On the first Friday of every month, most of Kitsap’s art districts get their party on. Silverdale, the exception to the rule, hosts quarterly art walks in the middle of the month. Its next walk is scheduled for March 14 in the Old Town District.
With multiple galleries close to within walking distance of one another in places like Bremerton and Bainbridge Island, the idea of hosting a regular art walk was hatched long ago, enabling each gallery to showcase its latest exhibition and hold artists’ receptions.
Over the years, the events have turned into block parties of sorts, with refreshments, wine and beer and the occasional gallery concert.
In Bainbridge’s Winslow district, wine glasses from Bainbridge Arts and Crafts have been known to end up down the street at Gallery Fraga as art walk patrons pace from gallery to gallery.
In Bremerton, the walk covers a bit more ground, perhaps qualifying it as more of an art walk/drive. Galleries range in location from the downtown district reaching to the end of the street near Evergreen Park and all the way down Burwell Street to Callow Avenue.
Here’s a run down of what’s going on where for this month’s First Friday Art Walks March 7. The party gets started around 5 p.m. in each locale.
IN BREMERTON
• Collective Visions —
331 Pacific Ave.
Fresh off its biggest-ever endeavor — a statewide juried art show which filled its entire space last month — Collective Visions Gallery, the city’s main co-op, will be showcasing its newest members during March. Ceramic sculptor Frank Carsey, painter Gail Hornsby, stone sculptor Howard Jackson, and photographer Harry Longstreet have all joined the CVG roster.
Info: www.collectivevisions.com or call (360) 277-8327.
• Ploy Studios —
609 Fourth St.
A warehouse-like studio known for its clever screen printing, Ploy Studios also hosts out-of-the-ordinary exhibitions on its walls each month. This month artist Dave Ryan will inhabit the space with his uber-afforable stencil art on old vinyl records. Adding to the wax, DJ Oznog will be spinning live at the Gallery on First Friday.
Info: www.ploystudios.com or call (360) 471-2001 or (206) 412-3817.
• The Wesley Art Gallery
— 1210 Pacific Ave. near
Evergreen Park
Going through some structural changes and limited hours, the Wesley gets back to its roots this month hosting the fifth installment of gallery owner Don Wesley’s Counting Series, which is commemorating and counting lives lost in the Iraq war effort since 2003.
Info: www.wesleyartgallery.com or call (360) 265-2374
• Also check out: The Amy Burnett Gallery at 296 Fourth St., The Alan Posner Studio at 255 4th St., Chuck Smart and M. Anne Sweet’s Studio 68 at 608 Fourth St., Claywerks ceramic and pottery gift shop at 330 N. Callow Ave. and The Artists for Freedom and Unity Gallery at 318 N. Callow Ave.
ON BAINBRIDGE
• The Gallery at
Bainbridge Arts and
Crafts — 151 Winslow Way E.
“We’ve already made all the jokes about Jim Morrison,” gallery spokeswoman Victoria Joslin said about the BAC’s next exhibit — Doors.
The Gallery, which has hosted similarly broad but clever exhibits like “Boxes” and “Art and Letters” earlier in the year, this month welcomes artists to walk on through to the other side.
Info: www.bacart.org or call (206) 842-3132
• The Roby King Galleries
— 176 Winslow Way E.
In an interesting exhibit for a fine art gallery and frame shop, the Roby King will host a collection of historical photographs of Bainbridge, Seattle and the greater Northwest from the Museum of History and Industry, Washington State Historical Society and University of Washington Libraries.
Info: www.robykinggalleries. com or call (206) 842-2063.
• Also check out: Gallery Fraga at 166 Winslow Way E., The Island Gallery at 100-104 Madison Ave., A is for Artists Gallery at 123 Bjune St.
