The cooperative Blue Whole Gallery has been showcasing art by local artists for 13 years this month, and that’s cause for celebration.
President Barb Boerigter said the organization has grown from 20 original members to the current 34, with about one third of those being original members.
“We all support each other a lot and encourage each other,” she said.
The gallery features work from all kinds of artists, from painters and sculptors to photographers and potters.
Boerigter said the gallery differs from other cooperative art galleries in that art is not hung in groups, with artists separate from each other, but rather blended together in an aesthetically pleasing way.
And it’s done every month.
All the art is taken from the walls and off display shelves, then rearranged in a new and eye-pleasing arrangement.
The number of pieces on display at any given time is dictated by the space available.
With its soft, muted color scheme and gallery-appropriate lighting, the space looks far different now than it did when it opened.
The previous business in the Washington Street location featured Victorian gifts and was decorated in pinks and florals.
The gallery opened with those colors still in place but later changed to a more art-friendly color scheme.
The idea for the cooperative gallery started in 1996 when artist Judy Priest closed her gallery, Sequim Art Gallery, which had been a popular venue for many local artists.
“The time was there to see if this was going to happen,” Boerigter said.
Members of the artists’ group Sequim Arts considered starting a gallery, but when that idea fell through some of the members took over the idea and Blue Whole Gallery was born.
All members have to have their work judged, or “juried,” in order to qualify for membership, which is $50 a month.
The artists set the prices for their works.
Boerigter stresses that the gallery is not “a trendy little gift shop,” but rather features professional quality, original art not found anywhere else.
“People are constantly saying that they don’t have anything like this [in their town],” she said.
Boerigter said the gallery isn’t planning any changes in the coming year; it’s enough of a challenge to keep the doors open during these days of belt-tightening.
She said the gallery has been in the black until this year, but they are still doing OK.
The last time it faced economic uncertainty was when the U.S. Highway 101 bypass was put in, leaving Sequim as a detour from the main route.
That turned out to be a boon for the business.
“It actually helped our gallery,” Boerigter said. “It made it easier to park in front.”
There are no featured artists at Blue Whole Gallery this month. Instead, the front windows will be decorated with “eat cake” paintings and other celebratory items
There will be a “birthday party” reception at the gallery at 5:30 p.m. today.
Other artwalk venues
Other venues participating in the First Friday Artwalk tonight are:
• The Museum and Arts Center, 175 W. Cedar St.: One person show with multi-media and art glass by Melissa Penic.
• The Dove’s Nest, 139 W. Washington St.: colored pencil by Vana Arnold. Reception 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.
• Beedazzled at the Buzz, 128 N. Sequim Ave.: Assemblage art by Robert “Bud” Bowling. Reception 5 p.m to 8 p.m. today.
• Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.: Block prints by Sallie Radock during inaugural Art in the Library event, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.
The Ed Donohue Quartet performs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Key Bank, 120 N. Dunlap Ave.: Watercolors by Rita Heywood. Reception 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. today.
Also this weekend, The Gallery at the Fifth Avenue, 129 W. Washington St., hosts a show of watercolors and acrylic landscapes and florals by Ruth McNickolas, with a reception from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.