Nice museum, the skyspace is cool. I only came here when i was an UW student because it was free, but i probably wouldn't pay to go otherwise. They do have some cool exhibits though - i saw the misrach show here and it was really great! read more

A small gallery located on the Washington University campus. You can park in the visitor's lot - it costs $15 upfront, but if you park for less than 4 hours, they will give you a partial refund. I was there for about 1.5-2 hours and they gave me back $9 when I left - not bad for parking. There were three small galleries and they change every half year or so. The Paul McCarthy White Snow sculptures were the best thing there, filling up an entire room with larger than life wooden sculptures influenced by Disney's Snow White animated film. If you're a fan of modern art, you should definitely go. The price isn't bad - $10 for adults and free for Washington University students. read more

The Henry Art Gallery is on my list of things to do with out-of-town guests. It is a great place to wander, and their material is usually fresh and interesting. The Skyspace installation is not to be missed. I am, admittedly, much more at home in a natural history museum than in an art museum. The Henry, however, does not have the pretentious air that some museums try to foster. Visitors are not warned at entrance "stand back, this is great art." Some of it is good, but no one would find all of it interesting--you can wander and find the things you like. And if you don't find anything, try again next month and you'll see something different. It is free to students from any high school or college (with ID) and kids. The $10 admission for everyone else is a bit more than one might expect, but it is still a good way to spend an afternoon. read more

Nice exhibitions on display, though kinda obsure and abstract. That's what art essentially means, isn't it? read more

Henry Art Gallery - Cool - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a great time at the Henry this afternoon! It is free on Sundays, so it's a fun low-cost way to entertain kids on a rainy day. It was easy to find street parking nearby. Our daughter is three and she really enjoyed it. Note that you have to put your backpacks/bags in a locker (they give you a quarter to "rent" one), because you can't bring them in. It's a fairly small museum, but it was the perfect amount of time with a kid in tow, any longer and our daughter would have been bored. Love the Cecilia Vicuña exhibit happening right now - you can walk into the colorful wool "forest" which was a big hit with our crew. There is a cafe inside but we didn't go in so I can't vouch for it - looks like they have coffee and snacks. Near the lobby they had some kids books set up with bean bag chairs so we spent some time reading and coloring postcards that were part of an interactive art project. Afterwards we had a nice walk through campus since the rain let up, all in all it was a great way to spend an afternoon! read more

The Henry seems much better at rotating exhibits than many other places and there's ALWAYS something different to see even if you go every few months. The Skyspace is awesome in a contemplative and humbling way and must be visited. Contemporary, cutting edge AND traditional rub elbows in fun ways here. read more

I saw the James Turrell exhibit there and it was pretty sweet. I haven't been back for anything else, but they did a great job with that exhibit. read more

I enjoy coming here during my class breaks when I get a chance. It's usually not too crowded and quiet. For the most part there'll be good exhibits that catch my eye every time I go in. I haven't been to any of their events yet, shame on me! I really enjoyed their poster sale and the James Turrell Skyspace is a lovely place to escape to. The staff are usually pretty nice and welcoming. read more

Decent art gallery. I went on one of the free first Thursdays and enjoyed it, but was glad I didn't pay for the experience. Lots of interesting modern art pieces, but there really wan't enough variety to keep my attention and interest. Probably only spent around 45 minutes going through the whole gallery. read more

I recommend the Henry both to locals and to visitors. You can get free admission by going on Thursday or by using the coupon from http://www.chinookbook.net. They regularly have innovative, interesting exhibits both by local people and by international artists. I'm not a huge gallery person in general, but there's more than enough here to interest someone who doesn't typically hang out at art galleries. The Skyspace is amazing. read more

On a beautiful Fall afternoon, I came here to check it out. We spent at least an hour...maybe two...watching the sky change. A special treat was when a plane went by. *sigh* read more

If only I still had a viable UW student ID. It was great getting into the Henry for free; they've had such interesting and cutting edge shows. They're regular collection is fairly small, but includes some nice paintings, but the big draw are the traveling exhibitions they bring in. Some of my favorites have included a show of new work by Chinese artists, including a giant house made from hair, I believe; and a "sound as art" exhibit with a long comfy mattress that had headphones stationed around it that played various art music/sounds. You could listen to the music while sitting or laying on the mattress. It was very experimental and very cool. I haven't had a chance to experience their most recent permanent installation, the SkySpace--it's the cylindrical shape that shows different colors of light, and it changes throughout the day--but I've heard great things about it. I also just checked their website and it looks they've got some great shows going on now, including films, pencil drawings, and an eclectic collection of individual pieces in multiple medias. A definite must for the art lover in Seattle. (and they have a nice cafe) read more

Henry Art Gallery - The Skyspace @ The Henry, by James Turrell - Art Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This gallery makes most all other university art galleries look crappy in comparison. Every time I have been though, they have great, innovative work being shown. I would rather go here than the Seattle Art Museum for the kind of quality work they show here...but that may be just me. read more

I'm a UW student so admission is always free for me: that's like automatically 2 or 3 stars right there! For the most part, I think the Henry Art Gallery's exhibitions are always rotating; the only permanent installation I've ever noticed is the Skyspace (duh), which--if you were stressed out with city life and just needed a quiet place to be and read or meditate--would be worth the price of admission itself! For those of you who don't know: the outside of the skyspace is that weird lit-up column in the pictures and the inside is this big, wood-paneled cylinder with one long continuous wooden bench lining the inside. On sunny days, the "lid" opens up and you get to just sit there in silence and look at the sky =) The exhibitions here never fail to amuse and delight me. When I was a freshman, they had Maya Lin's work sprawled across the gallery floor: thin wooden planks of wood undulating vertically almost from wall to wall. More recently, I almost walked into a display featuring a sequinned red chiffon couture gown that had been shredded and suspended in mid-air, looking like they were being sucked upwards. And there's usually something downstairs that's interactive. A few months ago, they had a wall COVERED with yellow/black bullseyes and they invited you to pick up a dart from the boxes near the exhibit and throw them at the dartboards. After that, in the same space, they had this crazy, ginormous, rotating mirror installation so you could just sit in front of it and watch your image be transformed over and over again. I'd say the only reason this gets one star off is that I wish there was more art to look at!: I'm not exactly an art connoisseur so unless I'm chilling in the Skyspace or in front of a trippy rotating mirror, I'm not going to spend more than a minute or two checking something out. I'd love to be able to spend hours in an art museum like at the SAM. But many I'm just being gluttonous. read more

In the entirety of my collegiate career at UW (which is a long time, but I digress...) I never went to the Henry Art Gallery. It seemed pretentious.... too cold, like I wouldn't enjoy it. So this past Sunday, I decided to suck it up and take a gander and check it out. First of all, to my surprise, it was free to get in! Yeah! Boeing has sponsored 80 days of free admission! Yeah for corporations supporting arts! Anyways, I really wanted to see an exhibit of photos of Spain, which I enjoyed thoroughly. The architecture of the building itself is gorgeous. The other exhibits were more on the modern side, which isn't so much my style, but I am sure there are people that enjoy. I was bummed as the cafe was closed, I really wanted to try it! Side note: aren't museums more enjoyable when it's quiet? There was a large group of people there that thought running down the stairs and yelling would be funny. This museum has high ceilings, so the sounds echoed x 100. But all in all it was enjoyable, FREE!, and I got to finally see a museum I neglected in my tenure as a Husky. read more

Thankfully we went on a free day, because this gallery is awful. The exhibits are sparse and not very interesting. Perhaps this place is too artistic for us, but we were disappointed with its offerings. read more

I really like what the Henry had when I went there. They had modern art exhibitions (as I think they always do). The pieces were provocative (edgy) and thought-provoking (clever). The vibe is countercultural, young, and irreverent - at least by the standards of a large and relatively ancient university. It's a nice contrast to the bureaucracy and general corporate-ness of the university as a whole. The pieces are generally well-executed yet accessible. The gallery seems to reflect the edgy aspects of the university and the University District. It's a nice representation of the sassy, cutting-edge approach the university and many of the students aspire to. read more

The Henry has a fantastic exhibition space and uses it well to showcase a wide variety of art, much of which is truly experimental -- smart instead of just shocking. The layout is really cool, too -- lots of nooks, crannies, and levels to explore. read more

The Henry is misleading and should not have the words "Art Gallery" after it. It could be the Henry Center for some progressive and regressive un-inspirational ideas that are suppose to be interactive but the interactive people don't show up - but they charge admission anyway. You are better off splashing in the rain, or looking at the public art or the stairs in the Foster school which is more exciting. read more

I'm just not a fan of contemporary art, so my review is clearly biased. I don't understand how someone can hang a few empty water bottles on a piece of string and call it art. I don't understand how someone can take some magazine photos and paint over it and call it art. I don't understand how a random slide show of Flickr photos is art. I just don't get. Then again, I'm not a visual artist. read more

The Henry Art Gallery was a great little surprise stop. I really liked that there was only three or four things to see. It made you actually stop and contemplate what you were seeing, instead of rushing around to make sure you saw everything. My favourite part though was the Skyspace so make sure you check this out. Bonus: on Sunday entry is by donation! *I found this place in the Wallpaper Guide to Seattle* read more

They were changing the downstairs exhibit, so we were let in for free. They had the student MFA and design projects showing, and they were really interesting to explore. It's a great art space, and worth stopping by when you're on the campus or in the area. read more

Not only were there like 6 rooms of stretched out panty hose, the staff followed us around like we were going to steal them! The white snow sculptures were kinda cool and creepy. All and all tho save your time and money. LAME read more

The curators do such an excellent job with every exhibition. They feature artists that are contemporary, interesting and important. It's no wonder they're located on a college campus - many people should see the art they show. Everything from Mark Rothko to Roy Lichentenstein - the gallery isn't afraid to do new, creative art (sound art) and also is established enough to have retrospectives. I love going here at any time - it is always great to see a show here and you instantly become inspired and inquistive. read more

Very modern art. Lots of "experience" pieces. Very odd, but interesting.

We discovered this amazing little spot in the middle of UW. We ran through a room filled with thousands of balloons, it was incredible!!!

The Henry is, I think, one of the premiere university art galleries in the country. They have some of the most interesting programming of anyone in town, excepting maybe the Frye, and aren't afraid to take risks in their displays. They've recently done exhibits focusing on webcomics, drug-addled installations, and other unique pieces that can inspire some really interesting commentary (or prompt a lot of puzzled "I don't get it?" stares, which is equally valid). The permanent Turrell skyspace is glorious, and the building itself is well-designed for both aesthetics and preserving the pieces. Should you ever get a chance to check out the collections in the basement, jump on that opportunity, because there is a hell of a lot of interesting work down there. But even if you never get to do that, come visit the Henry (free on Thursdays, and always free for students and UW staff!) and check out whatever new madness they've set up. read more

Perhaps it was just a slow month. I visited all the exhibit rooms, but saw little that inspired me or evoked an emotional response. If anything, most works were beautifully matted and framed. One annoying commonality was that most of the works had explanations posted next to them. Explaining art! Go figure. It's like explaining a joke: if you have to explain it, it's not a joke. For example: a series of small black and white photos of a street, taken in sequence, each taken when the photographer blinked, along with some hand-written notes. Or, a series of three large color prints of trees or forest (not obvious), each increasingly out of focus, "not evoking a point of focus." Or, a series of framed LP records of sound effects, interspersed with small black and white photos. Sorry, none of this did much for me. read more

I have so many great things to say about this place... where do I start? Awesome art... the art exhibitions are both captivating and fascinating. The artists are very diverse. The best time to visit is going to the Henry Open House. Visit the Henry Art Gallery website to find out when is the next open house. They have live music, food and free drinks. read more

Great for seeing contemporary art. To me SAM can be a little snoozy, I'd much rather spend an afternoon at the Henry. They also have a pretty good lecture series too. All I can say is, Just go! read more

Even the architecture and grounds are worth the visit. I would reserve a solid 5 hours there as a minimum and you can eat a fairly inexpensive in one of the. read more