PORT TOWNSEND — One of the most wide-ranging exhibitions in recent memory at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery opens Friday.
“Small Expressions,” the annual juried show, will bring together more than 200 artworks during its six-week run at 701 Water St.
“Each piece is under 16 inches in any direction, so it’s possible to fit a lot into our space,” said Diane Urbani, spokesperson for Northwind, a nonprofit organization.
For “Small Expressions,” makers were invited to use any art medium.
Block prints, beaded birds, various hand-woven fibers, pinhole photography and jewelry made with silver and raw aquamarine stones all will be part of the exhibit. So will oil pastels, papier-maché, stained glass, gouache and colored porcelain.
“I encourage gallery visitors to savor the details,” said Mitzi Jo Gordon, one of the three exhibition jurors.
Gordon, an artist, writer and the manager of the Port Townsend Creative District, served on the jury with printmaker and teaching artist Shannon Kidd and Northwind Art Exhibits Coordinator Jaiden Dokken.
The three will announce the Jurors’ Choice Award as soon as the show opens at noon Friday.
The 39 featured artists, selected from 94 entrants, come from across the Pacific Northwest. Twenty-seven are from Port Townsend and greater Jefferson County, two are from Oregon, four are from Seattle and environs, and the rest are from Kitsap County, Port Angeles and Sequim.
“I was particularly impressed,” Gordon said, “by the variety of media explored by artists in this smaller format,” which is the hallmark of “Small Expressions.”
“The show fits the giving season,” Urbani said. “Prices start at $60, with many pieces under $325, and these small works are easy for us to ship for you. An original work of art from a Northwest artist is a gift from the heart.”
With other Northwind Art exhibitions, artwork that is purchased stays on view until the show closes. “Small Expressions” is different since it’s oriented toward holiday giving.
When a patron buys a piece in this show, they may take it home or have it shipped to the recipient.
Another work from that same artist will be rotated into the exhibition.
Jeanette Best Gallery also is featuring the Showcase 2024 exhibition of works by local artists. Through Dec. 31, many of these artists are exhibiting small works to complement the “Small Expressions” show.
Jeanette Best Gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays, although it will be closed for Thanksgiving.
The venue also participates in Port Townsend’s First Saturday Art Walk, so there will be refreshments and conversation with artists and art lovers from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 7.
For more information about Northwind gallery shows and art classes, see https://northwindart.org.
“Dungeness Marsh in the Winter” by Anne Pfeiffer of Port Angeles will be part of “Small Expressions,” the wide-ranging show which will open Friday at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery in Port Townsend.
