Detail of postcard from the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition of 1909. Courtesy of Museum of History and Industry.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Location
City Hall Lobby Gallery &
Anne Focke Gallery
600 4th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
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Gallery Hours
Monday - Friday
7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Gallery Information
(206) 684-7171
Call for Exhibitions
Deadline passed
Application Information
Nate Brown
(206) 684-4186
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
Through July 14
Get a glimpse of Seattle's first world's fair chronicled in an educational exhibition at City Hall. The story of Seattle's 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific (A-Y-P) Exposition unfolds in a series of historic photographs and colorful display boards.
Seattle hosted its first world's fair, the A-Y-P Exposition, from June 1 to October 16, 1909. The historic event celebrated the culture, industry and innovation of the Pacific Northwest. The 3.7 million visitors beheld exhibits housed in an astonishing collection of buildings and enjoyed the carnival-like entertainment of the Pay Streak midway. The A-Y-P showcased Washington as a gateway to the entire Pacific Rim, as well as to Alaska and northwestern Canada.
View a photograph of the Norwegian group that crossed Lake Washington in a Viking ship on Norway Day, Aug. 30, 1909. Take in the A-Y-P fairgrounds from the vantage point of a hot air balloon at 1,300 feet. See a postcard of African-American Dixieland bandleader J.S. Lacy. Lacy's band featured more than 60 African American members, including guitar legend Jimi Hendrix's grandparents.
More than a dozen colorful and informative display panels recount the history of the A-Y-P as told by HistoryLink.org, Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks and Seattle Municipal Archives. The city's archives department documented the city government's preparations for the massive gathering.
The exhibition titled, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, is part of this year's citywide A-Y-P centennial celebration commemorating the 1909 A-Y-P. Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is managing the centennial project in collaboration with nearly 70 government agencies and nonprofit organizations throughout the region. For more information on the 1909 A-Y-P or A-Y-P centennial events, visit www.ayp100.org.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Dates are subject to change.
Pottery Northwest
July 15 - Sept. 4
The region's premier pottery organization shares an exhibition of 35 pieces by present and former artists who have been awarded two-year residencies.
Arte Para Todos/Art For All
Sept. 9 - Oct. 31
Coinciding with National Latino Heritage Month and Dia de los Muertos, Latino City Employees and Latino Cultural Magazine co-sponsor this exhibition of work by local Latino artists.
Contemporary QuiltArt Association: Beyond the Block
Nov. 12 - Dec. 31
A delightful view of a widely-admired craft that has become an exceptional art form. Featuring quilt artists of the Northwest with special emphasis on Seattle resident artists.
Reflections of Black History
Jan. 5 - Feb. 26, 2010
Local African American artists present the subject matter important to them. In partnership with the Seattle Art Museum's African Arts Council, City Light Black Employees Association and the Royal Esquires Toastmasters.