Seattle is known for its vibrant arts scene, with numerous galleries, museums, and exhibitions showcasing a diverse range of artistic expressions. From tattoo expos to visual art exhibitions, literature, performance, film, food, and more, this month promises to be a treat for art enthusiasts and culture lovers alike. Here’s a curated selection of the top events and exhibitions to look out for.
Table of Contents
Tattoo Expo
- Aug 15–17, Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
- Featuring professional ink-givers from around the world, including local artists and visiting artists from the UK, France, and Australia.
- The expo promises to offer displays, seminars, and even the opportunity to get inked by the right artist for you.
‘Latin American Land/Escapes’
- Through Aug 22, SOIL
- A partnership between Seattle’s SOIL and Mexico City’s Tlaxcala3, showcasing works from 14 contemporary Latin American artists across Mexico, Chile, Perú, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
- The exhibition aims to reflect on the limitations of concepts like “territory” and “landscape” and the warped image of the Latin American landscape imagined by the North.
Kameelah Janan Rasheed: ‘we leak, we exceed’
“We leak, we exceed” is an exhibit by Brooklyn-based artist Kameelah Janan Rasheed, drawing parallels between the compression of information and the containment of people, specifically calling for “the embrace of Black excess and expansion.”
Her multimedia works integrate found images and words woven together with her writing to create collage-like wall installations and experimental video art.
One example of this is her 2024 piece “i want to climb inside every word and lick the salty neck of each letter,” which encapsulates the viewer into a black-and-white grid that feels like you’re inside the World Wide Web.
Atop the grid are projected photographs, physical prints, a fishing hook, and collected soil.
Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light
- Aug 27–April 19, 2026, Seattle Asian Art Museum
- Anila Quayyum Agha uses South Asian art practices to convey the darkest and brightest parts of her life, including the gender discrimination she faced during her childhood in Pakistan.
- The installations are at once delicate and industrial, consisting of suspended, laser-cut steel cubes that project intricate patterns on everything around them.
More Exhibitions and Events
- Ezra Dickinson: Who’s Offended (Through Aug 22, Base Camp Studios 2, free)
- Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei (Through Sept 7, Seattle Art Museum)
- Carmen Winant: Passing On (Through Sept 25, Henry Art Gallery, Thurs–Sun, suggested donation)
- Hugh Hayden: American Vernacular (Through Sept 28, Frye Art Museum, free)
- Boren Banner Series: Tarrah krajnak (Through Sept 28, Frye Art Museum)
- Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form (Through Jan 4, 2026, MoPOP)
- Tariqa Waters: Venus Is Missing (Through Jan 4, 2026, Seattle Art Museum, Wed–Sun)
- Ash-Glazed Ceramics from Korea and Japan (Through July 12, 2027, Seattle Art Museum)
- Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze) (Through Oct 2027, Olympic Sculpture Park, free)
- Ten Thousand Things (Through Spring 2027, Wing Luke Museum)
- Gossip: Between Us (Opens Aug 9, Tacoma Art Museum)
- Mary Finlayson: Orange, Violet (Aug 20–Oct 11, Winston Wächter Fine Art)
- Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving (Sept 13–Aug 30, 2026, Burke Museum)
Early Warnings
- Rodney McMillian: Neighbors (Oct 4, Henry Art Gallery, free)
- Boren Banner Series: Camille Trautman (Oct 15, Frye Art Museum, free)
- Priscilla Dobler Dzul: Water Carries the Stories of Our Stars (Oct 18, Frye Art Museum, free)
With so many exciting events and exhibitions lined up, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Seattle this month. Whether you’re a fan of tattoo art, visual art, literature, performance, film, food, or more, you won’t be disappointed.