Fine Art Shows
Blackburn Office Equipment
203 W Chestnut St. 360-733-7660
Paintings of scenes around town and beyond
Mar1 through May 1, 08
The Blue Horse Gallery - Reaching
For The Light
301 W Holly ST Phone: 671-2305
When Wade Marlow purchased Blue Horse Gallery in 1980, he changed everything
but the name. Once he disposed of the sofa-size, mass-produced, generic art
that hung on the walls, he collected fine regional art until the bounty grew
to the point where he felt comfortable displaying the amazing oil paintings
of the venerable local artist, John Cole (now retired).
Aside from the community/gallery synergy created by displaying and selling
local art, Wade’s altruistic side shows when he frequently uses the
gallery’s space for social, educational and environmental purposes,
including “Ship of Fools”, a political art show; lectures on childhood
sexual abuse and breast cancer awareness. To that end, the gallery has an
annual display called “Reaching for the Light Breast Cancer Art Show”,
featuring an array of paintings and fiber art by breast cancer survivors,
their relatives and friends. Each illustration is accompanied by a gripping
artist’s statement that relates to the artwork.
Art, photography and travel join hands once or twice a year when Wade leads
European trips geared towards—but not limited to—artists and photographers,
who pick up brush or camera to capture magical moments throughout regions
of Ireland, France, Italy and Spain; the astonishingly superb works are later
displayed at a festive show at the gallery. Tours of Tahiti and Egypt are
in the wings. Annual slide shows of Wade’s trips out of the country
are regularly shown at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art .
& The Old Town Cafe - See THIS Show
Since the late ‘60’s, Old Town Café has kept its reputation
as the place to meet and eat delicious egg dishes, mouth-watering pancakes,
delectable scrambled tofu concoctions and a variety of wonderful soups, salads
and sandwiches, often made with veggie-friendly, organic ingredients. Located
in downtown Bellingham on Holly St. in Old Town, current owner Diane Brainard
has succeeded in keeping the eatery’s reputation as a friendly, funky
little hippy place that former owner Gene Rietzke passed on to her.
After running the restaurant for six years, Gene sold it to Diane in 1995,
knowing that she’d keep the local flavor and support of the local art
scene alive, a facet that was important to him. The Café does just
that by displaying local artists’ works on the walls on a rotating basis
and encouraging local musicians to play.
Aside from local art, locals and out-of-towners can sit European style at
the community table in the front room. Cozily seating up to 10 folks, loners
or couples can sit and eat together, or congregate in the back room for more
intimate dining.
Past Shows
The Blue Horse Gallery - Ship of Fools
The Black Drop Coffee Shop - Texture & Movement