Bernardus Lodge & Spa is located in California’s Carmel Valley, near Carmel-By-The-Sea, Monterey, and Big Sur. The property was opened in 1999 by Bernardus “Ben” Pon, a Dutch Olympic skeet shooter, racecar driver (in 1962 he competed in the Dutch Grand Prix with a works Porsche 787, resulting in a crash and an avowal to never race again), and vintner who opened his namesake winery in 1989. When Pon first discovered the area, it was more rural, but the same rolling green hills and expansive blue skies remain. Today, the region remains a quiet destination, dotted with horse ranches, vineyards, and luxury resorts. 

Arriving at Bernardus, I was greeted with a glass of wine and ushered through the property to my room—one of the Vineyard Villa Suites, which features the aforementioned copper soaking tub, an outdoor shower, fireplaces in both the bedroom and living room, and French doors that open onto a spacious terrace with views of the Santa Lucia mountain range. Dark ceiling beams combined with ornate chandeliers and a king-sized, four-poster bed are vineyard-chic; a living room stocked with magazines invites lounging in front of the fire with a glass of wine—an activity I indulged in throughout my stay. 

In the Village Suites, large copper tubs and private terraces off the bathroom (with outdoor showers) provide a spa-like experience.

Photo courtesy of Bernardus Lodge & Spa

Décor is elevated rustic, as seen in one of the Vineyard Villa Suites, where floral curtains, a canopy bed, and an ornate chandelier add to the charm.

Photo courtesy of Bernardus Lodge & Spa

Since I arrived after dark, I wasn’t able to see the property until the next day. Beautiful, warm, and clear against a storybook blue sky, the morning dawned with ideal weather for exploring both the property and the surrounding area. Bernardus has 73 rooms (a mix of standards, suites, and villas) scattered across a manicured property with pool, spa, bocce and tennis courts, adults-only hot tub, vineyard, rose garden, and plenty of nooks to discover along the way (there was a hammock positioned dreamily between two trees near my room). Bright citrus trees and waving grasses line the gently weaving paths, while building-climbing ivy and roses add an elevated touch. 

After grabbing some snacks from the complimentary, in-room selection, I downed a quick cup of coffee in the lobby (there is a drink station offering various drinks throughout the day), then inquired about borrowing a car for the afternoon. Bernardus is one of about a dozen resorts in the country with a Mercedes-Benz Drive Program partnership, meaning they have a fleet of cars—models include a Maybach, G-Wagen, AMG E 53 Cabriolet, EQS 580—that guests can take out for up to four hours on a first-come, first-serve basis. All you have to do is replace the gas you use. It’s a great amenity for the property, which is tucked away off the beaten path (part of its draw) without anything in walking distance. There are a handful of options for exploring: both Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey are less than 30 minutes away, Big Sur is about an hour, and, if you’re on a tighter timeline, Carmel Valley Village, where Bernardus Winery is located, is just a five-minute jaunt. 

For just $12, experience the rugged coast on the scenic 17-mile drive, which winds through the bougie Pebble Beach community and includes highlights like the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and the ghost trees at Pescadero Point.

Photo by Rachel Gallaher

I opted to head for Carmel-by-the-Sea, taking a detour to cruise the iconic 17-Mile Drive,  a picturesque circuit of the California coastline that takes you past historic sites (Huckleberry Point is rumored to be a favorite haunt of literary greats including Robert Louis Stevenson and John Steinbeck), famous golf courses (Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, the Links at Spanish Bay), and so many opportunities to get out and see the crashing, roiling Pacific Ocean, that even though I had experienced 17-Mile Drive before, I was eager to get out at each stop to take in the salty-aired views. A highlight is the Ghost Trees at Pescadero Point, where wind-and-sun-bleached Cypress trees stand above a popular Big Wave Surf spot; their twisted, spooky forms remind me of the brush strokes of Edvard Munch’s painting, The Scream.

After 17-Mile-Drive, along which helpful red road markings keep you on track as your drive, I ventured into Carmel-by-the-Sea, where dozens of boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants offer hours of exploration just blocks away from the beach. For lunch, I indulged in a lobster roll at Stationæry, soaking in the afternoon warmth on its sun-soaked patio. After eating, I wandered around town, stopping at Pilgrim’s Way Books & Community Garden, with its tranquil secret green space, hidden away in the middle of town. Here, you can pick up everything from an escapist beach read and the latest contemporary fiction to books of all genres by local authors. 

Fire features on the cozy terrace at Lucia Restaurant keep the evening’s chill at bay.

Photo courtesy of Bernardus Lodge & Spa

An adults-only hot top offers quiet, and one of the property’s best mountain views.

Photo courtesy of Bernardus Lodge & Spa

Back at Bernardus, I took advantage of my patio, reading for a bit before heading to the adults-only hot tub, which I had to myself. Sipping on a glass of vino (each room comes with a bottle, courtesy of the brand’s winery), I watched the sun slip away over the nearby hills, cloaking the day in a gorgeous navy blue that signaled it was almost time for dinner. The restaurant, Lucia, offers Mediterranean-inspired regional cuisine featuring fresh, grown-on-property herbs and produce. I leaned into seafood, starting with a Dungeness crab cake (pickled vegetable slaw, jalapeños, smoked-pimentón gribiche), and choosing the market fish, halibut, which was cooked excellently (read: not too dry—often its downfall) and served with fingerling potatoes. I’m not usually a “dessert person,” but I went out on a limb and ordered the still-warm, partially-baked chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream, and let me tell you that was an absolute indulgence. For oenophiles, Lucia’s cellar holds more than 5,000 bottles of wine across 280 labels, with a private dining area that can be booked for special occasions.

The resort’s adjacent vineyards capture the story of Bernardus Winery, one of the first tasting rooms opened in the area.

Photo courtesy of Bernardus Lodge & Spa

The next day I was tempted to take one of the cars out again, but opted instead for on-resort relaxation, starting with poolside yoga (offered every Friday and Saturday morning), followed by a 50-minute Bernardus Essential facial. My flight wasn’t until 8 p.m., but the resort allowed me to use the amenities (including the spa lounge, sauna, steam room, warming pool, and showers), so I spent the afternoon reading by the hotel pool, eating lunch on my lounger, and rounding out the day with several circuits through the sauna and steam room. With no activities or sightseeing on the books I was able to fully and deeply relax into the sunny afternoon without feeling rushed or planning the next move out in my head. Yes, the grounds, the gourmet food, and the amenities were all fantastic, but those six hours of indulgent, unscheduled tranquility were the biggest—and most needed—luxury of all. 

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Real estate developer Scott Rerucha and his wife Aree fully embraced this mindset when they decided to build a ground-up home in Kirkland. The duo—who met more than a decade ago while Scott was on an overseas business trip—had lived in two houses in the downtown area, but, according to him, one was too small and the other was fine, but not their dream spot. After they moved in, they found a vacant lot with territorial views where they envisioned building a custom home.

Aree and Jill chose an extra-large architectural light fixture from Italy to hang in the kitchen. Scott wasn’t sure at first, but now he can’t picture the room without it.

Photography by Kevin Scott

“We really built this house for ourselves,” Scott says of the 3,800-square-foot, two-story modern residence. “I just threw the investment thing to the side and said, ‘I don’t care about that part. What I care about is that we get what we want to live in.’”

Once they secured their lot, Scott and Aree immediately brought on an architect—Scott’s sister, Jill Rerucha, founder of Seattle-based Rerucha Studio. “We always wanted my sister to design a home for us,” Scott says. When the trio sat down to discuss the house, Scott and Aree, who is originally from Thailand, brought different styles, underscored by a shared penchant for simple forms, clean lines, and a connection to the surrounding landscape.

“They both influenced me,” Jill says of her design, which combines an industrial-leaning glass-and-steel palette with custom wood elements—screens, ceilings, panels, and the front door—that firmly ground the house within the Northwest architectural vernacular. She worked with local contractor  Stackman Homes on the build. “My brother is more traditional, but also bold. He wanted a large house with a lot of street presence. Aree has a more modern aesthetic and a little fresher look at things.”

The striking welcome includes a custom front door from Starboard Door.

Photography by Kevin Scott

A reflecting pond just off the entryway, where a custom fabricated staircase winds to the second floor.

Photography by Kevin Scott

One approach the couple agreed on was the importance of entertaining spaces. Both Scott and Aree are very social, and according to the couple, it’s not rare for them to have 20 people over to share a big, home-cooked Thai meal. The views are most visible from the second story, so Jill positioned that level as the main living space, comprising the living room, dining room, and kitchen—off of which is a large, covered terrace accessed by a row of Fleetwood that can fully open for total indoor-outdoor connection—as well as the primary suite. Here, Aree has a custom walk-in closet with a chandelier: her top request for the project.

Downstairs is Scott’s golf room (complete with a virtual-play setup), a lounge, the guest suite, laundry room and dog bath, as well as a flex space that Scott uses as an office when he works from home.

According to Jill, “since their living space is upstairs, that really defined the layout of the house.” To make it easier to transfer groceries, luggage, and the couple’s two dogs up one level, they installed an elevator, which the architect decorated with emerald-green paint and Italian floor tiles.

Floating stairs were high on the couple’s must-have list.

Photography by Kevin Scott

As guests ascend or descend, music is piped in to add atmosphere.

Elsewhere in the house, the palette is subdued, with white oak flooring, textured walls, and neutral-toned furniture. Asian-inspired influences—the wood screens, the open layout, a reflecting pond, and a bamboo grove in the yard—are a nod to Aree’s Thai culture, and gentle touches that warm up the otherwise industrial materials.

“The [slatted] screens bring patterned light in the house,” Jill says, “and not using blonde wood, using walnut instead, it’s very much like their house in Thailand.”

Two standout moments are the entry stairs, a request from the couple, the white oak steps float on a heavy steel spine; and the kitchen, which is all black. “The staircase is one piece of metal,” Scott says. “It had to be brought in before the house was fully framed.” The kitchen, where Aree spends a lot of time with her friends, cooking traditional Thai meals, features charcoal-toned quartz countertops, black marble backsplashes, and custom cabinetry stained dark, with a pearlized finish that catches the light. “We ended up having to stain the cabinets a couple of times,” Scott explains, “because it’s really hard to keep the look consistent.”

For some siblings, working together would be like trying to combine oil and water, but for Jill and Scott, the process was smooth and collaborative, and it deepened their mutual trust. Scott and Aree love their house and their ability to easily bring together friends and family. “Thai culture is so endearing and warm and accepting of everybody,” Scott says. “When we created our home, we thought about that, and we wanted it to be a space that we love, and that we can share with others.”

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“When the proposal came to build the Kingdome, the neighborhood had a strong reaction,” says Jared Jonson, the co-executive director of the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) with Jamie Lee. The organization, founded in 1975 as a city-chartered community development agency, partly in reaction to growing concerns about the economic and social future of the district, is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary with events throughout the year.

“Community leaders, business and property owners, and residents expressed deep concern about the long-term impacts of the stadium and other large-scale construction projects proposed at the time,” Jonson explains. This included possible displacement of low-income residents, rising property taxes, increased traffic, reduced access to parking, and the long-term erosion of the neighborhood’s cultural and historic character. In some ways, the situation rang like déjà vu: in the 1960s, when the neighborhood was sliced in half due to the disruptive construction of the I-5 freeway, dozens of blocks disappeared, and many businesses and residents were forced to leave their longtime homes.

“It was a time of urban renewal,” says SCIDpda co-executive director Jamie Lee. “The perfect storm of things was happening, and we needed an organization to steward the Chinatown- International District.”

Saving the neighborhood. Robert Nicholas “Bob” Santos (1934–2016) sits in one of the substandard hotel room apartments under renovation through one of InterIm’s programs in 1980. Santos spent most of his life as an activist in his old neighborhood—saving it, nurturing it, and defending it against outside threats, whether environmental, cultural, or political. From 1989 to 1993, Santos oversaw the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation Authority.

Photo by MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.160.07.01

“This was post–Civil Rights movement,” adds Jonson. “Our neighborhood and community were asking for access to housing, jobs, better education, and healthcare. At the time, a lot of nonprofits were replacing the protests of the ’60s. The identity of how we were formed ties into that community-led organization and advocacy work.”

Although the kingdome protestors failed to stop the construction of the stadium, they helped kick off a movement that led to the formation of SCIDpda, which would become a powerful force in the preservation and uplift of the Chinatown-International District by focusing on three specific areas: real estate development, property management (primarily mixed-use buildings with affordable housing), and community development and engagement. This includes senior services and the formation of the IDEA Space, rebranded in 2018 as Community Initiatives, which focuses on public realm improvements, small business support, and community advocacy around large-scale events like the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“SCIDpda has 13 properties that we own or manage, which equates to 559 units of affordable housing,” says Jonson, noting that the Bush Hotel was the first property the organization purchased, in 1978. Most residential tenants earn at or below 30% of the area median income, making SCIDpda’s effort to provide and retain affordable housing a vital resource for the neighborhood. The properties also support commercial and civic spaces such as restaurants, shops, a health clinic, a public library branch, and a community center.

The organization’s goal with property management is to support independent and family-owned businesses, and crucially, help them stay in the community. Of the 13 properties SCIDpda manages, five are owned by local families. As a nonprofit, SCIDpda also benefits from the management fees, which go towards covering their operating costs.

“We have 53 employees,” Jonson says. “Half of them are in operations—janitors, building managers—and half are limited in English proficiency. We like to hire from the neighborhood, and we have a range, from older Chinese guys to our younger Gen Z staff.”

“We’re not going anywhere despite what you hear on the news. The neighborhood is not dying—anyone can come down here and see that it’s very much thriving.”

This mix reflects the diversity of the area, which is home to many intergenerational families: a much-hoped-for focus of future housing projects. Rather than following the one-and-two bedroom trend seen elsewhere in the city, Jonson and Lee aim to bring the area additional housing that reflects its social and cultural needs, as apartments with three or four bedrooms that can accommodate families where parents, children, and grandchildren live under the same roof—a common household structure for many cultures around the world. (The first project of this type in the neighborhood, International District Village Square II, was built in 2004.)

Currently, SCIDpda is involved in the Little Saigon Landmark Project—a co-development with Friends of Little Saigon (FLS) slated for a piece of land at South Jackson Street and 10th Avenue South. Although still in the design and permitting phase, the plans include a Vietnamese Culture and Economic Center (managed by FLS), affordable housing, commercial space, offices, and community meeting areas. Like much of SCIDpda’s work, it’s a positive light pointed towards a prosperous and more equitable future—and proof that the neighborhood continues to rise above the onslaught of negative news coverage that has plagued it in recent years. According to Lee, SCIDpda is choosing to focus on the positive, like the 35 new businesses that have opened since 2023.

“We’re not going anywhere despite what you hear on the news,” says Jonson. “The neighborhood is not dying—anyone can come down here and see that it’s very much thriving.”

Voice for the people. Bruce Perry (left), head of the Central Area Public Development Authority listens to Ben Woo (right), head of the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority in 1984. Woo championed low-income housing for elderly Asians, and was active in the establishment of the Wing Luke Museum.

Photo by MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.232.28.08, Photo By Sherry Bockwinkel

This upward trajectory would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and unwavering support from SCIDpda over the past five decades. To mark the milestone, the organization hosted a series of guided neighborhood tours throughout the year (the final one will be on September 18), each based on a different time period and topic. On November 8th, the SCIDpda 50th Anniversary Gala will celebrate the many triumphs of the organization, while raising money to help it continue to push the Chinatown-International District towards its next decade—
and beyond.

“What I want in the next 50 years is for the neighborhood not to [necessarily] look exactly the same, but to have the same feeling,” says Lee. “People arguing over table tennis and older ladies playing mahjong in the park—if that’s still happening, that’s where we’ll know we have been successful.”

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“That idea runs through our whole program,” says James Bell, senior marketing manager at 1 Hotel Seattle. “We have multiple living pieces of art around the hotel, including two living walls. We worked with a local company called Floraform.” Guests are greeted with the studio’s installation as soon as they walk into the lobby, where a two-story living wall behind the main staircase depicts a mural of Mount Rainier made with a variety of mosses and reclaimed wood. Another living mural appears at the entrance of the hotel’s restaurant, La Loba, and smaller works dot the halls and other public spaces. “They worked on the bigger piece for 13 months,” Bell says. 

Additional local connections include the staircase’s hand-stitched leather rail, crafted by Jeffrey Randall of Leather Haut, which features more than 6,500 individual stitches; a workshop partnership with Capitol Hill boutique Glasswing; locally made products in the gift shop, and select décor sourced from around the city. The décor—in the guest rooms, lobby, and bar—skews Scandinavian-modern-meets-rustic-woodland, with wood furniture and accents, earth tones, and textured upholstery, and plenty of green plants for a nature-inspired ambiance.

A light-filled studio suite includes a sitting area at one end. Live plants are an important addition to the décor, bringing a natural touchstone into the décor.

Photo courtesy of 1 Hotel Seattle

Spacious bathrooms include a filtered water tap, and in some room configurations, a tub.

Photo courtesy of 1 Hotel Seattle

Just off the lobby sits Drift, the hotel’s cocktail bar and lounge—where guests can get a before-dinner drink or start the morning off sipping coffee or a smoothie—with its inventive libations that focus on regional flavors such as rainier cherries, wild blackberries, and herbal aromas. (The Spotted Rose is a delightful spritzy sipper with champagne foam and rose powder; the bright pink color belies its tart finish.)

At Drift lounge, which sits just off the lobby, a wood shelf is filled with locally found treasures and an abundance of greenery.

Photo courtesy of 1 Hotel Seattle

For food, La Loba is the star of the show—a culinary cascade of flavors with influences from Spain, Japan, and, of course, the Northwest. The night we went, there was a live Spanish guitar trio that set the tone for the evening and served as the backdrop for a bustling crowd, many of whom looked dressed up and ready for a night at the theater or out on the town. 

La Loba is a striking, and delicious, addition to Seattle’s culinary scene, with Spanish-inspired dishes, live music on selected nights, and an outdoor patio for al fresco dining.

Photo courtesy of 1 Hotel Seattle

“La Loba was born from my roots in Barcelona and years of cooking in different contexts, now landing in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest,” says Oscar Amador, the James Beard-nominated chef behind the hotel’s culinary program. “My inspiration is heritage married with what grows around here—technique, respect for product, simplicity, elegance. I wanted to create a menu that feels honest, that honors Spanish tradition while letting local seafood, produce, and flavors shine.”

And shine, they do. The night we went, we ordered a la carte (La Loba offers a tasting menu as well) starting with the patatas bravas (they come in long french-fry-like pieces, with dozens of layers of thinly sliced, crispy potato—we were obsessed) and scallop bucatini and opting for the hangar steak and pan-roasted black cod as mains. (The latter of which was cooked excellently, arriving on a bed of kimchi and assorted pickled vegetables. I don’t eat meat, so I didn’t try the steak, but my fiancé’s empty plate was evidence of a meal well enjoyed.) Portions are large, and we definitely over ordered, but it was a nice change from the rash of upscale restaurants serving three-or-four-bite entrees that leave you hungry a few hours later. 

La Loba’s scallop crudo appetizer brings the creamy mollusk together Tom Kha sauce, candied lime, and pickled jalapeño.

Photo courtesy of 1 Hotel Seattle

“Barcelona taught me precision, balance, and technique,” says Amador, who points out the Punk Caesar, Trinxat croquetas, and lamb loin as highlights. “How to build flavor carefully, how simplicity can be powerful. Seattle brings freshness, a sense of season, wild ingredients, seafood, incredible produce. At La Loba I aim to merge those sensibilities: using classic Spanish methods (like slow braises, drying, fermenting, olive oil, traditional flavor profiles) but with Pacific Northwest ingredients—local vegetables, seafood, meat, seasonal picks. It’s a conversation: my heritage gives structure; this place gives inspiration and raw material.”

Another aspect that the hotel has doubled down on is its approach to health and fitness, which extends beyond your typical tiny gym with a few weights, mats, and treadmills. “1 Hotel Seattle is designed to bring the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty indoors, and the wellness program reflects that,” says Morgan Zion, the property’s in-house wellness coach. “We offer yoga and wellness classes, seasonal workshops, the Wildhaus sauna, free daily passes to Dryp Yoga [a studio located just across from the hotel entrance], and our fully equipped Field House fitness center.” (Pick up the forthcoming November/December issue to read more about Wildhaus, a unique floating sauna that casts off from the shores of Lake Union. With the hotel’s partnership, guests are whisked to and from the dock in electric Audis.) In the lobby, a farmstand featuring fresh, locally sourced fruit offers healthy (and free) snacks, and each room has a filtered water tap to encourage continued hydration. 

There is no traditional spa on the property, but Zion says that’s intentional. “Instead, we focus on curated wellness experiences,” she explains. “Guests can book private yoga or movement sessions, enjoy the Wildhaus sauna, or participate in seasonal offerings like sound baths and meditation sessions. The goal is to create restorative, nature-inspired experiences rather than a standard spa menu.” If you’re tight on time, the hotel is located perfectly for walking to some of the city’s most popular tourist destinations; with so much access to water, green space, and bike trails, making the city your gym is a great way to see the sites and get in your steps for the day. 

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Aside from skiing—and the occasional summer hike—much of my favored activity happens inside. But, as luck would have it, a few years ago, one of my friend groups started camping regularly. Maybe it was COVID-related boredom, or an abundance of free time, but there we were, pitching tents and building fires in campgrounds around the state. Each of my friends has a different level of dedication to and intensity for camping: one couple backpacks into the wilderness several times a year; the majority of us are car campers who will sleep in a tent but pack oysters and sparkling wine to pair with our hot dogs. I fall squarely in the latter category.

We didn’t camp much when I was a kid, and the second time I slept in a tent as an adult, I had no idea I was supposed to bring a sleeping pad. (The next day, in sheer desperation, I purchased an inflatable pool raft at a hardware store on a grocery run. Frankly, it wasn’t much better than the ground.)

It’s not that I don’t like the outdoors. I love nature and feel very lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest with its mercurial, seasonal beauty. I just don’t love camping. I’ll go if everyone else does, mostly because I don’t like to miss out and I enjoy late-night hangs by the fire. But sleeping in a tent, not taking showers, and having no access to electricity is just not how I like to experience nature. (Yes, I know how awful that sounds.) So, when someone told me about the first Northwest location of Under Canvas—the upscale outdoor hospitality brand known for offering “glamping” in breathtaking locations across the country—I was instantly intrigued. I had never “glamped,” but the mention of in-tent showers, bathrooms, and beds with actual mattresses sounded just about my speed.

Tucked in a valley just 16 miles (about a 25-minute drive) from White Salmon, a small town on the border between Washington and Oregon, Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge captures the wild beauty of our state’s south-central region—and a striking snapshot view of Oregon’s Mount Hood in the distance.

“All 12 of our camps are intentionally located in close proximity to the country’s most iconic national parks, monuments, and outdoor destinations,” says Under Canvas CEO Matt Gaghen. “The Columbia River Gorge was a natural progression for the expansion of the brand. The region is a coveted outdoor recreation playground, offering an incredible array of outdoor adventures as well as more relaxing lifestyle experiences with a rich food and wine culture that sets it apart from our other camps.”

I had been to the area before. Two of my good friends grew up in White Salmon, and between wine weekends and bachelorettes, the Gorge bewitched me with its natural wildness and laid-back, small-town charm.

A day or two before I set off, I received a pre-arrival email with helpful information, from a reminder that the camp is “off-grid” without Wi-Fi access (“To encourage immersion in nature and connection with each other and ourselves,” Gaghen explains), to specific instructions for accessing the site. (Pay attention to the provided driving directions, as two roads lead to Under Canvas. One is much longer and completely gravel. Ask me how I know.)

My four-hour drive from Seattle was fairly uneventful, with the standard congested traffic around Portland, but once I turned east, it was a smooth shot to Hood River, then over the bridge, through White Salmon, and on to Under Canvas. The arrival experience winds you down into the White Salmon River Valley, where 50 safari-style tents sit on 120 acres. “We design every camp to minimize disruption to the landscape—preserving open space, working with the land’s natural topography, and using sustainable systems throughout,” says Gaghen. These systems include low-flow toilets, pull-chain showers, energy-efficient lighting (as the operators of the world’s first DarkSky-certified resorts, Under Canvas takes steps to minimize light pollution), and battery- powered charging stations.

Check-in was simple, with a quick demonstration of how to operate the sinks, showers, and gas fireplace in my tent, although the latter felt unnecessary as the temperature hovered around 90 degrees. After the usual registration procedures, an Under Canvas staffer whisked me to my car in a golf cart (the parking lot sits slightly north of the campsite), loaded my luggage, and ferried me to my accommodations: one of the resort’s Stargazer tents, which features a skyward viewing window above the king-size bed.

The raised, safari-style tent is made of heavy canvas that turned out to make a lot of noise when the wind blew (I was used to it by the second night, but woke up abruptly several times the night before when particularly strong gusts whipped the lodging, causing the wood beams to creak). It’s a hazard of the area; the Columbia Gorge is known for its gusty conditions. The first thing I noticed was the smell: in the warm afternoon, the cedar floor and wall planks delineating the ensuite shower and toilet made the whole tent smell pleasantly like a sauna. Outfitted with West Elm furniture, the space included the bed with two nightstands, a seating area (two leather sling-style chairs and a rattan pouf), a wood bench, and a cowhide rug underfoot. A small, covered porch had two chairs—I spent a couple of hours reading there before dinner.

“[Under Canvas] provides the comforts of a boutique hotel in the middle of some of the country’s most breathtaking landscapes,” Gaghen says, noting that in addition to the Stargazer and pint sized
tents for kids, they offer “unique options like our Mount Hood Suite at Columbia River Gorge, which includes two tents connected by a private deck, allow[ing] guests to customize their experience, whether traveling solo, as a couple, or with family or friends.”

For obvious reasons—to avoid attracting local wildlife, including black bears—food is not allowed in the tents. Grab-and-go snacks (energy bars, juices, sandwiches, meat-and-cheese packs) can be purchased and eaten in the lobby tent, dining room, and outdoor communal area, which features two firepits and a series of picnic tables. Breakfast and dinner are available for purchase in a café- style setting offering a menu focused on locally sourced food and drinks. During my stay, the resort did not yet have its permit to serve alcohol, but it did allow adult beverages on the property, which proved a benefit after visiting a few wineries the next day. (Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and water are always free). The food—everything from shrimp tacos, burgers, and salads to wild king salmon and cioppino—was fine; better fare than I’d had on many camping trips, but, at the time of my visit, nothing to write home about.

In-tents experience. The safari-style tents at Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge include beds, gas fireplaces, and West Elm furniture

Photo by Bailey Made

After dinner, complimentary s’mores are a must: packets of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, plus roasting sticks, are available every evening in the lobby. Other amenities include acoustic guitars, yoga mats, board games and books, and live music. For those looking to venture beyond the tents, Under Canvas offers an adventure concierge who can help arrange or advise on excursions such as white-water rafting, hiking, mountain biking, wine or beer tasting, fishing, and stand-up paddleboarding. On-site activities range from morning journaling and yoga to scavenger hunts and crafts for all ages, like bracelet and bookmark making.

Although the resort doesn’t have WiFi, my phone did have service (thanks, T-Mobile), so I can’t say I fully unplugged during my stay. But there was something about the experience that encouraged a slower pace. I spent a lot of time reading (in bed, on my porch, by the communal fire pit) and trying to escape the heat. While glamping proved a major step up from a tent in the woods, there were several things I didn’t anticipate, like the shower only staying on for around 30 seconds with each yank of the chain, how dark it got at night (battery-powered lanterns are the light source), and even though I was solo for the trip, the fact that there wasn’t an actual door on the bathroom (an L shaped wood screen created a nook in one corner). It got cold at night.

The lobby tent is a camp hub, where guests can hang out, meet fellow glampers, and plan excursions with on-site adventure coordinators.

Photo by Bailey Made

These unexpected moments imbued the experience with a rustic sensibility, creating a unique bridge between past camping trips and traditional hospitality hot spots. Under Canvas was a great “home base” between exploring the independent boutiques and cafes in White Salmon and sipping flights of wine at nearby tasting rooms. And if your trip leans more on the adventurous side, the tent-filled resort is surely a welcome end-of-day retreat. After all, who doesn’t want a soft bed after a long day of rafting or a multi-mile hike?

“At Under Canvas, we welcome anyone who is up for an adventure,” says Gaghen “Travelers who want to really connect—with nature, with each other, and with something bigger than their everyday routine. Whether it’s couples, families, or friends looking to explore the outdoors and still enjoy a comfortable bed at night, our guests come for the adventure and stay for the small moments.”

Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge is open for booking through Oct. 26.

The post Gone Glamping appeared first on Seattle magazine.

“Coming out of the pandemic the past few years, and out of this period of isolation really reminded me and many of my colleagues of the recovery years after the Great Recession,” says art consultant Kira Burge, who organized WALK DONT RUN along with Alice Gosti, Steven Severin, Philippe Hyojung Kim, Meli Darby, Olivia Neal Howell, and Jennie Kovalcik. Burge moved to Seattle in 2010 and found connection and community through gatherings happening in artists’ residences and studios. “We weren’t just going to galleries and First Thursday,” she says. “We were going to Klara’s house, and chicken coop shows, and Sierra Stinson’s apartment in the El Capitan building.” 

Looking to capture some of that same creative spirit and bring people together through the positive influence of art—especially in a climate where everything feels so divided—Burge approached Glosova about reviving NEPO 5K. Glosova demurred, but gave Burge her blessing to run (or, in this case walk) with it. To fund the one-day festival, Burge applied for an Office of Arts & Culture’s Hope Corps grant (which she received). Paired with sponsorships, donations, and 4Culture grants, much of the money raised went towards paying artists involved for their time and work. 

Members of Seattle Cheer (an all-adult, non-profit cheerleading organization that raises funds and awareness for the LGBTQIA+ community) kicked off the opening of  WALK DONT RUN.

Photo by Irina Wong

“The goal is to contribute to downtown Seattle’s revival through fun, creative activities that showcase the art and culture that is the lifeblood of our city,” Burge said in a call before the event. “It’s what gets people to go out to dinner before a show—art is commerce on its own, but it’s married to the bigger ecosystem.”

More than 100 artists—visual, dance, music, performance—participated in WALK DONT RUN, activating streets, alleys, sidewalks, and public spaces covering more than 20 city blocks. Moseying along the route, which was marked by blue sidewalk paint, QR codes, and colorful ribbons tied on poles, marathoners could be spotted by their “race bib” stickers, distributed from a booth in Occidental Square, on which they wrote cheeky sayings, nicknames, or art puns. (The best one I saw: “The only marathon I’ll ever qualify for.”)

“Seeing art in an unusual context can change the way we feel about both the art and the context,” says artist Britta Johnson, whose sculpture, Making Kin, was installed in a parking garage on the corner of Third Avenue and Virginia Street. Made from a modified oil barrel with a mini screen of LED lights, it displayed a strange, ghostly octopus waving its tentacles through what looked a porthole. “I hope visitors will experience beauty, strangeness, delight, etcetera, and get to see the city in a new way,” Johnson said a few days before the event. 

Britta Johnson’s Making Kin shows an octopus glowing through a porthole in a parking garage.

Photo courtesy of Britta Johnson

A school of salmon making their way through downtown Seattle, part of a participatory performance by artist Lorraine Lau.

A member of SuttonBeresCuller at the inaugural WALK DONT RUN art marathon.

Photo by Berhanu Images

Discovery was part of the fun—big names mixed with emerging talents, and roving groups such as SuttonBeresCuller (in their infamous all-white jumpsuits, each with a lit red arrow on their back) brought moments of delight and irreverence as you turned a corner or crossed a street. We ran into one assemblage around the Pike/Pine corridor—a participatory performance created and ideated by Lorraine Lau—in which each member held a papier-mâché salmon on a stick, gleefully “swimming” them down the street. Longtime Seattle artist Margie Livingston reprised her “art dragging,” in which she connected more than a dozen wood-framed paintings to straps on a harness and hauled them around the sidewalks, eroding the surfaces, but imbuing each work with something from the city, the participants, and the event itself. 

Live performance took over the 2+U courtyard at Second and University Avenues. This performance is by Danielbi Perdomo and Leah Russell.

Photo by Irina Wong

Artist Jesse Higman kicks off a collaborative paint pour.

Photo by Marina Boichuk

Live performance took over the 2+U courtyard at Second and University Avenues, including a live duet by Danielbi Perdomo and Leah Russell. At the center of it all, Jesse Higman offered up his interactive paint pours, called “The Collaborative Landscape,” in which large groups of people, often strangers, come together to pour cups of iridescent mica flakes suspended in water onto a 16-foot horizontal canvas, resulting in a shimmery, ephemeral constellation. 

“From my vantage point I watched people arriving in Occidental Park excited for the event,” says local curator Jeremy Buben, who served as an Art Concierge, rolling a podium stacked with art books around town, ready to answer any and all questions. “I also posted up in Pioneer Place Park, and at the finish line on Bell Street. Each location greeted me with participants seeking directions, recommendations, information on scheduled activities, and a few existential art questions. It was also a real pleasure seeing many friends who had turned out to walk the event.” Buben plans to return next year, if there is a round two—something that everyone along the route is championing. “I’m excited to see this event continue and grow,” he says. “What a great opportunity for Seattle’s artists, musicians, and performers to create an exciting reason to explore downtown.”

Wiggle Room, the collaborative project of Alyza DelPan-Monley and Janelle Abbott.

Photo by Marina Boichuk

WALK DONT RUN was the perfect kick-off to fall. It helped that the day was absolutely gorgeous: sunny, clear, and topped with radiant blue skies. For me, the event felt like a reconnection with Seattle’s vibrant creative scene, and an opportunity to further explore my own neighborhood, see faces I haven’t seen in a while, and celebrate those in the community who believe enough in the city to keep showing up for it—not only during WALK DONT RUN, but every single day.

The post Seattle’s WALK DONT RUN Festival is a Major Success for Downtown appeared first on Seattle magazine.

“By giving young designers mentorship from seasoned professionals and a platform to share their work, we’re helping to strengthen the regional fashion community and ensure local school programs thrive,” says Jennifer Leavitt, senior vice president of marketing for the Bellevue Collection. “Amplifying young voices in the fashion industry is essential for forecasting trends and bringing fresh, diverse perspectives to the forefront.”

Students participating in fashion and design-focused programs at the four colleges were invited to apply to the showcase, and two from each school were chosen to participate. “We looked for students who bring passion, creativity, confidence and fresh perspectives to fashion,” says Leavitt. Each New & Next designer will present two original looks at the Collective Runway Show at Fashion Week. Since the program kicked off in February, the students have had the opportunity to work with industry mentors to develop and make their pieces, learning about materials, fit, and garment finishing, as well as what it takes to produce a fashion show. After their debut, the student designs will be on display at the Bellevue Square shopping center from September 29 through October 9. 

“We’re providing student designers with mentorship, industry insight, and the invaluable experience of seeing their work on the runway,” Leavitt says. “Our goal is to uplift these students and offer them a real-world platform to share their creativity, gain exposure and grow professionally while working alongside seasoned fashion designers and producers.”

Seattle had the opportunity to chat with the participating designers; read on to hear about their work. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Gerardo Castillo Regalado, Central Washington University

Runway Looks: “My design aesthetic is rooted in the unapologetic rawness of urban culture and shaped by the defining moments of my life, with each garment serving as a bold visual and emotional statement. Influenced by pain, resilience, and the shared struggles of marginalized communities, I use fashion as a form of resistance and remembrance.”

Inspiring Trends: Urban culture, reimagining the male silhouette, sustainability.

Future’s Bright: “I’m excited about the continued shift toward sustainability, where ethics are finally being prioritized over profit. I’m also inspired by the rise of gender-fluid fashion, which is breaking down barriers and allowing the male silhouette to be reimagined without shame.”

Meli Rivera Garcia, Central Washington University

On Aesthetics: “Bold, vibrant, and unapologetically pink. These looks are rooted in experiencing love as a queer Latino: Layered, complex, and deeply personal. I incorporated a handwoven textile made with my family using a traditional petate weaving technique passed down from my grandmother and mother. I also used pink-dyed leather alongside sheer organza to represent the contrast of resilience and softness; how, as a trans person, you often need tough skin to move through the world, while still holding onto your inner softness.”

Trend Spotting: Meaningful designs, vibrant color, traditional petate weaving.

Looking Forward: “I am excited about the growing emphasis on sustainable fashion and meaningful design. Being resourceful has always been important to me, and I love seeing how innovation in fashion can come from reimagining materials and traditions.”

Annie Tempest, Seattle Central College

On Pursuing Fashion: “I have a previous degree in English and a background working in education, but as a kid I wanted to be an artist and to make things with my hands. When thinking about the next step in my career, I came back to that childhood dream and fused it with my love of nature to pursue design to protect and celebrate the natural world.”

Describe Your Work: “My work is centered around using my creativity, love of storytelling, and awe of nature to perpetually learn and challenge myself. My goals as a designer are to inspire connections with other living organisms and ecosystems, to increase accessibility to sustainability, and to build community.”

Lessons Learned: “I have learned that I love using design to solve problems. My designs are informed by how they will be worn and used and how they can be a part of more sustainable and circular systems.”

Max Moreno Rebollar, Seattle Central College

Design Approach: “I am most interested in designing clothing that look great while also offering some functionality to the wearer. This can be done by trying to make clothing more comfortable by using specific fabrics or adding unique details. I’m really inspired by other designers like Greg Jackson and _J.L-A.L_ where they use 3D design software to motivate their designs.”

Inspiring Trends: Technical men’s clothing, invisible pockets.

Future’s Bright: “A trend I’m excited to see is technical clothing design elements trickling down into men’s clothing. I love to see technical design features like invisible pockets used more in menswear.”

James Faull, Seattle Pacific University

Inspirations: “The leading inspiration for my designs is how a garment is going to function and feel in a specific environment. While I focus on specific environments, my goal with each piece is to design something versatile. I seek to design garments that function perfectly for their desired use and look so good that you can wear them for a variety of other purposes. This approach comes from my background as an action sports athlete. I began skiing when I was 2 years old and have pursued it ever since. Whether function or fashion, skiing or running, I have always felt that I have an eye for what is good, what is great, and what may be ming from a garment.”

Trending Now: “The athleisure trend has been around for quite a while, but I see space for evolution rather than extinction. When people think of athleisure, they often think of cozy multifunctional garments. I see it this way too, but I want to take it a step further. I want to exaggerate the performance side of athleisure, while maintaining the comfort and style that the target audience loves.”

Jennifer Erendira-Gallardo, Seattle Pacific University

On Pursuing Fashion: “I come from a humble background and have worked my way into the industry through dedication, skill, and perseverance. Since childhood, I have pursued the tenacious dream of becoming a fashion designer by working very hard academically to acquire the skills necessary to enter the industry.”

Self-Described Style: Exquisite, Regal, Romantic.

Design Process: “Although the process for working on this collection was challenging, I would overall describe this experience as rewarding. Throughout this project, I enhanced my designs through the usage of valuable feedback that I received from mentors.”

Lessons Learned: “I learned that I underestimate my potential abilities when it comes to creating my designs. In exploring new methods for enhancing designs, I found that I am capable of doing things beyond the boundaries that I set myself.”

Alizee Hargrove, Washington State University

Describe Your Work: “My work blends classic tailoring with unexpected, edgy details that keep it fresh and modern.”

Inspiring Trends: Neo-tailoring, corsetry revival, gender-fluid suiting.

Background: “I pursued design to have a creative outlet from my second degree in accounting. Fashion gives me the freedom to be bold and expressive, which balances the structure and logic of numbers.”

Learning Experience: “I’ve learned to trust my instincts and discovered that my strength lies in balancing sophistication with a daring edge.”

Kiah Conway, Washington State University

Real-Life Inspiration: “The parts of life that bring me happiness, wherever it may come from. It could be from the vibrant colors in my mother’s flower garden, the joy I felt when I was taught traditional beading from my Native American elders, or the fun I found when I was only 6 years old sewing my first project. My experiences and small pockets of happiness blend into my designs.”

Trendspotting: Maximalism, vibrant color, Native American beading traditions. “I am a huge fan of the maximalist approach to fashion. More specifically I love the mix of textures, patterns, and silhouettes that push the boundaries of what personal style is.”

The post Generation Next: Young, Local Fashion Designers to Hit the Runway  appeared first on Seattle magazine.

“We launched Kraken Common Thread last year as our own evolution of the NHL’s former jersey design program, to further demonstrate how the Seattle community is tied together; we’re all here for our love of hockey,” says Ali Daniels, SVP of marketing for the Kraken. “This program and our theme nights give us an opportunity to expand our reach and highlight historically underrepresented communities.”

The themed nights, which include Hispanic Heritage Night, Indigenous Peoples Night, Pride Night, AANHPI Night, Black Hockey History Night, Women in Hockey Night, and Green Night, each have a corresponding jersey designed by a local artist. While players are not permitted under NHL rules to wear the jerseys on the ice, they do sign them, and after each game the jerseys are auctioned off. 

“[Auctioning them off] gives us an opportunity to raise funds for both One Roof Foundation, our charitable arm dedicated to expanding hockey access, and for local nonprofits focused on bettering the communities we are celebrating,” Daniels explains. 

The season’s artists include: Esmeralda Vasquez (Hispanic Heritage Night presented by Modelo, Oct. 28), Amber Webb (Indigenous Peoples Night presented by Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Dec. 16), Vegas Vecchio (Pride Night presented by Symetra, Jan. 8), Kenji Stoll (AANHPI Night presented by Alaska Airlines, Jan. 29), Damon Brown (Black Hockey History Night presented by Amazon, Feb. 28), Dasha Medvedeva (Women in Hockey Night presented by PitchBook, March 10), and Jess Phoenix (Green Night presented by Boeing, April 2).

Seattle magazine had the opportunity to chat with three of this season’s artists to get the scoop about the inspiration behind their designs. 

Amber Webb for Indigenous Peoples Night presented by Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

Seven years ago, artist Amber Webb started focusing on Yup’ik art forms, stories, and teachings, using them as a platform to bring attention to issues impacting Indigenous communities, such as the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, suicide, and the long-term effects of trauma from colonization. “That quickly led me to community wellness work,” Webb says. “My work is really inspired by my love for my people and my homelands.  Since then, the work I’m most proud of is the work I’ve done with my community.”

Webb, who was raised in Dillingham and Anchorage, and lives in Aleknagik, admits to feeling a little nervous, but also honored, when asked to design a jersey for the Kraken. “I really wanted to make a design that would resonate with fans but also one that would be authentic to Yup’ik design principles as well as who I am as an artist,” she says. The result, which includes a bird and four salmon, is a beautiful ode to the natural world, as well as Webb’s heritage. 

Jersey design by Amber Webb for Indigenous Peoples Night.

“I come from salmon people, and my first question was how am I connected with the indigenous people in the Seattle area?” Webb says. “ Indigenous people are stewards of our lands and waters and our relationship with the salmon and the many species of birds connect us.  All along the coast we have a personal investment in protecting the environment.” She hopes that her design is a reminder to Kraken fans, and anyone who encounters it, that we all have a relationship to the land, animals, and water that surrounds us in the Pacific Northwest, and should help steward it for the generations that come after us. 

“These animals have taken care of our people, and we also have to take care of the land and water for them,” Webb says. “Both of these animals are connected with hospitality and generosity, so I wanted to really highlight those two values as well because when we celebrate, we share foods and gifts. “

Indigenous Peoples Night is December 16. A portion of the proceeds from special ticket purchases will go to the Rise Above organization.

Damon Brown for Black Hockey History Night presented by Amazon

Seattle-based Damon Brown, known widely as Creative Lou, has been an artist as long as he can remember. Drawing, sketching, and painting since he was two, Brown developed a graphic style that can be spotted across town, from Outdoor Research’s Sodo headquarters to multi-family residential buildings in the Chinatown International District neighborhood. Like Webb, Brown felt honored at the request, even though he isn’t a longtime hockey fan. 

“The first part was just to get over the awe moment,” he says. “Like, oh, I’m actually getting an opportunity to do a jersey, and I’ve never done a jersey, right? So, once I got over the ‘ah-ha’ moment, I did a little bit of research on black hockey history.”

With that research as a guidepost, Brown designed a rhythmic, multi-colored logo that nods to the future and the past in one logo, where the iconic Space Needle stands proud under a celestial orb. 

Jersey design by Damon Brown (“Creative Lou”) for Black Hockey History Night.

“What inspired me were the Black players of the past,” Brown says. “And this jersey is kind of based off Afrofuturism and [looking] into the future…I hope it inspires any artists out there, and I also hope that it inspires those that want to get into hockey and to play the game.” 

Black Hockey History Night is February 28, 2026. A portion of the proceeds from special ticket purchases will go to support the Black Future Co-op Fund.

Jess Phoenix for Green Night presented by Boeing

A longtime designer and illustrator, Jess Phoenix hails from Massachusetts, the daughter of two creatives who were thrilled when their daughter decided to attend art school. After earning her B.F.A in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, Phoenix moved west, where she designed greeting cards, gift boxes, and other products for a local company for nearly 20 years. In 2016, however, Phoenix needed a creative outlet that wasn’t work. She started turning out the bright, floral illustrations she’s known for today. When the Kraken reached out, the artist was a little taken aback. 

“I was thinking, ‘do they know I draw flowers?’” she says with a laugh. “This is for a jersey!” It turns out, they did know, and that’s exactly why they asked her—because her designs were so unique. 

“Usually, when I’m making the floral art, I don’t reference real flowers,” Phoenix explains. “[But] for this one I really wanted to do some research, and I looked into endangered and threatened flowers in Washington.” The final design, which Phoenix first sketched by hand, includes golden paintbrush, checker mallows, and Northwest raspberry—10 native plants in all. Its pink blooms stand out against a dark anchor and teal-green background, with an almost Scandinavian flair. 

Jersey design by Jess Phoenix for Green Night.

“I want people to be curious about the design, drawn in by the graphic qualities of it,” Phoenix says. “Even though I’m from Massachusetts, I’ve been living in Seattle since 2007. I really consider this to be my home. I don’t know if I’ve been seen at large as a Seattle artist, but this opportunity really makes me feel like I’m a Seattle artist.” 

Green Night is April 2, 2026. A portion of the proceeds from special ticket purchases will go to support Stewardship Partners.

The post The Kraken Reveal This Season’s Artist-Designed Jerseys  appeared first on Seattle magazine.

“Each year we have five judges for adult books and three judges for books for youth,” explains Sara Peté, director at Washington Center for the Book. “Judges can serve up to three consecutive years but can sometimes only serve one or two years due to their schedules. Our judges are librarians and library workers, booksellers, and Washington state authors.”

This year’s judges included regional librarians Sarah Jaffa, Sarah Morrison, Emma Radosevich, and Robin Bradford, and 2022 WSBA finalist and author Marcus Harrison Green. Judges for the youth titles were school librarians Lauren Kessel, Louise Chambers, and Jen Haas, Librarian. A total of 271 books were submitted for judging across both adult and youth categories. The adult title judges collectively read and evaluated the submissions (each is assigned one-fifth of the titles to read and from which they nominate finalists and winners). The youth judges followed the same process, each taking on one-third of the books.

“The Washington State Book Awards honor works of outstanding literary merit by Washington authors,” Peté says. “We are particularly interested in prioritizing excellent works created by authors of communities that have been historically marginalized and excluded. The 2025 WSBA winners make up a really beautiful snapshot of the breadth and depth of works being created in our state. I love how the genres, formats, settings, cultures, and styles of these works are all over the map, with the thread of excellent storytelling connecting them all.”

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners! Read the complete list below:

Creative Nonfiction/Memoir Winner:
Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls of Seattle/Port Townsend
(MCD)

Fiction Winner:
Rough Trade by Katrina Carrasco of Seattle
(MCD/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

General Nonfiction/Biography Winner:
Be A Revolution by Ijeoma Oluo of Seattle
(HarperOne)

Poetry Winner:
Something About Living by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha of Redmond
(The University of Akron Press)

Picture Books Winner:
Daughter of the Light-Footed People by Belen Medina of Vancouver and Natalia Rojas Castro
(Atheneum – Simon & Schuster)

Books for Young Readers Winner:
Table Titans Club by Scott Kurtz of Bothell
(Holiday House Publishing)

Young Adult Literature Winner:
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell of Olympia
(Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

The post 2025 Washington State Book Awards Winners Announced appeared first on Seattle magazine.

the Where

An artist interested in maps, Karey Kessler is bringing new work to Shift Gallery this September. According to the show notes, the title, the Where, “literally means ‘a physical place’ but also embody a place mysterious and beyond the known.” Kessler’s complex pieces, consisting of paint, overlaid map imagery, and text, evoke the chaos, emotion, and anxiety of modern life, while also
suggesting a findable route through the trenches of the everyday.

the Where, through September 27, Shift Gallery.

Winston Wächter Fine Art

This fall, Winston Wächter Fine Art presents two exhibitions featuring the contemporary talents of Ethan Murrow and Mary Finlayson. Orange, Violet is a showcase of Finlayson’s ultra-vibrant paintings of interior vignettes that appear collage-like in their stylization.

The artist has long been interested in the concept of “home” both as a physical space and emotional state. In his solo exhibition, The Parliament, Murrow presents a new set of drawings and paintings that bring humans and animals in close proximity, often in fantastical scenarios meant to spur us to question humans’ approach to life.

Orange, Violet runs through October 11; and The Parliament runs through October 18 at Winston Wächter Fine Art.

Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light

Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha has made her Pacific Northwest debut with a solo show at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, running now through April 2026. Agha is known for her immersive installations that play with shadow and light, taking inspiration from Islamic art and architecture to create intricate, laser-cut patterns and designs on large steel cubes. “Geometry of Light invites visitors to become part of the art,” says José Carlos Diaz, Seattle Art Museum’s Susan Brotman deputy director for art. “Agha draws from her life experiences and South Asian artistic practices to address global issues such as discrimination and immigration. She activates gallery spaces with light, transforming deeply personal reflections into geometric shadow patterns that evoke a universal sense of contemplation.”

Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light, through April 19, 2026, at Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Call It What It Is: A Neon Show of Banned Words

Neon is hot this year, and in the Factory’s September show, it’s taking on a political bent. Curated by Tommy Gregory and Marisa Manso, this exhibition is titled Call It What It Is: A Neon Show of Banned Words, and it will feature 25 artists, including Jeremy Bert, Kelsey Fernkopf, Yale Wolf, and Eve Hoyt, creating work in response to an increase in federal memos and internal agency guidelines discouraging or banning the use of terms such as “equity,” “transgender,” “intersectionality,” and “climate crisis.” According to the gallery’s description, “the show reclaims the words, quite literally bringing them to light.”

Call It What It Is: A Neon Show of Banned Words, The Factory, September 11–28.

Art + Culture Week

Returning for its second run, Seattle’s Art + Culture Week is a free, city-wide festival held across 12 neighborhoods, from Georgetown and the University District to Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and Queen Anne. With museum exhibitions, surprise pop-up performances, and cross-disciplinary events, Seattle will turn into a gigantic creative treasure hunt for eight days straight. The evening of September 26, Foster/White Gallery welcomes neon artist Kelsey Fernkopf and Baroque violinist, Tekla Cunningham, for a not-to-be-missed musical experience set against Fernkopf’s neon sculptures. Kick off the week with the debut of WALK DONT RUN (September 20): a free, one-day public art celebration spanning a nearly 2-mile stretch of the city, from Pioneer Square to Belltown, featuring a vibrant corridor of experimental dance, collaborative painting, live music, textile art, and more.

Art + Culture Week, September 20–27, various venues.

Gray Sky Gallery

This fall, Gray Sky Gallery presents work from two Seattle-based female artists interested in materiality. During October, sculptor Terry Richardson’s Reclaimed: Beauty in the Forgotten challenges accepted ideas of beauty by putting overlooked materials front and center in her work. “This exhibition is a meditation on possibility,” Richardson says. “It’s about reimagining what surrounds us—not just as waste or byproduct, but as a source of inspiration, beauty, and meaning.”

In November, Brooke Borcherding’s show, Familiar Structures: Bold Urban Landscapes, asks us to rethink traditional landscape painting through her acrylic works, which reimagine Seattle in a blocky, abstract style. “These ‘deconstructions’ aim to shed light on the beauty of the everyday,” Borcherding says. “Beauty is something we really need right now.”

Re-claimed: Beauty in the Forgotten runs October 1–31 and Familiar Structures: Bold Urban Landscapes runs November 1–29 at Gray Sky Gallery.

Of the Land

An interdisciplinary group show at SOIL Gallery, Of the Land looks at the  complex relationships between ecology, gender, and identity while also examining the act of reclaiming spaces, personal histories, and cultural practices. A poignant topic for current times, the show features seven artists working in mediums from film to photography, challenging colonial narratives and pushing us to rethink our interactions with the earth. In SOIL’s Backspace—an area behind the main gallery—collective member Colleen RJC Bratton will present their work, which is primarily made with found materials such as flowers, fabric, wood, and glass, offering another meditation on the connection between humans and nature.

Of the Land, October 2–November 1 at SOIL Gallery.

Taut

Pioneer Square’s METHOD Gallery presents Taut, a solo exhibition featuring the work of indigenous artist William Passmore (a member of the Okanogan and Arrowhead Lakes Bands). For this show, Passmore, who is best known for his work with glass, draws from the visual vocabulary of Indigenous art, transforming materials such as animal bone, hide, sinew, and rope into compelling works of visual storytelling. “Glass is both metaphorical and literal in its beauty, allowing me to blend memory, landscape, and heritage into something both contemporary and deeply rooted,” the artist says. “This exhibition is an act of holding on, of letting go, and forming something new in the tension between.”

Taut, October 2–November 26 at METHOD Gallery.

TELEPHONE

Launched 10 years ago by Pacific Northwest artist, composer, and poet Nathan M. Langston (who lived in New York at the time), TELEPHONE is an epic creative experiment now in its third — and most ambitious—iteration. The rules are simple, like the child’s game where a phrase is whispered then repeated down a line of people, individuals sign up, then, according to the website, “you will be assigned an anonymous work of art from somewhere else on earth, and it will be your job to translate this artwork into your own medium.” Each fresh creation passes along to multiple artists, who respond in turn. Since the project’s launch, 1,250 artists from 900 cities in 62 countries participated, resulting in more than 1,500 pieces of art. In October, Base Camp Studios will open a three-month exhibition across both its galleries, featuring work from the TELEPHONE’S first decade. “This is a must-see, monumental exhibit,” says Base Camp Studios founder Nick Ferderer. “I’m ecstatic to bring this international-scale exhibit to Seattle.”

TELEPHONE will run October 10–January 10, 2026, at Base Camp Studios and Base Camp Studios 2.

Boren Banner Series: Camille Trautman

The latest installation in Frye Art Museum’s Boren Banner Series is by Seattle-born Camille Trautman, a transgender Duwamish artist whose work critiques long standing colonial systems while exploring themes of gender identity and Indigenous erasure. The work will mark the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in their hometown. (In addition to displaying work on the side of the museum facing Boren Avenue, the artist will have an accompanying exhibition inside.)

“Camille Trautman’s experimental technique explores Duwamish storytelling through the lens of contemporary art, says Frye curatorial assistant Alexis L. Silva, “calling attention to the ways photographic and digital representations can shape and distort cultural identity—and the ways media has the power to enhance, obscure, and deny visibility.” As part of the show, the Frye will be the first institution to present Trautman’s newest creation, In the Land of Liquid Crystals, a video work displayed on a deconstructed LCD screen and placed directly on the floor.

Boren Banner Series: Camille Trautman runs October 15–April 12, 2026, at the Frye Art Museum.

This story is part of Seattle magazine’s Autumn Arts series, which highlights theater, dance, and visual arts across the city. 

The post Autumn Arts: Visual Art appeared first on Seattle magazine.