Henry Art Gallery

henry art gallery has some good shit, they always seem to have the coolest exhibitions.
they’re not very stringent in checking id’s to grant free admission. why charge admission i don’t know, there is nary an artist who truly works from the ground up nowadays.
it’s great, pretty extensive gallery and if i were a student at uw, i would probably come all the time.

The Henry is misleading and should not have the words «Art Gallery» after it. It could be the Henry Center for some progressive and regressive un-​inspirational ideas that are suppose to be interactive but the interactive people don’t show up — but they charge admission anyway.
You are better off splashing in the rain, or looking at the public art or the stairs in the Foster school which is more exciting.

They were changing the downstairs exhibit, so we were let in for free. They had the student MFA and design projects showing, and they were really interesting to explore. It’s a great art space, and worth stopping by when you’re on the campus or in the area.

We discovered this amazing little spot in the middle of UW. We ran through a room filled with thousands of balloons, it was incredible!!!

I came here once or twice when I was a student at UW, but this last time was a totally new experience for me. There wasn’t much to see since it’s a small gallery, but the highlight was probably the room filled with 37,000 balloons. You have an opportunity to walk through and experience wonder, claustrophobia and fear… it’s pretty fun and crazy when you first walk in and experience all the balloons in your way and your hair flying everywhere because of the static, but after awhile, you kind of just want to get the hell out of there — so go in but be prepared to struggle a little finding the exits. It was cool and made for fun photos though!

I get the complaints about The Henry: why does a university art gallery charge admission — most don’t — and why is the admission charge so high for such a small gallery? First impressions count and these are valid questions.
With that said, I gladly paid the admission fee for one reason only: James Turrell’s ‘Light Reign’ skyspace installation. I think he’s the most revolutionary artist — if he’s really an artist because I haven’t figured that out yet — alive today. The man works with light and our perceptions of space. It’s a colossal task and his works address it with such elegance and immediacy.
The Henry doesn’t allow photos of the interior of Mr. Turrell’s installation and, frankly, photos don’t do it justice. You have to be willing to slow down when you encounter a Turrell work. As I sat in the elevated pod that is ‘Light Reign’, I watched some visitors enter, look up at the ceiling of an open sky and exclaim ‘I don’t get it’ before walking out a moment later. I could have stared at the sky for hours in this oval-​shaped room.
The remaining portions of the gallery were given over to Ann Hamilton’s ‘the common SENSE’. In every art gallery/​museum, the visitor is admonished to refrain from touching the works of art: dirty fingers result in dirty and damaged art. In this exhibition, not only is the visitor encouraged to touch the pages on display, the visitor can rip out the pages he/​she likes to put in a commonplace book — look up the term — to read. As The Henry was my last stop before scurrying to the airport, it was fun to take my assembled pages with me to read on the plane.
A visitor has to take chances and not every art environment can be an ideal experience every time. For such a small university gallery — and one with a hefty admission charge relatively speaking — I don’t know that I’ll forget this visit. I loved it.

I really like what the Henry had when I went there. They had modern art exhibitions (as I think they always do). The pieces were provocative (edgy) and thought-​provoking (clever). The vibe is countercultural, young, and irreverent — at least by the standards of a large and relatively ancient university. It’s a nice contrast to the bureaucracy and general corporate-​ness of the university as a whole.
The pieces are generally well-​executed yet accessible. The gallery seems to reflect the edgy aspects of the university and the University District. It’s a nice representation of the sassy, cutting-​edge approach the university and many of the students aspire to.

Very modern art. Lots of «experience» pieces. Very odd, but interesting.

The Henry Art Gallery was a great little surprise stop. I really liked that there was only three or four things to see. It made you actually stop and contemplate what you were seeing, instead of rushing around to make sure you saw everything. My favourite part though was the Skyspace so make sure you check this out.
Bonus: on Sunday entry is by donation!
*I found this place in the Wallpaper Guide to Seattle*

It was my first visit to this place and I enjoyed it! The Open House event was very busy– full of people. I viewed a lot of art pieces. I’m not going to sit here and spill my every thought/​opinion on the pieces I looked at!
We had had free wine which was a plus. I thought that it was an overall grand experience. Don’t compare it to SAM and youll enjoy it as well :)

A genuine showcase for classic superstars of the art world, the new and provocative, and everything else in between.
It’s a reasonably priced and beautifully curated little museum (more a true museum than just a gallery – there are multiple spaces and multiple types of hangings and installations). The staff is minimal, and there is no gift shop, but the art on display is good for you.
Parking is somewhat limited and frustrating, but the neighborhood vibe is fun and there are halfway interesting choices for food and drink nearby. Plus, you can wander around an extraordinarily beautiful university campus packed with tons of interesting architecture just steps away.
The exhibits change regularly, so go whenever anything catches your eye. I can’t really post anything here that will always apply, since their ambitions are so far-​reaching in terms of programming. But it’s a wonderful space, excellently run, and will always be worth your $ 10. At least until they raise the price of admission. Check ‘em out. That Light Reign deal is sweet.

Nice exhibitions on display, though kinda obsure and abstract. That’s what art essentially means, isn’t it?

This place is amazing… bring your out of town family, go here with a date, bring a few friends… it is good for all occasions. Some of the art may not be OK for kids with more conservative parents but overall I think it is kid-​friendly.
There is so much art to see. Make sure you give yourself enough time to see everything at least once. Some of the art was interactive and confusing in a good way!
The Skyspace is really nice and the Laurie Anderson book exhibit was very unique. During the holidays there was a pop-​up art store.
one thing that was awful:
The building was like 95 degrees and I ended up getting really hot and sweaty and then walked home and got sick for 10 days with a bad flu. I blame how hot it was here but the art is SO AMAZING that I am not taking a star off.

Nice museum, the skyspace is cool. I only came here when i was an UW student because it was free, but i probably wouldn’t pay to go otherwise.
They do have some cool exhibits though — i saw the misrach show here and it was really great!

Among all of the art gallery and museums I have visited, I am not too impressed by the Henry Art Gallery.
I have never had the urge to visit this gallery despite the fact that I walk by here so often. Finally, one day, I decided to at least take a quick visit and check it out.
It is $ 10 for general admission and $ 7 for students. It is free for the students/​faculty/​staff at the University of Washington.
The art gallery seems small. Its collection is not too impressive and nothing really stands out. The air seems to be stuffed and there does not see have enough air circulation.
During my visit, they were also doing a construction/​installation for an upcoming exhibit so that was super loud. I could barely stand more than a few minutes downstairs and decided to leave right away.

Great little gallery. I saw a Mapplethorpe-​polaroids exhibit there last year. Pretty cool.
I was also impressed by the rest of the gallery. Really a great space.

Museums are hard to rate. Different collections and installations are brought in and out. Today, I give the Henry Art Gallery 5 stars. When what I really wanted to do was break down and cry, being in the James Turrell Skyspace gave me a moment to recollect and decompress. The highlight of light and lines was elegant simplicity that felt sanctifying.
Then I was able to wander downstairs to admire Polly Apfelbaum’s floor display «Flying Parts». Dyed velvet pieces strewn and overlayed on one another that glowed with brillant vibrancy and texture. Mesmerizing and rejuvenating all at once.
It was in these moments that I heard I need to make more time for art.

I have seen some killer shows at the Henry.
They created a noted show on genetics, it’s use and misuse, Gene (sis). They have filled the galleries with birds for weeks. Giant cross sections of the sea floor by Maya Lin. A seminar on ancient modern art, happenings in the 1960’s, like the E.A.T.‘s Open Score
.
The great light artist James Turrell had a beautiful light installation and has left behind one of his famous light rooms.
Not every show in contemporary art can be a hit, nor your, or my, personal hit.
But the Henry hits many more than it misses.
It’s not a general purpose art museum, like SAM. It has several gallery spaces dedicated to a single artist or a small number of artists in a batch. The signage is good. Though I was lucky to have some great and fully engaged student jobs, the Henry’s weakness is that the student attendants really aren’t trained to talk about the art. You are on your own there. Check the website for the current show to decide to visit. It will always be educational, and occasionally stellar.
One of the smartest West Coast university galleries, easily the rival to LA & SF university-​connected contemporary galleries.

We went to the Henry Art Gallery on Thurs 7÷2÷09 because it was open until 9pm and FREE.
Parking — they have a lot underground but they wanted $ 10 which we didn’t want to pay. We found street parking after 6pm which was FREE.
It’s a small art gallery — no pics allowed.
They had a jazz band playing when we went in the Sculpture Garden — wish we stayed longer to hear it — oh well.
Bathrooms available.
Website:

So, apparently, the HAG can be a great place for a UW student* to chill out in a dark room and watch a slide-​show… or in a big gym-​like room and watch one of three movie-​like things on screens… but in either case, it’s all FREE, and I like that price. (*It’s also free for: Henry members; UW faculty, and staff with ID; High school & college students with ID; Children 13 years and under… everyone on the first Thursday of the month… otherwise it costs $ 10 for general public, $ 6 for seniors (62+).
I haven’t really gone «oooh» or «aaah» about anything here, but they do have a variety of odd shows come through here and I’m guessing they might appeal to those who love modern art and projection screen art… or are feeling very, very spacey. Me? I can enjoy that kind of art… but give me a choice and I’d MUCH rather look at well-​done photographs, paintings, and most things that are 100+ years old.
One display that I recently enjoyed was a picture slide-​show (of people/​things in a city in Europe) in a dark room that only had the screen and a slightly lit-​up bench. I ended up laying on the floor and enjoyed feeling like I had completely left the campus/​U-​District. The only disappointment was that I felt like this particular slide-​show was made of just random point-​and-​shoot pictures that someone took without much thought while walking around the city. I don’t know if it was supposed to be like that, but… I couldn’t really bring myself to be wowed by it.
From my very few experiences I don’t think I would ever pay to go here, but I might come for special event nights and I’ll definitely come back while it’s still free.

FLASH YOUR U-​PASS!
I swear maybe times have changed but back in my UW days this place was the hit. Flash your u-​pass and get in free. I would always pass by it everyday for all those years attending college. And I’d drop in once in awhile. You know how your always in a binde to find a great place to study on campus and you want it to be a quiet place because your trying to cram for mid-​terms or finals. I use to hate going to odegaurd because it was nothing but a kicking it spot, especially for my kind. So i came to the Henry Art Gallery, walk around and enjoy the art and exhibits, and then go to the café and read a little here and there.
I know I don’t have much to say about the art because I’ve only seen a few exhibits in my UW lifetime but i loved my experiences there.