Maple Hall lit up by Art's Alive

When power failed in La Conner late Friday night and Saturday, the cell phone flashlights came out at Art's Alive.

"It was art in the dark," said La Conner Arts Foundation board member Sheila Johnson – at least in the Invitational Show on Maple Hall's main floor. Upstairs, natural light flooding through the windows made the Open Show pieces easier to see on Saturday. Entrance table volunteers fielded the question "When will the lights come on?" over and over.

After some false starts, the question was answered about 3 p.m. and "art in the light" resumed.

Maple Hall was packed when the show opened at 1 p.m. Friday. A couple hundred people enjoyed the art, appetizers and beverages during the opening reception that evening. Fiber artist Liz Moncrief told guests about the techniques behind her lovely hand-dyed, woven pieces. Invitational artist Teresa Smith of San Juan Island explained how she clears her mind to create contemplative oil paintings of nature as it might be seen through stained glass.

"It's good for me to be able to talk about my art and get feedback," she said. "Alone in the studio, I don't have any idea how people feel about my art."

Featured photographer Craig Barber was also pleased. "People get up close and personal and really see the farm workers, which I wanted. They are not driving by and seeing them in the fields from a distance."

The three People's Choice winners appreciated the votes. Kent Norby's painting "On the Way to Park Butte" won first place. Nancy Crowell's photo "Serenity," at the top of the stairs, took second. Margaret Arnett's painting "Cedar Woman" took third.

"The best People's Choice is a red dot," said Anacortes artist Dee Doyle, a former Shelter Bay resident. "I've won ribbons, won People's Choice, but the red dots are what float my boat."

When the show closed, there were 21 red "sold" dots on the works of fiber artist Liz Moncrief alone, in addition to dots on works of other invitational artists. Upstairs, 19 out of 50 Open Show works had red dots.

All art sold contributes directly to the La Conner Arts Foundation scholarship fund. Each year the Foundation adds another school to its scholarship list. In 2023, one senior each at Mount Vernon, Sedro Woolley and La Conner high schools received $2,000.

Valedictorian Hadley Shears '23, now attending Western Washington University, received the La Conner scholarship.