Celebrating our First Artwalk of the Year with Community

Fresh Perspectives, photo by Chloe Collyer.

Over 250 community members joined us for our first exhibit opening of 2025! Two exhibitions opened, Journey Through Life and Beyond and Fresh Perspectives, featuring a diversity of artists both emerging and established. With live jazz, refreshments from tea&, and artists celebrating with the community, the event brought warmth to a chilly evening.

In addition to the artists, we were joined by Seattle City Light’s Leigh Barreca (Manager, Strategic Planning and Performance) and Julianna Ross (Strategic Advisor II, Sr. Community Program Developer). They spoke about Fresh Perspectives, a youth curatorial program that has become an integral part of selecting new work to add to the City’s 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 artwork for consideration for purchase by City Light for the collection. This exhibition features those purchases, which have now become a permanent part of the City’s collection, showcasing Seattle’s rich artistic heritage.

Multiple old television sets on pedestals against a gallery wall with a green light and a person looking at them — *Journey Through Life and Beyond*, photo by Chloe Collyer.

Mohamed Abdullahi opened his first solo exhibition, with several visitors commented on how deeply his installations resonated. A visitor shared:

“This is the kind of art that really resonates with me. I love installations like this. I’ll be thinking about this for a minute. I want to come back and bring my photography students.”

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. Inspired by the interplay of dreams, spiritual beliefs, and surrealism, the exhibition weaves an intricate tapestry of expressionism, where reality and imagination blur. Visitors are encouraged to reflect on their own journeys, engaging with themes of identity, mortality, and legacy.

a jazz band plays under red light — Jahnvi Madan plays in the gallery, photo by Chloe Collyer.

Jahnvi Madan brought us live jazz in the gallery throughout the night. 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.