The Seattle Asian Museum of Art Museum exhibits a~the Kondo Family: Storytelling in Clay July 15,2026, through January 3, 2027.

Seattle Asian Art Museum Presents
The Kondō Family: Storytellers in Clay 

New exhibition traces a century of artistic innovation through one of Japan’s
 most influential ceramic lineages

mage credit: Reflection: TK Self-Portraits, 2010, Kondō Takahiro, Japanese, b. 1958, Molded and cast porcelain, pit-fired with black “Silver Mist”; made at the Tenkawa Daibenzaiten Shrine, Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, Each 9 1/2 × 6 7/8 × 9 1/2 in., Collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, Collection #: JC2021.002, Photos: Richard P. Goodbody and John Morgan. 

SEATTLE, WA, June 10, 2026 – The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) today announced The Kondō Family: Storytellers in Clay, a major exhibition bringing together 60 works by four artists across three generations. The show explores how each member of the Kondō family found new ways to innovate while navigating a storied tradition and serves as a retrospective of living artist Kondō Takahiro’s career. The exhibition will run from July 15, 2026, through January 3, 2027, at the Seattle Asian Art Museum.  

“The Kondō family’s work represents a century-long arc of technical mastery and persistent experimentation,” said Aaron Rio, SAM’s Tateuchi Foundation Curator of Japanese and Korean Art. “Each artist pays respect to tradition and family legacy by challenging it and pushing at its edges.”  

From wheel-thrown vases brushed with lively pictures of plants and landscapes to life-size self-portraits in porcelain, the exhibition showcases the evolution of the Kondō family’s artistic practice. The lineage began with Kondō Yūzō (1902–1985), who was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government in 1977 for his mastery of sometsuke, a technique in which cobalt pigment is painted beneath a clear glaze and fired at high temperatures, creating a blue-and-white design. While Yūzō established the family’s stylistic foundation, subsequent generations—his sons Kondō Yutaka (1932–1983) and Kondō Hiroshi (1936–2012), and his grandson Kondō Takahiro (b. 1958)—have taken their own approaches to this legacy. 

A LEGACY OF EXPERIMENTATION
The exhibition explores the Kondō family’s artistic innovation. Kondō Yūzō revolutionized sometsuke with a modern sensibility, taking inspiration from European painting and sculpture and the ceramic traditions of Japan, Korea, China, and Iran. His sons further expanded this vision: Kondō Hiroshi mastered the traditional family mode of painterly surface designs combining underglaze cobalt and overglaze enamels, while Kondō Yutaka broke away entirely, exploring other ceramic media and non-functionality. Across their work, each artist engages material, surface, and form in distinct ways, moving between function and nonfunction, continuity, and change. This spirit of originality was fostered by the influential teacher, Tomimoto Kenkichi (1886–1963), who taught all three generations the vital balance between technical mastery and personal style.

THE CONTEMPORARY VISION OF KONDŌ TAKAHIRO
A significant portion of the exhibition focuses on Kondō Takahiro, whose socially responsive works are grounded in the techniques he learned from his forebears. His practice is notably attentive to the power of nature and contemporary experiences, reflecting his belief in the power of art to affect change. Featured in the exhibition are two sculptures from his Reduction series, modeled after the artist’s own body and fired using glazes and metals. Through his process of creating these and other recent works, the artist probes issues of intention and unpredictability in response to the power of nature, human suffering, and disaster, including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeast Japan and triggered a nuclear disaster at Fukushima. Also featured are six porcelain and cast-glass sculptures from Takahiro’s Monolith series, showcasing the artist’s unique ability to merge traditional marbling and firing techniques with massive, sculptural forms.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT 
The Kondō Family: Storytellers in Clay is organized by the Seattle Art Museum and is based on Transcendent Clay/Kondo: A Century of Japanese Ceramic Art, originally presented by the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, and guest curated by Joe Earle.

We are grateful to Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz, whose generosity and enthusiasm made this exhibition possible.

Presenting Sponsor
Guendolen Carkeek Plestcheeff Endowment for the Decorative Arts

Major Sponsors

 

 

Yoshi and Naomi Minegishi

Supporting Sponsors
Katherine Agen Baillargeon Endowment
Mary Ann and Henry James Asian Art Exhibition Endowment  
Eric Peterson and Barbara Pomeroy

Interactive funded by
Xispa

ABOUT SEATTLE ART MUSEUM  
Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is the Pacific Northwest’s largest cultural institution across three sites: the Seattle Art Museum downtown; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in historic Volunteer Park; and the Olympic Sculpture Park, a free nine-acre waterfront park.

SAM’s global collection includes nearly 25,000 works spanning centuries and cultures, with strengths in Asian art, Native American art, African and Oceanic art, and modern and contemporary art. SAM is building on this foundation to reimagine what museums can be. Through immersive exhibitions, innovative public programs, and community partnerships, SAM creates opportunities for people to connect with art, ideas, and one another in Seattle and beyond.  

Learn more at seattleartmuseum.org and follow @seattleartmuseum on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

#seattleasianart#fineartmagazineblog.blogspot.com,#unstormfineartmagazine.com #asianartfun#artfunfoever#artfundiversity#artfuncreate

The Gilcrease Museum, exhibits the Helmerich Center for American Research ~Indigenous Independence: America at 250~

Helmerich Center For American Research debuts “Indigenous Independence: America at 250” ahead of museum reopening

John Frost, Indian Wars of the United States, from the Discovery to the Present Time. From the Best Authorities (Philadelphia: R.W. Pomeroy, 1841) "Logan's Lament" p. 229, Gilcrease Museum, 29.1048

Tulsa, Oklahoma (June 11, 2026) – As Tulsa’s treasured Gilcrease Museum prepares to reopen, the public is being welcomed into the Helmerich Center for American Research where the Helmerich and Payne Inc. gallery is getting a timely refresh.   “Indigenous Independence: America at 250” will allow visitors to experience a new exhibition in the center for the first time since its opening in 2014. “Indigenous Independence” highlights key items in the Gilcrease collection that tell a compelling story about Indigenous influence in the decades leading up to and during the American Revolution. It coincides with a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which is being celebrated across the country this year.  William Smith, director of the Helmerich Center for American Research, is excited for Gilcrease to join this celebration while adding to the conversation with its own unique perspective, inspired and outlined by the vast collection.   As Gilcrease prepares for its grand reopening in 2027, the exhibit will explore fresh narratives that have long been present in the archive and are just now coming to light through careful reflection. Though small in scale, “Indigenous Independence: America at 250” invites visitors to reflect upon the centrality of Native peoples who shaped the United States as we know it today. It also offers an introduction to the scope and tone of the reimagined Gilcrease, which will highlight the collection in ways that appeal and connect with new and distinct audiences.   Visitors will have the unique opportunity to view reproduced items that have seldom or never been on display, including rare documents. Among them are the Gilcrease’s own original handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, books, maps, peace medals, statues and artworks. The declaration was acquired by Thomas Gilcrease in 1948 via the Freedom Train and will be on view in the reading room on select days with chaperoned and time-ticketed access during the summer.  The Freedom Train toured the country from 1947 to 1949, offering an exhibition focused on American patriotism. The desegregated Freedom Train caused intense moments of conflict during an era when segregation was law and inspired vital conversations about American identity and independence.   The exhibition discusses a variety of poignant topics. Perhaps most significant is the exploration of the term “savagery” as used to describe Indigenous people in the declaration and how the term became a weapon during the American Revolution and beyond. There will be free public time-ticketed openings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 13, June 27 and July 11. These openings will be the only opportunities to see the original Declaration of Independence in person. Register online at https://gilcrease.org/events  In order to welcome visitors into the space and to view “Indigenous Independence,” the Helmerich Center will open its doors to the public June 14 through Aug. 7 on Friday mornings from 9 to noon and Monday afternoons from 1 to 4. #indigenousindependence#america250#glcreasemuseum#fineartmagazineblog.bolgspot#sunstormfineartmagazine#artfundiversity#artfuncreate#artfunfoever#fineartfun

The ~ Forever Grateful ~ exhibition is the ultimate visual representation of the birth of the hippy movement. Dope in Turn on Dropout is the motto see below!!!

Editorial opinion: Fine Art magazine met with and interviewed Jerry Garcia at the Ambassador Gallery when he exhibited his artwork. Later we hosted Rock Skully at our art booth, Art Expo. The ~Forever Greatart the music of the era created what is seen as pushback  of the 4th great Awakening. The pushed forward by the  ~hippy~ era of the mid 1960's is counter cultural. Depicted in the  art below are chronicled: posted art , art, musical instruments, and  memorabilia highlighting the drive philosophically for the change. Why is this relevant at this time? In today's would the possibility of the another wave or Great Awakening is upon us. Fine Art Magazine states "Art is a window on the  world".  Sun Storm Fine Art Magazine, and our FineArtMagazineBlog.blogspot.com   reflects our open minded approach artistically for fifty years. The voice for change,   inclusion, and cultural differences is reflected below in our content. Jamie Forbes, Publisher  Fineartmagazineblog.blogspot.com, Sunstormafineartmagazine.com. 

“Forever Grateful” 
The Ultimate Grateful Dead Exhibition

Edmund Joseph Sullivan, A Skeleton Amid Roses, 1903, Ink with Pencil Underlay on Illustration Board; Courtesy of Private Collection.

 
July 3 – September 20, 2026
 

An Extraordinary Glimpse Into the Magic Behind the Music 
and the Renowned Artists Who Shaped the Band’s Visual Identity

 
June 10, 2026, San Francisco, CA – The Haight Street Art Center is proud to present Forever Grateful, a landmark exhibition that pays tribute to the timeless legacy of the Grateful Dead. Opening July 3, 2026, and celebrating the Center’s 10th anniversary, this exhibit, featuring an unparalleled collection of artworks, instruments, and memorabilia, invites visitors to explore three decades of the band’s groundbreaking history. 
 
Chronicling the legendary journey of the Grateful Dead from 1965 to 1995, Forever Grateful offers Dead Heads, casual fans, and art lovers an extraordinary glimpse into the magic behind the music and the artistry that became synonymous with the band’s cultural impact. Spanning both floors of the Center, the exhibition includes more than 400 works, including paintings, pen and ink drawings, original lithographs used to create visually stunning posters, photographs, vinyl records, instruments, and rare ephemera, tracing the evolution of one of the most influential and enduring forces in the music and ethos of America. 
 
At the heart of the exhibition, the largest gallery space is dedicated to a meticulously engineered 1:4 scale replica of the band’s iconic Wall of Sound. This fully operational installation serves as both a focal point and an engaging visitor attraction, broadcasting live recordings from the Grateful Dead’s storied career. The Wall of Sound stands as a testament to the innovative spirit of its creators, anchoring the exhibition with the renowned audio tradition that defined the band’s performances, and offering an opportunity for visitors to gather, listen, and connect. “Forever Grateful,” states Dennis McNally, exhibition advisor and Grateful Dead historian, “celebrates the spirit, artistry, and cultural influence that made the Grateful Dead not just a band, but a phenomenon.”
 
The Grateful Dead reflected the spirit of freedom, creativity, and innovation that has long been associated with California, while creating music that resonated far beyond the state's borders. Rooted in Northern California, the band developed a distinctive identity that blended experimentation, community, and reinvention. Echoing the imagery of “Estimated Prophet,” including the evocative line “California, preaching on the burning shore,” their music forged a profound connection with audiences, embedding their legacy in the fabric of California culture while ultimately becoming a defining part of the American musical landscape.
 
Forever Grateful at its core honors the vibrant Dead Head community, celebrating the fans and artists who helped create a lasting legacy. From the first fan club founded by Bobby Weir’s Palo Alto classmates to the nationwide phenomenon of decorated mail-order ticket envelopes, the show highlights the unique bond between the band and its devoted audience. 
 
“Dead Heads are like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but people who like it really like licorice.”  – Jerry Garcia
 
“My family is pleased to know that the Haight Street Art Center will be featuring a Grateful Dead exhibition this summer. What originated here in the 60s and the resulting cultural shift felt across the world will never be forgotten. There’s nowhere like San Francisco and there’s nothing like the Grateful Dead!“ said Trixie Garcia.
 
“Created by Dead Heads for Dead Heads, Forever Grateful, serves as both a museum exhibition and a gathering space for visitors to enjoy music, art, photography, and artifacts of the band that defies description and its equally indescribable community,” comments HSAC Board Chair, Roger McNamee.
 
Focusing on the creative vision of renowned artists whose iconic works forged the band’s unique visual identity, Forever Grateful spotlights the creative pioneers of San Francisco’s “Big Five” rock-poster artists, including Wes Wilson, Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, and Rick Griffin, whose innovative designs and influences—from Viennese Secessionist posters to surf and car culture—helped shape the aesthetic of an era. Also celebrated for their contributions, with original works from the mid-1960s, are Ruth Garbell and Mari Tepper, as well as 1980s artist Tina Carpenter, who together are rare female voices in what was traditionally a male-dominated poster scene.
 
Among the instantly recognizable motifs showcased in the exhibition are skeletons and the American flag. These symbols have become hallmarks of Grateful Dead iconography. The skeleton was first introduced in 1966 by Wes Wilson, whose poster featuring a cigar-chomping skeleton—originally created by Jose Guadalupe Posada—set the stage for future artistic interpretations. Twenty years later, Rick Griffin’s anniversary artwork combined these motifs, reinforcing the band’s quintessentially psychedelic Americana aesthetic. 
 
A highlight of the exhibition is the legendary “A Skeleton Amid Roses” illustration. Artists Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse discovered Edmund Joseph Sullivan’s drawing in a 1913 edition of 12th-century Persian poet and mathematician, Omar Khayyam’s quatrains, using it for the band’s September 1966 Avalon Ballroom shows, and later as the cover art for the 1971 album “Skull and Roses.” Sullivan’s original circa 1900 drawing, along with poster copies and acetates for the artwork’s vivid layers, will be on display during the second of three gallery rotations.  *Due to the fragility of the artworks and instruments on display in the Center’s Epicenter gallery, works will rotate throughout the run of the show.
 
Can You Pass the Acid Test? Instrumental in establishing the band within California's cultural landscape and emerging counterculture was the Grateful Dead’s early psychedelic experiences, particularly through their participation as the house band for the renowned Acid Tests. “These experiences had a profound impact on the band,” states McNally, “shifting their approach from traditional performance to one where the entire audience participated in the event, effectively making everyone present part of the collective experience. This participatory paradigm became foundational for the band's ethos over the subsequent thirty years.” 
 

Photo: Paul Foster, Fillmore Auditorium Acid Test, 1966, Offset Lithograph, colored by Owsley Stanley; Courtesy of Private Collection.

The Acid Tests were first held in the Bay Area in late 1965, before spreading to Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon in 1966. These events, during which time marked the official adoption of the name 'The Grateful Dead' by the band, were organized by Ken Kesey—author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—and the Merry Pranksters, including notable individuals such as Neal Cassady (fictionalized in Jack Kerouac’s On The Road) and Owsley “Bear” Stanley, known for his role in manufacturing and supplying LSD. Later, Owsley would play a pivotal role in advancing the band's audio technology, ultimately culminating in the development of the Wall of Sound.
 
Forever Grateful goes beyond visual art to showcase the Grateful Dead’s legendary sound innovations, highlighted by a working 1:4 scale model of the band’s iconic Wall of Sound. Inspired by guitarist Jerry Garcia’s early passion for high-fidelity audio, the original Wall of Sound was a groundbreaking audio system featuring 600 speakers and nearly 50 McIntosh amplifiers. So massive was the 75-ton behemoth, that it required four semi-trailers and a dedicated crew for transport and set up. 
 
“The thing that really set the Grateful Dead apart from everyone else was its sound, states curator Ben Marks. “It wasn’t merely a technical achievement—the lack of distortion in the band’s live sound allowed you to fully experience the music.”
 
Among Owsley “Bear” Stanley’s strongest attributes was a fanatical devotion to excellence, which applied not only to his chemical creations for the famed Acid Tests, but also to sound. In a study for the painting that would become the album cover for Live/Dead, the first live multi-track recording ever made, artist Bob Thomas painted the letters “RIBS” on the side of the rising figure’s coffin, alas, a detail that would not make it into the final art. The meaning of the abbreviation, “Rest In Bear’s Sound,” however has endured over time, as anyone who has enjoyed a live Grateful Dead show, or even a live Grateful Dead recording, has experienced. 
 
The exhibit’s fully functional Wall of Sound replica—designed and built by Anthony Coscia of Coscia Guitars—boasts 500 speakers powered by 9,000 watts, recreating the concert experience that defined the Dead’s live shows. Exhibition visitors can “Rest In Bear’s Sound” as multi-track recordings play through the Wall, honoring the Grateful Dead’s live audio legacy and the pioneering spirit of its innovative creators. Visually evoking Bill Graham’s famed Winterland stage designs, the Wall of Sound is flanked by paintings inspired by the iconic banners that once hung behind the stage, including Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse’s crowned skull from the Grateful Dead’s 1966 Avalon Ballroom poster.

 
Haight Street Art Center’s Forever Grateful is curated by Ben Marks, with advisors Dennis McNally and Susana Millman. 

#forevergrateful#fineartmagazineblog#sunstormfinearmagazine.com#artchangelove, #artlovefoever#artfuncreate#artfundiversity 

 
 

The. Bronx Museum is expanding and looking for support from all!!!

BE A LEADER IN SUPPORTING THE ARTS! The Bronx Museum South Wing renovation, exterior rendering by Marvel. Dear Friend, As we continue work on our South Wing renovation and campus transformation, our reopening timeline has been readjusted to Fall 2027. But one thing is important to say clearly: The Bronx Museum is not closing—far from it. Throughout this transition, we will remain active with exhibitions, artist presentations, performances, educational initiatives, and community programming across The Bronx and beyond. Rooted in access, equity, and creative excellence, The Bronx Museum remains committed to providing free and open access to contemporary art while championing artists and serving as a vital cultural gathering space for our community. At this pivotal moment in the Museum’s history, we invite you to support our mission and help shape our future. DONATE With your generosity, we can continue to: • Build the future home of The Bronx Museum for generations to come • Present free contemporary art exhibitions and programs • Support emerging and underrepresented artists • Provide bilingual educational and cultural programming Every gift, at every level, directly supports artists, audiences, and accessible cultural programming during this important period of growth and renewal. Thank you for believing in the power of art, community, and access for all. With heartfelt gratitude, Shamim M. Momin Director and Chief Curator P.S. Every dollar you give sustains free access to art for our community. Thank you for helping us carry forward this bold vision.  DONATE ABOUT THE MUSEUM For over five decades, The Bronx Museum has been a vanguard of cultural diversity and accessibility in the contemporary art world. The Museum offers 100% free admission for everyone to all its exhibitions and programs, providing a vital creative outlet to the public. Through its curatorial practices, including a permanent collection, the Museum seeks to champion and promote artists who have been systemically and historically marginalized. The history and culture of The Bronx are a never-ending source of inspiration for the Museum, and its programs are designed to facilitate meaningful engagement with the people of the borough while also attracting visitors from all over New York City and the world. The Bronx Museum is a leader in the cultural sphere with its unwavering commitment to access, dedication to platforming underrepresented artists, and dynamic community-engaged programming. SUPPORT The Bronx Museum’s operations are generously supported, in part, with public funds from the City of New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, New York City Council, Council Member Althea Stevens and the Bronx Delegation, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, New York State Education Department, New York State Empire State Development, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, New York State Senator Luis Sepulveda, and New York State Senator Jose M. Serrano. Additional support is provided by the Americans for the Arts, Booth Ferris Foundation, Charina Endowment Fund, Cowles Charitable Trust, Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, Francena Harrison Foundation, Jockey Hollow Foundation, Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, New Yankee Stadium Community Benefit Fund, Pinkerton Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund: Culpeper Arts & Culture Program, Scherman Foundation, Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, Individuals and Bronx Museum Board of Trustees.  Artist, Education, Community, and Public Programs are made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, the Edith and Frances Mulhall Achilles Memorial Fund, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Jerome Foundation, the Pollock Krasner foundation, The Keith Haring Foundation, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, The New Yankee Stadium Community Benefit Fund, Robert Lehman Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and the William Talbott Hillman Foundation.

Quebec's Le Fifa, Film festival call for submissions: early discount film submissions deadline August 1, 2026!

 With respect for cultural preferences and inclusion I have posted the French, and English versions. Art is inclusive!!! Att is your window in the world!!Jamie Forbes, Publisher, Fineartmagazine.blog.blogspot.com, and sunstormfineartmagazine.com 

English version Faites briller votre vision de l’art  L'appel à films est ouvert ! Vous avez terminé ou terminerez prochainement un film sur l'art, une fiction sur l'art, un film biographique, un documentaire, une captation, une vidéo d'art, de l'art médiatique ou un vidéoclip ? Cinéastes, producteur·ice·s, distributeur·ice·s, partagez votre regard unique et contribuez à faire rayonner l’art dans toute sa diversité. Soumettez votre film dès maintenant et faites partie de la 45e édition du Festival International du film sur l'art qui se tiendra du 11 au 21 mars 2027 en salle, à Montréal et à Québec.   DATE LIMITE 26 octobre 2026   SOUMETTRE UN FILM RÈGLEMENT PROFITEZ DU RABAIS LÈVE-TÔT EN SOUMETTANT VOTRE PROJET AVANT LE 11 AOÛT 2026 ! Let Your Vision of Art Shine Call for films is now open! Have you completed or will you soon be completing an art film, art fiction, biopic, documentary, captation, art video, media art or music video? Filmmakers, producers, distributors, share your unique perspective and help showcase the richness and diversity of art. Submit your film now and be part of the 45th edition of the International Festival of Films on Art to be held from March 11 to 21, 2027 in Montreal and Quebec City.   DEADLINE October 26, 2026   SUBMIT A FILM REGULATIONS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT BY SUBMITTING YOUR PROJECT BEFORE AUGUST 11, 2026!

's Le Fifa  Le Festival International du Film sur l'Art 5333 avenue casgrain #403 Montréal (Québec) | H2T 1X3 | Canada infolettre@artfifa.com #lefifafilm#fineartmagazineblog.blogspot.com#sunstormfineartmagazine.com#filmartfun #artfuncreate#artfundiversity#artfunbeauty,