True, people buy tickets many months in advance to see the Seattle Opera perform Wagner’s Ring. Yes, the city’s beloved INTIMAN Theatre counts a Pulitzer Prize-winning play and multiple Tony Awards among its honors. And there’s no doubt that the recently expanded Seattle Art Museum and Olympic Sculpture Park launched the city into a new era of arts and culture. But while Seattle can boast cultural sophistication with the best of them, its arts scene is also fun, readily accessible and original.
The city’s arts can be found almost everywhere you look — sometimes in unexpected places. Supported by award-winning public art programs, artists design everything from building components to manhole covers. Comic artist David Lasky, quoted in The Artists’ Guide to Seattle, says “It seems like more spaces than ever are showing art. I’ve had countless shows in cafés, restaurants, bars and shops. Shows like that create a social opportunity in which to see art.”
With a well-deserved reputation for innovation in so many fields, the arts are no exception. You’ll know immediately that you’re not in an old-fashioned museum when you visit the Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM). Located in an eye-popping Frank Gehry-designed building at Seattle Center, the collections explore the creativity and innovation of popular music. By blending interactive exhibitions with inventive technology, EMP captures the essence of rock ‘n’ roll — its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and the blues, as well as its influence on hip-hop, punk and other genres.
There’s no better city for a museum like the EMP|SFM. Legendary performers Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain are just a few of the musicians who’ve called Seattle home. Trendsetting, worldwide musical movements — from indie pop to classical to grunge — radiate from its shores. Dubbed the City of Music, hundreds of live music events in Seattle cater to local fans always wanting more.
Not to be outdone by the music scene, Seattle is also recognized as a premier theater town, with a spectrum of shows from big-budget pre-Broadway blockbusters at The 5th Avenue or Paramount theatres, to more than 120 small, midsize or fringe venues that keep the creative edge sharp. There’s something to see or hear all year long, but spring and summer are prime time for Seattle’s famous festivals. Held each May/June since 1976, the Seattle International Film Festival is the longest-running, largest and most highly attended film festival in the U.S. Since 1971, Bumbershoot, Seattle’s Arts & Music Festival has presented North America’s largest urban arts festival, with the best in music, film, comedy, spoken word, dance, theater and visual arts during Labor Day weekend.
Taken as a whole, Seattle’s arts scene undoubtedly mirrors its inhabitants. For every traditionalist, there’s a non-traditionalist; for every serious piece of art, there’s something to make you chuckle. Some say it’s the coffee culture. Others say it’s the weather. It could just be that Seattle is the cultural center of the Northwest, and its citizens are happy to celebrate. Whatever it is, there’s no doubt that things are fun and a little quirky, too.
Find links to art galleries, museums, performing arts, heritage sites, cultural guides, a searchable events calendar and more on the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Cultural Tourism website.
