Tagged: arts & life

When you take stock of Seattle’s cultural institutions, you’ll often see the name Bagley Wright attached. More than 50 years ago, Wright helped transform the Seattle Art Museum from a small, family-run operation into what it is today. One of his final gifts to the museum he loved is “Mirror,” a permanent installation on SAM’s northwest facade that both the museum and the artist hope will spur urban conversation in downtown Seattle. Marcie Sillman talks with Virginia Wright about her husband’s legacy at Seattle Art Museum and throughout the city.

When Seattle Art Museum opened its expanded downtown building in 2007, some people thought the main entrance on First Avenue was a little undistinguished.

One of those people was the late arts patron Bagley Wright. His wife, Virginia, says he thought the museum entrance needed to be marked in a dramatic way. "Because it looked like the entrance to an office building," she recalls.

Most people know about singer-songwriter LeRoy Bell  from his appearances in 2011 as one of the top performers on the network television singing competition, The X Factor. But long before televised competitions, LeRoy Bell was at the top of the pop music charts.