hockey Teeth, indie rock from Lovely Colors and ’80s new wave from Prom Date Mixtape.
< Longstanding Seattle combo Pearl Django is bringing its signature hot club jazz to Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley for an extended run (Aug. 7 - 10) with guest vocalist Connie Evingson.
< Powerhouse local vocalist Elnah Jordan will perform jazz and blues at the Kubota Garden Terrace Overlook (Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m.), as part of the Seattle Parks Foundation’s ongoing Pop-Up Concerts in the Park.
< And on a more somber note, the annual From Hiroshima to Hope event at Green Lake (Aug. 6, 6 - 9 p.m.) marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The public ceremony includes a procession of Heron Dancers, drumming by Seattle Kokon Taiko and cello music, and poetry by Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Janae Lu. Plus the always-affecting Toro Nagashi (lantern floating; starting at 8 p.m.), in which 1,000 candle-lit lanterns inscribed with messages of peace are set adrift on the lake, accompanied by a live performance on bamboo flute.
Lastly: Don’t forget to vote in the August 5 Primary Election! As part of your decision-making, you can now check out the nonpartisan Seattle Arts Voter Guide, compiled in odd years by MFA and MPA students at Seattle University. Mayoral and City Council candidates have submitted their arts platforms to the site for your consideration — and for the future of Seattle arts and culture.
Looking for more regional arts coverage? Check out Art by Northwest, a new television series on Cascade PBS, featuring artists from all over Washington.
