When I first started high school, my mother told me to enjoy it-
It’s the best time of your life.
As a quiet and socially uncomfortable teenager, I never felt the way my mother felt about it.
With the packed hallways and clusters of social tiers, my main goal was to blend in, do what I needed, and get out.
The time I enjoyed high school was in art class.
Throwing pottery, drawing, painting- quietly working with my hands is where I felt most confident and at ease.
Now, in my forties, I don’t look back on a point in the past and think- that was the best.
I always want to keep an openness to the possibility that the best is still yet to come.
However, there is a sliver of time in my pie chart of life that I would gladly serve and sweetly taste again if the recipe of time travel were possible.
That was the time in my late twenties when I moved to Seattle from Minneapolis to study design.
I had an established friend group of artists who were extremely talented co-workers, inspirations, and chosen family.
I loved my job, the creativity and problem-solving in producing custom fine jewelry, and the energy of working in a large professional workshop with over fifty artists.
At the same time, I was in art school studying industrial design.
Finally, listening to myself and pursuing a design degree, going against the prudent advice of others.
During this time, I met David (my future husband and The Artist Burrow co-founder), and after years of friendship, we started dating.
It was an era when our responsibility load was relatively minimal. We only had to worry about ourselves and paying the rent on time in our tiny West Seattle studio apartment by the beach.
That was when we stayed up late, danced at loud concerts in dive bars, and drank grapefruit Bloody Dog cocktails at The Hazelwood.
We religiously attended First Thursdays at Pioneer Square, where all the artist’s studios were open to the public, and the streets became one big party.
The pre-pandemic crowds were so thick that getting into an art gallery involved forming single-file lines up the hot, narrow stairwells of historic buildings overlooking the Puget Sound.
That period was utterly amazing, and I’m lucky to have experienced it.
But life moves on.
We moved to the Midwest for work, purchased a house, and had three children. The idea of attending First Thursdays again seemed more like a stressful hassle than a privilege.
But that’s our limiting beliefs talking.
This month, we vowed to be more open to adventure and prioritize high-quality experiences.
We decided to attend First Thursdays again, except it will include our three children.
Dun-dun-duuun!
Northrup king building-
We visited the Northrup King Building, the largest art complex in Minnesota, and our children were immediately impressed with the stoplight in the window at the Van Buren Street entrance—a photo request by them started our adventure.
A.M.F Gallery #152
A.M.F (All My Favorites) was our first gallery. The jewelry cases lured me in, which are my kryptonite.
Amira Freidson owns the gallery, but that evening, we were lucky to meet her husband and amazing fine artist, Matthew Rucker, who was filling in.
The gallery holds a variety of mediums, jewelry, ceramics, laser-cut mixed media pieces, photography, and paintings.
Here are some of our favorites from the A.M.F Gallery:
(From top left to right: Ceramic Earrings by Rachel Vitko, Laser Cut Mixed Media Kate Whisler, Pink Ladies by Anna Stark, Big Socks by Kathryn Flora)
I fell in love with these beautiful ceramic earrings by Rachel Vitko (@rachelvitko on Instagram) and had to buy a pair.
The work is linked to the A.M.F Gallery here for purchase.
Matthew Rucker #154
We went right next door and visited the Matthew Rucker gallery, where his tiny photorealistic animals stole the show.
The oil paintings are whimsical and fun.
The extreme detail of the animals is contrasted by a single gradient of background color, giving the paintings a weightless and calming feel.
Here are some of our favorite paintings chosen by our children.
Rucker also creates prints, which would make a beautiful starting point for a nursery or playroom design that needs inspiration.
His work is linked here for purchase.
D.C. Ice #180
This gallery is full of fun and nostalgic illustrations and handmade wool pillows.
The illustrations by D.C. Ice include detailed creatures like foxes, rabbits, and wolves that lean a bit menacing.
The creatures are smirky and exciting, with a hint of bizarre.
The interior designer in me is obsessed with the handmade wool pillows by @_woolves_.
Our upholstery and textile style leans more geometric and linear rather than organic and floral, so the cozy, quality pillows on display were a dream.
They have a vintage summer camp vibe.
We adored everything about them and can’t wait to use them in one of our design projects.
Contact D.C. Ice here for purchase.
How the evening went
We won’t sugarcoat the experience by saying touring artist galleries with three children is stress-free.
Yes, tantrums were had, anxiety levels were high, and ceramic studios were an absolute no-go.
The social rules of “no running” and “don’t touch” were repeated more times than we can remember.
Sometimes, it was exhausting, but it was really fun to get out, see cool things, and do something we all enjoyed as a family.
And if we keep doing it, the kids will get better and better at it.
When asked what they thought about visiting the artist galleries, my independent-minded child obediently replied with the etched-in phrase of the evening-
Don’t touch anything.
Yes, that’s true, but what was your favorite piece of art you saw?
Without missing a beat, the unanimous vote was a beautifully random and hilarious photo of a dog wearing hearing protection posted to a corkboard in the hallway.
It’s a Picasso to our kids.
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