On April 28 I had the pleasure of attending the Bemis ARTS Spring Art Show. The show featured over 50 local Seattle artists. It was held at the Bemis Building in downtown SoDo. The historic building is home to many artists and their studios on the upper floors as well as workspaces and a recording studio on the lower floors.
One of the residents, who has been a friend of mine for the past few years, opens her studio apartment twice a year for the show. It’s very much the apartment of my dreams.
I’ve spent many vulnerable moments in her open space, from crying on her old wooden floor to modeling her clothes behind Spider’s camera (a previous resident at Bemis). Gazing at her art hanging all around her place never fails to inspire me. She pursues her photography career in her own studio. Many other kinds of artists who live in the Bemis Building, including painters, glass artists, filmmakers, sculptors, fashion designers and architects, can say the same.
The old Bemis Bag Co. building was bought two decades ago with the intent of creating a space for an independent artist community to flourish. Every fall and spring you can attend the open art show and adventure into the lives of these creatives. Below are a few of my favorite installations and performers.
