For the month of March, Russo Lee Gallery exhibits The Fables by Michael C. Spafford (1935-2022). Featuring works from the estate, this exhibition includes paintings and mixed media works on paper. Devoted to interpretations of Greco-Roman mythology, Spafford’s works are bold and energetic, seeking to attract the viewer by visual structure. Expressive forms twist and turn into each other, accentuating his love of compositional drama.  

Michael C. Spafford was one of the most respected and admired artists living and working in the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of Pomona College and Harvard University, he was a Professor at the University of Washington School of Art from 1963-1994. 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.