Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation — E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly
While you should feel free to peruse all of the amazing art on your own, we highly encourage you to take part in one (or many!) of our guided art tours. SEAF 2017 art tours are led by carefully selected artists/art enthusiasts who take you on a journey throughout the festival, viewing art through their personal “lens”— political, frugal, humorous, etc. By the time you’ve completed your tour, you’ll find that with erotic art, there’s more than meets the eye. Learn more about our art tours below, then take a look at our Festival Schedule to plan out your itinerary. Note: all tours start at the Art Buyer’s Lounge, in front of the Festival Store.
Friday Art Tours
Mariah Carle, a portrait and boudoir photographer who flits between New Orleans, LA and Oakland, CA, will grace us with two art tours Friday night:
- “If I had $1500, what art would I purchase from SEAF?”. Perfect for our attendees looking for a great deal on art, or those that are new to art buying. 7:30pm
- “Little Black Dress: traveling through how I created it and why”. In this tour, Mariah will guide you through an intensive study of her work “Little Black Dress”. 9pm
Friday and Saturday Art Tours
Andi S. is a Seattle local and three-time SEAF participant. They identify as genderqueer, and hopes to continue to broaden and educate others on the importance of non-binary folks and inclusion through their art tours Friday and Saturday night:
- Trans and non-binary representation in art: Tour the pieces of art that Andi feels represent the trans* and non-binary community, while sharing what they know from the artists and their own identity. Andi will highlight the importance of trans* and non-binary art and what it means to have all persons represented and included. Friday at 7pm/Saturday at 1pm
Terry Johnson is a poet and painter. Each year, Terry gathers literary artists and gives them a preview of the visual art. From this preview, each author or poet creates a literary companion to pieces of visual art.
- Writers Wanderlust – Spoken-word Guided Art Tour: Spoken word performances by Festival 2017 and Guest Literary Artists, inspired by the exhibition art. Starting at the Literary Lair. Friday at 6:30pm & 8:30pm/Saturday at 2:30pm, 5:30pm & 7:30pm
Saturday Art Tours
Cynthia Linet is a prolific political artist who “uses her talents to advance the causes she holds most dear”. She is known for her works “The Gun Show” and “Erotica Through the Ages”, now showing at A/NT Gallery in Seattle Center. Cynthia will guide us through a well-timed tour Saturday:
- View art through the lens of a political activist, and learn how politics and society are interwoven in this year’s erotic art. 2pm
Sophia Iannicelli is the Festival Director and the Executive Director of the foundation for Sex Positive Culture. Sophia has been working with artists of all stripes in many different disciplines since 1999. Sophia uses she/her pronouns.
- Tour the the pieces that captured the Director’s attention. Sophia will share stories behind the creation or selection of some of the art in this year’s exhibition. 4:30pm
Lee Worthy is an art photographer, focused on unique portrait photography. This is Lee’s second year in the Seattle Erotic Art Festival.
- Lee shares thoughts on his creative process and the stories behind his art in the show. 6:30pm
Peter, aka “Mr. Big”, is a Seattle resident and lifetime disability advocate. He served on this year’s Visual Art Jury, and is a sex-positive educator, performer, and longtime SEAF fan. Check out his tour Saturday night:
- Focus on the intersection of disability and sexuality in this year’s erotic art, and learn more about the considerations around the topic. 8pm
Festival Docents are the dedicated volunteers who spend numerous hours learning about the art featured in the Seattle Erotic Art Festival.
- Learn fun facts about the artists and stories of the jury process. 9:00pm
Sunday Art Tours
David Steinberg, photographer for the well-known porn site Kink.com, joins us for an interesting tour Sunday afternoon:
- Learn more about The Intimate Kink.com, a revealing, sexy, and entertaining overview of a world of surprising intimacy, tenderness, intensity, and full-on absurdity. 12:30pm
The 2017 Visual Art Jury
- Continue the conversation of the jury’s thoughts on the selected pieces of the accepted art in the festival. 1:45pm
Allena Gabosch, an active and founding member of the sex-positive movement, educator, and speaker, will guide us on a tour exploring the lighter side of erotic art:
- Humor and eroticism go hand in hand and some of our artists have created art that is both sexy and funny. Join Allena Gabosch for a tour of the funniest art at this year’s festival. 3pm
