I am about to speak blasphemy. Vashon does not support the visual arts! Oh sure, we go to the openings, we drink the wine and eat the food and we converse with other gallery goers. But in the end, there are very few red dots for underpriced artwork.

As a photographer, I have chosen not to work on the island because I found people here do not open their wallets easily or they want a deal or they balk at the pricing. They don’t understand what it takes – the time, the materials, the years of training and hard work, as well as the cost of doing business. They don’t know that a $3000 artwork may have $10,000 of time and material going into it.

When we attend the big gala auction in support of the art center, sure, there is lots of money flowing. People are picking up artwork often at a deflated prices ”in support of” Vashon Allied Arts. And don’t get me wrong; that’s a good thing, the buying, not the deflated prices. However, most items go below market value. “Supporters” are as much shopping for a deal as they are supporting the center. People are more likely to bid a trip to Italy up to four times it’s value than bid up an internationally known artist who has donated their work.

I understand that not everyone on the island can afford the luxury of purchasing an original work of art. But the artwork on Vashon comes in all shapes, sizes and price tags. If we are going to call ourselves supporters of the art, we need to buy the art to ensure the artist can go on making the beauty or thought-provoking imagery we turn out to see every First Friday and every open studio tour.

— Michael Rosenberg