First Friday Art Walk – February 7, 2020 – Featured Business: Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

Margaret Millmore | Posted on January 31, 2020 |

Winslow Way and surrounding area, Downtown Bainbridge Island
First Friday of every month, 6-8 PM
Produced by Bainbridge Island Downtown Association
Sponsored by the City of Bainbridge Island

Once a month, Bainbridge Island Downtown Association and the City of Bainbridge Island present the First Friday Art Walk.

Spend an evening experiencing all that downtown Bainbridge has to offer, enjoy visiting participating galleries and businesses, have a glass of wine or other refreshments at various venues, and whet your appetite with small plates offered by participating restaurants. The walk begins on Winslow Way (near the ferry terminal) from 6pm to 8pm.

This month’s featured business is Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA)

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art proudly presents its exhibit “Face First”, which is a non-traditional display of portraiture, co-curated by Amy Sawyer and Greg Robinson, featuring twenty-four Puget Sound artists.

The general perception of “portraiture” is a pictorial representation of a person, particularly the face, done as a painting, drawing, or photograph. However, throughout history artists have created portraitures using various mediums, such as sculpture, wearable cameos and medallion jewelry, wood and stone carved plaques, currency, and much more. When Amy and Greg first conceived of the Face First exhibit, they began by examining the diverse ways today’s artists use portraiture in their work—either as the primary focus, or the foundation for a broader personal narrative they wish to convey. As they researched potential artwork, they found themselves drawn to pieces depicting the face, and especially the eyes—both of which are often considered windows or mirrors to the soul. In addition, they focused on the narrative aspects of the portraits, showcasing self-portraits depicting personal relationships and histories, as well as issues near and dear to the artist.

“Much of the work featured in the Face First exhibition is a conversation with artists that comes back to the human face or figure again and again. As co-curator I wanted to focus on the evolution of that conversation and highlight artists whose works tell stories and perhaps spark a little more empathy for ourselves and each other.”
Co-curator, Amy Sawyer

Greg Robinson worked with the more traditional artists, and those with a quirkier side to their work, while Amy Sawyer took the lead in finding artists new to BIMA—although they both shared the final decisions on the artists, artwork, and installations, Amy expanded her curatorial voice in the direction and essence of the show. Pieces range from paintings, drawings, photographs, monoprints, 3-dimensional objects, textiles, glass, books, and sculptures in ceramic, wood, cardboard, and salt. The pieces in the exhibit are an extraordinary portrayal of the artists’ diversity in heritage, personal journeys, strength, vulnerability, and humanity.

The exhibit runs through February 23, 2020 and is held in the Lobby and Feferman Galleries. Artists included in the show are: Juliette Aristides, Fong Baatz, Romson Regarde Bustillo, Debbie Fecher-Gramstad, Scott Fife, Terry Furchgott, Cheri Gaulke & Sue Maberry, Bryant Goetz, Julia Harrison, Aisha Harrison, Naomi Haverland, Diane Jacobs, Christopher Paul Jordan, Mark Kang-O’Higgins, Layne Kleinart, Kathryn Lesh, Paul Marioni, Shawn Nordfors, Jane Richlovsky, Adair Freeman Rutledge, Jessica Rycheal, Robert Schlegel, Lynn Skordal, and Susan Singleton.

BIMA is located at 550 Winslow Way E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 – just a short walk from the ferry terminal.

BIMA will be open late (from 6pm to 8pm) on February 7, 2020, in addition to a cash bar, all exhibitions and the Museum Store will be open for the evening reception.