The North Olympic History Center/Clallam County Historical Society and the Olympic Peninsula Art Association, along with The Messy Palettes of Clallam Bay and the Far West Art League, join forces to present a special exhibit titled “Art as Artifact” set for 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at at the old Lincoln School site at the corner of Ninth and C streets in Port Angeles.

Celebrating the visual art and artists of Clallam County, the event is part of the History Tales series and is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served. Parking and entry are on the west side of the school off West Ninth Street.

The show will also be open by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays in June, between 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The collection of artwork to be shown is owned by the History Center and has been donated by estates, artists and owners of artwork. This is an opportunity for the community to view most of the collection that includes artwork from the 1890s to present. All pieces presented in this show were created in Clallam County by residents at the time.

The idea for the show came about, organizers say, when state-of-the art storage units were installed in the Artifact Storage Facility. Items had to be removed from the original old storage and temporarily stored in Lincoln School, and when volunteers saw the collection it was decided that the public should have the opportunity to see the pieces as well.

A highlight of the exhibit, event organizers say, is a 13-foot-by-3-foot painting of the Port Angeles Gun Club, completed by Thomas Guptill in 1938 (the club is still located east of Port Angeles). The exhibit also includes a collection of Esther Webster’s large, expressive pieces, along with paintings by Minerva Troy and Gustav Kalling. Also featured is a collection of watercolors by Joy McCarter done from the 1970s to the 1980s. There are more 300 pieces being shown in this collection representing more than 60 artists.

Silk artist Karen Sistek has donated one of her florals for a raffle to benefit the History Center.

For more information, call the History Center’s office at 360-452-2662 or email to artifact@olypen.com.