Seattle is lucky to have several art museums and galleries with great permanent and touring collections. Below are a few that can be visited on both a traveler’s schedule and budget. Take a break from your meetings and clear your head with some art!
SAM entrance at 1st Avenue & Union Street downtown.
The Seattle Art Museum (known as "SAM") features an extensive permanent collection, plus several visiting exhibits. SAM also maintains Seattle Asian Art Museum on Capitol Hill (which is free with a ticket stub from downtown SAM), and the free Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront; you can see their locations relative to one another on this map.
SAM is just a few blocks from the Washington State Convention Center, making for an easy walk on conference breaks; if you’re driving, Parking Finder can lead you to the cheapest lots nearby. SAM admission is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors 62+, and $12.95 for students with ID. If you are still around Thursday May 5th, admission to the permanent collection is free and visiting exhibits are half-price for First Thursday.
The Henry Art Gallery is operated by the University of Washington and boasts over 25,000 pieces in its contemporary and dynamic exhibits. Currently the Henry is displaying several larger-than-life black walnut sculptures by Paul McCarthy in “White Snow, Wood Sculptures.”
Paul McCarthy. White Snow, Bookends. 2013. Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
The Henry is located on the main University of Washington Campus, just a 10-minute light rail ride from Westlake Center to UW station, or approximately 25 minutes by bus. If you’re traveling by car, there is metered street parking nearby, or the UW Central Plaza Garage (for a fee weekdays; Saturdays after noon and Sundays are free). Admission to the Henry is free to students and children everyday and free to everyone Sundays and May 5th for First Thursday. Regular price is $10 for adults and $6 for seniors 62+.
The Frye Art Museum is another local gem established in 1952 by collectors and museum curators seeking to foster close artistic and intellectual ties between America and Europe. They have over 200 classical paintings in addition to a visiting exhibit.
Gabriel von Max. Affen mit Blumenvase. 1880.
Frye Art Museum is located on First Hill, a short 15-minute walk uphill from the Convention Center, and there is free parking in the Terry Avenue lot across from the museum entrance. Admission to the Frye is always free!
Finally, if you are around Thursday May 5th between 6-8PM, downtown’s Pioneer Square district hosts a monthly free Art Walk. Here you can find dozens of smaller gallery openings among the historic Victorian storefronts, plenty of people watching, and even free wine and snacks at some galleries.
Some of the galleries open along Occidental Avenue S on First Thursday.
There is an official mobile-friendly map of participating galleries, and also an annotated Google map describing what’s new at each gallery. Pioneer Square is 20-minute walk from the Convention Center through scenic downtown Seattle, and has its own light rail station. From 5-10PM, several Pioneer Square parking garages offer free validated parking for gallery patrons.
Still needing more art and history to round out your ARVO experience? Seattle is home to plenty of other great museums! Wing Luke Museum, Museum of Glass, Experience Music Project Museum, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and Museum of History and Industry are just a few places to explore.