Art Lives on Camano Island
I spent the better part of this past weekend on the Camano Studio Tour on Camano Island. This community of artists is concentrated in a 40 square mile area and for the past 12 years these artists have opened their studios to the visiting public to see how they work, talk about their art and otherwise share their unique world.
What an amazing experience.
First, you feel like you are on a kind of treasure hunt. Map in hand, you drive around the island locating numbers that represent different artists and galleries. From the pottery studio to the art gallery and sculpture park, down to number 15, the glass artist, and around to another gallery, a water color artist, a mixed-media artist, acrylics, photography, and more. Just about any kind of visual art in any medium can be found among the 60+ artists participating on this tour.
For this trip, I also brought a video camera and will be posting a video later this week about the trip. But in the meanwhile, let me try to briefly give the experience some kind of color.
First, there is arriving on the island. Now, it helps when the weather is as beautiful as it was last Saturday, but regardless this island is unique because you can drive onto it. No ferries are needed. Just a bridge. And on a clear day, the water surrounding is all shades of blue, the mountains are out and the trees are blooming.
As one drives down one end of the island and up the other, one cannot help but see how such an amazingly beautiful place might attract so many artists. And artists truly do rule the island. The chamber of commerce is made up almost entirely of artists. And they work hard to maintain their idyllic creative lifestyle where home businesses outweigh traditional business by large numbers.
Talking with many of the artists on the tour, I was also struck by the fact that many of them – while always passionate about art – didn’t take it up in any serious form or fashion until later in life. While there are a number of lifelong artists residing here, many others returned to the art of their youth when they were older. Some waited until their children were old enough to leave the house. Others, until they retired. Some are artists almost by accident, falling into art because it just seemed the natural place for them to be.
If there’s one thing I learned in this past year of traveling around the country, it’s the huge value one gets in sitting in someone else’s space to learn about how they think and what is important to them. It is no different with the artists on Camano Island. What a unique treat to sit and talk with artists. To learn how they came to follow their artistic passions. To understand their inspiration. To see literally how they create the impressive work on display.
Each of the artists participating on the tour must be juried into the process. This means that it isn’t just something where a weekend hobbyist can throw out a sign and take part in this tour. Only the best of the 150+ local artists are on the tour. So when you go, you know you are getting a glimpse at some of the best this area has to offer.
And on an island that has more artists per capita than the island of Manhattan, that’s saying something.
It’s not too late to check out the Camano Studio Tour. For those in the western Washington area, the tour is extending for a second weekend: Saturday May 15 and Sunday May 16, from 10am – 5pm.
You can print out a full map and brochure online.
Trust me when I say you won’t regret it. And while the tour itself is free, you’ll find some pieces you’ll just have to have as an addition to or beginnings of your art collection. And if you are anything like me, soon into the tour you’ll be thinking about starting an “art fund” for next year.
