Island Artists Get A Boost from SJIMA

— from Diane Martindale for SJIMA —

January is a time of assessment of past resolutions. The San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) had plenty of good news to celebrate with the elegant Artists’ Registry exhibition, which recently closed. A record-setting 88 artists from San Juan County participated, exhibiting a vast array of media.

Local artists also gave 22 gallery talks and workshops. To mention just a few, Steven Hill taught a pastel workshop, and Annie Howell-Adams figure drawing, Bill Holm talked about his experiences in the First Nations, and Joe Miller, Jean Behnke, and Michael Peterson gave workshops in their area of expertise.

Kristen Abramson taught Art For Fun, perfect for beginning adult students who want to start learning the basics and, they get to bring home their creations.

Looking at 2017 as a whole, 71 percent of the artists who exhibited, taught workshops, gave gallery talks and presented Art As A Voice lectures were drawn from our deep talent pool here in the San Juans.

Regional artists included most of the Pacific Coast First Nation artists and Morse Clary-Pasco, Peter de Lory-Seattle, Kathy Gore-Fuss-Olympia, Aaron Haba-Camano Island, Lee Imonen-Eugene, OR, and Suze Woolf-Tacoma.

Workshops and talks were given by Katie Bunn-Marcus-Burke Museum, Seattle, Rosie Cayou-Skagit County Coast Salish, Rande Cook-Seattle & Victoria B.C., Morse Clary, and Suze Woolf. The regional artists composed 11% of the artists participating this year.

Many of these artists have national and international followings. The Inuit of Hudson Bay and more distant Pacific Coastal Nations made up about 17% of the artists exhibited in 2017.

SJIMA is delighted to present these artists and programs as part of its mission to “enrich the community, artists and arts as we champion the authenticity of our islands’ place, expression and connections.”

Edgar Degas said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Thank you, artists for sharing your visions with us. In 2018, SJIMA strives to bring more insight, art and wonder to the community.