An artful weekend starts with a gallery cruise

Small works, suitable for gifting, are on display at art shows and the holiday studio tour.

December 5, 2018 1:30 am
Nancy Sipple’s hand-embroidered chickadee is part of the show at VCA; small paintings by Bella Ormseth will grace the walls of VCA’s lobby; Christine Beck’s bowls can be seen at Waterworks Studio on the holiday art studio tour this weekend, and a print by Israel Shotridge is on view at Raven’s Nest Art Gallery & Gifts (Courtesy Photos.)
Nancy Sipple’s hand-embroidered chickadee is part of the show at VCA; small paintings by Bella Ormseth will grace the walls of VCA’s lobby; Christine Beck’s bowls can be seen at Waterworks Studio on the holiday art studio tour this weekend, and a print by Israel Shotridge is on view at Raven’s Nest Art Gallery & Gifts (Courtesy Photos.)

The arts will have a winter bloom on Vashon this weekend, with a First Friday gallery cruise followed by the final weekend of Vashon Island Visual Artists’ holiday studio tour taking place at almost 40 art spots around the island.

More than 100 local artists are participating in the tour, offering not only fine art but also hand-made crafts, including knitwear, jewelry, candles, soap and other items for the home and garden. For a map of all the tour locations, see vivaartists.com or visit the Vashon Island Art Studio Tour Facebook page. Tour brochures are also available at most island businesses. Smaller and “giftable” artworks are also a focus on Friday’s art cruise at the following locations.

The Hardware Store Restaurant

Oil paintings by Pam Ingalls are on view as part of the holiday studio tour.

Margaret in the Hallway

Margaret Heffelfinger will show paintings she describes as “Fancy Fidos with dogs wearing earrings they can share with you.”

Hastings-Cone Gallery

Fable Collections will present “Felted Sculpture and Whimsy,” a collection of old-world themed toys, with a magical wintertime theme. The show, filled with such ephemera as dolls, pop-up toys, finger puppets and more, will continue through Jan. 31, 2019.

Judd Creek Ranch Gallery

The gallery is part of the holiday studio art tour. Works on display include wooden bowls by Steven Caldwell, silk scarves by Francesca Fuller, textile origami by Claudia Hollander-Lucas, ceramics by Doug Lawrie, assemblage by Eric Nelsen and wooden sculpture by Hans Nelsen.

Open Space for Arts & Community

From 7 to 9 p.m., Open Space will launch Teens Arts Studio, a multi-age arts program that offers teens the space to create. The programs will be open Wednesdays and Fridays after school to drop in from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. Each month, in conjunction with First Friday, a Vashon artist or teacher will lead the project. On Friday, the first “First Friday” night, Caroline Rockey will instruct how to create monotypes. Students will use silver gelatin, rollers and paint to create shapes, patterns and colors in their prints.

Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union

The band, Tim Can’t Make It, will provide the musical backdrop for a show of spirit dolls and Heron photos by Jeanean Bauer.

Raven’s Nest Art Gallery & Gifts

The shop will feature the art of Tlinget master artist Israel Shotridge, including his newest limited edition art print, “Salmon Run,” which celebrates the salmon’s place of honor in the culture of all coastal peoples. Shotridge will be on hand during the gallery cruise to talk about his work and sign his prints as well as the 2019 First Nations calendar, in which is art is featured.

Relish

A show by Forge & Mill, “Useful Art for the Home,” will feature bowls, platters and plates to surround and fill the festal table. The show can also be seen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.

SAW – Starving Artist Works

Irene Otis, a tile maker whose decorative and functional 4 x 6 and 6 x 6-inch tiles have won a wide following on Vashon over the course of the past 30 years, will exhibit work, along with Cyra Jane, a professional stone carver and lapidary artist, who will show sculptural pendants made from hand-selected stones that she cuts and polishes. During the gallery cruise, Jane will be on site with a variety of cords and chains to help buyers select the right length and look for their pendants.

VALISE Gallery

Members of the cooperative gallery will offer an array of 5 x 5-inch works of art, as part of the holiday studio tour.

Vashon Center for the Arts

For the 12th consecutive year, Vashon Center for the Arts will host its annual Masters in Miniature show, including works by over 30 island artists, working in wood, paint, mixed media, photography, fiber, clay and more, in the Koch Gallery. The exhibit will also include a series of small paintings based on nature photography, by island artist Bella Ormseth, hanging in the Kay Hall Lobby.

Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road

Holiday scenes and fantasies painted by Geri Peterson’s watercolor class will be displayed with several of the artists on hand for a reception from 5 to 7 p.m.