See: Recent Acquisitions at The Frye
Lovers of The Frye Museum (and strangers alike), will rejoice at the new works on display in their Recent Acquisitions show. This mini exhibition brings together seven artworks that were acquired in 2019 and are now all on view at the museum for the first time. A range of local, national, and international artists are represented including Juventino Aranda, Rokni Haerizadeh, Rose Nestler, Mary Ann Peters, Cauleen Smith, Anthony White, and Ko Kirk Yamahira. Most of the artists on display have previously had shows at The Frye and offer insight into the museum’s curatorial process. One of our personal favorites is Rose Nestler’s sculpture, Dress for Success, which is part of her Power Suit series. Nestler describes her work as having an “alert softness,” which we think is right on the money. Don’t miss the final days of this exhibit, which is up now through January 23.
Listen: Sergio Mendes at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
Sergio Mendes’ career, which spans more than six decades, weaves together a diverse array of sounds, influences, and collaborators. His latest album In the Key of Joy (released in 2022) “melds the classic Brazilian, jazz and pop sounds that have long characterized Mendes’ music with stunningly contemporary inspirations that make the album sound at once utterly timeless and wholly of the moment.” Come witness this joyful spirit on stage at Seattle’s own Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, where Mendes will be performing for four nights and five shows later this month. Tickets are on sale now and shows begin on Thursday, January 27. If you aren’t able to make it to a live performance, consider checking out this documentary on Mendes, also titled In the Key of Joy.
Watch: FRANCE, a new Film from Bruno Dumont
France, the new film from French director Bruno Dumont, starts out as a tragic-comedy about the modern media landscape and broadcast journalism in particular, then quickly devolves into a darker and more biting commentary on celebrity cancel culture and identity. Léa Seydoux’s performance shines throughout as she reels the audience in and never lets go. When trying to pinpoint the genre of France, we were reminded of a similar “dilemma” that arrived when reviewing Transit. Both movies refuse a specific genre and blend elements of various film traditions that manage to thoroughly enhance the depth of the protagonists’ journey. France opens at SiFF on Friday, January 14.