State of the Art: Why a Gallery
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A pair of visitors check out Chuck Iffland's exhibition earlier this year at Northwind Art's Jeanette Best Gallery. photo by Diane Urbani/Northwind Art [/caption]
An art column by Martha Worthley, Northwind Art Executive Director
Art shapes nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It’s in the newspaper headlines we read, the buildings we inhabit, the clothing we wear, the dishes on our tables, and the advertising that surrounds us. It’s present in the aisles of a grocery store and at the heart of the film industry. Art is the foundation upon which humans build meaning. We are pattern-seeking, story-driven creatures. From the cave paintings of Lascaux to Leonardo’s genius to Kara Walker’s contemporary sculpture Unmanned Drone — a “reconstruction” of a de-accessioned Confederate monument — art continues to tell our stories. The conversations are necessary, and juicy.
Artists, through persistence and fearless exploration, manipulate materials in pursuit of resolution and understanding. Their work — both the polished final piece and the accidental beauty of the process — enriches all of us. Even the drop cloth beneath a painting or the artist’s paint-splattered shirt carries a kind of poetry.
I’ve spent my life in this realm, endlessly drawn to color, pattern, and the act of making. Whether knitting, sewing, cooking, gardening, or most centrally, painting, creating is how I make sense of the world. Wherever I travel, I seek out other artists and their work to see how they interpret their own experience and shape meaning. I read about exhibitions in London, Paris, and New York, but I also crave inspiring, challenging art in my own town.
And here in Port Townsend, I am fortunate to be part of an organization that provides exactly that. The galleries at Northwind Art are beautiful spaces that present exceptional work. They are free and open to all — humans and dogs alike — and they offer artists a vital platform. Part of making art is sharing it. This year alone, Northwind Art has exhibited the work of 143 artists. Is there another organization in Jefferson County that does this for the visual arts?
People often ask what the gallery has to do with Northwind Art School at Fort Worden. While there isn’t always a direct line from classroom instruction to the gallery walls, the two form a powerful circle: Learn. See. Grow. Students learn new techniques at the school, then see professional examples in the gallery, and their own work grows as a result.
Another common question: “If you sell art and classes, why are you a nonprofit?” The answer is that, while sales support part of our operations, they cannot sustain the mission. As a nonprofit, we are committed to education and public benefit. Sometimes that means exhibiting work that is large, high-priced, or otherwise challenging to sell. To leave out such work would mean failing to fully tell an artist’s story — and exposing the public to new ideas is central to our purpose.
Often, the most exciting work emerging from our school catches our attention. That’s part of how art historically makes its way from studio to gallery to museum: Local recognition grows into regional, national, and sometimes international visibility.
We also offer “Open Call” exhibitions, inviting artists across the Pacific Northwest to apply and be considered by jurors and staff. It’s one of the many ways artists can join the vibrant creative community that has shown work at Northwind.
I invite you to enrich your life by making regular visits to Northwind Art — see new exhibitions, listen to artist talks, and browse the course offerings for the coming year. Art deepens our understanding of one another and of ourselves. And the gallery is where that shared experience begins.
