We will build a gallery show....before your very eyes! A live drawing event featuring original, on-the-spot artwork created by Seattle's Bureau of Drawers.  Watch as blank walls fill with all new art from the talented hands of a dozen artists.  All art for sale, don't miss it! [..]

It's our 3rd Anniversary show and we are welcoming back some of our favorite artists for this group exhibition!  Also, to help ring in the 3rd year, we are bringing back the boys of Duck Ugly to bust out some awesome live silk screen t-shirt printing which will benefit Skateistan , a really cool non-profit.  In the spirit of the giving season, we will have a drop box for Toys For Tots so please bring an unwrapped toy for a little kiddie in need.  You may also find some holiday treats laying around:) [..]

A multi-media art exhibit by Electric Coffin is sure to light up your Friday evening.  They will illuminate Urban Light Studios this month as they explore pop culture with old fashioned signage!  So bring your shades cause your gonna be...blinded by the light, revved up....!  You should also think about bringing a t-shirt that you might need spiffed up because we are going to have the boys from Duck Ugly doing live silk screen printing...that's right art walkers!  If all of your shirts are already badass, it's cool because these boys are prepared with t-shirts for purchase! [..]

This show is going to be one of the most amazing exhibitions ever!  A mixture of 40 different artists coming together to blow your ever-loving mind completely out of the water!  Swing by our "mad mad MAD show" world and roam around inside the pages of MAD Magazine and enjoy some free tacos courtesy of Camarena Tequila Taco Truck!

Last year we were so incredibly honored to come in third place for Best Venue in Western Washington! After only being open for a few months, those kudos meant so much to us! Now, almost 100 events later, we are asking you to vote for us this year in our valiant (and shameless) attempt to lock down first place! Gold Medal! Blue Ribbon! You get the drift. Voting only takes a few seconds and we would be so happy if you aided in our efforts to take the category! You can vote here until October 9th. Thanks! [..]

Are you afraid of the dark?  Well, if you are....GET OVER IT and swing by the Greenwood Collective this Friday August 12th! We are going to be featuring glow-in-the-dark art by several different artists....yes, you read this correctly, art that glows in the dark!  And, as if that isn't enough, Seattle Summer Streets will keep the party rolling at 10pm with live bands, amazing games, farmers market, aerial acrobats and so much more!  Get your glow on!!!! [..]

You like us, you really like us!!  The ULS team was thrilled to be part of a special evening last night hosted by Seattle Bride Magazine honoring their Best of 2011.  To our delight and surprise we were not only a finalist in the Best New Venue category, but we took home a special Editors Pick(!) award for venue with the “Funkiest Photo Ops”.  Amid all the excitement, an additional award was nearly mistakenly claimed by an un-named ULS team member (with a seasonal name) due to an unfortunate yet comical mishearing incident.

Be sure to pick up the beautiful Seattle Bride Best of 2011 issue on stands Friday and thank you hugely to Kate and everyone at Seattle Bride, as well as all of you who voted!

We will build a gallery show before your very eyes!  That’s right, a live drawing event featuring original, on-the-spot artwork created by Seattle’s bureau of drawers.  Watch as blank walls fill with all new art from the talented hands of twenty artists!  All art for sale!  Most importantly….DON’T MISS IT!!!

It’s all in the title.  Potluck style, so not only do we have over 35 artists participating in this show that have really let their culinary creative juices flow with their pieces, but they will also be bringing a little tasty treat.  This show has another purpose: a food drive for the Greenwood Food bank.  So if you decide to come, which you should cause it’s going to be flippin awesome, try and bring a non-perishable food item with ya!  This art walk is also known as The Big Art Walk because it’s not just Friday night the 13th, but Saturday afternoon (noon until 5) the 14^th as well!

We had the amazing sultry paintings of Casey Brookbush, we had the silky smooth silk-screen music posters by Sasha Barr and Frida Clements, we had the tantalizing tunes of Gabriel Mintz, we had the liquid grapes of Bear Flag Wine, we had the…..well, EVERYTHING at this art walk!  It was colorful, it was moving, it was full of talent and it will be remembered as one of the best shows.

Buckle your art walk seatbelts because this show is going to be quite the ride!  We are featuring three amazing artists this month. Casey Brookbush (www.caseybrookbush.com) will be showing his captivating, sultry paintings in our downstairs studio space with DJ Ben Shelton spinning. Frida Clements (www.drawntotheleft.com), senior graphic designer for Seattle Theatre Group and Sasha Barr (www.thisisthenewyear.com), a master of the silk screen art will both be showing their music posters upstairs. Make sure to stay for our special musical guest “Mintz Meat," who will be going on at 9pm to further entertain us and as always…wine tasting from Bear Flag!  Seriously, you have to come to this art walk

It’s all in the title – this show is going to be a robotic and beastly artistic battle! Curated by ULS regular, Nick Beery, Bots vs. Beasts features artwork by 30 different artists from as far away as Norway.  There’s something for everyone in this one and all you Star Wars fans out there are especially not going to want to miss this.   And we welcome the fine wine of Bear Flag, once again.

Ahh February, the month of Love.  The perfect month for these artists because a lot of love went into all of their pieces and people couldn’t help but love them.  Sarah Miles stole everyone’s heart with her colorful and whimsical creatures.  Grace Willard dazzled the eyes of art walkers with her intricate papier mache pieces and Chris Allman piqued curiosity with his unique and clever nature pieces.  Top all of this off with some delicious wine courtesy of Bear Flag Wine…served from a custom "sheet fort" installed as part of Sarah's show.  It is safe to say that February’s Art Walk was down right lovable.

Colorful, cute creatures, woodland sculptures and intricate papier mache framed pieces  - this is the beginning taste of tomorrow’s art walk!  We are super excited to be welcoming back one of our favorite artists, Sarah Miles and opening our ULS arms to two new artists, Chris Allman and Grace Willard, that are sure to please!  Last but not least we will have Toby with Bear Flag Wine here again to serve up some wine tasting!  Come on by!

Whether flames and famous faces are your thing or custom painted kitchen mixers or hand painted silk tapestries and flowing fashion…you lucked out and found all three at January’s art walk at ULS.  Mike Lavallee with Killer Paint has a steady and unique hand with airbrush art and an amazing ability to capture famous faces and put a hardcore twist to them.  Nicole Dinardo, also with Killer Paint, has chosen Kitchen Aid mixers as her masterpeices.  She tricks these mixers out and believe us, they are irresistible!  Rodger Scheibner displayed amazing hand painted shawls and tapestries on silk and velvet upstairs, along with his full fashion collection.  Also a BIG shout out to our gracious wine host, Toby with Bear Flag Wine…..thanks for servin up some tasty tannins! [..]

Amazing looking show going up right now (including the hood of a car) for Art Walk tomorrow.   Mike Lavallee and Nicole Dinardo come from the auto custom paint world and have applied their techniques into some gorgeous art pieces.  Mike is famous for his incredibly realistic “True Fire” flames he has painted on the rides of celebrities like Jesse James.  And Nicole does amazing work custom paint work on, you ready?, kitchen mixers, among other things.  Be sure to check out “Custom Culture to Kitchen Couture” this Friday 6-10p.

December’s art walk brought us a dark twist on an innocent childhood favorite, excellent wine and awesome photography from the UW Photography program graduates.  Mingling art-walkers found themselves taken hostage by the boys who inhabit “Pulp Street”  while sipping on some delicious wine from our gracious sponsor, Bear Flag Wine.  The Bert and Ernie versions of Vincent Vega and Jewels from Pulp Fiction by artist Nick Beery were quite the attraction.  Although intimidating, they were very friendly and great sports when people asked to have a picture with them.

Once again, another successful and delightfully bizarre art walk at ULS!

ULS is proud to host the Seattle Professional Photographers Association holiday party coming up on Dec 7.  Dozens of local photographers will be joining us for a shoot around in our different studios along with refreshments and industry networking.   For tickets and more information visit thinksppa.org

That's pretty much the only word to describe last Friday night - huge crowds, amazing shows - great time.  ULS featured "Happy Little Trees", a group tribute to Bob Ross and his legendary afro by 15 different artists.   Thanks to all our artists and to Solace for putting together a killer show.    Bherd next door featured the intricately hung "Take 5" and there was the grand opening of our newest gallery Echo Echo to great fanfare. 

Check out some video below shot by Jan Klier (allklier.com) Next art walk is Dec 10 - see you then!


[..]

We've been named the #3 Venue in Western Washington by the King 5/Evening Magazine viewers poll!  That's #3 out of of 76 nominated venues and the only top 3 venue in the Seattle area.  Thanks a ton to all of you who voted.   We'll keep cranking out the wicked rad events and if you want to check us out for your next private soiree, contact us or come on by for one of our fabulous 2nd Friday Art Walks.

Here's the final results page.



[..]

We welcomed Colcorado based photographer David Tejada as our featured speaker for the first ULS Photographer Networking Evening last week.  There was a great turnout of Seattle photographers (and some from Canada) who had a chance to talk shop with colleagues, as well as learn from David.  His presentation focused on his extensive use of off camera speedlights for location photography.  David shared all sorts of tricks and techniques with the crowd, and then hosted a following day workshop where 10 photographers were able to work 1 on 1 with him.  We're pleased to have David as a friend of ULS and look forward to welcoming him back in the future.

We had a great response to our Photographer Networking Evening and will look to get another one scheduled soon, so stay tuned.  Feel free to email us if you would like to be included on our invite list. [..]

We are pleased to welcome David Tejada as the featured speaker in the first in a series of Photographer Networking Socials at ULS, Aug 18 at 7p.  David is a highly regarded Denver based commercial photographer well known within the national photographic community for his "Small Strobes, Big Results" website and workshop series.  He will give a slide show presentation of his work and discuss his transition to using small strobes for all assignment work.  Stick around afterward for refreshments and a chance to network with other photographers and explore our studio.

This event is free, tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis.  Please email info@urbanlightstudios.com for tickets.   Some spaces may also be available in David's day workshop at our studio on Aug 19, see davidtejada.com for details. [..]

Why yes, that is a gallery in our gallery.   June brought us "Free Life Center" - an arts grant funded touring gallery and exhibition.  Yes, a touring gallery.   Portland artists Seth Neefus and Mark Warren Jaques created a modular art gallery structure out of salvaged materials.  They then set out on a journey through the US and Canada with their gallery and artwork towed beind them.  We were priviliged to be their only Seattle stop as the structure was constructed inside our Main Space for a one night show, then disassembled and gone less than 24 hours later.   All were treated to an especially unique evening of art and music, including a rousing musical set by the Lonesome Billies. [..]

The May Annual Art Walk was our grandest affair yet!  Featuring the endearing artwork of Calamity Jon Morris, the music of Squirrel Butter, and Titianium Sporkestra - YES - a marching band which paraded our hallways, each of the hundreds of visitors seemed to have a smile on their face.  One bewildered first time visitor told us "I feel like I've discovered a secret magical land" and another compared the crowds on Greenwood Ave during the Art Walk to navigating Bourbon Street.  The Greenwood-Phinney art scene is definitely in full force. 

Thanks to all of our artists - Dalton Webb, Justin Ison, Tom Dougherty, to our house DJs, Bobby Trendy, for the beats and all of our old and new friends.  We'll see you next month - June 11, 6-10p for "Free Life Center", a special travelling gallery show out of Portland making a Seattle stop for one night only. [..]

It’s all in the title.  Potluck style, so not only do we have over 35 artists participating in this show that have really let their culinary creative juices flow with their pieces, but they will also be bringing a little tasty treat.  This show has another purpose: a food drive for the Greenwood Food bank.  So if you decide to come, which you should cause it’s going to be flippin awesome, try and bring a non-perishable food item with ya!  This art walk is also known as The Big Art Walk because it’s not just Friday night the 13th, but Saturday afternoon  (noon until 5) the 14^th as well!