And/or alternative space

The and/or alternative space was a nonprofit exhibition, project, and performance venue in Seattle, Washington, that operated from 1974 to 1984. Founded by Anne Focke, it was the first alternative art exhibition and performance space in the Pacific Northwest. Located at 1523 Tenth Avenue in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, and/or provided a platform for experimental and interdisciplinary art forms that were not accommodated by traditional institutions such as the Seattle Art Museum. The space became one of the major arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1970s, earning a national reputation for hosting leading international artists and helping to seed a generation of contemporary artists in late-twentieth-century Seattle.

The and/or alternative space emerged from the informal activities of the Seattle Souvenir Service, an artist collective. Anne Focke, who had experience at the Seattle Arts Commission, organized the space in 1974 to provide opportunities for performances, exhibitions, and experimental art forms that could not be seen elsewhere. The founding group included Focke, Norie Sato, David Mahler, Burt Garner, and Annie Grosshans, with additional founders Rolon Bert Garner, Ken Leback, Robert Teeple, Jerry Jensen, and Anne Gerber. Focke incorporated the organization in February 1974 and secured initial funding through approximately $5,000 in personal loans from her family and partial release time from her city position. The space opened on April 21, 1974, in a leased building on Capitol Hill.

Inspired by East Coast models such as New York's The Kitchen, and/or emphasized non-commercial, risk-taking creativity. By 1975, it received its first National Endowment for the Arts grant, and by 1978 had gained national recognition, joining other alternative spaces at a gathering in Santa Monica. In 1981, the organization evolved into an umbrella structure with four programs: the NX Library, a center for contemporary arts materials focused on periodicals; Soundwork, a composer-oriented new music organization; the Philo T. Farnsworth Memorial Video Editing Facility for artists and independent producers; and Spar, a monthly arts magazine that launched in 1981 but collapsed soon afterward.

In 1983, an NEA Advancement Grant supported organizational planning, including attempts to purchase the building, but internal challenges led to closure. Viewing and/or as a finite "artwork," Focke oversaw its voluntary dissolution in October 1984, marked by the farewell event "Good Night and/or A Wake." The board of directors discontinued the space and spun off its programs into four independent organizations: Artech, an art handling company; Artist Trust, a funding organization for artists; Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA), an exhibition venue; and the 911 Media Arts Center, supporting new-media production and education.

The and/or alternative space did not maintain a traditional art collection in the conventional museum sense. Instead, its holdings and activities centered on providing facilities and opportunities for experimental and interdisciplinary art across multiple media. The organization integrated visual arts, performance, video, and music through shared facilities that included a gallery, electronic music studios, video production centers, an art library, and publications. Its programming addressed themes including feminism, environmental art, technology, and racial identity through exhibitions, workshops, performances, and small artist grants. The monthly magazine Spar, launched in 1981, featured reviews, interviews, and essays that extended the organization's reach. Equipment loans and grants, whimsically overseen by the "and/or Fairy Godmother Committee," further supported artist production. This decentralized, service-oriented model prioritized artist agency and community collaboration over the accumulation of permanent holdings.

While and/or did not hold a permanent collection, it hosted significant works and presentations by internationally recognized artists. At its height in the late 1970s, the space presented top international artists including Nam June Paik, George Maciunas, Meridith Monk, Laurie Anderson, Gary Hill, Martha Rosler, and Stuart Dempster. The 1975 video and performance exhibition featured William Wegman, Joan Jonas, Shigeko Kubota, Peter Campus, and Terry Fox. Other notable presentations included Martin Puryear's yurt installation in 1981. The space also hosted performances by Laurie Anderson and Terry Riley. Early exhibitions included artists' books, sculpture by David Gilhooly, video from the National Center for Experiments in Television at KQED, and a curated show by Lucy Lippard titled c. 7,500 featuring women's conceptual art.

The and/or alternative space was located at 1523 Tenth Avenue in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, operating from a leased space in the Oddfellows Hall. The building housed the organization's multiple functions: a gallery for exhibitions and performances, electronic music studios, video production and viewing facilities, and a library. This physical arrangement supported the organization's interdisciplinary mission by enabling cross-media dialogue and collaboration among artists working in different forms. The leased nature of the space reflected and/or's operational philosophy, and in 1983 the organization made attempts to purchase the building before its eventual closure.

The and/or alternative space was located at 1523 Tenth Avenue in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. As a nonprofit artist-run initiative, it operated as an open, community-oriented venue rather than a traditional museum with set visiting hours. The space served as what participants described as a "clubhouse" for Seattle's art scene, with weekly gatherings, lectures, and volunteer involvement creating an accessible environment for emerging artists and audiences. Anne Focke directed the organization until 1984, balancing organizational stability with artistic freedom. The space no longer exists; it was voluntarily dissolved in October 1984, and its programs were spun off into independent organizations. Its legacy continues through the institutions it seeded, including the Center on Contemporary Art, Artist Trust, 911 Media Arts Center, and Artech, which remain active in Seattle's cultural landscape.