Journey by Wayne Chabre

A web exhibition on My Public Art Portal, curated by San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) board member Lynn Bahrych connects artworks in the State Art Collection with themes in SJIMA’s current exhibition DEEP DIVE. The web exhibition is entitled DEEP DIVE CONTINUED and expands the ocean conservation theme of SJIMA’s exhibition.

ArtsWA encourages citizens to use My Public Art Portal to explore Washington’s State Art Collection online. The Portal links people to the nearly 5,000 artworks that are located at K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and state agencies across Washington State. 

Lynn worked with ArtsWA staff Valerie Peterman and Heide Fernandez-Llamazares to choose artworks from the State Art Collection with ties to the SJIMA exhibition and to increase public awareness of species at risk.

Reef Net Anchor by Dan Friday (Lummi Nation)

The museum’s exhibition highlights the fragile ecology of the Salish Sea as well as its stunning beauty. Artists Chabre, Friday, Oliver, Samuelson, Fruge Brown, Eisenhour, and Fletcher are some of the artists in the current exhibition at SJIMA who also have works in the State Art Collection.

Visit Lynn’s web exhibition, Deep Dive Continued. Continue Reading

Erin Corra, Founder/Director of Friends of Lime Kiln Society (FOLKS) receives a check for $200 from Rotary Club President, Tom Sibert and Barb Fagan, baker extraordinaire of 200 cookies sold to benefit FOLKS during the Lime Kiln Lighthouse Centennial Celebration held on June 30th.

This month we are happy to feature Michael Karcher calling. Michael is a popular energetic young caller from Seattle who we have enjoyed several times at our dances. And this month’s band is Not For Sissies, featuring some of our favorite musicians, including fiddlers Vivian Williams and Sono Hashisaki and guitarist Jay Finkelstein. They are all expert and entertaining. Even if you don’t dance, come and enjoy the music. We are fortunate these folks are coming to put on our dance!

• What: Third Saturday Contra Dance
• Where: Grange Hall in Friday Harbor
• When: Saturday July 20, 7 till 9 PM
• Price: $10 donation at the door, $5 students

As always with contra dance, all dances are taught, no need to bring a partner, and no need for previous contra dance experience, everyone is welcome, we always have a good time together!

This dance is sponsored by San Juan Island Grange #966. Check out our Facebook page – San Juan Islands Contra Dance.

Head on over to The Village (543 Spring St) on Saturday, July 20th, 5:30-8:30 PM for some lip-smackin’, melt-in-your-mouth BBQ meat & trimmin’s and the golden opportunity to lasso some original pieces from your favorite island artists

…and more

Or snag an amazing travel package, or walk (stagger?) home under the burden of a case of vintage wines.

That and more awaits the lucky round up attendees at Hospice of San Juan’s Giddy Up fundraiser. Admission tickets ($100/person, $150/couple), available on Eventbrite or at The Village, help fund Hospice of San Juan’s programs.

With this event, hospice hopes to raise $25,000 to match a community challenge of $25,000 in a push to build its endowment fund, with the goal of insuring economic stability into the future.

Hospice of San Juan provides caregiver respite, medical equipment lending, education, grief support and Music & Memory matching at no charge. Staffed entirely by volunteers since 1984, this neighbors-helping-neighbors group depends on your support. Come join the party and help Hospice help you! For more info, check out the hospice website www.hospiceofsanjuan.org

Shoplifters
Tuesday July 16th 7:30 pm
Japanese (subtitled) 121 minutes
Drama Rated R (some sexual content and nudity)

Winner of Palme D’Or at Cannes and nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign film, Shoplifters depicts a Japanese family that survives by running petty scams, Director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s modern day Oliver Twist story portrayal of the protagonists’ rough-and-ready lifestyle demonstrate that people can find comfort even in the worst economic conditions. On the other hand he continues his ongoing examination of what constitutes a family, and whether it can still provide cohesion in Japan’s rapidly devolving society. At once charming and heart-wrenching, this exquisitely performed film will steal your heart.

It’s beautifully done, and at a leisurely pace (please note 2 hour length). The joy of the movie lies mostly in watching fine actors build their beautifully flawed and lived-in characters. There isn’t a single weak link in the cast, though the sheer, ridiculous adorability of the two kids almost seems like an unfair advantage.

But Kore-eda is working up to something else, steering the story he’s built so carefully toward an utterly unexpected detour. As much of what we think we know unravels, the film becomes not just an enjoyable, intermittently poignant portrait of imperfect people but a profound meditation on the meaning of family. Suddenly, Shoplifters is the kind of sneaky beauty that makes you glad for the patience it’s asked of you, and freshly thankful for the eye-opening gifts of international cinema Highly recommended but not suitable for children. Continue Reading

Woodcut Monotype by Nikki Barber and Don Kong Laos

Alchemy Art Center is continuing it’s visiting artist series with two incredible weekend workshops this month.

Watercolor Monotypes: Landscapes is being offered Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21 at Alchemy. This class will explore a printmaking technique that is perfect for painters, or for anyone interested in a versatile and fluid form of expression.

Nikki Barber is a professional printmaker based in Seattle who will get students familiar with this process. Students can create simple or complicated images, no art experience necessary.

Instructor Sara Condo – Contributed photo

Digital Darkroom, on offer Saturday and Sunday July 27-28, is a class for anyone interested in photography.

Students can start making unique darkroom prints with no camera or film necessary by converting a digital image (taken on phone or camera) into a transparency that can then be used to create black and white photo darkroom prints and cyanotypes.

Instructor Sara Condo is a Chicago-based artist and university instructor.

To learn more and to register, please visit www.alchemyartcenter.com/classes

Alchemy Art Center, founded by Maria Michaelson and Eben Shay in 2017, is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to creating a thriving arts community on San Juan Island.

For more information about Alchemy, visit our website at www.alchemyartcenter.com

Judy McRae Enjoying a Forest Bath – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

Most Islanders do not need to be reminded to appreciate the beauty of nature. It is why we live here. And yet, if you live here 24/7 you know that even our island paradise is not immune to the stresses of modern life in these contentious times. Luckily for us it is not hard to find a patch of woods to enjoy what the Japanese call Shinrin-yoku or Forest Bathing.

Refreshing ones spirit in nature is of course nothing new. America’s great naturalist John Muir the father of our national parks said, “In every walk with nature one receives far more that he seeks.” Yet, forest bathing, as practiced in Japan, began in the 1980s as a form of preventative health care to counteract the stress of an urban lifestyle.

Forest Bathing is not the same as a hike. There is no destination and there is no hurry. Don’t take your phone or your camera. You can do it at a slow stroll and you can do it sitting on a log. The idea is to engage in the natural world with all of your senses. Listen to the sounds of the forest, feel the moss, smell the duff, watch sunlight glint off shiny drops of tree sap. If you have been taking yoga classes (Tuesday mornings at the Mullis Center) try a few yoga stretches and some deep breathing. Breathe in organic compounds called phytoncides. These compounds protect trees from parasites and disease and will do the same for you.

What is new about forest bathing is the research. According to forest bathing guide, Moshe Sherman, the analysis of 143 research studies shows that there are many healing benefits.  “One 20-minute session of forest bathing led to an increase in a type of white blood cell called NK cells, or natural killer cells — cells that protect humans from viruses and even from tumor formations” Plus spending time in the woods reduces blood pressure, boosts the immune system, reduces stress, improves mood, aids mental focus and improves sleep. Next time you feel stress creeping into your life try stepping into the woods for a refreshing forest bath.

Kittens are the Pets of the Week – Contributed photo

Brought to you by Kitten Poets of Friday Harbor.

It’s wondrous what a kitten can do…
A kitten can cheer you when you’re blue…
A kitten can say I love you so…
Or gee I hate to see you go…

A kitten will purr you to sleep at night…
And wake you come morning with meow meow delights…
A kitten can soothe a small child’s pain…
And bring a rainbow after rain…

A kitten delights and warms and charms…
With so much cuteness they can do no harm!
Kittens are great for mothers and fathers…
Sweet for sisters…
Swell for brothers…

And chances are, you’re favorite Aunts…
Love them more than potted plants.
A kitten can break the language barrier…
And make your life that much greater!

So come rain or cold…
Just put on those mittens…
Come down to the shelter and take home your kitten!

Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
994 Cattle Point Road
(360) 378-2158

On July 15th at the Orca Survey Outreach & Education Center at 185 S. First Street, we will be showing a documentary film called “Fading Sound” that was produced by Friday Harbor High School students Blake Budwill and Luke Erikson.

This film focuses on the threats facing Southern Resident killer whales. Blake Budwill will be hosting and some of the researchers/experts Blake and Luke interviewed for the film will be in attendance and available for a short Q&A after the film.

Doors will open at 6:30 and we will start the film at 7:00pm. Admission is free, snacks will be provided, seating is limited, and run time for the film is approximately 50 minutes. 

Ben Jeffrey will be joining San Juan Community Theatre from the New York production of Disney’s The Lion King for two extraordinary events! 

Ben has been playing the role of Pumbaa for nine years, and singing his heart out on Broadway and in tours across the country. 

Story and Song: A Cabaret

• Friday, July 19^th, 7:30 pm at the Whittier Theatre
• Tickets: Pay What You Can

Ben will be belting out his favorite hits from his time on Broadway, intertwined with anecdotes about life with performers when you’re all doing the same show eight times a week. 

Ben is a master storyteller, an incredible vocalist, a dedicated comedian, and you might see a San Juan Islander or two joining him for a duet or trio! 

This performance is Pay What You Can and sure to be packed! Continue Reading

Alchemy Art Center will host living outsider music legend Susan Dietrich, known by most as The Space Lady, for an unforgettable performance on Tuesday, July 16th at 8pm.  The show will take place in the Dome at Alchemy Art Center located at 1255 Wold Rd, Friday Harbor. A $10-15 donation is requested at the door.

Dietrich’s musical journey has taken many twists and turns, ultimately resulting in a well-loved catalogue and dedicated international following. 

From her Bandcamp-

“Transcendentally beautiful, The Space Lady’s music is returning to Earth. Transmitting messages of peace and harmony, The Space Lady began her odyssey on the streets of Boston in the late 70s, then San Francisco ten years later, playing versions of contemporary pop music with an accordion and dressed flamboyantly. Following the theft and destruction of her accordion, The Space Lady invested in a then-new Casio keyboard, complete with a phase shifter and headset mic, birthing an otherworldly new dimension to popular song that has captured the imaginations of the underground and its leading exponents ever since.” 

This rare musical treat is not to be missed!

Find out more at: Continue Reading

July 20 & 21, 2019 Pelindaba Lavender Farm will be hosting the San Juan Island Lavender Festival. All are invited to come see, smell, hear, touch and taste The Complete Lavender Experience®. Festival activities are scheduled 10am – 5pm both days. The event is free for all and open to the community. Pets are welcome and ample parking is available.

The San Juan Island Lavender Festival, now in its 18^th year, continues to be a popular summer destination with several thousand visitors and islanders attending each year to celebrate all things lavender. The beautiful weather of late means the fields will be at their “peak of purpleness” for the festival.

The festival weekend will culminate in a Farm to Table Dinner in benefit of SAFE San Juans in the blooming fields. Coho Restaurant’s extraordinary culinary team will feature the flavors of the summer season, drawing ingredients from local San Juan Island farms with a touch of culinary lavender from the surrounding fields.

Tickets may be purchased at Coho Restaurant at 360-378-6330. Seating is limited. Sunday night, July 21st, 2019.

Throughout the weekend, workshops, demonstrations and exhibits will survey the entire process – from field to finished product, including lavender cultivation, essential oil distillation and its many uses. Local Chef Anna Maria of Coho Restaurant will be presenting a tasty cooking with lavender demonstration – with samples to taste of course! Continue Reading

The wheel is turning ever closer, and all you Island Writers should be cultivating your entries for the 2019 “A Wheel in Time: Cultivating Roots” San Juan County Fair!

But wait, it’s not too late!  Although the Fair is a month away—August 14-17—the deadline for the Written Word entries is July 19^th—less than a weekaway! 

Quick, polish up those writings—Prose, Poetry, Writing for Children—from the last two years, and postmark them to Island Writers, SJC Fair, POB 1094, Friday Harbor, WA  98250 or email them to [email protected] by July 19^th. 

Check out the premium book: Island Writers (Z—as in whiZZing by) is on pages 35-36.  Questions? 378-4310.

“A Wheel in Time: Cultivating Roots”—so cultivate, but now!

San Juan Island Fire and Rescue Responds to Residential Fire

SJIFR photo

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA — On Friday morning, July 12, 2019, San Juan Island Fire and Rescue crews responded to a 911 call reporting a residential fire in the area of Westcott Bay on San Juan Island.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the home to have smoke emanating from vents under the home. The owner of the home had evacuated with his pets and there were no injuries. The fire scene was sized up, evaluated and firefighters began extinguishing the fire.

The fire was difficult to contain due to the restricted space where the fire and smoke were. The fire scene was active for the remainder of the morning to ensure the fire had been fully extinguished. Firefighter’s rapid response helped limit the spread of the fire, although there was damage to a portion of the home’s crawl space and in one bedroom.

San Juan Island Fire Chief Norvin Collins said, “Our career and volunteer firefighters train throughout the year so we are ready to protect our community. We were able to safely and rapidly extinguish this challenging fire and to save the home.” Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Merri Ann Simonson checks in with her 2nd Quarter, 2019 Real Estate Report…

The second quarter results which complete the first half of the year for San Juan Island were similar to the first quarter. Per the NWMLS, the dollar volume on San Juan Island was $54,508,838 with a total of 81 transactions.

The numbers reflect a 4% decrease in dollar volume and a 26% decrease in the number of transactions as compared to the same period in 2018. However, it was a slight improvement over the period of 2017 to 2018 when the volume decrease for the same period was 22% and the decrease for the number of transactions was 18%.

For San Juan County, the total dollar volume was $125,503,460 with a total of 192 transactions. The County’s decrease in volume was 13% with a 22% decrease in the number of transactions.

Continue reading… (PDF)

Left to right – Project partners on site at John O. Linde Community Park: Scott Boden and Carrie Unpingco (SJICF), Fred Woods (SJI School District), Maddie Ovenell (Island Rec),  Mitch and Mike Carlson (Carlson Enterprises), Adam Eltinge and Scott Zehner (Island Rec) – Contributed photo

Thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, the baseball field at the John O. Linde Community Park will be completed in 2019. With the San Juan Island Community Foundation serving as the fund steward, Mike Carlson Enterprises broke ground in late June and will complete the baseball field, walking path and general use areas. Expected to be finished by late October, the grass in the newly-developed field will need time to establish roots and could be ready for play as soon as 2020.

The John O. Linde Community Park was first dedicated in September 2017. The site is owned by the San Juan Island School District and maintained by Island Rec. Open to the public year-round, existing amenities include a playground, soccer field, multipurpose field and a partial walking path. The park is used by visitors and San Juan Islanders of all ages, including Friday Harbor High School teams. Continue Reading