The Seattle Storm hosted a WNBA basketball game at KeyArena Wednesday night.

Just steps away, the visual-arts portion of the Bumbershoot arts festival held its free preview shindig. The theme of the opening, and of one of the exhibits: “Girlie Fun Show.”

I mean no irony by mentioning this. Women are different from other women. Some get their kicks by shooting dunks, others by drinking shots. Some even like both activities, at different times.

And some just ilke to create intriguing art. Such as Jodi Rockwell, whose walk-in installation surrounds a giant ball of frozen beet juice, slowly dripping onto a salt-covered floor.

On the gents’ side, W. Scott Trimble’s got a series of coin-op machines. This one uses wooden pieces attached to a mechanism that might be compared to the wheel tracks of an army tank.

This is either a robotic mannequin created by Mr. Juniper Shuey or Mr. Shuey himself.

There are plenty of other visual treats to enjoy over the long weekend, including a Matthew Kangas-curated group exhibit on the theme of “Consumables,” a bunch of classic art photos from the files of Aperture magazine (including such famous creators as Diane Arbus, Edward Weston, Sylvia Plachy, Imogen Cunningham, Chuck Close, and Ansel Adams), and street-cred group shows from Cut Kulture and the Bluebottle Gallery.

And the Girlie Fun Show exhibit itself is, well, fun. It’s femininity without guilt. Nobody’s vilifying anything. Any and all possible expressions of womanhood are welcomed within the room, though the more outrageous ones are preferred. There are stereoscopic nudes you watch on genuine View-Masters, and a video all about the eating of chocolate.

But for now, let’s return to the opening night festivities. There were “cigarette girls” selling small art-trinkets, and “flamingo girls” providing hospitality.

There was a double-dutch jump rope demonstration, and the enticing avant-jazz sounds of the Bethurum Collective.

The night’s star performers were the Vargas Girls, an all-singing, all-dancing troupe named in honor of longtime Esquire/Playboy pinup illustrator Alberto Vargas. Their moves and their banter were even tighter than their attire.

The art exhibits continue, with regular Bumbershoot admission, through Monday.