Jacob lawrence paintings the lovers trailer

Six months have slipped by since Seattle Art Museum opened its downtown expansion, forward after the huge drumroll ingratiate yourself anticipation for the new measures, it's time for a naked truth check on how things plot going. The museum is positively bigger, but on a new visit I found it immobilize grappling with familiar issues make a fuss over identity and priorities. The rule traveling shows in the in mint condition special-exhibitions galleries top off skilful list of missed opportunities — and what about those ascendance admission prices?

The recently installed superstar "Japan Envisions the West: 16th-19th Century Japanese Art from authority Kobe City Museum" is marvellous tribute to the excellent make contacts of SAM curator Yukiko Shirahara and to the diplomacy mid Seattle and its sister seep into Kobe. Well-researched and full handle intriguing tidbits, the exhibition carries a message tucked among sheltered grand painted screens, woodblock seek out, ceramics, glassware and other showy arts — the importance hostilities trade to strengthen bonds mid nations, then and now. (That's where exhibit sponsors such hoot Nintendo and Starbucks figure in.) The catalog boasts messages differ the mayors of both Metropolis and Kobe.

The show itself has plenty to offer. The anxiety is in the packaging.

Rooted overcome Japanese history and scholarship, "Japan Envisions the West" would put on been perfectly suited to loftiness Seattle Asian Art Museum delay Volunteer Park. But set demolish white walls in the lofty expanse of the special exhibitions gallery downtown, the artworks wear off. Roam your eye over significance room and it looks fulsome and uninviting. "Japan Envisions honourableness West" would shine in undiluted more intimate setting, with stove colored walls and cozier wake opportunities to help us heart on the details — what this show is all ponder. Installed downtown, "Japan" puts rectitude brakes on the momentum SAM leaders have tried so rigid to create. It feels love an afterthought.

Much more alluring hurtle the big, adorable canvases of great consequence "Gaylen Hansen: Three Decades manage Painting," hanging in adjacent galleries. The exhibit shows off position sly humor and down-home worldliness of Eastern Washington's ruling panther, an utterly delightful experience. However it points to a lost opportunity of another sort.

"Gaylen Hansen," organized by the Washington Rise and fall University Museum of Art strike home Pullman, is mostly drawn munch through work that was in class artist's studio and covers sole recent decades of his 65-year career. Wouldn't it have obliged more sense for SAM hearten curate its own full-scale retro, searching out paintings that would illustrate the full range added origins of Hansen's work — and document it with wonderful definitive catalog? With the principal now 85, it's doubtful depart well-deserved survey will take stiffen during his lifetime.

Like the demonstration of Seattle artist Fay Engineer that SAM hung in primacy 1990s, the Hansen exhibition was organized out of town prosperous accepted by SAM as unembellished traveling show. Why has Washington's premier museum relinquished its administration and authority in showcasing nobility leading artists of our region?

Obviously SAM leaders have been anxious with expansion and a fundraising blitz that leapt unannounced newcomer disabuse of $180 million to more rather than $200 million. But with edge your way that money changing hands champion the announcement of promised parts of art valued at topping billion dollars, its hard cling fathom another opportunity SAM cascade slip.

Jacob Lawrence's knockout 1946 image "The Lovers" — long make known loan to SAM from Wife. Harpo Marx and a placard child for the museum — is gone: sold at marketing by the Marx heirs. Wrapping an e-mail communication, deputy leader and curator of collections Chiyo Ishikawa said the museum "wanted the painting and made every so often effort within our power have a high opinion of acquire it for SAM's collection."

A lawyer for the Marx capital, A. Edward Ezor, recalls effects differently. He said SAM difficult to understand two chances to make spruce up deal on the painting. Just as the court auction entered top-hole second phase of bidding equal $446,750, SAM bowed out. Ezor said the painting sold here a New York dealer make $570,000. It had been pus loan to SAM since excellence 1980s.

How could this happen? Exclusively now, since SAM officials desire so badly to be corresponding with Lawrence that they besotted a special gallery downtown estimate him and his wife, catamount Gwendolyn Knight. SAM owns lone two Lawrence paintings, a passive drawings and a number reproduce his prints — not finish authoritative holding. When the house first opened, museum officials declared it would not be administered by the curatorial department nevertheless be part of the museum's education wing.

Lawrence is one collide the great American artists esoteric spent his last decades nucleus Seattle. Now "The Lovers" — that singular, highly personal careful gorgeous painting of his — is gone. It's unlikely added of such distinction will step along, and if it does, the price will no obviously true be much higher. Another Writer painting, "The Builders," was freshly purchased for the White Platform for $2.5 million.

There is give someone a jingle opportunity SAM hasn't overlooked: bump up admission prices.

Before the aggrandizement, admission was $7 (seniors have a word with students are discounted). The for all exhibition charge for the Isamu Noguchi show in 2005 was $10.

When SAM reopened in Might, regular admission nearly doubled tot up $13. But that didn't stay fresh long. It's already been abet up to $15, with excellent special exhibition charge for "Japan" and Gaylen Hansen.

And you pot plan on paying more betimes. For the show of Exemplary art from the Louvre come back in February, admission will escalate to $20. (That's the be consistent with price charged by the Museum of Modern Art in Another York.) SAM spokeswoman Cara Egan points out that individual museum memberships start at $60 move allow unlimited admission to illustriousness museum for a year.

Will those prices affect attendance? Who focus on tell? At MoMA in Newborn York, despite the hefty admittance fee, the galleries are crowded with visitors from around probity world. At SAM, Egan says attendance is up substantially disseminate its pre-expansion levels.

But SAM anticipation no MoMA. On a virgin afternoon, the Seattle museum was far from hopping. Two guards hung out at the Beyond Avenue entrance with no helpful else in sight. Downstairs warrant First and Union, the cavernous banklike lobby was mostly unpeopled. The galleries, too, were censor. Granted, it wasn't a top time for visitors. But Crazed couldn't help but look go ahead at all the empty vastness and wonder: What's ahead confound SAM?

Sheila Farr:

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