Last Weekend to See HOME- The Essence of Place

This weekend marks the closing weekend for our last indoor exhibition of the year Home- The Essence of Place. This juried exhibit developed in partnership with Olympic Peninsula Art Association (OPAA) called upon artists to share works that celebrate our collective connection to the people and places of the Olympic Peninsula, from its natural beauty and culture to the social identities and entrepreneurial spirit of its locals.

Artists were asked to answer the question- How has your life been shaped and enriched by the Olympic Peninsula?  The call was open to all creatives who are rooted to the people, community, and land as a current or former inhabitant of the peninsula.

29 Olympic Peninsula artists were selected by a panel of 6 jurors for their ability to develop pieces that aligned with the theme.

A wide range of disciplines are included in the selection of work represented including photography, printmaking, oil and acrylic painting, wood and marble carving, ceramics, watercolor, quilting, and copper enamel and indeed, it was a challenge for our jurors to select only 29 artists, as so many talented local artists draw their inspiration from our surroundings.  We are grateful to these jurors for stepping up to this task and lending their expertise and keen eye. Jurors for this show were Ross Brown, Susan Hamilton, Monica Gutierrez-Quarto, Renne Brock, Marina Shipova, and Garrett Grove.

Additionally, we are grateful to OPAA for spearheading the idea of a collaborative show. Behind the scenes this show represents many months of communication and pre-planning to develop a process that would effectively lift up both organizations. As part of this collaboration OPAA provided the funds for two honorary awards and our PAFAC Gallery Director selected the recipients for these honors.

Honored with awards were Cody Wise Hagen and Shelley Jaye.

Cody Wise Hagen- Best in Show

Cody uses a traditional Japanese printing technique to make renderings of the endemic and migratory Salmonoids and other fish species on the Olympic Peninsula.

“The simplistic yet bold contrast of the sumi ink on the mulberry paper and the over 150-year-old Japanese tradition of catching, printing, and preparing each fish for a meal speaks to me. I feel that the art of Gyotaku effortlessly captures the unique landscape we live in in Port Angeles. I’ve been studying and talking to Gyotaku masters, asking them questions about their craft, and exploring the art form while progressing my own unique style,” states Wise Hagen.

“I want to help people understand what’s going on with climate science and how it relates to everyone globally. Living on the Olympic Peninsula we are a bellwether for climate change. I believe helping create awareness through education on how specifically our forests, rivers, oceans and salmon will be affected is so important,” continues Wise Hagen.

Shelley Jaye- Best in Theme

Shelley Jaye is a mosaic artist and geologist drawn to the Olympic Peninsula for its rugged beauty and active geologic setting. She is an assistant professor of geology and has spent a career encouraging students to share in her fascination and appreciate the dynamic processes that created and continue to shape the Earth.

“I find both beauty and comfort in the surroundings of Earth’s natural system. The ancient forests, beaches and mountains of the Olympic Peninsula, provide me with the inspiration, natural elements and artifacts I use to create mosaic pieces that attempt to capture Earth’s restless energy. As an educator in the geological sciences, I find great joy in enlightening the audience on the fascinating stories that the Earth’s materials tell through their geological interpretation,” states Jaye.

We encourage you to stop by the gallery this weekend for one last viewing. Open hours are Thursday- Sunday from 11am-5pm.  All artwork is available for purchase.

Learn More About the Exhibit