2011 Architecture for Art
September 30-December 10, 2011
Reception: Thursday, September 29, 6 pm, Lecture: 7 pm in CUB Auditorium
The Museum of Art/WSU is proud to present a career overview of one of the Northwest’s most significant architects, Jim Olson.
Olson has long been inspired by the relationship of architecture, art and nature. A primary focus of his work is creating residences for major art collectors. The interplay between interior space for display and exterior view is a signature element in Olson’s design approach. A graduate of the University of Washington department of Architecture, Jim established his own firm in Seattle in 1966 and the office has since grown into a diverse practice with an international reputation, now known as Olson Kundig Architects. Jim was the recipient of the 2007 Seattle American Institute of Architects Medal of Honor, and the firm won the National AIA Firm of the Year Award in 2009. Along with Olson’s numerous built designs for major art collectors around the world, is the recently opened “Lightcatcher Building” for the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington.
The exhibition features projects from as early as 1959, presented through drawings, models, plans and photographs, and a specially built “ideal room” so our visitors can experience Olson’s architecture first-hand. Along with the projects themselves, the exhibition explores the wide range of artistic, cultural, natural and personal influences, which have made the architect so eagerly sought out by clients all over the world.