Artists@Issaquah Oct 15

Katrina Wagner acrylic
John Ryan painting
Laurie Fossier-Mills vase
Christopher Jones pastel  |  photos and post by Jen Gennari

At least fifteen artists—longtime and new residents, established and pre-professional—will show off their work at the Artists@Issaquah Show and Sale. The event is Saturday, Oct 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free to the public.

“When we rebooted Artists@Issaquah in 2018, after a five-year hiatus, we assumed we’d hold it again in 2020, alternating with the Floating Homes Tour,” said John Schlag, event organizer. “Then, of course, the pandemic happened, but art didn’t stop. Now, with a largely vaccinated public, and proper protocols, we’re more ready than ever to show the community what we’ve been up to.”

Visitors will see glass art, painting, photography, ceramic, and sculpture. The range of work is as varied as the people who call the docks home. Jim Woessner, the founder of the show, will be opening his home with its eclectic and provocative multimedia work.

Katrina Wagner, artist and longtime College of Marin art professor, will be showcasing her return to her acrylic painting. “I’ve always had a love affair with the real world, its colors and shapes and really its abstraction,” she says. “So lately I’ve been trying out abstraction.”

John Conor Ryan, who holds a PhD in physics from Imperial College in London, has studied art at London’s Royal College of Art and National Gallery and elsewhere. His new paintings are marked by vibrant colors and deep texture.

Glass artist Laurie Fossier-Mills, a 2022 finalist for the Art Gallery of Western Australia’s Tom Malone Prize, is returning with her stunning reef form paperweights and vases in the beautiful Alien Lifeform Research boat.

And dock newcomer Christopher Jones, who enjoys painting en plein air, will share pastel landscapes. “All of my senses are immersed by the changing light and colors influenced by the path of the sun and clouds,” he says. “If a painting can bring a sense of tranquility or pleasure, or kindle a fond memory for the viewer, then my art has served its purpose.”

Ten homes will be open during the show; some of the homeowners will ask visitors to wear masks. Jon Sibalia will be performing at the L of Issaquah and the Jims will perform in the lagoon at 3 pm. Donations will be collected for art programs in schools.