SEQUIM — About 35 driftwood artists will exhibit their work at the Dungeness River Audubon Center at Railroad Bridge Park in a two-day show this weekend.
Some of those in the Olympic Driftwood Sculptors’ 11th annual Spring Art Show also will show how it’s done with demonstrations of works in progress at their booths — and some will allow visitors to try their hands at it.
The exhibit will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the center at 2151 W. Hendrickson Road.
Admission is free, although donations will be accepted.
One-of-a-kind handcrafted driftwood items and unfinished driftwood will be for sale.
“Only at the spring show, we will have raw wood for sale,” said Tuttie Peetz, president of the group’s board.
“A lot of people interested in doing this have a hard time finding wood,” she said. “We will have a couple of pickup loads that people can purchase.”
Raffle tickets costing $1 each will be sold, with the prize being a round-robin driftwood sculpture which rotated among several artists who each worked on the piece.
The drawing for the sculpture will be at the group’s September meeting.
Tickets also will be sold at a larger show spotlighting some 150 artists planned during the Sequim Lavender Weekend in July, Peetz said.
Proceeds from wood and raffle ticket sales primarily will support an annual scholarship provided by the Olympic Driftwood Sculptors, Peetz said.
The scholarship of about $2,000 is offered to a high school senior on the North Olympic Peninsula — Clallam and Jefferson counties — who is pursuing art or art education.
Olympic Driftwood Sculptors began in 2008 with 13 members and has grown to a membership of 107 artists.
The group offers several events each year, including its biggest show in July during Sequim Lavender Weekend.
The July show, which will be in the cafeteria at Sequim Middle School, also will have a small exhibit devoted to touchable driftwood sculptures, Peetz said.
The seed of the idea was sown in December when Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib presented the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, with one of Peetz’s sculptures — “Continual Motion,” western red cedar sculpted and smoothed — during a trip to India as a representation of the state’s offerings.
Habib’s assistant had mentioned how much the lieutenant governor, who is blind, had enjoyed the tactile qualities of the sculpture, Peetz said.
Usually, the group places signs at exhibits asking visitors not to touch.
But at the July show, “we will have a smaller exhibit with pieces that are strong enough — and that the artist is comfortable with — to have a touch-me table,” Peetz said.
The group also offers classes on the art form, monthly meetings and workshops.
For more information, see www.olympicdriftwood sculptors.org or call Peetz at 360-683-6860.
Washington Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib presents the Dalai Lama a driftwood art piece in December created by Sequim artist Tuttie Peetz, president of the Olympic Driftwood Sculptors. Habib, who is blind, chose the piece because he liked how it felt. This inspired Peetz to include a small exhibit of touchable sculptures during the group’s show in July. (Office of the Lt. Governor)
