Traylor, Marsh & Braunginn up through 12/29

Peggy Murphy

Our thoughts often turn to home during the holiday season – either going home to visit family and friends or staying home to create whatever feels like the perfect holiday. What does home mean for you? Is home a place?  A house, forest, or sacred space?  Is it family, friends, community?   Is home memory or possibly something yearned for?  The idea of home is a broad topic with diverse meaning for everyone and in this month’s show at Shift Gallery David Traylor, William Marsh, and Stephen Braunginn offer their own interpretations in a heartfelt and expansive exhibit. Together they create an immersive experience for thinking about your own ideas of home.

Traylor’s colorful graphic paintings have cleverly morphed into the softness and warmth of quilts. Background audio from Braunginn conjures up the familiarity of conversation and Marsh’s text reads like a missive from a good friend.  It all adds up to a warm, safe, inclusive experience of home.  And really isn’t the idea of home rooted in the idea of safety and belonging?

It is a cold night and tents line the street outside the gallery.  From within the tents comes muffled conversations and an occasional laugh. One wonders how these people think of home?  The real grace of this exhibit its permanent second life at Seattle’s Operation NightWatch – facilities that help homeless and low-income seniors.