*CRITICS (*means we recommend it) was a group  exhibition exploring the relationship between the artist and the art critic. We invited 40 regional artists to create a portrait of a local Seattle art critic. They could be kind or they could be cruel - whatever they decided upon, Vital 5 agreed to hang. 

The art critic often plays a significant role in elevating the career of an artist, or sending them back to the drawing board. A critic can be a gust of wind beneath your wings or a violent storm that sends you into retreat. So how does the artist approach the sensitive nature of this ask? Do they try and flatter the critic? Take aim with unvarnished criticism of their own? Take a pass and decline to participate?

And what an interesting position it places the critic in. Can an art critic hold any objectivity commenting on a show featuring their own portrait? Is there such a thing as art objectivity anyway?

Critics featured original works by Kevin Furiya, Jed Dunkerley, Cassandria Blackmore, Kelly Lyles, Damian Pugelli, Rebecca Luncan, Leiv Fagereng, Curtis Taylor, Randy McCoy, Greg Lukens, Robert Hardgrave, Megan Trainor, Jennifer Lundgren, Mike McGrath, Christian French, Dillon Neuwirth, James Jaxxa, Patrice Tullai, Ned Jamgochian, Randy Wood, Maurice Caldwell, Demi Raven, Rich Lehl, John Berry, Bonnie Katz, Sam Trout, Ron Richardson, Jason Puccinelli, Ursulla Gullow, Robert Adams and Angel Abreau.