Salish Sea Art Show Favorites

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Saturday September 15th, we hosted the Salish Sea Art show for Fredericka Foster‘s Art & Activism class, with documentary filmmaker Alan Honick, and the local art community. Over 30 artists contributed to the show, and there were more than 70 works of art featured in our studio. The photographs I posted on facebook were taken first thing in the morning, before guests had arrived. Don’t think it was a quiet day! The gallery was full of people all through the afternoon, and into the evening, and many works sold. I did not get the final count, but we raised hundreds of dollars for the Salish Sea Project. Artistically, this was another positive and welcoming League art show, with an enormous variety of styles and mediums – this time brought together for a subject we all care deeply about: our local Salish Sea.

I had promised to post my three favorite artworks, and as I walked around the studio, I regretted that promise completely. I was totally unable to choose three favorites. Each artwork had its own clear voice, and for me it is all the voices together that make our shows so rewarding.

Fredericka Foster painted two sea life oil paintings, one of salmon, the other of orcas. The image that evoked the strongest emotions from me referenced the now famous photograph of the orca whale carrying her dead baby. This image was absolutely heartbreaking, and painfully on point. I overheard Foster saying to a guest that it’s normal for us to have empathy for the orca mother, because whales and humans have similar emotional processes. We grieve.

Alan Honick contributed a beautiful photograph of his collection of moon snails. His statement described walks on the beach, and how the number of shells found by his friend decreased and eventually ended in the last fifteen years. The shells were beautiful, arranged in the spiral as they grow… or dwindle. The story was simple, and haunted me.

Also in the show were two surprisingly charming artworks by people born in very, very recent history. Way to go Zach and Lyra!

 

Squeak indeed! Zach and Lyra, when we launch our kid programs, we’ll save a place for you!

Special thanks to Victoria Jendretzke and Marina Vogman for allowing their lovely work from this summer’s 30 day SAL Challenge to be used for our show promotions. For your generosity, you’ll both receive $25 gift certificates to the League.

 

Some artworks used carefully selected materials for expression, such as these found object mirrors:

…these photography film strips of landscapes, destroyed:

…this leaping orca whale painted on tar paper, by our resident fisheries biologist Chris Harvey:

and this Salish narrative made with stamps collected around the nation, which evidently is an artistic genre called “Philately.” (wow!)

 

A few other notable works and prizes:

Emergent Properties: Vellula, Lorentz, Mussel is a preciously small work by Deborah Baker – only 8″ square. I enjoyed the elements of math and magic within the beach and shells. Gracefully painted, beautifully balanced. Deborah, you will receive a $25 gift certificate to the League. Thank you for sharing your work with us.

Alex Walker took a break from his painting practice to sketch a gulping salmon, which by the title was giving him chase. Well done. Glad you survived. This fish caught you a $50 gift certificate at the League.

I also want to mention Connie Pierson’s Kraken. This artwork was carved over many late nights, and printed during our Steamroller Printmaking Party in August. It was the end of the event, and the printmaking team had just enough energy to make one more print. Pierson had the idea to take her handsomely carved octopus woodcut and reprint it with Katy Carroll’s equally handsome Aurora Bridge woodcut. The two pieces combined to make an image of a giant octopus imposing it’s tendrils around our waterway spanner, a story of mythical proportions. “Kraken” is an impressively enormous woodcut print featuring a fantastical image of two local icons, the product of a lot of teamwork.  Connie, you’ll receive a $75 gift certificate to the League. We look forward to seeing you.

Big thanks to all the participating artists. We couldn’t have done it without you. 
Laurie Anderson, Sarah Bangs, Toni Bennett, Mimi Boothby, Julie Devine, Lauren Fattal, Bretton Findlay, Lisa Foster, Fredericka Foster, Bolinas Frank, Dylan Frazier, Erin Goodwin-Guerrero, Charlotte Hansen, Chris Harvey, Alan Honick, Victoria Jendretzke, Nicole Keenan, Cindy Larison, Brittany Lee, Marcus Lelle, Esther Loopstra, Sharon Mason, Peg McNair, Lyra McNaul, Zachary McNaul, Mahala Mrozek, Dixie Peaslee, Connie Pierson, Eileen Sliwinski, Joan Stuart Ross, Cynthia Tamayao, Diana Tan, Ruthie V, Marina Vogman, Jodi Wade, Siobhan Wilder.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_style” images=”11718,11716,11717,11719,11721,11722,11723,11725,11726,11727,11728,11729,11730,11731,11733,11734,11735,11739,11741,11742,11744,11747,11748,11749,11750″ onclick=”link_no”][/vc_column][/vc_row]