24 Artists | U of W Art Grads '73-'78

By chance or destiny, occasionally a group of individuals are intertwined for a common purpose. This is the case when, in the mid-1970s, the UW School of Art produced a wealth of very talented art graduates. A recognition of these artists, and their continued work to stimulate and help grow the art community in Seattle, will take place in an exhibition at West Canal Yards from November 7-28, 2026.  Before graduation these aspiring artists found community with each other but, more importantly, many chose to stay in the Seattle area afterward. They found studio spaces, began to work, exhibit, teach, branch out into other community endeavors, and soon became the guiding spirit for the region’s art community. The Exhibition opens on Saturday, Nov. 7, 3-5:00,  and runs from Nov. 7th-28th.

The exhibition, “50 Years of Grit: Still Setting a Precedent,” celebrates 24 artists who have devoted themselves to the belief that art matters, and whose work over the years often set a precedent.  Each artist will display a representative body of work indicating the scope and standard that this group set for themselves. A 36-page catalog with an introduction by Regina Hackett accompanies the exhibition.

The artists, all of whom graduated between 1973-1978, are: Linda Beaumont, Keith Beckley, Carol Benson, Jeffrey Bishop, Carl T. Chew, Dennis Evans, Claudia Fitch, Isabel Hamilton, David Kane, Andy Keating, Michael Knutson, Carolyn Law, Michael Lucero, Sherry Markovitz, Stephen McClelland, Gene Gentry McMahon, Nancy Mee, Peter Millett, Virginia Paquette, Mary Ann Peters, Norie Sato, Greg Skinner, Barbara Earl Thomas, and Preston Wadley. Their presence in our region’s art community from the mid -1970s onward created a much-needed critical mass of a younger group of artists which helped to fuel commercial galleries, artist-run exhibition spaces and projects, museums, publications, bookstores, public art, schools and other aspects vital to the art community. Many of these artists also worked directly to create and expand opportunities for other artists, younger artists, institutions, and their community.  Beyond just making their own work in their studios, their influences and contributions outside the studio continue to be valuable here today.