The art that makes up the Festival’s exhibition is eclectic and dynamic. Each year we invite artists and sex positive luminaries to share their thoughts about erotic art. Each tour offers you the chance to see the art in a different light, either from trivia about the artists, having a discussion, or seeing how it inspires other works of art.
After perusing our tour guide bios, please go to the Festival Schedule for exact timing. Most tours start at the Docent table outside of the Festival store at half past the hour. Remember, you are always welcome to join a tour in progress. The more, the merrier when it comes to enjoying art! Purchase your tickets online now.
Your Guides–
Anna R Hurwitz joined SEAF as a juror and ended up becoming the Founding Festival Director (2002-2010). She recently stepped down as Outreach & Development Director for Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) and is volunteering as the CoCA Archives Project Director while contemplating her next big art adventure. Anna will be focussing on the more interactive works of art in the Festival.
Jim Duvall is one of our Masters of Erotic Art and a founder of the Seattle Erotic Art Festival and the Center for Sex Positive Culture. As an sexuality activist and educator, Jim endeavors to create art that gives people the opportunity to confront and examine their ideas of all aspects of human sexuality. Jim invites you on an “art walk with a curmudgeon.”
Flynn Bickley is a Seattle based queer/trans doll and mixed media artist and is a current member of the Gay City Arts Curating Council. The Gay City Arts Showcase at the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival is a group of Queer (and beyond) artists speaking their erotic truths. Join Flynn for a tour of the art that makes up this amazing Showcase and hear the story of its curation.
Sophia Iannicelli wants to use art to move people past tolerance into acceptance of the beautiful diversity of sexual expression. Sophia is an avid art collector and the Executive Director of the Foundation for Sex Positive Culture. Sophia will share behind-the-scenes stories of how certain pieces of art got in the Festival.
Daniel McGlothlen is the photographer/rigger-of-men at Visiblerestraint.com. He was a founder/facilitator of the No Safeword Writers’ Group. He was a SEAF juror in 2012 and a SEAF performance artist at the 2005 and 2012 festivals. He was SEAF’s official caterer for four of the festival’s first five years. He is on the board of directors of the Center for Sex Positive Culture and is an occasional educator for the Foundation for Sex Positive Culture. He and his husband Craig collect art and cats in their little home in southeast Seattle.
We usually think of consent as black and white. Do you have consent or not? But it’s not that easy. Images from the Seattle Erotic Art Festival show us the many shades of gray that come with consent. Join Susan Wright, spokesperson for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom on a visual tour of erotic art and consent.
The Writer’s Wanderlust tour is curated and hosted by Terry Johnson, Festival Literary Artist Alumni. Festival 2016 and Guest Literary Artists are invited to view the exhibition art prior to the Festival. The inspired writings of these viewings make up the spoken word performances of these tours.
Allena Gabosch has been purchasing art since she helped start the Festival in 2003. She is an eclectic collector and is attracted to odd and unusual themes and bright colors. Join Allena for a tour of the most unusual pieces of the 2016 Festival.
Damon Buxton is an American contemporary classical acoustic guitarist and composer. He uses silent spaces, open tunings, natural reverb, and double picking to create a beautifully sparse and resonant sound. Damon will be sharing music he wrote in response to one the invited artists and his thoughts on how collecting art enriches one’s life.
Michelle Sullivan & Charles “Dave” Kneller of the 2016 Visual Art Jury will take you on a tour of the exhibition after the Jury Discussion Panel. Each with a strong academic background in art, Michelle and Dave are excited to share some historical perspective when viewing pieces in the exhibition.
Rose Adare, the evocative artist and curator of the Adare Experience presents classical portraits of inspiring counterculture icons challenging everything from love, sex, and gender, to body image and personal expression. Join Rose for an in depth look at this rich and powerful showcase.
Raul Aguilar is a Festival artist who will talk about how art can be a tool for the creation of erotic space, both physical and emotional. Raul is a self-taught artist born in Mexico City. Raul lived in San Francisco for many years before moving to Seattle in 2016. His work has been described as “something out of a fairy tale. Sweet and strange, lively and gloomy”. His works have been exhibited at Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California and Museo del Barrio in New York City.
Sally Mikulas-Serletti is a Festival artist who will be focusing on art that celebrates the erotic life of people who are differently-abled.