James Harris Gallery (Seattle)

City/neighborhood: Pioneer Square

Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday

Parking: Street parking

Disabled access: Obstacles to access

Related info: Gallery Guide
Neighborhood art walks

It's on the seedier side of Pioneer Square - on Third Avenue facing Seattle Lighting - but this gallery's locale matches its edgier focus. The space focuses on contemporary painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and video installations that are conceptually driven and rigorous for artists and viewers. Here, art can be paper piñata-like birds, wild canvases thickly blobbed with paint or funny, quirky black-and-white photos. Owner James Harris is especially partial to works that contribute to art scholarship and history.

About a fourth of the gallery's artists are local, but Harris prefers broader national and international contexts over a regional focus. Solo shows change every five to six weeks, and the gallery holds an annual group show.

By Paysha Stockton
Special to NWsource