Pastel for the Joy of It- Mini Workshop From the 16th century to the 21st, pastel has amazed and delighted artists and art patrons alike. Join award winning pastel artist, Cinda Sue Dow for a day of fun, exploring this versatile and vibrant medium. Learn about different pastels and pastel papers. Explore various techniques of  Continue Reading

Leading soprano Hui He portrays the heartbreaking title role of the doomed geisha, with tenor Andrea Carè as the American naval officer who abandons her. Paulo Szot plays the role of Sharpless, and Elizabeth DeShong is Suzuki. Pier Giorgio Morandi is on the podium for Anthony Minghella’s sweeping production, a perennial audience favorite. Sunday, January  Continue Reading

Weaving Art and Science to Create Ocean Tapestries In the early 1990’s, Véronique Robigou and John Delaney were exploring the bottom of the ocean in the deep-diving Submarine ALVIN off the Pacific Northwest Coast. There, they discovered a spectacular 135 ft tall sulfide structure spewing 700° F fluids out of the sea floor atop an  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s annual Best of the Fest series begins January 7. Award-winning, impactful feature films and shorts from the 2019 Festival will be shown every first and third Tuesday from January through May at the Grange beginning at 7 pm. These screenings are free, although donations are encouraged. The line-up includes: January 7  Continue Reading

San Juan County residents responded enthusiastically to the Friday Harbor Arts Commission’s call for submissions for its first Poetry Garden Contest. The Town received 271 poems composed by 89 adult and student poets. Those entering the contest were required to reside within the county but otherwise were limited only by the number of lines that  Continue Reading

Look who’s interviewing Sheryl Crow – It’s Friday Harbor’s own Emree (Rhiana) Franklin! How cool is that? Proud parents Suzanne and Ken Franklin share this announcement… Dear Friends and Family, Exciting news is fun to share and I have some really exciting news about Rhiana (Emree) who was recently selected by Sheryl Crow for inclusion  Continue Reading

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) is dedicated to supporting the local San Juan Islands art community each year in the museum’s Artists’ Registry Exhibit.   With over 70 artists showcased, both established and emerging, the artists come from San Juan Island, Orcas, Shaw & Lopez Islands. The exhibit opens December 20 and runs until February  Continue Reading

A Concert of Choral and Instrumental Carols, Hymns, and Anthems from France, Scandinavia, and Germany, will take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, December 21st at 3:00 PM. The concert will feature an unaccompanied choir directed by Richard Lind. Instrumental performances by Sue Collado, clarinet; Hanneke Klein-Robbenhaar, violin and viola; and Richard Lind,  Continue Reading

Alchemy Art Center, in partnership with the San Juan County Arts Council, is offering a mentorship opportunity for young people in Spring of 2020.  This mentorship program will match two high school students with one adult artist in each department at Alchemy (ceramics, photography, and printmaking/painting/drawing).  This program will take place over the course of  Continue Reading

Island Stage Left’s “Christmas Memories” and “Omnium Gatherum” will run on different nights in the Marie Boe Building at the San Juan County Fairgrounds, December 14-24. All shows at 7:30 EXCEPT: Sunday shows at 4pm, and December 24 shows at 4pm and 6:30 pm. Reservations required and available for December 24thonly: stageleft@centurytel.net Free admission to  Continue Reading

Island Farming: History And Landscape Of Agriculture In The San Juan Islands by Boyd C. Pratt A free-ranging pig that caused an international war; a year’s crop of ginseng that paid off the mortgage; and a breachy cow that led to bloody murder. Farming in the San Juan Islands has always presented challenges and opportunities.  Continue Reading

Helen from Island Stage Left writes: Three top notch veteran actors and a dynamite, incredibly relevant script for our time. Yes, the subject is serious, but the performances have lots of humor, bravery and humanity in them. This really is a must-see show. Come early to get a seat. I have a feeling we may  Continue Reading

Thanks to Anthony DiMichele for this photo from English Camp…

Island studios will be featuring glass artist Darleen Nixon… Join Island Studios on Friday, November 29 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at 270 Spring Street in Friday Harbor for a holiday trunk show featuring beautiful glass jewelry and fun, functional glass pieces for your home created by Darleen Nixon of Nixon Art Glass. Find the  Continue Reading

I Never Saw Another Butterfly by Celeste Raspanti and directed by Penelope Haskew opens Thursday* November 21 continuing through Saturday November 23 at 7:00 pm and on Sunday, November 24 at 2:00 pm in the Whittier Theatre.  Over 15,000 Jewish children passed through Terezin, and only about a hundred were still alive when Terezin was  Continue Reading

Alchemy Arts Center invites you to a special one-night event on Friday, November 22, 5:00 – 8:00 pm in the Alchemy Arts Center Dome. (Parking is limited therefore carpooling is encouraged)… Vivien Tapsoba is a self-trained painter from Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, currently residing in the United States. He has been a guest of residencies and workshops in  Continue Reading

It’s that time of the year!  The Friends of the San Juan Island Library will be having their annual Holiday Sale at the library on Dec. 7 from 10-4 p.m. This year we have a variety of selections of holiday gifts and decorations.  Along with our big offering of books, there will be fresh picked  Continue Reading

  The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor is a great place to visit in December!   Join us on Saturday, December 7th from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm for The Whale Museum’s annual Holiday Open House. Fun for all ages! Enjoy holiday treats & goodies! Sing carols! Make holiday crafts!  Attendees will receive a 10%  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… Get your holiday season shopping off to a festive start at the Mullis Center’s Holiday Craft Fair. The Fair happens the weekend before Thanksgiving, this year on Friday, November 22, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm and on Saturday, November  Continue Reading

Looking up through this art installation, we are presented the illusion of being submerged midst the kelp, under water. Changing light throughout the days alters the mood of this very tactile art at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA). We are challenged by the installation, Tide of Transition, designed by Cathryn Mallory of Missoula,  Continue Reading

Inspired by Desire II, our 34th annual holiday showcase, features unique works for gift giving – jewelry, ornaments, paintings, sculpture and a few oddities curated just for you. Join us for Prosecco Night, both Thursday and Friday 11/21 & 22, 4-7 pm.

Mark your calendars! The Winter Flea & Craft Market will be at the Fairgrounds Main Building on Saturday, December 7th from 9 am-1 pm. Flea & Craft Market vendors can sign up for a booth space by calling (360) 378-4310, by emailing info@sjcfair.org or by applying online at www.sjcfair.org. Each vendor booth space is 10’  Continue Reading