If the Art Could Talk: Hotel 1000 and Seattle Art Museum Announce 2011-2012 Curator Series

Distinctive series offers insider’s view through the eyes of the curator of upcoming SAM exhibitions including the landmark show “Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise”

SEATTLE (August 9, 2011) – Hotel 1000 and Seattle Art Museum (SAM), announce the continuation of the one-of-a-kind “SAM in the Studio” speaker series in fall 2011 and winter 2012. Back by popular demand, the series features a monthly presentation by SAM curators on a current or upcoming exhibition, offering attendees insider knowledge and insight into a curator’s selection and viewing approach. The event takes place within the cozy setting of STUDIO 1000 at Hotel 1000, where complimentary hors d’oeuvres from BOKA RESTAURANT + BAR are served and wines by the glass are available for purchase for $3 to benefit Seattle Art Museum.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue our partnership with Seattle Art Museum and offer this unique series to the community,” said Denny Fitzpatrick, general manager, Hotel 1000. “It is such a rare opportunity to have access to SAM’s curators in a one-on-one setting. We invite guests and the public to enjoy a glass of wine and bites from BOKA by the fireplace while viewing art from a whole new perspective.”

The fall 2011 and winter 2012 “SAM In the Studio” schedule is as follows:

  • Wednesday, September 14, 2011:
    Join the City of Seattle Curator, Deborah Paine, for a discussion on the City of Seattle’s portable works collection, “Seattle as Collector: Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs Turns 40.” This retrospective exhibition marks the Office’s 40th anniversary, and includes works by Northwest luminaries such as Jacob Lawrence and Guy Anderson and contemporary artists such as Margie Livingston and Marie Watt. Also on display will be photographs, artist drawings and proposals for dozens of public artworks in the city’s collection of nearly 400 permanent artworks. The exhibition is on view at SAM until Sunday, October 23, 2011.
  • Wednesday, October 19, 2011:
    Join Interim Assistant Curator of Asian Art, Catherine Roche, as she discusses “Luminous: The Art of Asia.” This exhibition will showcase the jewels of SAM’s Asian collections, from Chinese bronzes and Japanese lacquers to Korean ceramics and South Asian sculpture and painting. Leading contemporary artist, Do Ho Suh, will engage with the Asian collection by creating a unique video installation that will prompt unexpected connections between objects and introduce new models of encountering Asian art. As part of the creative process, Do Ho Suh and SAM have opened a dialogue about Asian art and why it matters today more than ever. The exhibition will be on view at SAM Thursday, October 13, 2011 – Sunday, January 8, 2012.
  • Wednesday, November 16, 2011:
    Join Guest Curator at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Barbara Johns, as she discusses “Painting Seattle: Kamekichi Tokita and Kenjiro Nomura.” This exhibition features two painters, Kamekichi Tokita and Kenjiro Nomura, known in 1930’s Seattle for their American realist style of landscape painting. They shared the cultural legacy of Japan and the active cultural life of Seattle’s Japantown. The work of both artists can be said to foreshadow characteristics of the Northwest School, but more broadly it contributes a distinctive Issei (Japanese-American immigrant) perspective to American art of its time. The exhibition will be on view at SAAM on Saturday, October 22, 2011 – Sunday, February 19, 2012.
  • Wednesday, January 11, 2012:
    Join Adjunct Curator, Sandra Jackson-Dumont, as she discusses “Theaster Gates.” With a background in urban planning and religious studies, Theaster Gates’ work explores the ways history, place and performance intersect. Gates wears many hats, including cultural producer, activities and performer. His past site-specific installations have employed what he terms, “critique through collaboration.” Incorporating a vast array of disciplines, the exhibition will transform the gallery with cultural ephemera. Coupled with objects and architectural elements that elicit stories through every day practices, the backbone of the installation will be a collection of vinyl records that reflect cultural and social currents of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. The exhibition will be on view at SAM on Saturday, December 10, 2011 – Sunday, July 1, 2012.
  • Wednesday, February 15, 2012:
    Join Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture, Chiyo Ishikawa, as she discusses “Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise”. Paul Gauguin is one of the true larger-than-life figures in art history and the key feature in his personal mythology is the constant yearning for an exotic paradise. This exhibit will have approximately 60 works by Gauguin (paintings, sculpture and works on paper) that fully reveal the extent of the influence Polynesian art and culture had on his work. It will also highlight approximately 60 works from Polynesia… SAM is the only US venue for this landmark exhibition which will be on view Thursday, February 9 – Sunday, April 29, 2012.
  • Wednesday, March 14, 2012:
    Join Curator of Art of Africa and Oceania at the Seattle Art Museum, Pam McClusky, as she discusses “Colors of the Oasis.” This exhibition will offer a recreation of walking into a crowd of cosmopolitan clients who wear robes of distinctive boldness. As an English visitor (William Eleroy Curtis) wrote in 1911: “Everybody wears a coat like a rainbow… No matter how humble or hungry a man may be, and even if he has but a single garment, it is made of the most brilliantly colored material he can find.” More than 40 robes will provide a vision of the Oasis crowd. Some feature sharp graphic designs of rigorous abstraction, but others favor delicate harmonies with flowing floral motifs. Scorpions and Arabic script, paisleys and European florals, jeweled tassels and cypress trees swirl together in a design pool that reflects Oasis life. The exhibition will be on view at SAAM on Thursday, March 15 – Sunday, August 5, 2012.

The ‘SAM in the Studio’ speaker series is free and is open to the general public. Attendees are invited to STUDIO 1000 at Hotel 1000 for a reception starting at 5 p.m. followed by a SAM curator presentation starting at 5:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit www.hotel1000seattle.com or contact (206) 957-1000.

About Hotel 1000

Hotel 1000, open in downtown Seattle since June 26, 2006, features 120 luxury guest rooms, BOKA RESTAURANT + BAR, Spaahh and The Golf Club. At Hotel 1000, genuine, caring, personalized service enabled by leading-edge technology and intimate yet spectacular accommodations redefines the luxury experience. Hotel 1000 offers unexpected pleasures, distinctive amenities, anticipative service and a customized experience tailored to any occasion. Located at 1000 First Ave. at the corner of Madison Street, Hotel 1000 is steps away from the waterfront along Elliott Bay, and conveniently centered between Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, the business district and lively and historic Pioneer Square. For more information, please visit www.hotel1000seattle.com.

Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and the Personal Luxury Collection℠. The independent company, launched in 1980, is a worldwide organization operating properties in major metropolitan and resort destinations. Benchmark’s international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston. Benchmark Hospitality is also a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers. The company’s northeast regional office is in New Jersey, with international offices in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For the location of Benchmark’s properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.

Media Contacts:

Kirsten Andresen / Kristin Riefflin
greenrubino
Direct: 206.957.4272 / 206.452.8172
moc.oniburneergnull@anetsrik / moc.oniburneergnull@rnitsirk

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