Want to gawk at something you’ve never seen before? Consider checking out Cannonball Arts, an experimental music and arts venue that recently opened in the Belltown neighborhood, on the corner of Third Avenue and Virginia Street.
Built around the existing confines of an abandoned Bed Bath & Beyond, Cannonball Arts seemingly exists to challenge everything you’ve learned about how to interact with an art gallery. You’ll realize this as soon as you meet the lifeguard, who’s often busy by the front entrance barking commands at unruly patrons. Once you pass the guard’s perch, the line between art and individual begins to blur dramatically.
You’ll be encouraged to become an artist in a figure drawing class, a partygoer at an underground nightclub, or a passenger on a spooky dark ride. You can meditate in a cavernous capsule, listen to campfire stories told by a park ranger, or battle other visitors in a selfie competition.
Interactivity is at the core of what separates Cannonball Arts from its contemporaries, and the best example of this can be seen through its most popular attraction: a giant sea slug you can ride like a mechanical bull.
“When the Seattle Art Museum opened the Olympic Sculpture Park, the site was congested with signs reading DO NOT TOUCH THE ART, because sculptures are subject to injury from visitor engagement — even the oil on your fingertips could damage or change them,” reads the description of the art piece.
“California-based artist Stephanie Metz has created a felted wool sculpture that merges high-craft with low-brow entertainment, resulting in a conceptually driven sculpture that challenges the viewer to reconsider their relationship with sculpture and to pay attention to the little things.”
One of the men most responsible for establishing Cannonball’s unique identity is Greg Lundgren, an energizing force on Seattle’s art scene. He’s known best for turning vacant spaces into new hubs for creative expression. That’s what he did on First Hill, transforming an abandoned Swedish medical building into “The Museum of Museums,” where fiercely independent artists like Jessica Marie Mercy, Orly Anan, and Tarika Waters would be given the space to create special, immersive experiences.
Unfortunately, the Museum of Museums closed just three years after opening, when the building’s plumbing fell into disrepair and became too expensive to fix. Rather than mourn its passing, however, Lundgren quickly started a new venture in its place. He cofounded Third Rising Sun with concert promoter Joe Paganelli and Neumos co-owner Steven Severin, and together, they brought Bumbershoot back from the dead in 2023. It’s been a success ever since, now into its third year, with performances by Weezer, Car Seat Headrest, and Janelle Monáe.
For as much as Lundgren has given to Seattle artistically, he’s also attracted intense controversy. Eight anonymous people, via the Instagram profile @greglundgrenisacreep, have accused him of enabling discrimination against a Trans artist and a Black employee, as well as regularly coercing young women into predatory, sexually charged relationships. However, these stories are currently unconfirmed and unsupported by evidence.
Neither Greg Lundgren nor @greglundgrenisacreep responded by time of publication when asked for comment.
Most of the current exhibits are available to check out until later next year, when they’ll likely be rotated out for a new batch of experiences in 2027. In the long term, Cannonball Arts will host a variety of artist pop-ups and events, and if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind job, the center currently has open listings for bartenders, safety ambassadors, and maintenance crew.
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