VENT! @ Georgetown Steam Plant

Sometimes you need to scream into the void. Sometimes it’s more satisfying to turn that scream into art.

Returning for its second year, VENT! transforms the cavernous Georgetown Steam Plant into a one-day showcase of artistic exasperation, inviting more than 50 artists to channel their frustrations into paintings, sculptures, installations, performances and interactive works. Organized by artist and curator Cyra Jane, the pop-up exhibition embraces collective catharsis, asking participants to respond to a world that often feels overwhelming, absurd or both.

The venue is part of the appeal. The hulking former power plant — all rusting machinery, towering turbines and industrial grandeur — provides an atmospheric backdrop for art that grapples with political turmoil, social upheaval and everyday anxieties. If the concept sounds a bit like one of those businesses where you pay to smash plates with a baseball bat, think of VENT! as the creative equivalent: less destruction, more transformation.

Last year’s inaugural event featured roughly 40 artists from across the Pacific Northwest; this year’s edition promises even more voices, with works ranging from deeply personal reflections to pointed social commentary. Rated R and unapologetically loud, VENT! offers a reminder that making art can be a way of making sense of the world — and that sometimes it helps to do it together.