Whidbey’s summer art season kicks off with ‘Spirit of Northwest’ art show

Island artists have echoed local musicians' endeavors with their own artistic industriousness.

Island artists have echoed local musicians’ endeavors with their own artistic industriousness.

In addition to the bevy of summer arts festivals that abound on Whidbey — including the Artists of South Whidbey annual show and the Island Artists exhibit in July, the Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival in August and the Whidbey Open Studio Tour in September — 11 Whidbey Island artists have added three more art shows for the summer season that hope to attract tourists and islanders alike.

The “Spirit of the Northwest” art show is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Coupeville Recreation Hall in downtown Coupeville.

The show is a benefit for the Whidbey General Hospital Foundation. Admission is free.

Also presented this summer by the same artists will be the Whidbey Regional Art Exhibits I and II to benefit the Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation.

The first regional exhibit will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 31 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. The second exhibit will be at the same times on Saturday, Aug. 28 and Sunday, Aug. 29 and also at the Coupeville Rec Hall.

Artists included in one or more of these events are painters Linda Shafer, Randy Emmons, Mark Skullerud, Gerald Roberts, Gary Schallock, Patty Pico and Mark Lucero. Also included will be wood carver Joseph Albert, glass artist Gary Berner and sculptors Dan Freeman and Sarah Bildsoe.

The “Spirit of the Northwest” event will hold a silent auction to raise funds for the hospital foundation for which several art pieces have been donated by the artists. In addition, a portion of all art sales will also be donated to the foundation by each artist.

This year’s show features 2010 Coupeville Arts Festival poster artist Roberts and 2009 Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival poster artist Emmons.

To find out more about the participating artists in these three up-and-coming exhibitions, click here.