The alternative SAM

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has long been known Seattle's leading art museum. With more than 21,000 pieces of artwork, SAM has something for everyone, featuring more than just exhibits. For a bit of culture, artistic inspiration and a good time on Thursday nights, SAM is the place to be -- for free, on the first Thursday of the month.

SAM's permanent collections and smaller exhibits take visitors around the world. The museum transcends time and various ideas of art as patrons navigate the building. There is art from around the globe, from Mexican textiles to paintings by Australian women.

SAM's African-art section features artifacts like elaborate masks and costumes used in tribal ceremonies, with videotaped reenactments being played on screens throughout the exhibit. Scrolls of Asian artwork, pottery, porcelain and statues fill other rooms. The ongoing Native Art of the Northwest Coast gives an idea of the cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest.

Upstairs, the Contemporary Art Project contains some adult themes and disturbing images, raising questions about what constitutes art.

Anthony Hernandez's Documents Northwest: The PONCHO Series is a stunning collection of photographs of urban environments. In particular, his Landscapes for the Homeless series shows what is often ignored. It is a sobering reminder of how many see the world.

On Feb. 6, the second floor reopens with Over the Line: The Art and Life of Jacob Lawrence, where more than 150 of the artist's paintings will be on display through May 4.

Lawrence, a leading black painter during the Harlem renaissance, is well known and loved in Seattle. A renowned storyteller, much of his work is done in series that depict tales from history and from his life. Lawrence also taught at the UW, -- a gallery in the Art Building bears his name.

For more information about the Seattle Art Museum, visit www.seattleartmuseum.org.