Image: Lonnie Holley. Photo: David Raccuglia
The Frye Art Museum in Seattle will host ‘Artists At Large: Music and Art with Lonnie Holley’ on September 3, 2026, a two-hour program that pairs storytelling, song, and discussion at the piano. The event is scheduled for 6–8 pm at the museum, with tickets required and availability limited.
According to the Frye, Holley is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans sculpture, music, poetry, video, and more. The museum describes his work as rooted in improvisational creativity, and says his music blends folk, jazz, blues, and pop sensibilities. The program is framed as an opportunity to hear Holley discuss how he is approaching a new body of work through stories and song, moving between musical performance and conversation about art with Matt Arnett, Holley’s longtime friend and collaborator.
The appearance is part of ‘Artists At Large’, described by the Frye as a new annual program featuring conversations, performances, and presentations by nationally and internationally recognized artists participating in local residency programs, including Pilchuck Glass School’s. The museum’s listing also notes that Holley will be in the Seattle area for residencies at Pilchuck Glass School and the Museum of Glass.
Holley’s work is presented in the source material as a cross-disciplinary practice shaped by improvisation. The Frye says he has devoted his life to the practice since 1979, and that his art and music have manifested in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound. The museum also notes that his sculptures are constructed from found materials in the tradition of African American sculpture, with objects combined into narrative sculptures that commemorate places, people, and events. The museum adds that Holley has worked this way since 1979, that his work is held in major museum collections across the country, is on permanent display at the United Nations and has been shown in the White House Rose Garden, and that he completed a month-long residency with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation on Captiva Island, Florida, in January 2014.
The event takes place at the Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Avenue, Seattle, and registration is through the museum’s ticketing system. General admission is listed at $25, with Community Access tickets available at $15.
Tickets are required and availability is limited. The Frye says assistive listening devices can be requested for all auditorium programs, and that care professionals and care partners who accompany visitors are welcome to join events free of charge.
