“Northwest Expressions” Brings Art Evoking the Feeling of the Pacific Northwest

“Nervous System” has arrived. So has “Ecstatica.” 

Such are the titles of two artworks in “Northwest Expressions,” the summertime show opening this week. Selected from hundreds of entries, the pieces in this exhibit fill Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water St. in Port Townsend, with strangeness and beauty. 

The sculpture titled “Nervous System” was brought in by its creator, Ali Whitmore of Seattle. A student at Cornish College of the Arts, they are already an accomplished maker, having won both the Jurors’ Choice and People’s Choice awards in the 2025 “Northwest Expressions” show here. The piece Whitmore entered last year, “Entree — Stuffed Whole Trout” had gallery visitors marveling, and this year’s “System” should do the same. 

Whitmore’s papier-maché creation, which connects two eyes and a spinal cord to a collection of clippings from the Guiness Book of World Records, is not easy to explain verbally. Which is why we love visual art: It explores ideas in a language beyond mere words. Photos don’t do it justice, so while “Nervous System” is shown on the Northwind Art website—under the Shop heading since all “Northwest Expressions” artwork is available for purchase—you must see it in the flesh. 

Then there’s sheer gorgeousness in paintings such as “Ecstatica” by Sandy Haight. The Bainbridge Island artist uses transparent watercolor to arrest the passer-by. 

Paintings in many forms share the gallery: “Northwest Island” by Marian Morris, “Coastal Cupboard” by Hanna Yudzina and “Beach Stroll” by David McKeague are among the pieces chosen by juror Anne Pfeiffer. 

Morris’ painting, Pfeiffer said, is “almost like a fantasy. The subject matter and composition are almost dreamlike,” aptly evoking the feeling of the Pacific Northwest. 

Painters who use light as their medium also appear in the show: Photographers Mitchel Osborne and Morgan Seeley have entered “Sunrise Sail” and “Lost in a Dark Wood,” respectively.

“I’m just amazed at the mastery and creativity of these people,” Pfeiffer said of the artists in “Northwest Expressions.” She had to select just 50 entries to fit into the final exhibit. On Thursday, opening day, Pfeiffer will view the finished installation and choose the winner of the $250 Juror’s Choice prize. 

“Northwest Expressions” will stay up through Aug. 10 at Jeanette Best Gallery, where regular hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. Artists and the public are also invited to celebrate the exhibit during first-Saturday Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 4 and again on August 1. Throughout, visitors can cast their votes for their favorite works in the People’s Choice ballot box; the winner of that award, also $250, will be announced after the show closes. 

For more about the art and artists in “Northwest Expressions,” and about Northwind’s art and craft classes this summer, visit NorthwindArt.org.