Vashon Island Visual Artists (ViVA) is a creative confederation of more than 200 visual artists, a significant number of whom hand-built Vashon’s reputation as a haven for artists. Others are newcomers to Vashon, eager to establish their foothold and connect with island art-lovers.
For decades, ViVA has hosted twice-yearly studio art tours, with one of these annual events held during the holiday gift-giving season. The last edition of the beloved events took place in 2019; since then, COVID has sadly put the tours on pause.
Luckily, COVID can’t stop this vibrant community of artists from creating and sharing their work. Through ViVA’s “Art by Appointment: Your Personal Path to Island Artists” program, islanders can now map their own private studio tours year-round — a lovely way to spend a day at any time of year, but especially during the holiday season.
The Art by Appointment roster includes more than 70 island artists, studios and galleries. Find a full-color brochure describing the program in most island stores, restaurants and businesses. The brochure details studio locations and contact information for all participating artists — everything needed to set up your private appointments. This information can also be found at vivartists.com.
Above are just a few of the treasures available in “Art by Appointment,” captioned by the artists themselves or ViVA stalwart Brian Fisher (starting clockwise from photo collage):
Since establishing myself on Vashon in 1984, I have been lucky to be able to sell most of my colorful earthenware to my neighbors here on the island, with work cycles concentrated around my seasonal studio sales as a participant in the VIVA Studio Tours. Direct sales from my Cemetery Road pottery stand offer a strong connection to my community and the opportunity to share the specifics of my craft. Throughout the year I maintain a healthy inventory uptown at Gather Vashon. Over the years I have also practiced my other craft — that of teaching pottery to both adults and children. Now, I have stepped away from the teaching, just making pots with my two studio mates, Marla and Karen. (Liz Lewis, artwork and caption)
Fine art printmaker Deborah Taylor invites you to make an appointment with her at the Quartermaster Press Studio to see and purchase new etchings and her beautiful 2022 calendar. Much of the animal and nature imagery Deborah has made in 2021 came about when reclaiming and reworking the copperplates she prints from. The theme and inspiration for this year’s calendar, “Revisit Revise Transform,” is about the process of reinvention, thinking about how we might see the world differently. (Deborah Taylor artwork, Brian Fisher caption)
I am a textile artist who makes handwoven scarves and household items. This has been a good year to reflect on design and try new structures. Working with rectangles, squares, and diamonds, I’ve spent much of the year exploring optical illusion in my weaving. This fall, I’m focused on a shell pattern with different colors showing on two sides of the fabric. I’ve sized this new design as a shawl. (Patricia Wronsky artwork and caption)
I create jewelry in cool silver and in warm gold, designed around movement. Metal comes to life, my work comes to life, when it moves. I hope patrons make an appointment to come by my studio where they can see and purchase “transformers” jewelry, which is designed to be worn in three or more ways. (Zuzana Korbelarova/ZUZKO Artwork and caption)
Sculptor and mixed media artist Morgan Brig is a creative force whose work incorporates a myriad of materials and ideas. Walking through her studio door could be compared to opening a door on the subconscious. She is excited to share what she is making and describes the sculptures she is at work on now as “artifact-like animal totems small and large, each draped in amulets, talismans and charms.” (Morgan Brig/Brian Fisher caption)
I love getting handmade gifts. Buying directly from the artist — and making that personal connection — makes the gift even more special. I am always busy on the next commission, creating oil paintings of nature, landscapes and cityscapes. (Rose Belknap artwork and caption)
