A sand painting of more than a dozen figures holding hands around a soccer ball sits at the center of the A/NT Gallery in Lower Queen Anne.
The piece was birthed by Fulgencio Lazo, a Zapotec artist who works between studios in Seattle and Oaxaca, Mexico, and it anchors a free exhibit that changes shape every week.
"Traditions: Connecting Threads of Shared Humanity" is open Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m., at Seattle Center's International Fountain Pavilion through Sunday, August 16. Admission is free.
The exhibit is hosted by the Festál cultural festival coalition, which marks its 29th year in 2026 with 25 free cultural festivals running February through November.
Curators refresh the collection weekly with mixed media art and heritage objects from dozens of Pacific Northwest artists, according to the Seattle Center event listing.
The centerpiece
Lazo's commissioned sand painting and wood sculpture, "A Pesar de Todo" (Despite Everything), depicts figures forming a large circle around a central soccer ball. His work draws on iconographic motifs from his Zapotec heritage: masks, candles, toys, and musical instruments.
Lazo received the 2018 Mayor's Arts Award and has shown work in more than 50 solo exhibitions across the United States, Mexico, France, and Japan.
Over three decades in Seattle, he has helped grow the city's Latino arts scene, including Day of the Dead celebrations at the Seattle Art Museum and Tacoma Art Museum.
Kashiba's calligraphy on display
Also featured is "Legacy," a calligraphy work by Ritsuko Kashiba, a Seattle-based shodo master who has practiced Japanese calligraphy for over 45 years.
The piece was shown at the 2025 Japan Expo in Osaka before coming to Seattle Center.
Kashiba directs the Sankei International Calligraphy Society and has led the Seattle branch of the American Calligraphy Society (Beikoku Shodo KenkyuKai) since 2010.
She has participated in the Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival & Japanese Cultural Festival every year since 1978.
What to know before you go
Where: A/NT Gallery, International Fountain Pavilion, Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.
When: Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m., through Sunday, August 16.
Cost: Free.
The exhibit is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
"Every festival honors a living tradition and offers opportunities for connection and belonging in the heart of the city," Heidi Jackson, managing artistic director of cultural programs at Seattle Center, said in the Festál season announcement.
The collection will continue rotating weekly until the final day. No artist talks or curator walkthroughs have been announced.
