Michael Spafford

For the month of May, Russo Lee Gallery is pleased to announce The Origin, an exhibition of early works by Michael C. Spafford. The exhibition brings together a notable body of work spanning 1960 to 1967, comprising large-scale works on canvas alongside mixed media works on paper. Executed in a mostly monochromatic palette, the works in The Origin reveal a pivotal moment in Spafford's development as an artist, one in which abstract technique expanded to encompass iconic and mythological themes. Spafford forged a visual language rooted in narrative and archetype that would define his practice for decades to come. These early works do more than document a beginning, they shape the artistic vision that would carry Spafford's practice forward throughout his career of enduring significance.

Michael C. Spafford (1935–2022) was one of the most respected and compelling artists living and working in the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of Pomona College and Harvard University, he was Professor Emeritus of the University of Washington School of Art. During his career as a painter and printmaker he received numerous awards, including a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant, the first Behnke Foundation "Neddy" award, and a Flintridge Foundation Award. In 1967 he was given the prestigious Rome Prize and was honored in 1983 with an art award from The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, NYC. In 2005 he was invited to be Artist-In-Residence at Dartmouth College, which concluded in a major exhibition of paintings. His work has been widely collected and exhibited and includes mural commissions at the Kingdome, the Washington State House of Representatives Chamber, and the Seattle Opera House. Spafford was an integral and sometimes provocative force in the vibrant cultural milieu of Seattle, WA.

The Origin

May 7 – 30, 2026

Press Release