If you find yourself enjoying a public venue in the heart of Seattle and see big muppet-like people walking around in neon, hairy suits—for me, it was Pacific Place—that would be a Nick Cave Invasion. I first saw these hairy suits in the September 2010 Issue of Vogue. Later, SAM board member Jiawen Shi attended Art Basel in Miami where she saw the exhibit and got to meet the artist himself. She was raving about the show and insisted that I come check it out when it arrived in Seattle. The exhibit is housed at SAM. This month's REMIX theme was Carnival and was kicked off with a performance by dance troup Whim W'him—perfect for the subject matter of the show. If you haven't had a chance to attend SAM REMIX, you simply must. It's one of the best events in town in terms of fun.

Ms. Shi had the opportunity to meet the artist himself and here's what she has to say:

I first saw Nick's soundsuits in person at the Art Basel Miami. His work was very prominently displayed at the main exhibit at the Miami Beach Conventions center. The soundsuits are bright, whimsical and other-worldly. They immediately caught my eye. Luckily for us Seattleites, Nick's soundsuits are on display at the Seattle Art Museum through June 10th. I was very excited to meet the man behind the suits when I got invited to the exclusive preview of the Nick Cave's Meet Me at the Center of the Earth Exhibit on March 8th before it opened to the public. I think the rest of the Seattle was just as excited; there was not a single empty seat in the auditorium. Nick talked about his vision, his passion for constructing wearable sculpture, and how welcoming Seattle has been to him. 

At the exhibit, I bumped into SAM's new director Derrick Cartwright who has been doing a phenomenal job since taking over the position for long time SAM Director Mimi Gates. Cartwright wants to know, "What have people been saying about this exhibit I wonder?" SAM had a record number of visitors because of the recent Picasso exhibit so it's only normal for a new director to wonder how the public will receive this more cutting edge exhibit. The feedback has been positive all around.

The next day, March 9th, I had the chance to meet Nick Cave again in a more intimate setting at a private reception with the artist hosted by the Omega Boutique in downtown Seattle. If you have seen Nick's soundsuits, then you would have noticed that each piece is intricately constructed. I assumed that Cave must have a fashion background. "You know a lot of people think that but in reality I studied art and dance. I only took one class in sewing..." the artist explained to me with a big smile. When he found out that I visit New York often, he made sure that his studio manager took down my contact information and invited me to a studio visit and his other openings in New York. "I split my time between New York and Chicago, but a majority of the openings and events do happen in New York."

The man behind soundsuits with a unique perspective is also friendly, genuine and down to earth. Looks like I'm following him around the country. I can't wait to see him in NYC!