Art Exhibits

Island treasure and renowned watercolorist, Frank Loudin has generously offered a wide array of his original watercolor paintings for sale to benefit Orcas Center. Postponed earlier due to COVID precautions, the online auction for these wonderful watercolor landscapes will begin at 10am on Sunday, November 21, running through 6pm on Sunday, December 5.

Island treasure and renowned watercolorist, Frank Loudin has generously offered a wide array of his original watercolor paintings for sale to benefit Orcas Center. Postponed earlier due to COVID precautions, the online auction for these wonderful watercolor landscapes will begin at 10am on Sunday, November 21, running through 6pm on Sunday, December 5.

AOK Arts for Kids and the Visual Arts Committee Presents: AOK and Student Art Show On display April 15th - May 24th

Visual Arts Committee Presents: High School Art Presentation On display April 15th - May 24th High School Art Presentation Friday, May 6th

For the upcoming art exhibit at Orcas Center,  the Visual Arts Committee is seeking images of the beauty and bounty of our gardens and fields,  everything from single blossoms, to  bouquets in vases, to landscapes and fields of hay.  As always all mediums are included, photography, painting, collage etc.

Are you an artist who works with natural island resources? Do you spin yarn from local sheep or alpaca, work with Madrona wood, or otherwise use the bounty of our islands to fabricate your creations? Might you paint rural island landscapes, farm scenes, or capture our agricultural setting in other ways? Farm tools repurposed into art? Restored farm trucks? Photographs or films, local wood craft, even seaweed and salmon sculpture are all welcome! The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center and the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild are partnering to create a unique fall show entitled, Island Bounty. This curated exhibition aims to honor and highlight the beauty and foods that come from our islands as well as the talented artists and artisans in our region. Timed as the launch to the popular annual Island Grown Farm Tours, this is a celebration of our agricultural heritage and island bounty.

The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center and the San Juan Makers Guild are partnering to create Handmade Holidays – A Seasonal Marketplace which will open November 18th and run through mid-December, with a special Marketplace on “Small Business Saturday”, November 26th running from 10:30am – 7pm.

Capturing a perfect moment to preserve forever requires not only an artistic eye, but highly developed technical skills developed through years of practice. Join us this January as we look through the lens of local photographers during this community show celebrating the craft of photography. Community shows are open to ALL island artists, beginning and experienced alike. The purpose is to showcase island art and make it available for purchase. To exhibit in a community show, an artist needs to come on the Delivery Day (for this show, January 19th) with their artwork ready for display.

In March of 2020, the VAC and the fabric artists of Orcas Island created a gorgeous textile show. No sooner had the art been hung, Orcas Center had to close due to COVID restrictions...sadly, the vast majority of the public never got to see this unique and stunning show! This March, we're giving it another go! We're inviting textile and fiber artists - both who displayed in that show, as well as those who didn't have the chance, to join us for a community show once again as we present Textile and Fabric Arts.

In March of 2020, the VAC and the fabric artists of Orcas Island created a gorgeous textile show. No sooner had the art been hung, Orcas Center had to close due to COVID restrictions...sadly, the vast majority of the public never got to see this unique and stunning show! This March, we're giving it another go! We're inviting textile and fiber artists - both who displayed in that show, as well as those who didn't have the chance, to join us for a community show once again as we present Textile and Fabric Arts.

The Orcas Center is hosting an exhibit of A*OK and High School student art from April 14 through May 31st, 2023 featuring works from every K-5th grade student, including select middle and high school artwork.

Join us for Orcas Center's Next Community Show: Faces of Orcas Bring in your portraits of humans, animals, island events, etc - current or past - to celebrate the diverse beings that have made our island home so special.

Join us at Orcas Center for an artist opening reception on Friday, July 21st from 5:30pm-7pm where you will see the exhibiting studio artists' work on display through August 29th.

Explore the Art of Recycling at Orcas Center! On display through October 18.

The San Juan Arts Council invites ALL San Juan County high school students (9th-12th) to participate in our first ever Inter Island High School Art show! We will be displaying on Lopez, San Juan, and Orcas Island.

Join us at Orcas Center for an artist opening reception on Friday, October 20th from 5:30pm-7pm with complimentary snacks and refreshments, a wine bar, and learn more about the artists and their work.

Join us in welcoming student artists from San Juan, Lopez, Shaw, and Orcas Islands in the first inter-island showcase presented by The San Juan Arts Council along with the Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center! Painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media art created by our talented youth will be on display from Friday, November 24th until December 17th. The opening reception is on Friday, November 24th from 5:30-7pm with refreshments and entertainment from Grace Zwilling on the piano.

Celebrate the holiday season and all the incredible talent this island has to offer! The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center is excited to host a Handmade Craft Market on November 25th (Small Business Saturday) from 11am-4pm

For the first show of 2024, we honor the work of these dedicated artists and their tireless commitment to the arts on Orcas. Join us in celebrating the work of Kathleen Youngren, Leon Rosenblatt, Mary Jane Elgin, Julia Summers, Sarah Crigger, Zoe Osenbach, Carol Ann Anderson, Kirk Nozaki, Whitney Chamberlin, Marjorie Taylor, and Julie Rusby - Our current VAC committee members. On display through February 27th.

Our March Exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Avi Shmueli and our community show theme is Landscapes - On display through March 26th.

Children of the Setting Sun is honored to be sharing our stories at your home, "The Orcas Center." Our ancestral homelands include Orcas Island and the Orcas Center.  The exhibit will open March 29 with a film screening and gallery opening at the Orcas Center.  We will be showcasing some of the work of our people, and bringing gratitude for all the wonderful opportunities to share. It's good to share the memories of our homeland and deepen understanding of the things we are working towards today. The Lummi people still fish here, canoe here and we take care of our ancestors here. This we are grateful for. We hope to see you at the Orcas Center March 29 for the opening of our exhibit and screening of our films.  Hyʻshqe!

To celebrate our island youth, a six-week student art exhibit is being hosted at the Orcas Center from May 3-June 12, 2024, with an art opening on Friday, May 3rd at 5:30pm. The show features art created in A*OK classes, Kindergarten through 8th grade, as well as pieces from the Orcas Island High School.

Terry Johnson and his students are pleased to present an exhibition of their works at Orcas Center through July 22. Exhibiting artists include: Avi Shmueli, Barbara Gourley, Barbara Wixom, Betsy Nelson, Christa Smith, Mimi Peters, Pearl Mudd, Peter Carlson, Shawna Franklin, and Willie Williams.

Take a look at the Orcas Artist Studio Tour on display at Orcas Center until August 20.

This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Julia Summers and our community show theme is Abstracts - On display through September 24th.

This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Robert Dash and our community show theme is Drawing and Prints. The show will be on display until October 22nd. Join us for the Art Opening on September 27th at 5:30pm!

This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Ponch Immel and our community show theme is Ceramics and watercolors. The show will be on display until November 19th.

The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center, is excited to host an exhibit celebrating our furry and feathered island friends! Fifty-four (54!) artists of all genres have submitted over 125 pieces of art for this fantastic community show, on display through December 20th.

Celebrate the holiday season and all the incredible talent this island has to offer! The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center is excited to host a Handmade Craft Market on November 30th (Small Business Saturday) from 11am-4pm