Global creative director turned sculptor to speak at Northwind

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 27, 2026

PORT TOWNSEND — Lacy Muhich, a Seattle artist whose woodworking and sculpture are part of Northwind Art’s Showcase 2026 exhibit, will give a free talk on creativity and joy on Saturday.

Muhich’s 3 p.m. talk will be at Northwind’s nonprofit Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water St., where she’ll be surrounded by her colorful sculptures, including “The Story Keeper,” “Flow” and “The Wanderer.”

“I like choosing colors and topics that are joyful and light,” Muhich said of her art, which features marine life, insects and small lighthouses beside big ocean waves.

Muhich recently has begun a new life. In her previous occupation, she was the creative director for Amazon’s global brand. After nine years with the company, she left and became a full-time artist and mom.

“I wanted to get back to my creative roots,” Muhich said.

“Quitting the stable job was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done. But there was something inside me saying, ‘This chapter of your life is finished.’”

Art is what gave her fresh inspiration. Muhich taught herself woodworking, and she began to experiment with paint and other materials. Her art practice is a tactile one: the grounding act of building beauty by hand. She seeks to translate emotion into her sculptures and capture the sense that there is more to life than what we see on the surface.

In her artist statement, Muhich writes that “art connects us — to nature, to one another, and to the quiet, transformative energy that lives within us all.”

Northwind’s juried Showcase 2026 exhibit in Port Townsend is Muhich’s first art gallery show. She’s part of the year-long show’s round one, which presents a cohort of 11 Northwest artists, with work on view through May 11.

Round two of Showcase 2026 will open May 14.

Regular hours at Jeanette Best Gallery are from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. For more information, go to NorthwindArt.org.

Also on Saturday, Jeanette Best Gallery will participate in Port Townsend’s First Saturday Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. During the public event, artists will be on hand while refreshments and conversation flow around the art on display.