First Friday Art Walk – April 7, 2023

Margaret Millmore | Posted on April 4, 2023 |

Winslow Way and surrounding area, Downtown Bainbridge Island
First Friday of every month, 6 to 8 PM

Spend an evening experiencing all that downtown Bainbridge has to offer. Many galleries, shops and businesses will be participating this month showcasing the art of our talented creative community. Afterwards, stop by one of our many restaurants for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, or dinner.

Enjoy an evening with a stroll through downtown visiting your favorite businesses and restaurants, shopping for gifts or items for yourself and your home. The walk begins on Winslow Way (near the ferry terminal) from 6PM to 8PM, see below for a taste of what some of our local businesses are doing:

Jeffrey Moose Gallery is proud to exhibit Neil Andersson and Mandi May: Spring Landscapes – Painter Neil Andersson and photographer/printmaker Mandi May are teaming up for a show of landscapes at Jeffrey Moose Gallery for April and May.

Mr. Andersson, of Tacoma, also known as a jazz guitarist and the founder of the Gypsy Jazz band Pearl Django, has had a long career as an Impressionist painter, painting chiefly Plein Air in Washington State and his new home on the Central California coast. Andersson paints primarily in oils, and lately in pastels, depicting pastoral scenes of farmland, parks and coastal areas in small, richly colored strokes, emphasized by careful underpainting.

Mandi May is a photographer/printmaker living on Bainbridge Island whose work is focused on landscape and abstractions of landscape. Her surreal photos depict unexpected layers of nature simultaneously, in ways that are incongruous yet pleasing; some information is static while other elements appear to be in motion, rippling water appearing over tree lines and flowers blooming in unexpected places.

A reception will be held on First Friday, April 7th from 6 to 8pm. A Livestream on the gallery Facebook page will broadcast from about 5:20- 5:40 previous to the reception. The Gallery is located at 181 Winslow Way East, Suite F.

Island Life Artisan Gifts Welcome spring with Island Life Artisan Gifts as they host mixed media artist Shelley Blain Reimer during the April Art Walk! She’ll be at the shop for the whole event, creating some of her works on site, and sharing some insight into her creative inspirations.

Shelley was born and raised on Bainbridge Island, and has a deep connection to deep water as an avid open water swimmer. Her work explodes with texture, color, and pattern that evokes the movement of water and sky. Pop in, chat, and enjoy a snack or beverage! Island Life is located at 488 Winslow Way East.

Bergh Images Fine Art Photography – April Fools’ Day has come and gone, and hopefully no – or at least not too many – islanders fell for the hoax about Battle Point Park being replaced by a regional airport (though a short hop to SeaTac Airport certainly would have been nice). It’s also untrue that Bergh Images’ amazing clearance sale, with jaw-dropping reductions on almost all of their in-gallery inventory, has come to an end. To the contrary, the sale extravaganza will continue through April 16^th, when the gallery will be closing its doors. All custom-matted prints are 60% off, while all metal/canvas/acrylic prints and all custom-framed black and white prints are 40% off – so please put Bergh Images on your itinerary if you’re participating in the upcoming First Friday Art Walk on April 7^th. As always, visitors can mirthfully enjoy wine and small bites while contemplating options for any unused wall space at their home or office! The special focus will be “Clouds,” as owner/photographer Andy Bergh will be highlighting some of his stunning shots from Bainbridge Island and the Pacific Northwest. The gallery is located at 400 Winslow Way East, Suite 115.

Windermere Real Estate Will be featuring artist, Patricia Orellana. Her exhibit “Vignettes” will be at Windermere from April 7^th to the 30^th. Patricia’s work is unique in that she varies between abstract and representational. That uniqueness is amplified in the mediums she uses to create her art. In addition to her paintings, she also produces fine art prints and digital paintings.

Like many artists in our area, she’s constantly awed and inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Typically, she works off of photographs she’s taken locally and on vacations, as well as items found in her home, and the occasional photograph taken by a friend. As a classically trained artist and a graphic artist, Patricia finds that she’s often challenged when she begins a piece. In a desire to draw on both aspects of her training, she frequently reworks her art, whether on canvas or computer screen, resolving issues until an “ah ha” moment occurs. When that happens, she steps back and more often than not, realizes the piece is complete. Please join them on Friday, April 7^th from 6pm to 8pm, for an opening reception with live music by The Eagle Harbor Band. Windermere is located at 249 Winslow Way East, Suite 400.

KiDiMu On Friday, April 7^th, the art walk activity will take place within the special extended museum hours: 9am – 4pm. This month, First Friday Art Walk is “pay what you will” day thanks to generous community members like you! All kids and kids at heart are invited to come create art and play. “This year is flying by, and we have been busy. We’re updating exhibits, adding new programming, offering more camps, hosting birthday parties & throwing a couple ourselves. Come on in and see for yourself! Hopefully, you can visit soon and explore the museum exhibits. As for us, we will be popping up throughout the community. You will spot our outreach team at fairs and festivals, as the weather warms up. We love this time of year!” – Corinne Wolffe, Executive Director at KiDiMu – KiDiMu is located at 301 Ravine Lane.

Bainbridge Arts & Crafts (BAC) Will be featuring a new exhibition by Dan Friday and Raya Friday, Lummi Nation glass artists and siblings. The exhibit will run from April 7^th to April 30^th. Dan will be giving an in-gallery Art Talk on Saturday April 8^th from 1-2 pm. The talk will also be live streamed via the BAC FB and YouTube Channels: https://www.facebook.com/biartscrafts , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhXJ2oYEVdtnaufnVcH_Pg (the talk will be archived for viewing on the YouTube channel about a week later – BAC offers close to 70 Art Talk interviews available for viewing anytime on their FB and YT channels).

BAC will also be featuring artwork that will be available as part of “Shine Online” and “Shine Live,” during the month of April. The Shine Online fundraiser will be an opportunity to bid on exciting experiences, local goods and services, and of course…ART! The auction will run from April 16^th to April 21^st. Stop by the gallery to see auction items in person starting April 7^th – or visit: https://bacart2023.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

The Shine Live event and dinner will be at the Manor House at Pleasant Beach on Thursday, April 27^th, from 6-9pm To learn more, visit: https://www.bacart.org/…/shine-live-auction-early-bird… – Early Bird Ticket Price: $200.00 per person – Bid on wonderful experiences and beautiful art pieces by some of your favorite artists (or find new ones!). BAC is located 257 Winslow Way East.

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) Join BIMA for Artist’s book creator and master printmaker Karen Kunc, she will be talking about her practice in the Auditorium. In the galleries, they welcome you to join their drop-in workshop to create posters for Health & Wellness and enjoy dinner at the BIMA Bistro. RSVP HERE.

BIMA’s Treasure Trek: A Glass Float Seek & Keep is in full swing – Grab your galoshes and get ready to discover art where you least expect it. This spring, in celebration of BIMA’s 10th anniversary, 200 hand-blown glass orbs will be hidden on public lands across Kitsap County just waiting to be discovered and treasured by intrepid art lovers. Click here to learn more. BIMA is located at 550 Winslow Way East.

Millstream – will feature the work of artist Heidi Farina. Heidi’s work is inspired by Pacific Northwest landscapes of mountains, forests, and the sea. In the past 15 years, Heidi has lived in Wyoming, California and now Washington. Her love of art has blended well with her love of mountain state ecology and adventure, providing an endless source of inspiration. Millstream is located at 122 Winslow Way East.

Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to host a series of rotating artists for the monthly Bainbridge Island Art Walk at the “Island Living Gallery”. This month, they are proud to present artwork by Helena Hoyte Bierly and Theresa Killgore, with live music by The Harmony Wombats.

Helena Hoyte Bierly is a visual artist and principal Interior Designer of Wingpoint Design LLC. She takes a client-centered approach to each project through the use of color, texture, art, and architectural elements that reflect the Pacific Northwest’s unique environment.

Theresa describes herself and the jewelry she designs as “math/physics/engineering nerd meets quirky elegant and fun designs.” She doesn’t have a particular style, which can be noted easily in her varied design. She doesn’t like to repeat designs, so every piece is one-of-a-kind.

The Harmony Wombats are a singing duo comprised of two Bainbridge Island-based singer-songwriters (Eric Auckerman and Richard Fassler), who wanted to explore that third voice that comes out when two people harmony-sing. They perform a wide repertoire of songs from artists like Bee Gees, Everly Brothers, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Mark Knopfler, the Eagles, and many others. Realogics is located at 240 Winslow Way East.

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For up-to-date information on events, visit the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association’s online calendar at: https://bainbridgedowntown.org/events/art-walk/

Fob Fridays – many local businesses downtown are participants in Fob Fridays (Bainbridge Island Senior/Community Center members receive 10% on Fridays with their BISCC fob).

Bainbridge Island Downtown Association (BIDA) coordinates the First Friday Art Walk, as well as many other events, click here for a full list of ongoing events.