Cliff Notes
Each week, our regional Cliff Notes columnists Hayashi Wilder,Emily Small, Jade Ichimura, and Renée Reizman pick the most exciting events and exhibitions on the West Coast. Read on for this month’s column from Jade.
Donna Lipowitz: Scent Lending Library
Until March 2026, Thursday-Sunday 12-5 pm
FOGUE Studios & Gallery, Seattle, WA
Choosing a perfume can feel like a major commitment. With so many factors to consider, the price, its lasting power, and most importantly, the scent itself, it’s no wonder people hesitate to make a choice. But what if you could borrow a fragrance the way you borrow a book, try it out for a while, then return it? This idea comes to life in The Scent Lending Library, an interactive installation by artist and perfumer Donna Lipowitz, coming soon to Seattle.
Lipowitz, whose background blends perfumery and art, explores how scent shapes memory and connection throughout our lives. Like a traditional library, the Scent Lending Library invites visitors to browse 140 unique fragrances in its “Reference Section,” with 83 scents available to borrow. Yet unlike a typical library, no membership or payment is required—just your curiosity and participation. Through this sensory experience, Lipowitz encourages storytelling and conversation around personal associations with scent. The installation spans a scentful spectrum, from vintage perfumes to original creations such as “Home Garage,” “Pencil Case,” and “God Sweat.”
Reflection: Do you associate a smell with a specific time in your life?
indira allegra: The Book of Zero
February 4 – April 4, 2026
Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
indira allegra is the Legacy Resident at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, located in the Art Building at the University of Washington. During their residency, they are using the gallery as a studio space while engaging with students and participating in community-centered activities. In early February, their residency culminated in an exhibition titled indira allegra: The Book of Zero, a multimedia installation that invites a meditative reflection on birth, life, and death. Allegra’s work draws from their research into doula practices, death care, and rebirth, through which they explore the deep interconnectedness of these universal experiences.
Through this installation, Allegra offers guidance in navigating the complex emotions that accompany major life transitions, creating spaces for reflection and contemplation. Their work encourages healing and compassion, particularly in the final stages of systemic oppression—moments that, as Allegra suggests, require communal intention to bring true closure. The Book of Zero thus serves as a vessel for processing endings and confronting the pain that accompanies them.
Reflection: What do you need to release in order to move forward?
—Jade Ichimura