PORT TOWNSEND — At 21, Ali Whitmore realized she had to make a change. At first a theater production major at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, she recently took an elective course in sculpture.
For the final exam, Whitmore made “Entree: Stuffed Whole Trout,” a papier-maché fish. Festooned with fruit she dried in her dad’s air fryer, the sculpture stretches 4 feet long.
After completing — and loving — the sculpture class, Whitmore decided to change her major. She’s now working toward a bachelor of fine art degree, and dreaming of making not just sculptures but whole installations.
The artist got a big surprise this past week. Her “Trout” won the $500 Jurors’ Choice — the best in show prize — in the “Northwest Expressions: Potluck Banquet” art exhibition in Port Townsend.
Northwind Art opened “Potluck Banquet” last week at its nonprofit Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water St. The show includes 96 works of art about food and drink.
“Potluck” will be a centerpiece in Port Townsend’s monthly Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, with many participating artists on hand. The gallery’s regular hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. More information is available at NorthwindArt.org.
Jurors and local artists Suzanne Lamon and Frank Samuelson selected “Potluck’s” pieces from some 300 entries. They also presented Jurors’ Merit Awards of $300 each to “Pineapple Upside Down Cake,” a glistening painting by Virginia Ashby of Port Townsend; “Goat Cheese with Dates,” an oil on linen by Jennifer Heerey of Oregon City, Ore.; and “Sweet Sunday,” a classic still life by Tracey Fox of Edmonds.
“I had no idea it would get this far,” Whitmore said of her prize-winning trout.
“I hope people continue to connect [with the artwork],” she added.
Whitmore said she was inspired to sculpt this creature as a kind of tribute to the fish not just as food, but as a living being.
Heerey, meanwhile, said her “Goat Cheese with Dates” painting is an expression of deep appreciation for these foods. One day earlier this year, she purchased the fruit and cheese at the market, then set them up in her studio. The dates had a sweet glow that set off the milky white of the cheese.
“The funny thing about this painting is that I actually got so hungry that I ate my still life just a little too early,” Heerey quipped.
“When I realized I needed to make a touch-up later, I had to rely on my knowledge of light to adjust parts of the shadow.”
Fox, whose “Sweet Sunday” pairs a bright trio of lemons with cool pottery and a striped tablecloth, said she was seeking to capture the essence of everyday life.
“The bright pinks and saturated yellows, along with allowing the underpainting to show through, give the painting the zest and life I was going for,” Fox said.
For dessert, Ashby’s “Pineapple Upside Down Cake” is another example of enjoying the sweetness of an old-fashioned treat. When the artist was asked what she hopes to give people with her painting, Ashby said: “Perhaps they’ll treat themselves to a tasty morsel, or remember a time when they ate pineapple upside down cake that Mom or Granny baked.”
“‘Potluck Banquet’ turned out to be a feast of nourishing art,” Northwind spokesperson Diane Urbani said.
Noting that the exhibit features six breakfast scenes, seven fish and 22 desserts — including four forms of chocolate — she added: “This show is meant to be fun and filled with delight.”
