SAM Films | Mark Tobey

Free matinees at the Seattle Art Museum explore themes from art on view at SAM and bring ideas from the museum’s exhibitions, collections, and programs to the big screen. Check out SAM Films for all upcoming events and details.

The spring film selections are curated by Scarecrow Video and are related to Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest.

Three films about Mark Tobey

Three rare films offer an intimate look at Northwest School artist Mark Tobey—his work, his ideas, and his deep connection to Seattle and the wider world. Shot between the 1960s and early 1970s, these documentaries capture Tobey moving through Pike Place Market, reflecting on modern art, and traveling abroad, revealing the visual rhythms and philosophical curiosity that shaped his art.

Digitized from original film prints in the Seattle Art Museum film collection, these screenings highlight the moving-image legacy of one of the region’s most influential artists.

Mark Tobey: A Tour of Pike Place Market
1969 | Documentary
During a single afternoon in 1969, artist Mark Tobey tours Seattle’s Pike Place Market, accompanied by a journalist from KOMO TV. The film captures Tobey in conversation amid the energy of the market—its vendors, signage, and crowds—offering a candid glimpse of the artist in one of the city’s most iconic public spaces.

Print held at the University of Washington, Special Collections
SAM film print digitized by Light Press, 2021
Licensing request submitted to SBGTV, January 30, 2026

Mark Tobey: Artist
Documentary
This personal and poetic documentary follows Mark Tobey through Seattle, beginning with his artwork installed in a gallery as viewers respond in voice-over. Rich footage of Pike Place Market—its stalls, signs, wires, and people—interweaves with cityscapes and natural environments that echo the visual language of Tobey’s paintings. With no introductory titles, the film unfolds as an immersive portrait of the artist’s way of seeing.

Held at the University of Washington, Special Collections
SAM film print digitized by Light Press, 2021

Mark Tobey Abroad
1973 | Documentary
Filmed in Europe, this documentary follows Tobey as he reflects on Cubism and Picasso, visits galleries showing his work, sketches a portrait, and plays the piano. Produced by the Film Study Center at Harvard University, the film presents Tobey as both artist and thinker, moving fluidly between visual art, music, and philosophy. Several of Tobey’s artworks appear throughout the film.

Produced by the Film Study Center, Harvard University
Copyright © 1973