Aug. 5, 2013
Put a little tradition in your artsy summer with one of Washington’s oldest, continuously run festivals.
The Coupeville Arts Festival on and around Front and Alexander streets in downtown Coupeville kicks off with a juried art show and wine tasting at the Coupeville Recreation Hall from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, hosted by the good folks at the Pacific Northwest Art School.
The Coupeville Festival Association emphasizes fine arts in the Juried Art Gallery and the Pacific Northwest Art School organizers know how to put on a great show, with artists representing every visual medium in this competition. Bayleaf Deli provides the wine during the reception, which adds a nice relaxed flavor to the proceedings. Tickets for the wine reception are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and includes a commemorative wine glass.
The festival continues the next day when all manner of arts and crafts vendors will line the streets of downtown Coupeville from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11.
Established in 1964 – the Festival is renowned for its primary focus on quality arts and crafts, handmade by artisans from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The historic town of Coupeville is located on Penn Cove, where shoppers, vendors and visitors are notoriously charmed by the quality of art and craftsmanship, the quaint shops, restaurants and entertainment, all while enjoying views of the Cove and the mountains beyond.
Demonstrations in the Artists in Action area of the festival during the weekend provide visitors with a closer look at an artist’s process. Feel welcome to interact and ask questions of the artists; many of them are instructors and each artist has been chosen carefully for their talents and are happy to share their secrets with curious onlookers. The artists will have wares for sale and welcome requests for commission pieces and classes.
Demonstrations will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and will include:
- Arlene Love-Diekhoff – Colored Pencils
- Cheri Bricker-Burnett – Wire Art
- Joseph Albert – Native Wood Carvings
- Koraley Orritt – Artreach Fine Art School
- Mary Alice Sterling – Basket Weaving
- Michele Kempees – Watercolors
- Quilters on the Rock – Quilting
- Stephanie Schuemann – Pencil, Crayon
- Wayne Lewis – Blacksmith
- Sharon Tryon – Oil and Watercolor painting
- Gay Shuell – Gourd Artist
- Marcia Muchnick – Pottery
Meet the artist Linnane Armstrong, who created the artwork for this year’s Festival poster, and get the chance to win the framed artwork featured on the poster.
Armstrong will demonstrate her unique woodblock printmaking process at booth #196 during the festival weekend.
To win the artwork, purchase raffle tickets up until Aug. 9 at Coupeville Branch Whidbey Island Bank; Aug. 9 the Art Gallery Wine Reception at Rec. Hall on Friday night; or Aug. 10 and 11 at the Raffle Booth at the corner of Alexander and Coveland streets. The raffle drawing is at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11.
Plenty of performers will be on hand to entertain throughout the weekend. See the schedule of entertainers here.
And, of course, a feast will be had. Find out about which food vendors will be on hand here.
The Coupeville Festival Association is a non-profit run completely by volunteers. Proceeds from each festival are invested in the Coupeville community in the form of project grants and scholarships. To date the Coupeville Festival Association has donated more than a half million dollars to community projects and to students of the Coupeville community. Volunteers are always welcome! Find out more about that here.
Visit the Coupeville Festival Association website for more information.
(Pictured at top, a print of Penn Cove’s Madrona trees, also by Linnane Armstrong.)