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Yesterday, in reporting that Oscar Tuazon and Eli Hansen aren't showing at Howard House anymore, I quoted gallerist Billy Howard, who told me the brothers simply aren't interested in Seattle anymore.

Not true, says Hansen in an email titled "i heart seattle":

we split up with billy in november, but it took him this long to get the work off the website. he still owes me money, and once i started pressuring him to pay up, he pulled us off the website.

we still love seattle, and will forever. we both have the tattoos to prove it.

i just met with scott lawrimore last night, we are preparing a formal announcement that we are going to start working together.

It hasn't been an easy couple of years for Howard.

Photo by The Kozy Shack of Tuazon and Hansen's periscope at Western Bridge last summer

UPDATE: We took this post down temporarily when Howard contacted us to dispute the artists' account of the payment dispute. Howard did not answer an email asking for additional comment. But in an email objecting to the original post, he admitted that the artists are owed money, but wrote that the artists are aware that they will not be paid in full until the collector pays the dealer.

Hansen said he'd rather not comment further after being contacted by Howard's lawyer.

Everybody clams up once lawyers get involved. But I'm glad the artists will continue to show in Seattle, and here's hoping that everybody—galleries, artists—eventually gets paid.