In October 2025, Art’s Alive! in La Conner, Washington, celebrates its 40th anniversary—a significant milestone for any institution or art event, especially for one that is based in a small community. It is evident with this anniversary that Art’s Alive!, an exhibition and series of art programs, has tapped into a subject and a mission that the local community is passionate about, so much so that they continue to return year after year for four decades. The event started as a fundraiser for the Valley Museum of Art (now the Museum of Northwest Art), but it is now organized by the La Conner Art Foundation, which is also a nonprofit organization. Running from Friday, October 24 through Monday, October 27, visitors can enjoy multiple exhibitions and art demonstrations around the town of La Conner.
In a conversation with Sheila Johnson, the president of the Board of Directors of the La Conner Art Foundation, it became clear that the organization is dedicated to both artists and education. When an artwork sells at Art’s Alive!, artists receive a 60% commission while the remaining 40% is dedicated nearly in its entirety to scholarships for high school seniors and college students. The event this year takes place in Maple Hall, as it has been for many years, but Johnson also emphasized that there are art demonstrations taking place all over town. But this year is also a special year, and the exhibition includes 180 artworks created by around 90 different artists. The exhibition is divided into three sections: Legends (artists who have participated in Art’s Alive! in the past), Invitational (artists new to participating), and the Open Show which features artists living in the La Conner School District. In summary, the exhibition this year is larger and more expansive than any other.
The foundation and its selection committee watch artists year-round and then decide on artists to invite for participation in the exhibition. This year, the committee has also partnered with several art galleries to show the work of certain artists. For example, Allie High’s “Short-eared Owl” is included courtesy of Stonington Gallery. This collaboration allows Art’s Alive! to include artists with gallery representation while also supporting the mission of the event and foundation. High’s work is included in the Invitational portion of the exhibit, alongside other artists like Kathleen Faulkner, Ee Lin Lee, and Leo E. Osborne. This year there isn’t necessarily a theme for the Invitational; these are all artists who inspire the committee and have a connection to the Pacific Northwest. One aspect of this portion of the exhibition is the variety of materials and mediums represented, including paintings, pastels, weavings, ceramics, and more. One oil painting that stands out is Andy Eccleshall’s “Timeless,” which features a barn with the daylight shining through the open doors. The scene is so familiar in Skagit County that it almost mimics looking out a window to a common landscape in the valley.
Similarly, Art’s Alive! has partnered with several local galleries to exhibit work in the “Legends” gallery, which includes artists from past Art’s Alive! exhibits in the 1980s through to 2024. It is truly a delight to see work by artists like John Simon, Paul Havas, Meg Holgate, Thomas Stream, and Georgia Gerber in a gallery together. The “Legends” portion of the show is an interesting snapshot of artistic themes and trends throughout the past decades. Adding to this point, donors receive a poster from the 1987 edition of Art’s Alive! which features a painting of a sunflower by Richard Gilkey. It is worth pointing out that this is in some ways a unique opportunity to see and acquire work by artists with connections to the “Northwest School” while also supporting living artists working nearby.
Art’s Alive! is a longstanding art program in Skagit County with a deep history of supporting the local artistic community. The exhibition opens at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 24 at Maple Hall, with the opening event starting at 5 p.m. This is an exciting opportunity to meet the artists while enjoying food and beverages in a beautiful environment. The events continue through the weekend, and visitors are welcome to vote on their People’s Choice selection. At the time of writing this feature, the award is still to be announced. Art’s Alive! closes at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 27. October can be a delightful time to visit Skagit County since many of the pumpkin patches are open and the weather can be beautiful.
Chloé Dye Sherpe
Chloé Dye Sherpe is an art professional and curator based in Washington State. Art’s Alive! Invitational & Open Fine Art Show is on view at Maple Hall, located at 104 Commercial Street, Edmonds, Washington from Friday, October 24, 1-8 p.m.; Saturday, October 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, October 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday, October 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit www.ArtsAliveLaConner.com.
