Holiday hours may vary—please check venue websites directly for the most up-to-date information.

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TUESDAY

FILM

Dark Star Past Event Like List
John Carpenter's first feature film was a quirky and unexpected foray into sci-fi comedy, developed from a student film he created with collaborator Dan O'Bannon. Twenty years into an isolated space mission, a crew of clumsy astronauts gets bored and starts to neglect their responsibilities, leading to, as you might imagine, total catastrophe. Check out Dark Star during Central Cinema's "The Other Carpenter" week of programming, which also includes screenings of The Thing and Prince of Darkness. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District)

THURSDAY

FILM

Hecklevision: Escape From L.A. Past Event Like List
You might recall the soldier-turned-criminal Snake Plissken from Escape from New York, in which '90s-era Manhattan became a maximum security prison and the president was taken hostage by pissed-off inmates. (Spoiler: Snake's rescue mission was a mishmash of grimy action scenes and weirdness that only John Carpenter could conjure.) Anyway, Snake's back and more heckleable than ever in Escape from L.A. In this one, the president banishes his detractors to Los Angeles, which sounds like a kinda cool punishment, if you ask moi. Sit back and enjoy the chaos, or razz the so-bad-it's-bad flick by texting your wisecracks, which will be shared onscreen. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District)

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Elf In Concert Past Event Like List
Earlier this year on November 1st—while recovering from a caramel apple lollipop coma—I pulled up the Max app to turn on some trashy reality TV. What I saw next stunned me. Will Ferrell's 2003 holiday comedy Elf was already #1 on the trending tab. I examined my Halloween decorations in confusion before remembering just how seriously people take this movie. Even as someone who isn't obsessed with the film, I've seen it approximately a million times (and I bet you have, too). The movie has everything: comedy, fantasy, romance, and even drama. And, even though it's a movie about a human man who is raised by elves, the most unrealistic part is that Ferrell could pull Zooey Deschanel. This holiday season, share your affinity for elf culture by experiencing the film like never before as every note of John Debney's score is played live to picture. AV
(McCaw Hall, Uptown)

SATURDAY

PERFORMANCE

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Alaska...a Christmas Show Past Event Like List
Say HIEEEE to Alaska Thunderfuck, because she’s wiggling seductively down a chimney and into town. She'll pull "heartwarming" stories and songs from her sleigh to warm your icy ticker this time around—I'm hoping for something in the vein of her albums Anus, Poundcake, and Vagina. The RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season two winner has been busy lately; she hosts the Race Chaser podcast with fellow former contestant Willam and still makes time to call for a ceasefire. LC
(Neptune Theatre, University District)

READINGS & TALKS

Silent Reading Party: In-Person Remind Like List
The concept of Christopher Frizzelle's Silent Reading Party is as simple as it gets (pick out a book and head to Hotel Sorrento's well-appointed lobby to read in a comfy chair while a live pianist plays in the background), but it's a Seattle tradition of the highest order. If your disdain for waiting in line has prevented you from attending in the past, great news: in celebration of its return to its historic digs, attendees can now reserve a spot in advance. Keep in mind that there's a $20 food and drink minimum, in addition to the reservation fee.
(Hotel Sorrento, First Hill)

SUNDAY

COMEDY

ComedySportz: Comedy for Everyone - ComedySportz NYE! Past Event Like List
For those whose ideal New Year's Eve festivities end well before 10 pm, first of all: I get it. Secondly, you should consider hitting up the ComedySportz improv show this year, which starts at 7:30 pm and will have you snuggled up at home by bedtime. You probably know the drill: Teams of comedians will battle it out on stage with a series of improvised games designed to close out 2023 with a well-deserved cackle. Also, the show is advertised as "clean and fun," so you can bring your kid or your church group. LC
(ComedySportz Seattle, Fremont)

Roy Wood Jr. Past Event Like List
Birmingham-raised stand-up Roy Wood Jr., who you might recognize from his wry correspondent work on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, will stop by Seattle to share more about his love of rude fast food employees and buffet restaurants. He's also been the host of the comedy storytelling show This Is Not Happening since 2017, so you can pregame for this performance by binging a season or three. LC
(Moore Theatre, Belltown)

Xtreme Theatresports New Year's Eve Party Past Event Like List
Scream-laugh your way into 2024 at this fast-paced improv battle, where four teams of off-the-cuff laugh masters will rely on audience votes to determine the comedy champions. Attendees will score all the typical New Year's Eve goodies their hearts desire, including hats, streamers, and a champagne toast at midnight. LC
(Unexpected Productions' Market Theater, Pike Place Market)

FILM

Moulin Rouge! New Year’s Eve Sing-along Past Event Like List
"Rooooooxannnne!" Belt it out to Baz Luhrmann's feverish, theatrical love story Moulin Rouge! at this New Year's Eve screening and sing-along, which promises free "bling rings." Best part? The show ends in time to shamble over to the Space Needle and catch the New Year's Eve fireworks spectacle. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown)

FOOD & DRINK

Black, Gold and Anime NYE Bash Past Event Like List
Show off your Cowboy Bebop bona fides at Taku's cheeky "Black, Gold, and Anime" bash, which will feature food and drink specials like grilled oysters, Taku chicken sliders, mushroom tarts, Dungeness crab, "Shota shots," and more. The night promises beats from DJ Harlo, raffles, interactive games, and pet portraits from local artist Dozfy. You'll get a free raffle ticket if you dress up like your favorite anime character or "channel your inner Guy Fieri," so I suggest using a heavy hand with the temporary hair color. JB
(Taku, Capitol Hill)

LIVE MUSIC

Artist Home's 10th Annual New Year's Eve Celebration Past Event Like List
For the tenth year running, the Seattle-based talent-aquiring, event-promoting, and artist-consulting collective Artist Home will host a New Year's Eve bash featuring artists with whom they've worked. Dance your way into 2024 to holiday-appropriate covers from Seattle musicians from bands like Smokey Brights, Naked Giants, Parisalexa, Shaina Shepherd, La Fonda, Rat Queen, and many others. AV
(Tractor Tavern, Ballard)

Heart Past Event Like List
After a familial dispute and subsequent solo projects, classic rock's favorite sisters Heart will reunite this New Year's Eve with their first show in over four years. The certified dreamboats will wail classics like "Barracuda," "Magic Man," and "Crazy On You" as the countdown to 2024 begins. After the show, you'll conveniently be right beside the Space Needle where the sky will light up with its annual fireworks show. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening will open the show with songs from his dad's legendary rock band. AV
(Climate Pledge Arena, Uptown)

New Year's Eve with Kenny G Past Event Like List
Seattle's curly-haired son (and Franklin High graduate) Kenny G will return for a New Year's Eve celebration, ringing in 2024 with his sexy—and saxy—smooth jazz that has managed to stay consistently popular since 1986. Brush up on your knowledge of the hometown hero by watching Penny Lane’s critically acclaimed HBO documentary, Listening to Kenny G, which takes a look at the backlash he's faced from the jazz world. AV
(Jazz Alley, Belltown)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

BOOTS!, Emerald City Soul Club, and WIG OUT Presents: New Year's Eve a Go-Go Past Event Like List
If you're familiar with Seattle's vintage vinyl nights, then you know that BOOTS!, Emerald City Soul Club, and WIG OUT are some of the best that the city has to offer. This New Year's Eve, the party troupes are joining forces for their biggest shindig yet. Shake, rattle, and roll between two rooms as eight DJs spin a rare blend of rock and soul 45s. Plus, there will be go-go dancers, festive decor, and a champagne toast at midnight—it doesn't get much better than that, folks. AV
(Belltown Yacht Club/Screwdriver Bar, Belltown)

NYE with Bosco Past Event Like List
Beloved Seattle diva, RuPaul's Drag Race season 14 contestant, and reigning demon queen Bosco will return to her dominion and spill the 2024 tea at this New Year's Eve bash, where she'll appear for a meet-and-greet and dance party alongside queer/bar's gag-giving MX cast. Don't forget to tip the dolls—it's good luck for the new year. LC
(Queer Bar, Capitol Hill)

PERFORMANCE

New Years Eve at the Flamingo Room: A Burlesque Cabaret Past Event Like List
Throw on your feather boas, people! The Flamingo Room's annual New Year's Eve variety show will ring in 2024 old-school cabaret style, harkening back to the heyday of the genre in the early 20th century. Comedians, singers, and titillating burlesque vixens will flit around on stage while you sip champagne (or chow down on a three-course prix fixe dinner, if you're up for it). It's the ultimate way to remind your future self that you're worth it. LC
(Olmstead, Capitol Hill)

MONDAY

FOOD & DRINK

New Years Day: Black Eye Peas and Greens Past Event Like List
It's a time-honored Southern tradition to eat copious black-eyed peas and greens, which represent coins and money, on New Year's Eve for good fortune and prosperity in the coming year, and frankly, we could use all of the luck we can get right now. (Not to be superstitious, but the one time I failed to eat the black-eyed peas from my quarterly Rancho Gordo bean club subscription on New Year's Eve, the pandemic happened...just saying.) The Central District community space Wa Na Wari is carrying on the custom with a vegan meal loaded with black-eyed peas and greens. Take it to go, or stay to enjoy a communal lunch. JB
(Wa Na Wari, Central District)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

The Breakfast Club: New Year's Day Past Event Like List
Do you find yourself wanting more after the clock strikes midnight? Luckily for you, Monkey Loft will host their 13th annual New Year's Day party, featuring three stages and 12 hours (!) of nonstop music. The quickly rising DJ, producer, pianist, and activist LP Giobbi will headline alongside whimsical electronic outfit Fungineers, Midwest DJ Sassmouth, and over a dozen others. AV
(Monkey Loft, SoDo)

SPORTS & RECREATION

Resolution Run 5K and Polar Bear Dive Past Event Like List
Earn the ultimate bragging rights at this frigid dive, where cold-blooded participants will wade neck-deep into the icy Lake Washington waters. Because who needs body heat?! That said, if you prefer to kick off your new year with hot chocolate and warm chili, live your truth—participants can stay on shore and watch people shiver while they walk or run a 5K, then enjoy free refreshments. LC
(Magnuson Park, Northeast Seattle)

Seattle Kraken 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic Past Event Like List
You've seen baseball at T-Mobile Park, and maybe even a concert, but what about hockey? In just their third season, the Seattle Kraken have been chosen to host the NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game that only happens in one city each year around New Year's Day, and now for first time in the western half of the US. In a battle of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Kraken will face the Vegas Golden Knights in what's sure to be an action-packed and chilly game; we expect T-Mobile to have plenty of cozy concessions and overpriced merch to keep you warm. SL
(T-Mobile Park, SoDo)

MULTI-DAY

WINTER HOLIDAYS

WildLanterns 2023 Past Event Like List
Grab some hot cocoa and get cozy with your friends, family, or Hinge date at this wintertime immersive experience full of giant glowing animal and nature scape lanterns, each representing flora and fauna from around the globe. Kids and those of us who are kids at heart will enjoy a magical snowy world in a polar regions exhibit, and marvel at brilliantly lit parrots and toucans in the Fine Feathered Friends zone. Arachnophobes might want to skip the Bugs and Blooms display, where vibrant flowers and giant spiders line your path (though we bet they won't bite). Let your imagination run wild in the Fantastical Folklore Realm as you search for mythical beasts from the white dragon to a pegasus. SL
(Woodland Park Zoo, Phinney Ridge, Tuesday-Monday)

Winterfest Past Event Like List
Every holiday season, the Seattle Center transforms into Winterfest, where visitors will find seasonal decor, live performances on the weekends, and of course, the beloved miniature winter train and village. It's your last chance to check out the new European-inspired outdoor Christmas market; it runs through Christmas Eve and offers gifts from local and international vendors and tasty treats like glühwein and bratwurst. SL
(Seattle Center, Uptown, Tuesday-Sunday)

EXHIBIT

Astra Lumina: An Enchanted Night Walk Amongst The Stars Past Event Like List
Los Angeles-born light experience Astra Lumina will illuminate the Seattle Chinese Garden all month long, transforming the botanical space into a "wonder of visiting stars" with projections, lighting, music, and "astral energy." OoOoO! Bundle up to stroll down the celestial pathway; you're promised to encounter "cosmic visions and astral song." (You may also want to pop an edible first.) I think it'd be the perfect way to celebrate New Year's Eve—lock your resolutions into place with a fake shooting star or twenty. LC
(Seattle Chinese Garden, Riverview, Tuesday-Sunday)

Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop Past Event Like List
The four decades of photography exhibited in Contact High unveil the last fifty years of hip-hop's revolutionary impact on music, culture, politics, race relations, and fashion. Over 170 images of major tastemakers (think Tupac and Missy Elliott, plus many more) provide a rare view of their creative processes and hip-hop's evolution over time.
(MoPOP, Uptown, Tuesday-Sunday)

The 27th Annual Model Train Festival Past Event Like List
Trains seem to represent all things wintry and magical–maybe it's the soothing chugga-chugga sounds, the plumes of smoke, or the romantic notion of snuggling up in a vintage train car à la Hercule Poirot. (Just me?) Indulge in some train magic at this model train festival, where regional railroad clubs will share their intricate room-sized layouts throughout the Washington State History Museum. Every floor of the museum will "come alive with trains," including "Kitsap Live Steamers 7.5-inch gauge railroad engines" and the Mount Rainier N-Scale layout, which features miniature Washington scenery, plus train operators, train footage, and collectible train buttons at the admissions desk. LC
(Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, Tuesday-Monday)

Pulling Together: A Brief History of Rowing in Seattle Remind Like List
George Clooney-directed flick The Boys in the Boat will premiere on December 25, sharing the story of the University of Washington rowing team, who were thrust into the spotlight while competing at the 1936 Olympics. (Spoiler: the "Miracle 9” won the gold medal in the eight-oared competition.) Get pumped for the film at this exhibition on the historic team, which spotlights "the University of Washington men’s and women’s rowing programs and the history of rowing in Seattle overall" and showcases the Husky Challenger shell. LC
(MOHAI, South Lake Union, Tuesday-Sunday)

We Are Puget Sound Past Event Like List
If you call the Puget Sound region home, it's worth it to learn more about the wildlife and cultures that also reside in and around the Salish Sea, from Southern resident orcas and Chinook salmon to community gardeners and Coast Salish tribes. The Burke Museum's new exhibition We Are Puget Sound "explores the marvel of our area" with canoe models, clam baskets, and specimens from its fish, plant, and fossil collections, plus photos and profiles of Salish Sea protectors. This is fascinating stuff, people! (The exhibition is based on the book We Are Puget Sound: Discovering and Recovering the Salish Sea, published by Braided River in partnership with Washington Conservation Action; you can snag a copy from Elliott Bay before you see the exhibit.) LC
(Burke Museum, University District, Tuesday-Sunday; closing)

FILM

The Boy and the Heron Past Event Like List
Over the last 30 years, Studio Ghibli has become legendary for its lush visuals, emotional and affecting storytelling, and poetic, intelligent approach to nature and the more-than-human world. One of its central figures is (duh) cofounder Hayao Miyazaki, who has made some of the studio's most revered flicks (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki'sDelivery Service among them). He's also the most endearingly idiosyncratic director, like, maybe ever, and has announced, then broken, his retirement a total of four times. Never change, Miyazaki!! Anyway, if you're a Ghibli fan, you probably know all of this and are already jazzed for his first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and The Heron. It's a hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical fantasy that seems likely to fall in line with all of the reasons you love him already. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Tuesday-Thursday)

The Boys in the Boat Past Event Like List
If you've already peeped MOHAI's new exhibition, Pulling Together: A Brief History of Rowing in Seattle, then you're well aware that George Clooney has directed a flick about the University of Washington rowers, who were thrust into the spotlight while competing at the 1936 Olympics. (Spoiler: The "Miracle 9” won the gold medal in the eight-oared competition.) If you haven't seen the exhibition yet, I recommend checking it out after a screening of The Boys in the Boat, which blends triumphant feels with Great Depression-era costuming. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Tuesday-Monday)

The Iron Claw Past Event Like List
In The Iron Claw, an insanely jacked Zac Efron dons a shaggy wig and a pair of tiny shorts and hits the wrestling ring. He plays one of the Von Erich brothers, a real-life inseparable clan that made waves in the early '80s professional wrestling world while navigating a family "curse" and a domineering dad. Jeremy Allen White is in it, too, so expect lots of sweaty zaddy moments, tacky costuming for the gods, heartfelt reflections on brotherhood, and a side of self-destruction. LC
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, Tuesday-Thursday)

It's a Wonderful Life Past Event Like List
Already before World War II, the world of the villain in It's a Wonderful Life, the robber baron Henry F. Potter (portrayed by the stern face of Lionel Barrymore) was long over. The glory period of his kind did not rise from the combined ashes of the First World War and the Crash of 1929. But no one knew what was to come next. Would the USA become another USSR? The 1930s were called the Red Decade for a good reason. Was the hero of It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey (played by the drawl of James Stewart), a Red? Sure looked like it in 1946. STRANGER SENIOR WRITER CHARLES MUDEDE
(Grand Illusion, University District, Tuesday-Thursday)

John Carpenter's The Thing Past Event Like List
When a plucky bunch of puffer coat-wearing research scientists helps shelter a strange sled dog in remote Antarctica, they slowly learn that the pooch isn't all that he seems. John Carpenter's icy classic horror stars a young Kurt Russell battling it out against—ya guessed it—a cold-hearted, shape-shifting alien. (What better way to say hello to 2024 than by staring into a frosty abyss?) You can revel in The Thing's bone-chilling special effects while toasty and warm in your theater seat during Central Cinema's "The Other Carpenter" week of programming. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District, Friday-Saturday)

Poor Things Past Event Like List
Real Lanthimos heads know that he doesn't direct anything without dystopic, black comedy underpinnings and plotlines that make audiences ponder why they're on the planet at all. He is weird, as directors should be, and you're either in or you're out. This time around, he's adapted a '92 Scottish novel for the screen, painting the picture of a young woman (played by Emma Stone, who is raven-haired and looks charmingly bananas) brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist (played by my famous dad, Willem Dafoe). Best part? Poor Things "saved" my other dad, Mark Ruffalo, from "depressed dad typecasting." Praise be. LC
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill, Tuesday-Thursday)

Wonka Past Event Like List
I'll be honest: Timothée Chalamet's Wonka, all lollipop-chic in a top hat and crimson velvet coat, kinda gives me the chills. But I like chocolate and candy as much as the next person (as well as Cinerama's famous chocolate popcorn, which will be available at the newly opened SIFF Cinema Downtown), so I'm willing to give him a shot. The theater will throw open its doors for the first time for screenings of the Paul King-directed Wonka, and early reviews for the film are surprisingly great—Variety called it a "fun, rousing, impeccably staged, jaw-droppingly old-fashioned musical." Hard to argue with that. LC
(SIFF Cinema Downtown, Belltown, Tuesday-Monday)

LIVE MUSIC

Together As One NYE Past Event Like List
When it comes to these giant EDM festivals, I struggle to find better words than "Come on, dance to some bouncy robot music at an arena"—but that's probably because I don't typically attend these types of events (I go to bed by 10 pm every night). For those of you who do enjoy dancing, socializing, being out late, and bass so loud you can feel your brain rattle in your skull, then Tacoma Dome's newest New Year's Eve fest seems like a lot of fun. On night one, pop radio regulars the Chainsmokers will grace the stage along with Seven Lions, Galantis, William Black, Crystal Skies, Azel Bosi, and Wolfstax. On night two, Dutch producer Tiësto will blast you straight into 2024 with his booming bass alongside Above & Beyond, Alison Wonderland, Sullivan King Morten, Nostagix, Vanic, and DJ Reza. AV
(Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, Saturday-Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

Black Nativity Past Event Like List
Written by innovative playwright, poet, and social activist Langston Hughes, Black Nativity first premiered in 1961 and was one of the first off-Broadway plays composed by an African American person. Presented in partnership with The Hansberry Project, this interpretation of the gospel play features "actors, dancers, soaring vocalists, and a rousing city-wide gospel choir," who come together for nativity storytelling, dance, and traditional Christmas carols with brand-new songs. The production also offers opportunities for audience sing-alongs, so prep your vocal chords before the show. LC
(Broadway Performance Hall, Capitol Hill, Tuesday-Saturday)

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker Past Event Like List
It's The Nutcracker—you already know the premise, but it never really gets old, does it? Tchaikovsky’s magical score will spring to life again in this sugar plum-packed rendition of the longstanding holiday tradition, complete with mice, tin soldiers, and a timeless trip to the Land of Sweets. Let's say you're all Nutcrackered out, though. Here are some little-known facts that might entice you: The production's eight Polichinelle costumes are decked out with 640 black pom-poms, and there are 154 costumes in the show, not counting duplicates. The scenery is made up of 3,000 square yards of fabric, and 98 yards of faux fur were used to create the mice. (Personally, there's nothing like 98 yards of faux fur to get me into the holiday spirit.) LC
(McCaw Hall, Uptown, Tuesday-Wednesday)

Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker Past Event Like List
This showy burlesque spectacle invites you to journey to the lascivious Land of the Sweets, which will return for its 17th season with more sugar plum sexiness and swinging tunes by The Nutcracker Nonette. Anticipate lots of "light-juggling," plus jazz, ballet, striptease, and songs swirling together in one infectious confection. Yum. (Pro tip for the grown and sexy people out there: All shows scheduled after 9 pm are for attendees 21 and over.) LC
(Triple Door, Downtown, Tuesday-Thursday)

VISUAL ART

Clarissa Tossin: to take root among the stars Past Event Like List
Brazilian-born, LA-based artist Clarissa Tossin's multimedia works (including films, sculptures, and drawings) look closely at global capitalism's "frontier mythologies," interrogating persistent legacies of colonialism in Latin America and the US through repurposed consumerist garbage. She uses what is perhaps the most potent symbol of exploitation and ecological disaster—Amazon delivery boxes—to think about climate change, mapping as a conquest-driven technology, human consumption, and even space exploration. Why am I stoked about the show? Well, because I'm a nerd: Tossin's first solo museum exhibition on the West Coast borrows its title from sci-fi writer Octavia Butler’s apocalyptic Earthseed novels. LC
(Frye Art Museum, First Hill, Wednesday-Sunday)

Eirik Johnson: The Light That Gets Lost Past Event Like List
Seattle-based artist Eirik Johnson's The Light That Gets Lost pairs tranquil, hushed diptychs with a sound installation, inviting the viewer to respond to the subtle differences in imagery within a larger thematic framework of natural transformation and climate change. The images depict hunting cabins "built by the Iñupiat inhabitants of Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow), Alaska as seen through the extremes of the Arctic summer and winter." There's something deeply satisfying about observing the shifting appearance of the cabins as the seasons change—in summer, they have a bare, weathered, and makeshift appearance, but blanketed in snow, they become pristine, almost magical. LC
(Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Georgetown, Wednesday-Saturday)

Rafael Soldi: Soft Boy Past Event Like List
At the heart of artist and curator Rafael Soldi's new solo exhibition is Soft Boy, a video installation that represents the artist and curator's first venture into moving image work. Pulling from his experience as a queer youth in Peru to "focus on the construction of masculinity in Latin American society," Soldi dissects gender expectations through language and adolescent games. His video harkens to his time in an all-boys Catholic school, complete with playground skirmishes and performative machismo. Soft Boy also includes selections from a print series called CARGAMONTÓN, which translates to a form of hazing in Latin American schools, and mouth to mouth, which "present[s] word plays and Spanish-English pairings that reveal the gendered power structures built into language and the slipperiness of meaning." LC
(Frye Art Museum, First Hill, Wednesday-Sunday)

Satpreet Kahlon: the inscrutable shape of longing Past Event Like List
After winning the 2021 BAM Biennial: Architecture & Urban Design Award of Excellence, Satpreet Kahlon was granted the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at the museum, and the inscrutable shape of longing began to take shape. The Indian-born, US-raised artist explores how cultural and ancestral histories intermingle to inform the "messiness, contradictions, and nuances" of embodied life. Kahlon drew from her experiences of displacement and colonization's aftermath to create a "multisensory constellation of video, image, and sound" in a web-like installation. I'm especially intrigued by Kahlon's use of mirrored acrylic, which splinters and refracts archival footage of Panjabi folk rituals into "hundreds of tiny fragments reflected across the gallery." LC
(Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, Wednesday-Sunday; closing)