Find Posts By Topic

February’s First Thursday features two new shows and live jazz

Jahnvi Madan

Join us on First Thursday, Feb. 6, to celebrate the opening of two new shows at ARTS at King Street Station: Fresh Perspectives and Journey Through Life and Beyond. Enjoy live jazz music throughout the night as you browse the work.

ARTS at King Street Station is open Wed. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays. Admission is free. The gallery is located at 303 S. Jackson St., Top Floor, Seattle, WA 98104.


Journey Through Life and Beyond

On view Feb. 6 – 22, 2025

photo of a ghost and a man holding a lantern standing together in a parking lot
Photo courtesy of Mohamed Abdullahi

Journey Through Life and Beyond is an immersive exploration of the human experience, capturing the profound transitions between life, death, and what may lie beyond. This exhibition invites viewers to walk through a sensory-rich narrative that mirrors the passage of time, the weight of memory, and the fragility of existence. Each installation—whether rooted in vibrant life stages or the silence of near-death reflections—serves as a portal into the universal and deeply personal moments that define our existence. Journey Through Life and Beyond does not seek to offer answers but instead creates space for introspection, posing a single question: how do we make peace with the impermanence of life while finding meaning in its transitions?

Mohamed Abdullahi, a young Black man, smiles at the camera wearing a red shirt
Mohamed Abdullahi, photo by Marcus Donner

What To Expect

Journey Through Life and Beyond features digital media depicting contemplations of life, memory, loved ones, and death, with representations of ghostly figures and humans traversing natural landscapes.

Artist Bio

Mohamed Abdullahi is a filmmaker and photographer whose work bridges the realms of experimental cinema and storytelling. Rooted in his spiritual beliefs, Abdullahi’s work offers a unique perspective on the human condition, exploring themes of memory, identity, and mortality. His creative practice serves as a reflection of his worldview, blending the mysticism of religion with the rawness of lived experience, resulting in a body of work that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.


Fresh Perspectives: City Light Percent-for-Art Purchases for the Civic Art Collection

On view Feb. 6 – Apr. 5, 2025

illustrative print of blue, pink, and red mountains with a red sun with an angry face setting behind the landscape
Even the Sun is Angry by Yasiman Ahsani

The Fresh Perspectives youth curatorial program has become an integral part of selecting new work to add to the City’s collection. Each year of the program, Fresh Perspectives brings on a cohort of youth curators to select new artists to add to the City’s Civic Art Collection. Thanks to dedicated funds from the City Light percent-for-art, the 2024 cohort of 10 youth curators, under the tutelage of artist and educator Hasaan Kirkland, selected 50 artists for consideration for purchase by City Light for the collection. The final selection was made by a purchasing panel of City Light employees.

This exhibition features those purchases, which have now become a permanent part of the City’s collection, showcasing Seattle’s rich artistic heritage. See more works from the City’s Civic Art Collection.

What To Expect

Fresh Perspectives contains 2D and 3D works featuring abstract imagery, landscapes, and representations of the human form.


Live Jazz Nights at King Street Station

First Thursdays on Feb. 6, March 6, and April 3, 6 – 8 p.m.

Jahnvi Madan sits on a couch next to a basoon
Jahnvi Madan

Join us on First Thursday for Live Jazz Nights with Jahnvi Madan.

Jahnvi believes in music as a tool for community-building and self-expression. Live Jazz Nights are an embodiment of what she wants to see more of in Seattle: shows that introduce new audiences to Seattle Jazz, feature young and local artists, and create a sense of community and belonging. Celebrate jazz in an informal, welcoming, and deeply creative space.


Downtown is vibrant