Visual Art

Louis Kahn @ BAM

As one of the twentieth century’s greatest architects, Louis Kahn understood that buildings could serve as magnificent public art. From California’s Salk Institute to the National Assembly Building in Bangladesh, Kahn’s buildings showcase his mastery of geometric symmetry while also conveying a substantial, hefty built-to-last weightiness. Bellevue Arts Museum presents Kahn at the height of his powers through architectural models, photos, film, and drawings in Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture.
Jan 29–May 1  Bellevue Arts Museum, bellevuearts.org

Books & Talks

Riotous Heartbeats

Sunil Yapa travels to Seattle to present his debut novel, Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist (out January 12), which captures the 1999 WTO protests’ tense chaos on a personal and human level. Over the course of a day, seven narratives—nonviolent protestors, street cops, a politician, a police chief, and said chief’s estranged pot-dealing son—slam together and explode in this visceral, literary molotov cocktail.
Jan 30  Elliott Bay Book Company, elliottbaybook.com

Film

Dissecting Blade Runner

The complexity of Blade Runner, Ridley Scott’s 1982 Harrison Ford–led android neo-noir, has made it one of those films that fans don’t merely love; they obsess over it. As part of SIFF’s Cinema Dissection series, local film critic Sean Axmaker guides a six-hour, scene-by-scene, shot-by-shot analysis and conversation about the sci-fi masterpiece. Patrons are encouraged to stop the film to ask questions in search of deeper meaning. The over/under for time debating if Deckard is a replicant has been set at 45 minutes.
Jan 23  SIFF Film Center, siff.net

Comedy

Andy Kindler

“I’m so edgy. My act is like walking on a tightrope on the ground. I’m like Chris Rock without the charisma, and the confidence, and the material.” —Andy Kindler

The crotchety comedian’s comedian brings his brand of weary self-deprecating humor to the punk confines of El Corazón, which should only exacerbate his agitated awkwardness.
Jan 15  El Corazón, elcorazonseattle.com

Family

Where the Wild Things Are

After Pacific Northwest Ballet moved on from Maurice Sendak’s wild vision of Nutcracker last year, it’s natural for Seattle audiences to crave a stage Sendak fix. Seattle Children’s Theatre steps up to fill the void with its production of the writer and illustrator’s most beloved work. 
Jan 7–Feb 21  Seattle Children’s Theatre, sct.org

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