Gage Academy Welcomes New SLU Campus

Gage Academy of Arts closed their North Capitol Hill doors this year and moved into a new, improved, and larger space in South Lake Union. The move to South Lake Union (SLU) hopefully reduces the barrier that potential students may have from geographical isolation. The new campus provides a more central location relative to the rest of Seattle than its previous spot—new students will have easier access to art classes. While the move mostly benefits those from the North and West sides of Seattle, the Georgetown campus location has not changed and is a great option for those on the South end of the city.

 Morning Light (2024) by Larine Chung and Day Over Night (after Fragonard) (2021) by Kimberly Trowbridge

The Evergreen Echo

The first reactions to the campus were nothing short of inviting. On the day of the campus grand opening, entering the new space through the colorful balloon arch were two contrasting styles of paintings. Morning Light (224) by Larine Chung and Day Over Night (after Fragonard) (2021) by Kimberly Trowbridge, were framed perfectly by the doors as the first pieces in the space within an art-filled foyer. Chung crafts a realistic oil on canvas painting of a human skull politely staring out a sun-filled window while sitting on top of a cabinet. The skull brings an old, macabre concept into a modern, ordinary setting, and its morbidity is dulled by the freeing light of the outdoors and a green house plant thriving above the bones. 

Next to the realistic painting hangs Trowbridge’s work of heavenly and earthly human forms almost dancing with each other around the frame. Under the arm of a heavenly, womanly figure is possibly an infant in a cloudy cradle. Looking closer at the painting and color blocks, there are large brush striation patterns within each shade, all in a vertical direction. Trowbridge’s brush stroke technique makes each color block appear as if each shade of color was one bold stroke when looking from afar. 

Within the foyer were more paintings along the wall and an open display of a bronze sculpture series by Michael Magrath from 2008 and beyond. (Magrath is one of the atelier directors who teaches at the Georgetown location.) The row of four sculptures were reminiscent of Roman statues that were made to ideal proportions with little abstraction. This attention to human features were seen throughout the campus as displayed works and within the studios. In the classical studio specifically, guests were greeted by a wall of white clay busts and statues. Within some studios were tables set with display lighting accentuating the sharp edges of a bust. Additionally, a horse skeleton has been a widely studied subject and particularly showcased the students’ mastery of light and shadow.

Aside from human forms as subjects, Mark Kang-O’Higgins—one of the atelier directors at Gage SLU—has been inspired lately by the silent and deadly owl. Kang-O’Higgins mentions that the owl inspires him because of how they see and perceive the world. Owls see in UV, and if you don’t know what that looks like, just look at one of Lindberg’s paintings. Be they works-in-progress or finished-but-unhung pieces, owls were strewn across his studio. Whether an owl was static, caught in a stare standoff, or in flight, Lindberg’s take on viewing life from the perspective of an owl is enchanting and stimulating to say the least. Lindberg would describe it almost as a “disco.” 

Classroom at Gage Academy-SLU / The Evergreen Echo

The art across the Gage campus was done by either students or teachers. While the space has made large bounds on their gallery setting, they also made amazing upgrades to their student areas. There are multiple libraries throughout the floors, common spaces for small and large groups, and there are more classrooms to better accommodate current and future students. During the grand opening event, one of the larger art classrooms housed a live model where guests and students were welcome to paint as if they were attending one of Gage’s figure drawing classes held multiple times a week. 

Through the upgrades to showcase past work or the future of students, Gage has put considerable investments with their partners in this monumental change, and it’ll be exciting to see what is in store from Gage and the student showcases expected to happen in their new school year. The Academy annually serves over 3,000 students across their programs and summer camps for youth and adult divisions with a wide range of levels within the industry, from hobbyist to professional artist searching for more.

There are many artists who have come out of art schools. And there are also artists without formal training. Art schools are great resources to experiment with a variety of skills and hone in on certain styles of art. While they can be expensive, Gage’s partners support artistic learning by sponsoring students through many scholarships. It continues to help art grow within the Puget Sound, and it’s appreciated that the school breaks down barriers to access art for artists and art appreciators with a more centralized location, inspiring space, and financial assistance to programs.

Thank you, Gage Academy, for opening your new doors!