Art exhibit opening event | Sacred Forces: Paper + Wood at Orcas Island Winery

||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND WINERY |||

Orcas Island Winery’s pop-up modern & contemporary art gallery, MUST, presents: “Sacred Forces: Paper + Wood ” featuring never before seen works of long time, established local artists, Kate Geddes and Aleph Geddis, an aunt and nephew duo. The art installation opens with a free-to-the-public evening event on Thursday, August 10th at 6 PM. Light bites will be provided. Wine and artwork will be available for purchase.

Kate Geddes works in the realm of mythology. Her larger-than-life paintings begin as powerful symbols that represent something profoundly personal and cathartic, but by painting’s end they represent something more universal. While her work is wildly original, Geddes shares that the mystical and bold emotionalism of Goya, Grunewald, and Francis Bacon inspire her. They portray startling, shocking images, yet they have great tenderness and beauty. It is this tradition to which she adds her voice.

Aleph Geddis’ sculptural works live at the intersection of traditional methods and modernist forms, informed by a lifetime fascination with the foundational structures of our world. Growing up on Orcas Island, Aleph spent many hours with his stepfather, a sculptor, carver and builder of wooden boats. Steeped in this rich environment, his early works drew inspiration from the stylized naturalism of Northwest Coast Native carvings, and later, from all he saw on a family trip to Japan. As his work evolves, there remains a consistent engagement with the simple elegance of natural forms.

The show is a collaboration between HALO: Hub for Arts & Literature on Orcas and Must Gallery. Collectively, their aim is to raise the visibility of the island’s most talented contemporary fine artists. Curated by Must Gallery owner and curator, Tera Andaya and Ayn Gailey for HALO.

The show runs through September. All art inquiries can be directed to: hello@orcasislandwinery.com

Special thanks to the Orcas Island Artist Studio Tour and to The Orcas Island Winery & MUST gallery who are committed to offering space every year during the Artist Studio Tour to one HALO artist who does not have a studio to show from. Kate Geddes is the beneficiary of that commitment for 2023.

To learn more about the artists, visit www.geddesart.com and www.alephgeddis.com To learn more about HALO & MUST, visit www.wearehalo.org and www.mustgallery.art

Carpooling is encouraged. Children and families are welcome to the opening event. Orcas Island Winery: 2371 Crow Valley Road