• Visit
    • Museum Accessibility
    • Community Access
    • Group Visits and Tours
    • Programs
      • History Café
      • MOHAI Mercantile Literary Series
      • First Thursday
      • Denny Lecture
      • Al Young Educator of the Year
      • Everyday Heroes
    • MOHAI Mercantile
    • Gourmondo at MOHAI
  • Exhibits
  • Events
  • Collections and Research
    • Collections Search
    • Themed Collections
    • Research Library
    • Image Ordering
    • Donate an Artifact
    • Curator’s Fellowship
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Membership at MOHAI
    • Gift Memberships
    • Corporate Support
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • Self-Guided School Year Explorations
      • Creating Our Community
      • Cracking the History Code: Salish Stories
      • Cracking the History Code: Settling Around the Sound
      • Hands on History
      • Self-Guided Summer Field Trips
      • Homeschool Group
    • Portable Museum Program
    • Scholarships
    • Education FAQ
    • Primary Source Analysis
    • Online Curricula
    • Teen Programs
    • Idea Lab
    • Discovery Packs
    • Summer Camps
  • About
    • Annual Reports
    • The MOHAI Blog
    • Contact MOHAI
    • Opportunities
    • Leadership
    • Private Events
  • Donate
  • Tickets
  • Membership
HomeCollections and ResearchCollections Search

Collections Search

Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

Download lower resolution images directly from an item page. MOHAI offers high-resolution digital reproductions of photographs and other materials from our collections for personal and professional use.

We have many more items in our collections and not everything you see online is on view at the museum. We have additional materials online at the University of Washington’s Digital Collections.

MOHAI Statement on Harmful Content

Search by Collection

Not finding what you are looking for?
Ask the MOHAI Collections Staff

274 results for: Visual Arts

Share:
Image of Michael Spafford, 1983
Photograph

Michael Spafford, 1983

Michael Spafford (1935-2022) was a painter and a professor at the University of Washington School of Art. He moved to Seattle in 1963 when he accepted a position at UW, where he would teach until 1994. Spafford was an advocate for public art, and he was part of the campaign for requiring 1% of spending on public construction projects to…
ID Number:2000.107.286.04.01
Date:1983
Image of Artist Weldon Butler in his studio, Seattle, February 13, 2002
Photograph

Artist Weldon Butler in his studio, Seattle, February 13, 2002

Weldon Butler (1941-2019) began studying to become an artist when he was a teenager, looking at art at the local museum and training at Fleischer Art Memorial in Philadelphia. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1968 and studied art at Green River College before moving to Seattle in 1973, where he first showed his works at Bumbershoot and the…
ID Number:2000.107.2002.CD01.02.03.003
Date:2002
Image of Erhard Rom with model of scene from
Photograph

Erhard Rom with model of scene from "Manon Lescaut" on miniature Seattle Opera House stage, January 3, 1973

Erhard Rom became enamored with opera after seeing his first live performance at the age of eight. At home, he built a stage from a box and made paper figures to reenact the opera. Later, he created more sophisticated sets on a custom-made scale model of the Seattle Opera House, complete with dimmable stage lighting and battens for manipulating scenery.…
ID Number:2000.107.19730103.1.06
Date:1973
Image of Jacob Lawrence at Seattle Art Museum, December 15, 1974
Photograph

Jacob Lawrence at Seattle Art Museum, December 15, 1974

Painter Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was known for his portrayal of the African-American experience, using blacks and browns juxtaposed with vivid colors. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism," though by his own account the primary influence was not so much French art as the shapes and colors of Harlem. Lawrence also taught, and spent 15 years as a professor…
ID Number:2000.107.19741215.1.10
Date:1974
Image of Jacob Lawrence at Seattle Art Museum, December 15, 1974
Photograph

Jacob Lawrence at Seattle Art Museum, December 15, 1974

Painter Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was known for his portrayal of the African-American experience, using blacks and browns juxtaposed with vivid colors. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism," though by his own account the primary influence was not so much French art as the shapes and colors of Harlem. Lawrence also taught, and spent 15 years as a professor…
ID Number:2000.107.19741215.1.13
Date:1974
Image of Jacket designed by a
Photograph

Jacket designed by a "Friends of the Rag" artist, Seattle, December 11, 1975

In the early 1970s, a group of Seattle textile and fabric artists formed Friends of the Rag, dedicating themselves to pushing the boundaries of what women and men might wear. In the 1970s and 1980s, the growing group appeared at events around Seattle, from art openings to philanthropic benefits. One outfit might be made from rubber and window screening, and…
ID Number:2000.107.19751200.2.12
Date:1975
Image of Cape designed by a
Photograph

Cape designed by a "Friends of the Rag" artist, Seattle, December 1975

In the early 1970s, a group of Seattle textile and fabric artists formed Friends of the Rag, dedicating themselves to pushing the boundaries of what women and men might wear. In the 1970s and 1980s, the growing group appeared at events around Seattle, from art openings to philanthropic benefits. One outfit might be made from rubber and window screening, and…
ID Number:2000.107.19751200.2.18
Date:1975
Image of Students with disabilities from Lowell Elementary visiting Seattle Art Museum, May 24, 1977
Photograph

Students with disabilities from Lowell Elementary visiting Seattle Art Museum, May 24, 1977

A group of students with disabilities from Lowell Elementary School visited the Northwest Indian exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum in May 1977, shortly after the museum was renovated to be accessible to wheelchair users. The children also used tricycles, carts, and walkers, in addition to wheelchairs, to get around.This image shows a few of the students looking at a…
ID Number:2000.107.19770524.1.15
Date:1977
Image of Docent Evelyn Klebanoff showing Indian mask to child in wheelchair, May 24, 1977
Photograph

Docent Evelyn Klebanoff showing Indian mask to child in wheelchair, May 24, 1977

A group of students with disabilities from Lowell School visited the Northwest Indian exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum in May 1977, shortly after the museum was renovated to be accessible to wheelchair users. The children also used tricycles, carts, and walkers, in addition to wheelchairs, to get around.This image shows a student named Miriam holding a moon mask with…
ID Number:2000.107.19770524.1.29
Date:1977
Image of Madame Lazonga, tattoo artist, Seattle, February 7, 1978
Photograph

Madame Lazonga, tattoo artist, Seattle, February 7, 1978

In 1972, a young Seattle woman began learning tattooing from shop owner C.J. (Danny) Denzl. Adopting the name Vyvyn Lazonga, she and Denzl became known for their original designs. At a time when men dominated both the trade and its clientele—and standard stencils were more common than custom artwork—Lazonga drew increasing attention for her own tattoos and her work with…
ID Number:2000.107.19780207.1.35
Date:1978
Previous 1 … 15 16 17 18 19 … 28 Next

Land Acknowledgement

MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
  • Plan a Visit
  • Directions and Parking
  • Accessibility
  • Group Tours
  • About

Sign up to Receive our Newsletter

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright 2026, Museum of History & Industry. All Rights Reserved