Bellingham National 2019—Water’s Edge: Landscapes for Today
February 2 – May 19, 2019; Lightcatcher building
Juried by Bruce Guenther, Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
The Whatcom Museum is hosting the third biennial Bellingham National 2019 Juried Art Exhibition and Awards. Juried by Bruce Guenther, Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the theme of the exhibition is Water’s Edge: Landscapes for Today. Guenther selected artwork submitted by artists from across the United States that represents an investigation of contemporary art practices, and addresses our understandings of the Earth, climate change, and the evolving relationships of humanity to Nature. Works range from traditional interpretations of the observed landscape to the metaphoric and spiritual manifestations of the landscape through image, color, language, and mapping of our felt responses to Nature and the world. The top three artists, chosen by the juror, received cash awards at the opening reception, and the exhibition includes a “People’s Choice” award, based on the public’s vote for their favorite piece.
Juror’s Choice Award Winners:
1st place: Philip Govedare; Artifact; Oil on canvas
2nd place: Natalie Niblack; Watershed; Oil on canvas
3rd place: Patti Bowman; Wave 1; Encaustic on panel
Selected artworks span a broad range of media, from watercolor to oil painting, photography to collage and fiber art; and styles of working from hyperrealism to abstraction. The works selected by Guenther reflect the artists’ myriad responses to both natural or man-made landscape forms. Artists featured in the exhibition come from across the country, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
About the Juror: Art historian and independent curator Bruce Guenther is currently serving as Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. A specialist in post-war American and European Art, Guenther was the Chief Curator and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Portland Art Museum, Oregon, until his retirement in 2014. Previously he was the Chief Curator at the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, California, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois, and head of the Modern Art Program at the Seattle Art Museum, Washington. He has curated major monographic and thematic exhibitions internationally, and authored numerous books and exhibition catalogues.
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- Amy Ferron; Over Our Heads, 2016; Acrylic paint and paper on wood, 36 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Kathleen Youngquist; Jungle 1, 2017; Oil on canvas, 40 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist and the Sandra Erickson Fine Art Gallery, Healdsburg, CA.
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- Alexandra Opie; Immersion no. 13, 2013; Tintype, 4 x 5 in. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Erik Sandgren; Waterside Conversation, 2018; Acrylic on canvas, 54 x 40 in. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Naomi Shigeta; Sky Meets Sea, 2016; Oil on panel, 38 x 51 in. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Philip Govedare’s oil on canvas, “Artifact” received the first place “Juror’s Choice” award.
Gallery Tour
Saturday, February 2, 1 – 2 PM
Lightcatcher building
Included with admission/Members free
Take a gallery tour of Bellingham National Juried Art Exhibition and Awards with our Education and Engagement Manager, Sarah Hart, to learn more about the artists’ interpretations of the exhibition theme, Water’s Edge: Landscapes for Today. Hart will also share some of Juror Bruce Guenther’s thoughts and perspectives about the selection process.
Featured Artists
Gary Aagaard, Tucson, AZ
Ellery Akers, Point Reyes Station, CA
Florence Alfano McEwin, Green River, WY
Meg Aubrey, Corpus Christi, TX
Deborah Baron, Shoreline, WA
David Bartlett, Farmington Hills, MI
Joan Beard, New York, NY
Kenneth James Beasley, Houston, TX
David Bellard, Seattle WA
Bremner Benedict, West Concord, MA
Sharon Birzer, Seattle, WA
Andrea Borsuk, Santa Cruz, CA
Patti Bowman, Seattle, WA
Mariah Boyle, Spokane, WA
Steven Bradbury, Melrose, FL
Margaret Byrd, Mill Creek, WA
Niri Cath, Golden, CO
Amber Crabbe, San Francisco, CA
Mark Danielson, Seattle, WA
Sue Danielson, Seattle, WA
Tallmadge Doyle, Eugene, OR
Amy Ferron, Mercer Island, WA
Ellen George, Vancouver, WA
Emily Gherard, Seattle, WA
Kevin Goodrich, Seattle, WA
Philip Govedare, Seattle, WA
Cable Griffith, Seattle, WA
Tom Gross Shader, Vashon, WA
Gary Groves, Bainbridge Island, WA
Holly Hagan, Hesperus, CO
Cheryl Hahn, Yakima, WA
Patricia Halsell, Seattle, WA
Matthew Harkleroad, Seattle, WA
Hall Jameson, Lacey, WA
Jacqueline Johnson, Bath, ME
Kat Kazlauskas, Honolulu, HI
Betsy Kellas, Pt. Richmond, CA
Krista Kilvert, Lynden, WA
Mirka Knaster, The Sea Ranch, CA
Vanessa Mayoraz, Johnson City, TN
Larry Miller, Chicago, IL
Naoko Morisawa, Lynnwood, WA
Paul Murray, Jamestown, RI
Jenene Nagy, Riverside, CA
Natalie Niblack, Mount Vernon, WA
Alexandra Opie, Salem, OR
Laura Viola Preciado, Freeland, WA
Catherine Richardson, Santa Rosa, CA
Jason Sacran, Magazine, AR
Erik Sandgren, Portland, OR
Naomi Shigeta, Portland, OR
Lynn Skordal, La Conner, WA
Samuel Thuman, Philadelphia, PA
Lorraine Turi, Locust, NC
Robert Vicknair, New Orleans, LA
Lauren Yandell, Pearland, TX
Kathleen Youngquist, Healdsburg, CA
docent tours
Take a docent-led tour Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 1:30pm to learn more about the artists and artwork chosen for Bellingham National 2019 Juried Art Exhibition & Awards. Our trained docents will provide insight into the theme of the exhibition, as well as the background behind some of guest juror Bruce Guenther’s selections for the exhibition. Tours start in the lobby of the Lightcatcher building, last one hour, and are included with admission.
