PORT TOWNSEND — Downtown art galleries will stay open until 8 p.m. Saturday with special exhibits for the First Saturday Art Walk.
Among them are Port Townsend Gallery, Gallery 9 and Northwind Art.
Photographer Andrea Slemmons launches a portfolio showcasing the natural world at the Port Townsend Gallery at 715 Water St.
From mountainscapes to floral close-ups, Slemmons’ photographs transport viewers to the heart of the wilderness, organizers said.
“With a commitment to environmental conservation, Andrea endeavors to raise awareness about the importance of preserving our natural heritage through her work,” they said.
Pat Herkel is a bead and fiber artist creating critters, vessels, jewelry and wall art.
Herkel says she is not a birder but her collection, as seen at Port Townsend Gallery, showcases birds from all over the world as well as local favorites.
A member of Peninsula Fiber Artists since it began in 2017, Herkel uses photographs in books, magazines and the internet to create her whimsical designs. Most of her birds are made with scraps of silk kimono or fabric from discontinued upholstery sample books. She layers fabric with thread, beads, trinkets, shells, stones and found objects.
She has participated in juried shows around the Peninsula and been invited to show at Grover Gallery in Port Townsend, Port Angeles Fine Art Center, and the Quilt and Textile Museum in La Conner.
She said she is delighted to have her fiber birds paired with the realism of Andrea’s photography.
The artists will be available during the Art Walk. Light refreshments will be served.
The Port Townsend Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily as well as by appointment.
For more information, phone 360-379-8110 or see www.porttownsendgallery.com.
Gallery 9 at 1012 Water St., is featuring Sandra Smith-Poling’s watercolors and Michael Kenney’s jewelry, both founding members of the co-op gallery.
Smith-Poling has over 40 years of painting experience.
Her Wooden Boat Special maritime show includes Port Townsend schooners Adventuress, Martha and Alcyone; the 19th century immigrant ship, Star of India with the revenue schooner Californian along with a painting of the mock Battle for Port Townsend with the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain.
Her father, Southern California painter Craig Smith, was her strongest influence, followed by Arthur Beaumont, Sir William Russel Flint and John Singer Sargent.
Her subject matter comes from picturesque city landscapes and nature, especially those of the marine environments, along with boats and classic sailing ships.
She spent 20 years in the Air Force with deployments around the world that provided excellent painting subjects.
Kenney’s handmade jewelry showcases the rarity and beauty of natural stones.
Childhood time spent with his grandfather hunting and digging rocks sparked his interest in unusual stones, he said.
He collects stones and cuts them himself using diamond lapidary equipment to reveal their colors and patterns, then creates a precious metal setting for each.
He is showcasing gemstones of the Olympic Peninsula.
After having spent more than 40 years of rock hunting locally, he has brought together a colorful array of gemstones he hand-cut for this special jewelry collection.
Gallery 9 is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week; it is closed on Tuesday.
Northwind Art’s Grover Gallery at 236 Taylor St., and Jeanette Best Gallery at 701 Water St., will be open during the Art Walk.
The Grover Gallery features work by Andrea Alonge, Tininha Silva and Mo Walrath in “The Fiber of Our Being” through Sept. 24.
The Jeanette Best Gallery is highlighting plein air art in “Weather or Not,” which will be displayed through Oct. 29.
Juror Catherine Gill of Seattle will give a free talk — and reveal her juror’s choice and merit award winners — at 3 p.m. Saturday, surrounded by the paintings at Jeanette Best Gallery.
