Coming Soon
On Display: Robert Dash / Drawings
Orcas Center - Madrona Room 917 Mount Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesThis 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!
Kids Got Talent!
Kids Got Talent - A Show for Kids by Kids! Co-hosted by Maddie Olson Saturday, October 12th at 6pm Sunday, October 13th
Orcas Island Film Festival 2024
October 15-20, we will screen incredible films over the course of five days in three venues that boast state-of-the-art cinema projection systems. Films at the Orcas Island Film Festival are, "the crème de la crème of the first-tier festival circuit," says Charles Mudede, Film/Art critic from The Stranger. Attendees will see these films before their official theatrical release and the festival provides a unique opportunity for filmmakers and film lovers to connect and share the cinematic experience as well as parties, panels and special events.
On Display: Ponch Immel / Ceramics & Watercolors
Orcas Center - Madrona Room 917 Mount Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesThis exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Ponch Immel and our community show theme is Ceramics and watercolors. The show will be on display until November 19th.
OI Library Adult Spelling Bee
Orcas Center - Center Stage 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesHave you ever wanted to enter a Spelling Bee contest? Or are you a former Spelling Bee champ and crave another opportunity? Here’s your chance! The Orcas Island Library is hosting an Adult Spelling Bee on Friday, Oct. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be prizes and refreshments.
Andrew Collins Trio
Orcas Center - Center Stage 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United States7x CFMA winner/5x JUNO nominee mando-maestro Andrew Collins is joined by fellow Trio string-meisters Mike Mezzatesta and James McEleney to showcase a popular collision of folk, new acoustic roots, chambergrass and jazz, not to mention a dizzying number and energetic interplay of instruments on stage. This dynamic genre-hopping show is propelled even further by Andrew’s captivating lead vocals and James’ soaring harmonies.
Bloodworks Northwest: Blood Drive
Orcas Center - Madrona Room 917 Mount Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesIt takes 1,000 blood donors each day to save lives across the Pacific Northwest. Schedule your appointment to donate at Orcas Center on November 6th!
Film: Fish War
Join us for a screening of the documentary film FISH WAR follows the tribes’ fight to exercise their treaty-reserved fishing rights in Washington State. A landmark court case in 1974 would affirm the tribes’ treaty rights and establish them as co-managers of the resource, but the fate of salmon in the Pacific Northwest still hangs in the balance. Join us for a free screening of the film followed by a discussion.
She Rose
Orcas Center - Center Stage 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesAn exquisite and evocative multi-modality experience of sacred song, dance, ritual theater, puppeteering, and visuals, ‘The She Rose Show’ entices the hearts of the witness to bloom in reverence of the power & wisdom of the emergent divine feminine.
Orcas Center Annual Meeting: Public Welcome!
Orcas Center 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesOrcas Center's annual meeting is on Sunday, November 10th at 3pm. The event is open to the public! Orcas Center Members will vote prior to the meeting via online ballot.
Dancing in the Brass Ring
Turtleback Brass and The Orcas Dance Collective unite with community artists to celebrate our successes while enduring life’s trying transitions. Finding balance and bounty through brass and dance is one way can come together and express thankfulness. A concert of all ages for all ages!
Auditions – Puffs
Auditions for Orcas Center’s production of "Puffs" to be performed in February-March 2025. Seeking actors 14+
VAC Art Exhibit: Animals in Art
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.
Memorial: Jim Shaffer-Bauck
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Orcas Center on his birthday—Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 2 PM. Please join us for shared music and stories followed by light appetizers and beverages—as Jim could not be convinced to show up for anything without the promise of a morsel to tickle his palate and libations to wash it down.
Handmade Craft Market 2024
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
OCS: Ceremony of Carols
Join us for a wondrous Holiday Concert! Orcas Choral Society will be singing Benjamin Britten’s beloved Ceremony of Carols arranged for men’s and women’s voices, plus a wide array of well-known carols. Bruce Langford, Artistic Director, said “The mix gives us great harmonies. It is music that will stay with you long after the concert is done.”
Orcas Island High School Strings and Band Concert
Orcas Island High School Strings and Band will be performing some holiday favorites and some other non holiday pieces. Come and join us. Orcas Center 7:00 PM.
Alias Brass – Holiday Gifts
Get into the holiday spirit with the Alias Brass Company on Friday, December 13 at 7pm! "Holiday Gifts" combines holiday standards, interactive audience carols, and exciting arrangements, for an exciting evening of holiday entertainment at Orcas Center!
On Screen: Sea Island Nutcracker
Orcas Center - Center Stage 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesJoin us for an encore video presentation of 2023's Sea Island Nutcracker - By donation! Proceeds go towards supporting Orcas Dance Collective's Spring production of Alice in Wonderland, and Orcas Center's Help Us Thrive in '25 fundraising campaigns.
Orcas Island Community Band Holiday Concert
Orcas Center 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesYour musical friends and neighbors in the Orcas Island Community Band would love to have you join us for a stirring holiday concert at Orcas Center. Under the direction of Karen Key Speck, the Community Band plays musical selections from the past which will stir up beautiful memories and new arrangements of Hannukah and Christmas tunes to welcome in the winter season. Admission by donation. Everyone is welcome.
On Screen: Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Met Opera)
An ensemble of leading lights takes the stage for Offenbach’s fantastical final work, headlined by tenor Benjamin Bernheim in the title role of the tormented poet. Hoffmann’s trio of lovers are sung by soprano Erin Morley as the mechanical doll Olympia, soprano Pretty Yende as the plagued diva Antonia, and mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine as the Venetian seductress Giulietta.
Art Opening: VAC Committee Show 2025
For the first show of 2025, 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, Marjorie Taylor, Julie Rusby, Brook Meinhardt, and Avi Shmueli. On display January 17th - February 11th.
On Screen: Grounded (Met Opera)
Two-time Tony Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori’s powerful new opera Grounded, commissioned by the Met and based on librettist George Brant’s acclaimed play, wrestles with the ethical quandaries and psychological toll of 21st-century warfare. Mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, one of opera’s most compelling young stars, portrays Jess, a hot-shot fighter pilot whose unplanned pregnancy takes her out of the cockpit and lands her in Las Vegas, operating a Reaper drone halfway around the world. As she struggles to adjust to this new way of doing battle, she fights to maintain her sanity, and her soul, as she is called to rain down death by remote control. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin oversees the Met premiere of Tesori’s kaleidoscopic score and a cast that also features tenor Ben Bliss as the Wyoming rancher who becomes Jess’s husband. Michael Mayer’s high-tech staging, using a vast array of LED screens, presents a variety of perspectives on the action, including the drone’s predatory view from high above.
WOLFCHILD
At the heart of WOLFCHILD is Gabriel Wolfchild and his brother Elion TruthHeart. Gabriel’s emotive lyricism, enchanting vocals, and unique guitar work quickly won over Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera on NBC’s The Voice with his soulful rendition of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”, culminating in a national tour. Elion is a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist who effortlessly flows between drums and a variety of exotic string and woodwind accompaniment. He contributes to a rich vocal harmony that only brothers can create.
On Screen: Tosca (Met Opera)
Extraordinary soprano Lise Davidsen stars as the volatile diva Floria Tosca for her first time at the Met. David McVicar’s thrilling production also features tenor Freddie De Tommaso in his eagerly anticipated company debut as Tosca’s revolutionary lover, Cavaradossi, and powerhouse baritone Quinn Kelsey as the sadistic chief of police Scarpia. Maestro Xian Zhang conducts the electrifying score, which features some of Puccini’s most memorable melodies.
Frank Vignola and Pasquale Grasso
Join us on January 31st to witness the incredibly versatile guitarist Frank Vignola team up with rising jazz guitar star Pasquale Grasso to create an unique and intimate musical experience unlike any other!
On Screen: Aida (Met Opera)
This grandest of grand operas features an epic backdrop for what is in essence an intimate love story. Set in ancient Egypt and packed with magnificent choruses, complex ensembles, and elaborate ballets, Aida never loses sight of its three protagonists. Few operas have matched Aida in its exploration of the conflict of private emotion and public duty, and perhaps no other has remained to the present day so unanimously appreciated by audiences and critics alike.
Art Opening: Textiles and Fiber Arts
Calling all textile and fiber artists - This show is for you! Bring your works in weaving, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, felting, and other textile works, and join us for the art opening on Friday, Feburary 14th!
Asleep at the Wheel
Orcas Center - Center Stage 917 Mt. Baker Road, Eastsound, WA, United StatesFounded in 1970, Asleep at the Wheel has been part of the American roots music landscape for more than 50 years. Although the band got its start on a farm in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Asleep at the Wheel became a cornerstone of the Austin, Texas, scene upon its arrival in 1973. Inspired by Western swing and honky-tonk country, the band has accrued 10 Grammy Awards. In the fall, a career retrospective recorded with the current lineup -- and a few special guests -- will carry the band back onto the road, where they’ve remained a staple for five decades.
Art Opening: Peter Olesen / Elements
This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Peter Olesen and our community show theme is "Elements". Join us for the Art Opening on March 21st at 5:30pm.
Marty Isenberg’s Wes Anderson Playlist
“I’ve always resonated deeply with Wes Anderson’s movies,” muses Isenberg. “There was something so familiar about the way he captured the ache of adolescence.” So he set out to put his own spin on songs by artists like David Bowie, Nick Drake and the Velvet Underground but through the lexicon of jazz orchestration and improvisation.
Art Opening: A*OK and High School Show 2025
To celebrate our island youth, a student art exhibit is being hosted at the Orcas Center from April 25 - May 21st. The show features art created in A*OK classes, Kindergarten through 8th grade, as well as pieces from the Orcas Island High School. More details to follow!
On Screen: Fidelio (Met Opera)
Fidelio’s unusual structure, glorious score, and life-affirming aura make it a unique experience. It has been called a hymn to freedom and human dignity. Formally a singspiel (with musical numbers separated by spoken dialogue), Fidelio had a long and complex gestation. Its uplifting spirit made it the obvious choice for several important productions marking the end of World War II, including the reopening of the Vienna State Opera in 1955.
On Screen: Salome (Met Opera)
The story of this incendiary and powerful opera is derived from a brief biblical account: A young princess of Judea dances for her stepfather Herod and chooses as her reward the head of the prophet John the Baptist. This subject captured the imaginations of generations of visual artists, but its full possibilities were perhaps best realized in Oscar Wilde’s 1891 tragedy (which was banned from performance in several countries). Strauss’s score combines the grandeur of Wagner’s epics with the focus and emotional punch of the short Italian verismo operas.
Art Opening: Peter Fisher / Orcas Retrospectives
This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Peter Fisher and our community show theme is Orcas Retrospectives. Join us for the Art Opening on May 23rd at 5:30pm.
On Screen: Le Nozze di Figaro (Met Opera)
A profoundly humane comedy, Le Nozze di Figaro is a remarkable marriage of Mozart’s music at the height of his genius and one of the best librettos ever set. In adapting a play that caused a scandal with its revolutionary take on 18th-century society, librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte focused less on the original topical references and more on the timeless issues embedded in the frothy drawing-room comedy.
On Screen: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Met Opera)
Rossini’s perfectly honed treasure survived a famously disastrous opening night (caused by factions and local politics more than any reaction to the work itself) to become what may be the world’s most popular comic opera. Its buoyant good humor and elegant melodies have delighted the diverse tastes of every generation for two centuries, and several of the opera’s most recognizable tunes have entered the world’s musical unconscious, most notably the introductory patter song of the swaggering Figaro, the titular barber of Seville.
Art Opening: Zoe Osenbach / Botanicals
This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Zoe Osenbach and our community show theme is Botanicals. Join us for the Art Opening on June 27th at 5:30pm.
Art Exhibit: 2025 Orcas Artist Studio Tour
The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center, and the The Orcas Artists’ Studio Tour are excited to present the Studio Tour Art Opening on Friday, July 25 from 5:30-7pm in the Madrona Room. Join us in the Madrona Room and Orcas Center Lobby to preview the works of artists participating in this year’s studio tour. This free event features artists working in painting, printmaking, stone cutting, woodwork, blacksmithing, encaustics, ceramics, fiber arts, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and more.
Art Opening: Kathy Youngren, Mary Jane Elgin, Susan Singleton
This exhibit celebrates Featured Artists Kathy Youngren, Mary Jane Elgin, and Susan Singleton in a special group show! Join us for the Art Opening on August 22nd at 5:30pm.
Art Opening: David Densmore / Movement
This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist David Densmore and our community show theme is Movement. Join us for the Art Opening on September 26th at 5:30pm.
Art Opening: Alexis Terry Bouchard / Art of Recycling
This exhibit celebrates Featured Artist Alexis Terry Bouchard and our community show theme is the Art of Recycling. Join us for the Art Opening on October 24th at 5:30pm.