Photo by Marcus Donner

Over 300 people filled ARTS at King Street Station, June 5 for First Thursday Artwalk, as we celebrated the opening of two new exhibitions, Eight Years of Inscape AiR: Resistance and Belonging out of the Historic Immigration Building and Kho Tàng Nhạc Vàng / South Vietnam’s Golden Music Archive. Both exhibitions, on view through August 9, explore the power of art as resilience and as a bridge between past and present.

Eight Years of Inscape AiR: Resistance and Belonging out of the Historic Immigration Building brings together alumni of the Inscape Artist-in-Residence program that took place from 2016 to 2024 at Inscape Arts to honor the legacy of resilience that has instilled cultural pride and innovation through artmaking, dreaming, and spellcasting. Together these works intend to build a shared space of protection, safety, and solidarity for all to explore and inhabit.

Kho Tàng Nhạc Vàng / South Vietnam’s Golden Music Archive explores the music created in South Vietnam during the height of the Cold War. Amidst the turmoil, its songwriters emerged as the country’s most powerful storytellers—composing music that captured the hopes, heartbreaks, and resilience of a people navigating an uncertain future. Nhạc Vàng—or “Golden Music”—became the emotional heartbeat of a generation, reflecting themes of love, loss, and longing for peace. This exhibition bridges generations, inviting listeners to experience the lasting power of this music—songs that transcend borders, politics, and time. The exhibit is an immersive exploration of cultural memory, migration, and resistance—bridging the past and present through the enduring power of music.

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.