PORT TOWNSEND — Northwind Arts Center will hold its second annual FUNctional Art FUNdraiser on Saturday at the Cotton Building, 607 Water St.
Tickets to the 5:30 p.m. event are $12 and are available at Northwind Arts Center or at functionalart.brownpapertickets.com.
“The exciting thing about the FUNctional art show is that items will be actually used,” said local artist Carol Heath Stabile, who participated in last year’s show.
“I love that when the purchaser of one of my rubber snake-themed lamps turns on a bedside light for a soothing read, they are greeted with my personal sense of whimsy, color and delight in the unexpected.”
Local art lover Polly Lyle created a cat bed for this year’s show.
“I found the idea for it by searching Google Images for functional art. I especially like this piece because I used many recycled materials,” said Lyle. “I am also a cat lover, but neither of my cats has been allowed to try Cat Nap I, one of the pieces I am donating to the FUN ctional Art FUNdraiser.”
The bed was made with a small vintage suitcase with many creative additions.
Functional art is what occupies that space between fine art and the everyday — or aesthetic objects that serve utilitarian purpose — such as a hand-painted watering can, a hand-carved knife or a beautiful birdhouse, according to a news release.
“This is the perfect show for the creative residents of our community,” said Michael D’Alessandro, Northwind Arts Center executive director, who pointed out that the Port Townsend Wearable Art Show features a specific kind of functional art and is also widely popular.
The functional art genre is remarkably inclusive: it encompasses everything from furniture and lighting, to dishes and even books. While the terms “fine” or “high” art typically apply to works that carry an intellectual and emotional sensibility alongside a dose of old-fashioned beauty, functional art might infuse these aesthetic ideals into things that you might never have expected to view as art, such as a flower pot or plant trellis.
Donations to the show will be sold or auctioned at the one-day event Saturday.
For information, call 360-379-1086 or email info@northwindarts.org.
