Do what looks normal but isn’t. For Jim Woodring, that directive, in 1989, launched the now acclaimed artist into a lifelong career as a cartoonist. With the creation of his generic, anthropomorphic cartoon character Frank, Woodring began telling stories without words, gathering international fans and art patrons. A select few of Woodring’s pen and ink drawings are currently on exhibit at VALISE Gallery through the end of the month.
Do what looks normal but isn’t. For Jim Woodring, that directive, in 1989, launched the artist
Toward the end of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, 16 Carmelite nuns gathered at the base of a guillotine and kissed a small statue of the Virgin Mary hidden in the hands of the order’s prioress, before climbing the scaffolding to their death. Ten days later, the Reign of Terror ended.
A new biopic will light up Vashon Theatre’s silver screen about a subject dear to islanders’ hearts: the rock on which we live. Show time is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, followed by a Q-and-A session with the director and editor.
If you were challenged to create the same thing for 100 consecutive days, what might that be? For island artist and longtime resident Jeffrey Zheutlin, the answer was obvious: paintings. The artist set his goal in April and met it on July 7. Now, all 100 paintings will be exhibited in a solo show at Lapis and Luxe, opening at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, and running through the month.
To see the beguiling portraits and landscapes of island artist Olivia Pendergast, chances are you’d need to book a flight to Nairobi or Dubai. Those are the two cities where galleries show her internationally recognized work. And then there’s Vashon.
What makes Vashon unique? Over the years that question has provoked the imagination of many island writers, poets, photographers and artists. For Terry Donnelly, a professional photographer well known for capturing the ephemeral beauty of landscapes, his answer began with photographing islanders at work and ended with his newly released book, “Coffee & Community The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie in Words & Photos,” published by Chatwin Books. Donnelly will discuss and sign the book at 6 p.m. Friday at the roasterie.
Lately, Jane Spakowsky has been dreaming of a little cabin in the woods. The self-taught, mixed-media artist, who now lives in Tacoma, grew up on Vashon and envisions a return to a simpler way of life.
Theater director Susan Hanson had just finished touching up the risers with black paint, laying out the glow tape on the floor boards and vacuuming under the enlarged picture frame for the set of “Chicago,” the musical she’s directing for Drama Dock, when she stopped to chat about the show that will open Thursday at Vashon Center for the Arts.
There’s a new spot not to be missed at Strawberry Festival this year. The VARSA Youth Stage located in lower Ober Park will feature Seattle headliner and hip- hop musician Draze on Friday night, with opening acts by island youth musicians Intelligent Design & Baron 1, Max Moore, Ralph Reign and Colin Loch. The show will run from 7 to 11 p.m.
Master carver and island resident Israel Shotridge is widely regarded as one of today’s finest Tlingit carvers. Well known for both his traditional and contemporary artwork, Shotridge recently presided over the dedication of two pieces of his public art — native Alaskan artwork at Swedish Medical Center, Cherry Hill Campus and a totem pole in Washington, D.C.
When island poet and magician Tom Pruiksma and Portland writer Pauls Toutonghi get together, the unexpected often occurs. The two friends, who grew up together in Seattle, will hold a literary conversation and a short reading from Toutonghi’s new book, “Dog Gone,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at Vashon Bookshop.
This year, Vashon’s Strawberry Festival will honor pre-World War II Japanese farmers who once grew most of the island’s berries and celebrate Vashon’s agrarian community, both past and present, with traditional Japanese music and dance.
