GREENWOOD: Bherd Studios 5-Year Anniversary

If you're not at Bherd Studios' five-year anniversary show to-night, you're missing out on the art opening of the season!

Over the past five years, John and Michele Osgood, owners/directors of Bherd, have made it their mission to promote the talents of emerging and locally established artists from the Pacific Northwest by providing a space for them to be seen and 'bherd'. "Look Up Here: 5 Years of Urban & Contemporary Art" features work by 33 artists who have curated shows and participated in past Bherd Studios exhibits and events. Each of these artists have created unique and inspiring bodies of work and consistently go out of their way to support other artists in the Seattle art community.

Redd Walitzki @ Bherd Studios

Redd Walitzki and her partner Carl Faulkner created Studio X-17, a gallery space designed to exhibit emerging, counter-culture, and controversial work. Established in 2008 as part of the 1st Thursday art walk in Pioneer Square, X-17 has showcased over 200 local and international artists. X-17 is currently looking for a new home due to the closure of the 619 Arts Building last year, but a new art space, Pi2, is in the works. Both Redd and Carl designed rooms for the City Hostel Seattle project, and have exhibited work in numerous venues in the Pacific Northwest.

Siolo Thompson recently curated the "Pretty Sexy Dirty Girly" show at Bherd Studios, a selection of provocative works by talented women artists. She has been invited to curate a show for True Love Gallery in July, and she frequently exhibits at Bherd and other Seattle art spaces. She participates in live painting events around the city, and her illustration and animation work have been featured locally and internationally.

Chris Sheridan has shown his paintings in Seattle, L.A., San Francisco, New York, Miami, Philadelphia, and other cities up and down the coasts. He also created a room for the City Hostel Seattle project, regularly participates in Bherd events, and builds hand-crafted and custom painted skateboards featuring his unique imagery.

Kate Protage has had exhibits in Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Princeton and New York. She shows regularly at Bherd Studios, and her Seattle art affiliations include the SAM Gallery, CORE Gallery, and the Twilight Artist Collective. Her work has also been featured in multiple magazines.

These are just a few examples of the efforts of the artists recognised in Bherd Studio's 5th anniversary show. Without their dedication and vision, Seattle's urban art scene would be a very different place.

EGO & Siolo Thompson @ Bherd Studios

"Look Up Here" featured artists:
179
Carlos Aguilar 
Michelle Anderst 
Debbie Bianchi 
Zach Bohnenkamp
Chris Brett
Jenn Brisson 
Mike Capp 
Cash
Duffy
Ego
Justin Kane Elder 
Marty Gordon 
Jeremiah Hammer (dear earthling)
Justin Hillgrove
Ksera
Larkin 
Jesse Link
ninjagrl
John Osgood
Augie Pagan
Kate Protage
Mat Savage
Chris Sheridan
Michelle Smith-Lewis
Kellie Talbot
Siolo Thompson
Sensei23 
Solace 
Urban Soule
Dan Voelker
Joe Vollan 
Redd Walitzki

Check out the feature in Juxtapose Magazine! 

"Look Up Here" will be up through Friday, 27 April. The encore opening on Friday, 13 April will feature the 5-year anniversary art book (contact Bherd Studios to pre-order your copy) and artist signings. Bherd Studios is a part of the Greenwood Collective, an historic building home to six other art galleries that open every 2nd Friday for the Art Walk in the Greenwood-Phinney Ridge neighbourhood.

Chris Sheridan, Kate Protage and more! @ Bherd Studios

UrbanLight Studios, part of the Greenwood Collective and just down the hall from Bherd, is hosting an owl-themed extravaganza! Tiny owl cake pops in a fluffy tissue nest are going so fast they're practically flying out the door, but I manage to snag a picture before they all disappear. These unique and edible bite-size treats are courtesy of Julie and Jessica at the Ballard-based bakery, So Mini Sweets.
 

So Mini Sweets @ UrbanLight Studios

Other works of owlish delight include paintings by Andrew Miller (Mantisart), and Zelot.

Zelot @ UrbanLight Studios

Andrew Miller @ UrbanLight Studios

Ceramic artist Eva Funderburg has created a contingent of tiny owl-cat monsters. A part of me wishes these adorably dangerous creatures were about 20 times as large and alive so that I could smuggle home the entire fleet to train as my personal owl-cat guard. Then again, I suppose a pocket-sized monster has its uses...

Eva Funderburgh @ UrbanLight Studios

There is a fun and exciting Art Wall going down in Home Suite Home. Grab a pen or three and make your mark! The artscape changes considerably over the course of the evening; but before I leave for the night, I witness the scribbled antics of a mischievous raccoon, a be-sneakered hog of horrific proportions, an alien being with far too many limbs to be comfortable, and a plethora of obscure and archaic symbols. I scrawl a phrase in Elder Futhark and a watchful eye, and my guerrilla art mission for the eve is complete.

"Art Wall" @ Home Suite Home

Support your local art scene! Cheers!

~ BCDuncan