The color scheme for this month’s First Friday Art Walk on June 6 is white.White represents inclusive acceptance, optimistic opportunities, hope, open minds, pure and thoughtful actions, friendly impressions, and blank canvases that are receptive to any positive vision.
Because white is actually all the colors of the rainbow, multi-color enchantment is in the air with blowing bubbles, the wearing of bright tie dyes and fairy wings, and spreading validating pixie dust is encouraged! It is a chance to dress in white and rainbow colors to be magical, shiny, and show off every color of the visible spectrum!
First Friday Art Walk Sequim is a fun and free self-guided tour of local art venues in Sequim on the First Friday of every month from 5-8 p.m. Visit online at SequimArtWalk.com as your resource to download and print your own map.
Initiated in 2006, the First Friday Art Walk Sequim is an encouraging and educational arts event that is sponsored and produced by Renne Emiko Brock. Our mission is to create approachable and accessible art and cultural venues that encourage the community to connect and celebrate expression and diversity.
Special events June 6:
The Rain Shadow Artisans are going to be in Whimsey Park at 130 E. Washington next to Jose’s Salsa House. Their 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization’s mission is to support, encourage and inspire artisans to practice and share with the community through group events.
Alder Wood Bistro at 139 W. Alder St. has artisan wood-fired local, seasonal, organic food in the heart of Sequim. Dine with inspiring artwork from community artists.
Olympic Theatre Arts Center at 414 N. Sequim Ave. has the performance of “Nunsense” which is habit-forming! This riotous show is a fundraiser put on by the Little Sisters of Hoboken to raise money to bury sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia (Child of God). Updated with new jokes, additional lyrics, two new arrangements, and a brand-new song, this madcap musical was recorded for television starring Rue McClanahan as the Mother Superior. Tickets are available online at olympictheatrearts.org or call the box office Tuesday through Friday, 1-4 p.m.
Blue Whole Gallery at 129 W. Washington St. is celebrating its birthday with the theme “28 on the Strait” and a display of works of art fashioned from our local area. For this month’s Art Walk, the gallery has planned a “public paint-out.” Guests are invited to paint on two large canvases that will be set up on a tarp. Paint and brushes will be provided.
For 28 years Blue Whole Gallery has been in business, occupying the same location and still with one original member. Art galleries are not known for longevity and yet Blue Whole has managed to stay afloat and stay put. That tenure is largely due to the support of the greater Sequim community.
Over the last four years, Blue Whole has focused on giving back to the community through month-long fundraisers on behalf of local non-profits as well as providing space for events such as the Olympic Peninsula Authors monthly event, Writers Read. The gallery’s journey hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
“It took a lot of work by a core group of about 12 people to get the gallery started,” says founding member Barb Boerigter. “Then finding artists who were willing to join the gallery and put in the required time to keep things going was also a challenge.” There have been other challenges over the years, such as Covid. “When I joined the Gallery in 2020, we were down to 17 members. The dues we generated weren’t enough to pay the rent,” states member Jolene Sanborn. “But we made it through and now we have 28 member artists. Everyone gets along well, truly enjoying working and being together.”
The A. Milligan Art Studio & Gallery at 520 N. Sequim Ave. presents the Pacific Northwest Impressions Exhibit with three artists, Len Zeoli, Michelle Lindblom, and Linda Tilley.
As always, while you’re visiting the main gallery, take a peek around the corner into Anne Milligan’s pastel studio for any works that might be in progress; and see some of her finished pieces on display in the digital studio.
This month welcome sculptor, Len Zeoli, to the Gallery. Len’s curiosity has shaped his lifelong pursuit of knowledge and artistic expression. While the physical act of making has always resonated with Len, his desire to understand life in a broader context earned him a degree in Theology; and with more questions than answers, it ultimately led him back to science and a Ph.D in Conservation Biology. For over four decades, wood has been both Len’s medium and companion. He began as a woodworker, crafting furniture, boats, and architectural elements, but gradually, his focus shifted to pure form: sculpture. Len says, “My artistic practice explores the fundamental forces that shape life, drawing on the history of materials and the unseen dimensions of existence. My work reflects an ongoing dialogue between the material world and the deeper questions of human consciousness and origins”. His works stand alone in their silent motion and make beautiful additions in our Pacific Northwest themed exhibit.
Artist, Michelle Lindblom’s acrylic paintings and monotypes take you on an abstract and ethereal journey through her mesmerizing interpretations of the natural world surrounding us. She holds advanced degrees in the fine arts and taught visual arts at the college level for over twenty-four years. Now residing in Sequim from Bend, OR, she’s served on community arts committees, and as a gallery coordinator and exhibition juror. Her artwork has been exhibited across the United States and in Europe. Michelle says her approach to making marks is intuitive, “Once the process begins, it becomes a visual playground of colors, textures, shapes and movement. As the work evolves, intuition and formal knowledge guide the exploration, experimentation and discovery. My imagery portrays the continuous dialogues with my psyche, along with my awareness of the nuances of everyday experiences.”
Oil painter, Linda Tilley’s representational works are a serene immersion into our endless scenic landscapes. Linda says she is drawn to paint “en plein air”, inspired by the intensity of color, light, atmosphere and the energies of the world outside. She also uses the time she spends in nature to inform the works she creates when painting inside her studio. From her home in Port Townsend, she’s traveled regionally and to Europe following her passion for plein air painting, continually learning and honing her skills to capture the experiences that she shares on her canvases. Over the years, this award-winning artist has had her work juried into multiple regional shows and exhibitions; and her paintings are hung in private collections across the United States.
At Sequim Museum & Arts at 544 N. Sequim Ave. the featured artist in the Judith McInnes Tozzer Art Gallery is ceramic artist Beth Garrison with “Land, Sea, and Sky: Nature in Clay,” showcasing her functional pottery in white stoneware. Her work, both wheel-thrown and slab-built, provides a 3D canvas for her art. Decoration is done with colored slips and underglazes, using a variety of techniques including carving, incising, and inlaying. Her creations reflect the natural environment and rich biodiversity of the Pacific Northwest with images of birds, fish, mammals, and marine life. A retired educator from Alaska, Beth has spent 25 years making pottery. Her artistic goal is to design and create functional pottery for life’s special moments, from celebrations to daily rituals. Transforming lumps of clay into useful objects, she enjoys connecting her craft as a potter with the recipients of her art.
Beth Garrison states, “I have two passions in my life – teaching and art. In 1981, with a B.S. in Education from Northern Arizona University, I moved to Alaska to pursue a teaching career. Three decades later, I relocated to Sequim, Washington, to start Puffin Rock Studio and return to my other passion – clay.
Ceramics has been one of my interests since childhood. I love the malleability of clay and its ability to pick up details and textures. White stoneware provides a 3-dimensional canvas for my pottery, which is either wheel thrown or hand-built. Decoration is done with colored slips and underglazes using a variety of techniques including carving, incising, and inlaying. Lead free glazes are applied to the pots and fired to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit.
The inspiration for my art is influenced from living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. My creations reflect the natural environment and the rich biodiversity of the flora and fauna of this region, from the mountains to the sea.
My artistic goal is to design and create functional pottery for life’s special moments, be they large or small, from celebrations to daily rituals. Transforming lumps of clay into useful objects, I enjoy connecting my craft as a potter with the recipients of my art.”
From 5:30-7:30 p.m., Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County’s Sequim Habitat Boutique Store at 213 E. Washington St. will offer live music of Reckless Dove.
The River House Bakery & Cafe at 120 W. Bell St. will be serving a limited dinner menu from 5-8 p.m. Reservations are strongly encouraged. The café’s featured artist is Kelli Ward of KW Photography. Kelli will have on display a variety of local nature and landscape photography pieces. Deadwood Revival will provide live music.
Western Wanderer at 108 W. Washington St. hosts live music and decorative, storytelling apparel.
At the Sequim Civic Center at 152 W. Cedar St., join the Sequim Arts Commission for an opening reception for the “Over The Rainbow” art exhibition from 5-7 p.m. in the Karen Kuznek-Reese Gallery.
First Friday Art Walk
Color scheme: White
Friday, June 6
5-8 p.m.
Various venues in Sequim
Image courtesy Julie Senf/ See art by Julie Senf, such as “Clam Cannery,” and other artists at the Blue Whole Gallery at the First Friday Art Walk on June 6. The gallery celebrates its birthday with the theme “28 on the Strait” this month.
