Frye Art Museum

Frye Art Museum Review

The Frye was a forgotten museum for a while, frequented only by Seattleites who would come to visit their favorite paintings from the permanent collection—mostly 19th- and 20th-century pastoral scenes. But a new curator shook the Frye out of its torpor, and now, in addition to its beloved permanent collection, this elegant building hosts eclectic and often avant-garde rotating exhibits. Past shows have included "The Old, Weird America: Folk Themes in Contemporary Art," surveying folk themes in recent art; a large collection of pieces from illustrator Henry Darger's mad-genius, 15,000-page, unpublished manuscript; an exhibition exploring the imagery of puppets through the work of 29 artists; and a retrospective of works from the Leipzeig Art Academy. No matter what's going on in the stark, brightly lighted back galleries, it always seems to blend well with the permanent collection, which occupies two hushed and elegant galleries with velvet couches and dark-blue and purple walls.

Highlights

Charles and Emma Frye amassed a huge collection of late-19th- and early-20th-century European, particularly German, paintings. Their core collection is particularly strong on the Munich Secession artists and includes Sin by Franz von Stuck. There isn't nearly enough room for all 232 paintings, so the founding collection is rotated regularly.

In addition, the Frye's permanent collection features paintings by American artists, including Albert Bierstadt, William Merritt Chase, and John H. Twachtman. One of the Frye's most successful shows linked the German Secession to its American counterparts.

Perhaps because of the challenges of integrating such a conservative collection with avant-garde contemporary works, the Frye excels at providing context for its shows. Supplemental materials are clear and accessible.

Tips

The museum is small enough that you can move through it in an hour, but you could easily spend more time here, too.The café, which has a small courtyard and larger entrées in addition to sandwiches and sweets, is a local favorite. It has free Wi-Fi access.The Frye is best midweek. Because of its size, weekend crowds can overwhelm the space and detract from its charm.The museum store carries clever and arty items designed and crafted by students from The Center School, a public high school in Queen Anne with an arts-focused curriculum. Public and private tours are available, including "Tea and Tours" every Tuesday during the first four weeks of a new show, in which visitors can discuss what they've seen over tea in the café with Frye curators. And Art Talks is a popular lecture series led by curators and artists.Download podcasts on exhibits past and present at fryemuseum.org/podcasts.