A proud selection of arts events, perfect for a rainy weekend

It’s Friday. Time to check out the arts scene in the Seattle area this weekend, virtual and otherwise. Jasmyne Keimig covers arts and culture for The Stranger. She gave KUOW’s Kim Malcolm her top picks.

Lionel Vance’s Hardwood, at The Factory

What's really interesting to me about Vance's work is that his self-portraits aren't traditional. They kind of focus on objects and items that you might find around a room. In this show, he focuses on self-portraits of him and his partner, Grayson. They're bright. They're full of fun textures. I think there's a really good sense of groundedness within the show, of feeling comfortable in your identity as a queer person, and in your relationships with other people. It's really gay. It's perfect for a Pride event. I think everyone should go see it.

Ahead of the Curve, via Northwest Film Forum

It's a documentary about a lesbian magazine that started in the 1990s. The film is centered around the founder and publisher of Curve magazine, Frances “Franco” Stevens, who is this really kind of charismatic character. She's really passionate about centering gay women and their experiences. I think that the film serves as much as a kind of profile of her as a person, as it does of the magazine, and of lesbian culture of the 90s.

I learned about queerness from the internet, where you could just connect with gay people at an instant. So for me, it also served as a really excellent history lesson in how important lesbian and queer media was in the 90s for connecting people that didn't necessarily live in really big cities.

Georgetown Art Attack is back

Art Attack is coming back to life after a long hiatus during the pandemic. I’m checking out the group show at Koplin Del Rio. And I definitely plan to stop by Fantagraphics, and try not to spend my entire paycheck on their beautiful graphic novels and comic books.

Of course, there's tons of food down in Georgetown. It's a really good way to get your steps in and enjoy all the small businesses and small galleries that are trying to get back on their feet.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.