A LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY

The Henry has championed new artists and new work since our doors opened in 1927 as the first art museum in the state of Washington. During fiscal year 2022 we advanced our mission to engage all people in the transformative power of contemporary art and ideas through a robust roster of exhibitions, programs, and collaborations with regional partners—onsite, online, and in our community.

Our commitment to international artists regularly brings cultural diversity to the region. This year’s exhibitions presented works by 32 artists from countries including Bolivia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Syria, Turkey, and the United States. We launched a program to bring art to public spaces with Bodies of Discovery—Naomi Fisher: Thermodynamic Flower, presented in downtown Seattle’s Occidental Square. A focus on the creation of new work, as well as a balanced offering of art by established and emerging artists, resulted in a rich exhibitions program that presented varied perspectives and viewpoints.

To generate new scholarship and provide lasting records of our artistic program, we initiated the production of publications for many of our exhibitions, that feature scholarly essays, artist interviews, and interpretive materials alongside images of work installed in our galleries. These free brochures accompanied the following exhibitions: Elaine Cameron-Weir: STAR CLUB REDEMPTION BOOTH; Gary Simmons: The Engine Room; Diana Al-Hadid: Archive of Longings; and Packaged Black: Derrick Adams and Barbara Earl Thomas.

Our holdings of over 28,000 objects were enhanced by 87 gifts, including works by Marsha Burns, Elaine Cameron-Weir, Sue de Beer, Luis Gispert, Gary Hill, Eirik Johnson, Akio Takamori, and Barbara Earl Thomas. We highlighted works from the collection in Viewpoints, our series of presentations (onsite and online) pairing objects from our holdings with commentary by University of Washington faculty, students, staff, and members of our community.

Over 70 public and education programs hosted artists, musicians, poets, performers, scholars, and writers. We continued to focus on collaborative program development— working with 34 UW partners and 39 regional organizations to create meaningful engagements across campus and beyond. Throughout the year, we also continued our efforts to shape an equitable organization, diversifying our staff and board, and inviting a broad range of voices into our artistic program and collection.

All of us at the Henry are steadfast in our belief that the art being made at this time will help us understand our changing world. While the Henry is small enough to be nimble, we are large enough to be bold. We are grateful for the support of our members, patrons, UW colleagues, artists, peers, and friends who share our vision of a world where art leads everyone to discover new possibilities in themselves, others, and the world around them.

Thank you!

SYLVIA WOLF John S. Behnke Director