2003–2004 ANNUAL REPORT SAM Students with Sanislo Feast SAM CONNECTS ART TO LIFE CONTEMPORARY CHINESE ARTIST LI JIN’S A FEAST made a permanent impression on the fourth- and fifth-grade students at Sanislo Elementary School. Inspired by the fifty-nine- foot-long painting depicting food from a traditional Chinese dinner on a background of recipes written in Chinese calligraphy, the students set out to re-create their own version. Art teachers Ruth Winter and Carolyn Autenrieth designed the project to celebrate the diversity of cultures at their school. Students painted their favorite ethnic foods, and staff helped transcribe the recipes into the students’ original languages. On display at the Seattle Asian Art Museum last spring, the students’ work, Sanislo Feast, a fifty-foot-long art scroll portraying food and languages from seventeen different nations and cultures, reflected the heritage of Sanislo students and staff. Students, families and teachers commemorated the unveiling of their “masterpiece” with a special celebration at SAAM. cover: Li Jin, China, born 1958, A Feast, 2001, ink on Xuan paper, 39 3/8 x 708 5/8 in., Courtesy of the artist and CourtYard Gallery, Beijing right: Wolfgang Groschedel and Kunz Lochner, Equestrian armor for Philip II, ca. 1554, etched steel and gold, Patrimonio Nacional, Real Armería, Madrid SEATTLE ART MUSEUM TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Director’s Letter 17 Betty Bowen Award 2 Board of Trustees 18 Reaching Out to Youth & Families 3 Broadening, Deepening, Diversifying 19 Teaching and Learning 4–5 One Museum, Three Locations 20–21 Community Partners & Councils 6–7 Seattle Art Museum Special Exhibitions 21 Education Highlights 8 Connecting Art to Life 22 Membership; After Hours 9 Sharing the Collection 23 Special Events 10 Seattle Asian Art Museum Exhibitions 28 Financial Report; New Staff 11 Publications; Conservation 12–17 Acquisitions BREAKING NEW GROUND: FULFILLING OUR VISION For over seventy years the Seattle Art downtown museum (opens 2007) and the renovation of the This remarkable time in SAM’s history would Museum has made art of the finest Seattle Asian Art Museum’s infrastructure (beginning in not be possible without the fine vision, leadership quality accessible to our region in 2008)—SAM is embarking on a major community campaign and ardent support of SAM’s Board of Trustees, fulfillment of our vision to Connect to encourage a broad-based sense of ownership. By raising enthusiastic members, dedicated volunteers, Art to Life. As I look at SAM’s progress awareness of SAM and increasing community support, we generous donors and energetic staff. I hope you share over the past year, what strikes me will make these ambitious projects a reality. Substantial in SAM’s vision to Connect Art to Life as we boldly is the fact that we are approaching growth across the permanent collections, an engaging strive to establish dynamic civic spaces filled with a significant milestone in the visitor experience including interactive educational art, beauty and fun. Thank you for being part of the museum’s history. The increase in programs at all three sites, first-rate special exhibitions Seattle Art Museum family. SAM’s physical presence in the city of Seattle will enable of international importance and a firm grounding in us to dramatically broaden our audience, substantially community will be our hallmarks. Created by the synergy enrich our artistic and cultural programming, and of these three projects, the new SAM will enhance the provide significant new civic space for the benefit of our artistic, cultural and economic vitality of the Northwest for region and our community. generations to come. To realize three extraordinary capital projects—the Throughout this report you will find “vision Mimi Gardner Gates creation of the Olympic Sculpture Park on the downtown statements” that highlight SAM’s goals for the future, The Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director waterfront (opens spring 2006), the expansion of the giving you a glimpse of all our exciting plans. 1 ANNUAL REPORT BOARD OF TRUSTEES as of June 30, 2004 Officers —Jon Shirley, Chairman—Susan Brotman, President—Christine Nicolov, Vice President —Charles Wright, Vice President—Watson Blair, Secretary—Stanley Savage, Treasurer Trustees —Michael Alhadeff—Eve Alvord—Yoko Arakawa—Patrice Auld—Ann Barwick—Frank Bayley—Watson Blair—Paula Boggs—Jeffrey Brotman —Susan Brotman—Brad Davis—Patrick Dineen—Barney Ebsworth—Pamela Ebsworth—David Fennell—José Gaitán—P. Raaze Garrison —Lyn Grinstein—Aya Hamilton—Joanne Harrell—Betty Hedreen—Philip Isles—Mary Ann James—Peter Joers—Robert Kaplan—Janet Ketcham —Linda Killinger—Christina Lockwood—Barbara Malone—David Maryatt—Sally Maryatt—Dipti Mathur—Belle Maxwell—Herman McKinney —Charles Mitchell—John Moga—Scott Morris—Barry Munitz—Sally Neukom—Assunta Ng—Christine Nicolov—Doug Norberg—Sally Nordstrom —Ruth Nutt—James Olson—Pamela Passman—Brooks Ragen—Elizabeth Roberts—Sam Rubinstein—Mike Russell—Faye Sarkowsky—Herman Sarkowsky —Stanley Savage—Roberta Sherman—Jon Shirley—Rebecca Stewart—Jairus Stratton—Winifred Stratton—Robert Strong—Daphne Tang—Gerard Tsutakawa —Jim Walker—Griffith Way—Curtis Wong—Charles Wright—Virginia Wright—Ann Wyckoff Ex-Officio Trustees—Bruce Bentley—Ken Bounds—Christine Burgoyne—Maria Colacurcio (Day)—Jan Drago—Ingrid Haight—Faye Lovvorn—Joanne MacDonald —John Pehrson—Elizabeth Rummage—Peter Steinbrueck—Irene Stewart—Paul Toliver—Robert Wade—Gerlinde Whetzell—Susan Winokur Honorary Trustees—Nancy Alvord—Robert Arnold—Rosa Ayer—Thomas Barwick—Richard Cooley—Jane Davis—P. Cameron DeVore—Robert Dootson —Anne Gerber—Helen Gurvich—Marshall Hatch—James Hawkanson—C. Calvert Knudsen—Margaret Perthou-Taylor—Philip Renshaw —Theiline Scheumann—Langdon Simons—Charles Simonyi—Bagley Wright We were all saddened by the passing of Kayla Skinner and Margery Friedlander, longtime friends and Trustees of SAM. “Kayla Skinner was a Board member of SAM since 1973, and a great patron SAM honors the memory of Margery Friedlander, a of the arts over all the years I knew her. I don’t think the visual arts or the dear friend of the Seattle Art Museum who passed museum was the most important thing in her life, but she had so many away this year. Originally from Chicago, she moved intellectual interests it’s difficult to say which one had priority. to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, “She had a quicksilver mind. Ideas came to her far faster than she and the Seattle art community will be forever could articulate them. The result was a stutter that I suspect she cultivated, grateful for her decision to move west. Throughout knowing full well that it was part of her charm. And, indeed, charm she her lifetime, Marge was a passionate supporter had, but also, for a very small person, a very commanding presence. The of the arts community, especially in Seattle. SAM combination was powerful. I don’t think I ever won an argument with was most fortunate that she was a member of our Kayla even when I was pretty sure reason was on my side. Board of Trustees for twenty-five years. A dedicated “Her favorite adjective was “undimensional” which she applied to fundraiser, Marge was instrumental in the growth anything not up to her standards, whether books, plays or people. I heard it many times without and development of SAM’s membership programs and chaired many of its knowing exactly what it meant except that it was pejorative. social events. She cared deeply that the museum always showed its best “Some years ago Kayla won an award as a supporter of the arts, and I introduced her at a face and took great care in making sure every detail, no matter how small, lunch for the Arts Fund. I said at the time that her great talent was the ability to tell what was was carefully planned and managed. really important as opposed to what was merely adept and derivative. But she had many talents. In addition to her leadership at SAM, Marge was also a lifetime At her funeral her good friend Gordon Brown said he had never known anyone remotely like her. director of PONCHO and a Trustee at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Neither have I.” Those throughout the Seattle arts community will deeply miss Marge’s leadership and warm friendship. — Bagley Wright, arts patron, SAM Trustee and long-time friend of Kayla SEATTLE ART MUSEUM 2 BROADENING, DEEPENING, DIVERSIFYING Shen Yinmo, China, 1883–1971, Calligraphy: Poem by Tao Yuanming (372–427), 1940–1949, couplet Seattle Center’s Festal program allows the entire family to participate in the joy of art A young participant engages in artistic activities at one of this year’s Festals. of two sheets: ink on paper, two sheets, each 30 5/8 x 19 in., Gift of Zhang Chonghe, 2003.117.1–2 making through SAM sponsored acitivities. SINCE RECEIVING a prestigious grant in 1999 from and discounted passes were distributed in FY04 to social experience and enjoyment of art. According to recent The Wallace Foundation to sustain and enhance efforts service organizations, diverse cultural and professional surveys, the community’s perception of SAM as elitist to promote ethnic diversity in all aspects of the museum, associations, businesses, religious organizations and and unwelcoming has changed to a perception of the SAM has used the funds to accomplish its goals to youth and student organizations that are traditionally museum as welcoming, educational, community-oriented diversify its audience and foster a deeper and ongoing underrepresented in museum audiences. and engaging, due to the efforts of the staff and Board. community involvement in the daily life of the museum. SAM’s efforts to build relationships with Seattle’s Providing excellent customer service is one In the past three and a half years, some key diverse communities continue through outreach at way SAM strives to broaden and deepen audience changes have taken place throughout the entire Festals, monthly cultural celebrations held at the Seattle participation.