Skip to main content

Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest

Mar 5–Aug 2 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Special Exhibition

Drift No. 2, 1936, Malcolm M. Roberts, American, 1913-1990, tempera on board, 25 1/2 x 20 5/8 in., Seattle Art Museum, Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection, 37.103, © Malcolm M. Roberts, photo: Scott Leen.

In the early 20th century, the Puget Sound was home to a highly progressive artistic and cultural scene, shaped by the region’s rapid urbanization, its singular natural environment, and its orientation to the Pacific Rim. This generative milieu was fertile ground for four well-known artists—Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Morris Graves, and Mark Tobey—whose shared admiration for the Pacific Northwest landscape and perceived alignment with Asian and Northwest Coast Native cultures won them the title of “Mystics” of a Northwest school of modernism. But these artists are only part of the fascinating history of modern art in the Pacific Northwest. This exhibition retells the story of Northwest Modernism to reveal its range, complexity, and significance within the context of American Modernism.

Indeed, at once dynamic and transnational, Northwest Modernism was resonant with artistic developments nationally, yet collectively attuned to the distinct and palpable character of home. Featuring over 150 works by artists ranging from Graves, Callahan, Anderson, and Tobey to Marsden Hartley, Georgia O’Keeffe, Salvador Dalí, and Yves Tanguy, the exhibition uncovers the variety of styles, subjects, ideas, and exploits of this exciting moment in American art history.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue authored by Theresa Papanikolas, SAM’s Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art.

Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest was organized by the Seattle Art Museum.

Presenting Sponsor

4 Culture

Major Sponsors
Bette and David Sprague Exhibition Endowment
Wyeth Foundation for American Art

Supporting Sponsor
The Twining Humber Fund

Related events

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Mar 14 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Mar 15 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Mar 21 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Mar 22 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Mar 28 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Mar 29 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Apr 4 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Apr 5 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Apr 11 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Apr 12 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Apr 18 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Apr 19 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Apr 25 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Apr 26 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat May 2 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun May 3 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat May 9 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun May 10 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat May 16 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun May 17 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat May 23 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun May 24 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat May 30 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun May 31 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jun 4 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jun 6 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jun 7 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jun 11 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jun 13 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jun 14 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jun 18 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jun 20 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jun 21 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jun 25 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jun 27 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jun 28 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jul 2 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jul 4 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jul 5 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jul 9 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jul 11 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jul 12 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jul 16 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jul 18 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jul 19 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jul 23 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Jul 25 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Jul 26 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Jul 30 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Aug 1 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Aug 2 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Aug 6 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Aug 8 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Aug 9 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Aug 13 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Aug 15 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Aug 16 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Thu Aug 20 2026

  

6–7 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Aug 22 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Aug 23 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Aug 29 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Aug 30 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sat Sep 5 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm

Seattle Art Museum

Beyond Mysticism Public Tour

Sun Sep 6 2026

  

1:15–2:15 pm


What’s on at Seattle Art Museum

Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei

Mar 12–Sep 7 2025

Seattle Art Museum

Tariqa Waters: Venus is Missing

May 7 2025–Jan 4 2026

Seattle Art Museum

FriendsWithYou: Little Cloud Sky

Jun 27 2025–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Lessons from the Institute of Empathy

Mar 31 2018–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Diego Cibelli: Fiori dei Miei Habiti / La Montagne Enchantée

May 31 2024–May 10 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Yirrkala: Art from Australia’s Top End

May 10 2024–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Impressionisms: The Global Nineteenth Century

Mar 27 2024–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

SAM on Paper: Rembrandt’s Etchings

Mar 27 2024–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

American Art: The Stories We Carry

Oct 20 2022–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Chronicles of a Global East

Oct 20 2022–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Pacific Species

Dec 22 2022–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Cosmic Beings in Mesoamerican and Andean Art

Nov 10 2018–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Art and Life Along the Northwest Coast

Nov 26 2014–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Conscious Constructions

Apr 29 2011–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Only Connect: The Art of Devotion

Apr 29 2011–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Porcelain Room

May 5 2007–ongoing

Seattle Art Museum

Ash-Glazed Ceramics from Korea and Japan

Jul 9 2025–Jul 12 2027

Seattle Art Museum

Farm to Table: Art, Food, and Identity in the Age of Impressionism

Oct 23 2025–Jan 18 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Samantha Yun Wall: 2024 Betty Bowen Award Winner

Feb 4–Aug 4 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Monochrome: Calder and Tara Donovan

May 13 2026–Jan 3 2027

Seattle Art Museum