PORT TOWNSEND — Local artists have filled the gallery with color and life: painted portraits, bronze, copper and fiber jewelry, beaded sculptures, fabric maché, plein air paintings, birds from Steller’s jays to owls.
“Small Expressions,” the 22nd annual show of small works, opens at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water St., in time for Art Walk this Saturday.
The exhibition is a juried one, so a three-member jury selected 106 works from nearly 300 submissions. More than 100 artists from around the Olympic Peninsula entered their work.
“I’ve never seen such diversity,” Northwind Art volunteer Taine Gavin said Wednesday as she checked artists’ entries in at the gallery.
“There’s art that is powerful, such as Sharman Owings’ ‘Flutter.’ There are also pieces that are humorous, such as ‘Fish Girl’ by Kath Raymond,” said Diane Urbani, Northwind Art communications manager.
“‘Small Expressions’ this year has jewelry like you’ve never seen before. It has fiber art, such as Azalea Rees’ ‘Jasmine,’ wool embroidery that looks like a painting,” Urbani added.
The gallery will be open from noon until 8 p.m. Saturday for Port Townsend’s first Saturday Art Walk, with refreshments and artists in attendance.
Regular hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. The exhibit closes Dec. 31.
It’s an annual tradition for Northwind Art to host a show of small works to encourage art buying during the gift-giving season, Urbani said.
“Giving a loved one an original work by a local artist is a fabulous way to celebrate our vibrant arts community,” she said.
For more about Northwind Art’s gallery exhibitions and art classes at Fort Worden State Park, see https://northwindart.org.
