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Recommended: Pam Ingalls marks 20 years of portrait exhibits

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 29, 2026

By Elizabeth Shepherd For The Beachcomber

Courtesy Photos “Facing the Music: Portraits of Vashon Island Musicians,” an exhibition of work by Pam Ingalls, includes portraits of (top, left to right) Bill Moyer, Rebekah Kuzma, Ron Hook (bottom), Paul Colwell, Gaye Detzer and Jennifer Stills.
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Courtesy Photos

“Facing the Music: Portraits of Vashon Island Musicians,” an exhibition of work by Pam Ingalls, includes portraits of (top, left to right) Bill Moyer, Rebekah Kuzma, Ron Hook (bottom), Paul Colwell, Gaye Detzer and Jennifer Stills.

Courtesy Photos “Facing the Music: Portraits of Vashon Island Musicians,” an exhibition of work by Pam Ingalls, includes portraits of (top, left to right) Bill Moyer, Rebekah Kuzma, Ron Hook (bottom), Paul Colwell, Gaye Detzer and Jennifer Stills.
Courtesy Photo Pam Ingalls.

In 2007, local oil painter Pam Ingalls began what has now become a much-anticipated annual event, unveiling her first exhibition of oil portraits of friends, neighbors and others she admired on Vashon.

Since that time, she hasn’t stopped, annually creating more portrait exhibitions of people in other communities in far-flung locations including Jamaica, Guatemala, India, Kenya, New Zealand, New York City, Chicago and Nome, Alaska.

In those places, she has captured the luminous faces of artisans, refugees, immigrants, Indigenous elders and those in other walks of life. But how lucky for all of us on Vashon that she has also circled back to her own hometown to create more portraits.

In show after show on Vashon, she has found communities within our community to celebrate — including Vashon elders, local heroes, local business leaders, animal lovers and LGBTQ+ islanders, to name but a few of the annual themes for her exhibitions.

Her work is a gift to all of us, but she doesn’t describe it that way, of course. She sees her portraiture as a gift that, instead, has been given to her.

“Not only have I gotten to meet and paint incredible people, I have had the privilege of presenting these lovely souls to others,” Ingalls said, describing her work. “I’ve always been interested in seeing beauty in the ordinary. It’s hard to miss the beauty in “ordinary” people – no matter where they live. Every single person is extraordinary! And as I paint them, I keep learning more about my journey to see and tell the truth with integrity.”

Don’t miss her 20th annual portrait exhibition, “Facing the Music: Portraits of Vashon Island Musicians,” opening from 5-8 Friday, May 1, at Vashon Center for the Arts. The show — part of Vashon Island Visual Artists Spring Studio Tour — will run throughout the month in the venue. It can also be viewed online at bit.ly/PamIngalls2026.

Mark your calendars, also, for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at VCA, when Ingalls will give a free talk about her 20-year portrait project, filled with the beloved and iconic faces of “ordinary people” with one-of-a-kind beauty and importance.

Elizabeth Shepherd is a former Beachcomber reporter and editor. Since leaving The Beachcomber, she has freelanced as a communications specialist for Vashon Center for the Arts on two projects.

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