Bellingham Alive

Adventures in Beach Landscapes
2025-04-08 13:00 - 2025-04-11 15:00 (America/Denver)
Join us for a fun “week at the beach”! Each day we will paint a different ocean landscape or scene in acrylic on canvas.
Class Fee: $100
Ages: Kids 10-14
Registration Deadline: 4/04 12 PM

Rendered Mosiacs – Creating a Picture with Glass on Glass
2025-04-09 18:00 - 2025-04-30 20:00
This specific form of mosaic work allows students to take a photo or other image and recreate it using tiny bits of glass that will be glued onto glass. The final piece may or may not need to be grouted in the final stage, depending on the student’s choice. Students will learn how to cut, nip and shape glass to render their image with some artistic flair. Design choice is key, so images must be approved by the instructor. Grouting technique will be taught regardless of whether it is required in the final product. All glass, grout and tools will be provided by instructor.
Class Fee: $160
Ages: Adults 16+
Registration Deadline: 4/07 12 PM
Materials to Bring: Wooden frame with picture glass no larger than 11×14, small bottle of Weld bond glue or similar, small plastic containers or Ziploc baggies to hold glass bits, fine tweezers and fine tip paintbrush can be helpful. Image selection must be approved by instructor prior to class – emailed to katie@bktrent.org.

Women Painters of Washington
2025-04-15 11:00 - 2025-06-07 16:00
We are excited to feature a new exhibition with the Women Painters of Washington. Juried by Cara Jaye, Professor of Art at Western Washington University. “From My Point of View” captures the essence of place—whether through sweeping vistas, intimate natural details, or abstract impressions of the world.
The works of 36 artists will be on display at Cordata Gallery: Carolyn Autenrieth, Nancy Canyon, Julie Crieghton, Roxanne Everett, Amy Feron, Kristi Galindo-Dyson, Janis Graves, Ana Li Gresham, Nancy Grisby, Sarah C.B. Guthrie, Sandy Haight, Trish Harding, Carol Hartsock, Alicia Harvey, Judith Heim, Lynette Hensley, Colleen Hoffenbacker, Lezlie Jane, Jennie Jung, Donna Leavitt, Ruby Linder, Mary Jo Maute, Karen O’Brien, Joy Olney, Judith Perry, Molly Preston, Victoria Raymond, Meredith Regal, Ilse Reimnitz, Brandi Reyna, Emily (K) Robinson, Carol Ross, Mia Shulte, Beverly Shaw-Starkovich, Susan Walker and Reeve Washburn.
Open Tues-Sat 11-4pm

It's About Time Cultural Art Center Grand Re-Opening
2025-04-18 12:00 - 2025-04-19 18:00
Join us at It’s About Time Cultural Art Center for a Grand Re-Opening featuring Re-cycled Art from talented local artists, April 18th and 19th from noon to 6pm.
A fun and interesting show for all ages, with delightful Found Object Sculptures and intriguing Paper Collage Art. Ferndale’s Mark Seeger transforms used everyday appliances into shiny ‘Bots’. Abandoned metal morphs into Functional Whimsy by Lee Mosley of Lummi Island. Orcas Island’s landfill salvage finds a quirky second life in Ron Glassett’s Assemblages. Found images blend into mystical landscapes in Bellingham artist Alicia Wills’ Collages. And gallery owner Sasch Stephens can turn just about anything into a Sundial.
Find us in historic downtown Ferndale at 2013 Main Street. The show continues April 25th through May 31st, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 4pm.
To learn more, see our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566436504563

Recycled Art Show
2025-04-25 12:00 - 2025-05-31 16:00
A Recycled Art Show featuring delightful found object lamps and Bots, thought-provoking Collage works by local artists, and all you ever wanted to know about sundials. Running every Friday and Saturday from noon to 4pm, April 25th through May 31st, at the It’s About Time Cultural Arts Center in downtown Ferndale, at 2013 Main Street. A fun show for ‘kids’ of all ages.

Mother’s Day Bouquet Painting
2025-05-02 15:30 - 18:00
In this workshop, we will paint a lovely bouquet of flowers in watercolor that can be gifted just in time for Mother’s Day. Instructor Angela Wright will guide you step-by-step through the process, while you learn how to paint an array of beautiful flowers to gift or keep. Bring Mom herself for the fun of painting together or even gift the class!
Class Fee: $48
Ages: 16+
Registration Deadline: 05/01 12 PM

Sunnyland Art Walk
2025-05-09 16:00 - 18:00
We are so excited to be participating in another community art walk! Stop by Hela Provisions on the route for a wine, cheese, and non-alcoholic product tasting from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Find more information about our neighbors and local artists on the @sunnylandartwalk account on Instagram.

Sunnyland Sip + Stroll
2025-05-09 17:00 - 20:00
Sip, Stroll, Stamp — and WIN! | Join the Sunnyland artists and breweries for the Downtown Sunnyland Sip + Stroll on Friday, May 9th from 5–8 PM!
Ready to sip, stroll, and snag some seriously good prizes?
Here’s the deal:
Grab a Sip + Stroll Passport at any participating location.
Wander Sunnyland, stopping by local businesses and artists’ studios for sips, art, and cool vibes.
Earn stamps at each passport location.
Turn in your stamped passport to win some stellar raffle prizes — including gift certificates, local merchandise, and original art!
More stamps = more chances to win. (And hey, bragging rights too.)
Sip a little.
Stroll a lot.
Stamp your way to sweet prizes, all while supporting artists.
Mark your calendar:
Friday, May 9, 5–8 PM, Sunnyland neighborhood.
See you on the stroll!

Life Drawing Bellingham
2025-05-13 18:30 - 21:00
Life drawing from the live model – All levels welcome!
– $20 at the door, Cash/Card/Venmo
– Doors at 6p / Poses begin at 6:45p
– Materials & Snacks provided
– Short to long poses
– More details at www.lifedrawingbellingham.com
These are uninstructed events for anyone who enjoys or is curious about drawing from a live model. First-timers always welcome!
We provide a welcoming and supportive environment so that everyone can get into their creative flow.
The poses are timed, starting with shorter poses to warm up, gradually building up to longer poses, with breaks throughout.
** Stay up to date & Follow us on instagram @lifedrawingbellingham + Join our mailing list at www.lifedrawingbellingham.com **

Wild Brushstrokes: An Expressive Acrylic Workshop
2025-05-24 10:00 - 16:00
TICKETS: https://www.lifedrawingbellingham.com/workshops
An Expressive Acrylic Workshop
Saturday, May 24 • 10AM–4PM
at Karate Church, 519 E Maple St, Bellingham, WA
$150 – All materials included
This is expressive painting—where the photo reference fuels instinct, and every choice is a potential to turn up your inner voice.
I will teach you how I paint from a photo reference of a wolf: My approaches, my mindset, and the practical tools to make expressive painting an ongoing part of your life.
Together, we’ll explore how to paint powerfully, intuitively, and expressively using acrylics. I’ll show you how to use a refrence photo with real energy—not to replicate it, but to unlock bold color, emotional mark-making, and deeper creative instincts.
This workshop will include informative lecture, live demos, one-on-one guidance, and an encouraging space where it’s safe to push yourself and explore what you haven’t dared to try before.
Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or finding your way back to painting, this is your chance to move past hesitation—and have a real encounter with creative potential.
What You’ll Learn:
– How to begin or renew your personal painting practice
– Color theory & mixing for emotional impact
– Expressive brushwork techniques that bring a portrait to life
– How to move beyond literal photo reference and tap into feeling
– The mindset of intuitive, self-guided creativity
You’ll Leave With:
– Your very own expressive wolf portrait
– The tools and knowledge to keep painting on your own
– A new relationship to color, instinct, and mark-making
– A deeper glimpse of your creative self
About the Instructor:
Cameron is a classically trained painter and expressive portrait artist known for his energetic, intuitive brushwork. A graduate of the New York Academy of Art, he now teaches and paints in Bellingham, where he also runs Life Drawing Bellingham, a weekly art community rooted in connection, growth, and experimentation. (See more of his work at www.mccoolart.com)

Digital Photography: Take Better Pictures with your Cell Phone!
2025-05-24 14:30 - 16:30
The great thing about phone cameras is that they’re always with us. But we’ve all cursed them for failing to get that once-in-a-life-time picture. In this two-hour-long class, I will help you to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the little lensed miracle that lives in your phone. And that understanding will help you to capture more pictures that you love.
I will use an iPhone in class but people with other brands of phone are welcome. Cell phone cameras can vary considerably from phone to phone, so the focus of the class is not on specific camera settings. Instead, the class will focus on ideas and strategies for using the phone creatively.
Class Fee: $30
Ages: Teens and Adults 13+
Registration Deadline: 5/23 12 PM
Materials to Bring: Cell phone with a working camera

How Queer!
2025-06-05 18:00 - 2025-07-23 21:00
Voxel Gallery presents How Queer! an exhibition that celebrates the vibrant, diverse, and powerful voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ artists in our community. As we honor Pride months, we invite you to explore the stories, struggles, and triumphs of those who are shaping the world with their art. This collection reflects on themes of love, identity, social justice, resilience, and personal journeys.

Ted Gibson Retrospective: Photography, Children's Lunchboxes and more!
2025-06-06 18:00 - 20:30
Ted Gibson Retrospective:
Photography, Children’s Lunchboxes, and Dick & Jane Drawings
Exhibit dates: June 6 – July 26, 2025. Artwalk and Public Celebration: June 6, 6 – 8:30 PM
Dakota Art, 1322 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225
Regular Hours: Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM
Facebook Event, Artist Website: https://www.tedgibson-art.org/
Contact:
Mary Jo Maute, Ted’s Life Partner & Bellingham Artist. mjmaute@gmail.com, (360) 224-4313
Alan Weydert, Dakota Art, aeweydert@gmail.com. (360) 676-8918
Documentarian and political artist, Ted Gibson’s (1944–2024) collection of histories of “ordinary people,” are being presented together for the first time at Dakota Art Gallery! Revealing Gibson’s lifetime of creative passion and profound insights, this retrospective exhibit includes 40 archival photographs showing the magic found on the highway, in quiet places and at special events, along with several series of works, most notably his Children’s Lunchboxes and a collection of drawings with apropos quotations called Dick and Jane in Retrospect which juxtapose trite Americana with scenes from the dark side of American Capitalism.

Waterfront Artist Studio - Artwalk
2025-06-06 18:00 - 21:00
Artist studio open for Artwalk.
Lots of great artists.

Shapeshifters Exhibit
2025-06-13 11:00 - 2025-09-15 17:00
The San Juan Islands Museum of Art Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary with Shapeshifters – An Exhibition of Contemporary Northwest Coast Native Art and Culture
The San Juan Islands Museum of Art is proud to present Shapeshifters – a major exhibition of contemporary Northwest Coast Native art, June 13 – September 15, 2025, www.SJIMA.org. The Museum is located at 540 Spring Street, Friday Harbor.

Summer Art & Dance Camp: Heros & Heroines 4th of July
2025-06-30 09:00 - 2025-07-03 16:00
Heroes and Heroines 4th of July – Art & Dance Camp #1: June 30-July 3, Mon- Thurs, Ages 7-12, $250 with Rachel Simpson for Art and Tara Reiter for Dance. Get a heroic mixture of Dance and Art in this full day, 4th of July themed camp! Join us on the last day for a Dance Performance and Art Show! Students Bring: Lunch, Water Bottle, Weather appropriate clothing, clean soled sneakers. Learn a full dance routine, lots of dance games and amazing art projects including:
-Super Hero Masks & Power Cuffs
-4th of July Art Games; Rocket Racers, Parachutes of Color, & Marble Paint Maze
-Paint & Draw Favorite Hero or Heroine
-Hero Shields Painted onto Canvas
-Spinning Paint Art
-Super Hero & Heroine Selfies
3 hours of Art and 3 hours of dance each day!
10:00am-12:45pm Art, Lunch 12:45-1:15pm, 1:15pm-4:00pm Dance, Ages 7 – 12.
Location: Unique Technique Dance, 3815 Bakerview Spur #1, Bellingham, WA 98225.
Webites: http://www.rachelswhimsicalart.com/ and https://www.uniquetechniquedance.com/

Paper Whale Presents: The Immersive Experience Project
2025-07-03 17:00 - 21:00
The Immersive Experience Project is a series of four pop-up art installations located within vacant storefronts in downtown Bellingham. Be transported to alternate realities meant to captivate your senses, like a glowing forest of neon fungi or a towering stack of old-school TVs.
The four exhibiting artists are: OctoEyes, Matt Remsbecher, Ms. Tide Walker, and Barrett Lizza. Come step inside their worlds for a limited time only!
This is a family-friendly event. The spaces will be open to the public during evening art walks on the first Friday of each month, May-July. In July, it will be on Thursday, July 3rd, because of the holiday on Friday.
Exhibit Locations:
Digital Extrusions | 1015 N. State St. (main street entrance)
The Age of Nostalgia | 1015 N. State St. (alley entrance)
Sylvan Passage | 1329 N. State St.
Luminous Growth | 215 Prospect St.
Paper Whale, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to cultivate a creative community and activate placemaking through multi-sensory events and public artworks. To learn more about this and other Paper Whale events, visit www.paper-whale.com.

Puzzles in Pigment
2025-07-05 11:00 - 2025-07-26 16:00
Exhibition run: July 3rd & 5th-26th
July 3rd Opening Reception: 6-9PM
Regular Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat, 11am – 4pm
At: 1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
AAoWC presents an exhibition celebrating the diverse language of abstract art through the work of four distinctive local artists. The show features Brett Sandström’s balanced compositions emphasizing mindfulness and simplicity alongside Jake Gombis’s large-format conversational paintings that explore both tangible and abstract relationships through pedestrian mediums. Visitors will also experience Lori VanEtta’s vibrant acrylic abstracts that breathe life into every space, and Marjie Miller’s encaustic pieces created using an ancient Greek technique of fused, melted wax. We regret that artist Mansur Ahmed cannot join us due to border travel limitations.

Summer Art & Dance Camp: Where the Wild Things Roam
2025-07-07 10:00 - 2025-07-11 16:00
Where the Wild Things Roam- Art & Dance Camp #2: July- 7-11 10am-4pm Mon-Fri Ages 5-8, $300 with Rachel Simpson for Art and Tara Reiter for Dance. Get a Wild Fun mixture of Dance and Art in this full day camp!! Join us on the last day for a Dance Performance and Art Show! Students Bring: Lunch, Water Bottle, Weather appropriate clothing, clean soled sneakers.
Learn a full dance routine, lots of dance games and amazing art projects including: Clay Foxes & Wild Cats, Watercolor Paints with Leaf Prints, 3/D Bunny or Mice in Mini-Tin-Beds-Wild Forrest & Fauna, Paint & Papercraft Art-Mushroom and Wee Bugs in 3/D Craft, Bright Painted Dots of Favorite Animals, Art Games with Nature.
3 hours of Art and 3 hours of dance each day!
10:00am-12:45pm Art, Lunch 12:45-1:15pm,1:15pm-4:00pm Dance. Ages 5 – 8.
Location: Unique Technique Dance, 3815 Bakerview Spur #1, Bellingham, WA 98225.
Websites: http://www.rachelswhimsicalart.com/ and https://www.uniquetechniquedance.com/

Modern Meets Primitive
2025-07-12 14:00 - 16:00
Cordata Gallery is proud to invite you to Modern Meets Primitive, an exhibition featuring the works by local artists Brian O’Neill, Richard Nash, and David Syre, whose works explore the meeting point between gestural expressions and timeless, elegant forms. The exhibition looks at how modern art can draw strength from the raw, instinctive, and ancient—reminding us that progress and tradition are not opposites, but parts of the same creative journey.
All artworks are available for acquisition, offering a chance to support local artists and to add to your collection.
Opening reception: July 12, 2-4pm
Open to public: July 12 – Aug 30
Tues-Sat, 11-4 and by appt

Modern Meets Primitive
2025-07-12 14:00 - 16:00
Cordata Gallery is proud to invite you to Modern Meets Primitive, an exhibition featuring the works by local artists Richard Nash, Brian O’Neill, and David Syre, whose works explore the meeting point between gestural expressions and timeless, elegant forms. The exhibition looks at how modern art can draw strength from the raw, instinctive, and ancient—reminding us that progress and tradition are not opposites, but parts of the same creative journey. All artworks are available for acquisition, offering a chance to support local artists and to add to your collection.

Reflections of the Land; Himalayan Paintings and Cascadian Basketry
2025-08-16 12:00 - 2025-09-27 17:00
‘Reflections of the Land; Himalayan Paintings and Cascadian Basketry’ and It’s About Time’s new Gallery Shop will open on Saturday August 16th, running through the end of September. On display will be seldom shown traditional and contemporary works by Nepalese artists from a private collection, alongside captivating baskets woven by members of the Basket Weavers of the Salish Sea.
The paintings embody the warmth and spirituality of Himalayan culture, ranging from intricate and colorful Thangka paintings of Deities to delightful depictions of Sherpa village life. Bringing traditional arts closer to home with a contemporary twist, visitors can explore the world of basketry through an assortment of intriguing functional and decorative baskets woven from materials found in our own Cascadian bioregion.
Opening Event! We’re throwing our Opening Event on Saturday August 16th from 1pm to 7pm, where visitors can hear about basket weaving styles and materials from the Weavers themselves, and learn more about the images and villages portrayed in the paintings.
After that, the show will run from August 16th through the end of September, open for viewing Thursdays through Saturdays from noon to 5pm.
Enjoy these unique offerings at It’s About Time Cultural Arts Center, conveniently located just off I-5, at 2013 Main Street, Ferndale, WA. More info at
https://www.facebook.com/ItsAboutTimeCulturalArtsCenter

Lummi Island Labor Day Art Tour 2025
2025-08-30 10:00 - 2025-08-31 17:00
More than 30 artists and craftspeople are offering their work at 14 locations around the island. Enjoy paintings, drawings, prints, note cards, jewelry, photography, sculpture, glass, woodwork, pottery, metalwork, stonework, quilts, clothing, knitwear, and more! To get to Lummi Island: Take I-5 exit 260, Go west on Slater Road to Haxton Way. Turn left on Haxton to the ferry dock at Gooseberry Point. Line up to take the Whatcom Chief ferry. The 8 minute ferry ride leaves at ten past every hour (plus extra trips as needed)
Preview on Facebook: Lummi Island Artists’ Studio Tour, and Instagram: lummi.island.art.studio.tour

Modern Meets Primitive
2025-09-02 11:00 - 2025-09-27 16:00
Due to the success of this exhibition which opened July 12th, we are extending it until September 27th!
Cordata Gallery is proud to invite you to Modern Meets Primitive, an exhibition featuring the works by local artists Richard Nash, Brian O’Neill, and David Syre, whose works explore the meeting point between gestural expressions and timeless, elegant forms. The exhibition looks at how modern art can draw strength from the raw, instinctive, and ancient—reminding us that progress and tradition are not opposites, but parts of the same creative journey. All artworks are available for acquisition, offering a chance to support local artists and to add to your collection.

Monochromatic Group Exhibition
2025-09-05 17:00 - 2025-09-10 21:00
oxel Gallery is proud to present Monochromatic, a striking group exhibition running from July 31 through September 10, 2025. Featuring black-and-white photography, grayscale paintings, and digital artworks, this show delves into the expressive potential of a restricted palette—where contrast, texture, and form take on heightened emotional resonance. For more information, please visit voxelgallery.com or follow @Voxelfineart on social media.

Whatcom Genealogical Society
2025-09-08 14:00 - 16:00
Whatcom Genealogical
Society 1st Fall Meeting-Sharing Summer research results and reintroducing ourselves and our interests. Did you have a research trip or family reunion this summer? Maybe you are new to our group, and you have some questions about research. This is a great meeting to start off the Fall. Visitors are welcome!
https://www.whatcom-gen-soc.org

Untethered Odyssey opening reception
2025-10-03 18:00 - 21:00
October 3 – November 1st
Opening Reception: October 3, 6pm-9pm
1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Untethered Odyssey invites viewers on a journey through diverse artistic landscapes where meticulous craft meets unbounded imagination. This compelling group exhibition celebrates the courage to venture beyond familiar territories, exploring the delicate balance between control and spontaneity across four distinctive artistic voices.
The exhibition features Liz Cunningham’s exquisite beaded jewelry, lovingly constructed one tiny bead at a time into contemporary wearable sculptures; Jeana Esser-Lang’s bold and whimsical compositions that take fearless liberties with color and space; Libby Sullivan’s mixed media collages where mysterious women encounter otherworldly powers amid fragments of found materials; and Rock Morris’s philosophy of “perfect imperfection,” creating works of intense layering and strong lines that emerge from his creative subconscious to embody nature’s raw beauty.
Allied Arts is a non-profit gallery, all proceeds from sales go towards supporting the arts in our community.
For more information visit www.alliedarts.org, call us at 360-676-8548 or email us at gallery@alliedarts.org.

Untethered Odyssey gallery exhibition
2025-10-04 11:00 - 2025-11-01 16:00
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm
1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Untethered Odyssey invites viewers on a journey through diverse artistic landscapes where meticulous craft meets unbounded imagination. This compelling group exhibition celebrates the courage to venture beyond familiar territories, exploring the delicate balance between control and spontaneity across four distinctive artistic voices.
The exhibition features Liz Cunningham’s exquisite beaded jewelry, lovingly constructed one tiny bead at a time into contemporary wearable sculptures; Jeana Esser-Lang’s bold and whimsical compositions that take fearless liberties with color and space; Libby Sullivan’s mixed media collages where mysterious women encounter otherworldly powers amid fragments of found materials; and Rock Morris’s philosophy of “perfect imperfection,” creating works of intense layering and strong lines that emerge from his creative subconscious to embody nature’s raw beauty.
Allied Arts is a non-profit gallery, all proceeds from sales go towards supporting the arts in our community.
For more information visit www.alliedarts.org, call us at 360-676-8548 or email us at

PURE JOY - An exhibition of the works of Joy Olney
2025-10-11 14:00 - 16:00
Cordata Gallery is pleased to present PURE JOY, a solo
exhibition of local artist Joy Olney, celebrating the radiant
spirit that runs through her lifelong practice. Featuring a
selection of her favorite subjects (flowers, waterscapes, and portraits), the exhibition reflects the simple joy she finds in painting and the sense of peace her works convey.
Opening reception: Oct 11, 2-4pm
Open to public: Oct 11 – Dec 13, 2025
Tues-Sat, 11-4 and by appointment
