Upcoming events.
Stillness
Stillness
Featuring Orcas Island artists Chandelle Anderson & Annie Starling Sparks
Stillness brings together the work of Orcas Island artists Chandelle Anderson and Annie Starling Sparks in an exhibition that explores the quiet center that exists within both nature and ourselves.
This body of work is a reflection on the inherent stillness at the center; both in the continuous cycles of nature and within the psyche. Highlighting the interconnectivity of all forms from this central place, both seen and unseen, the exhibition invites viewers to explore what exists just beneath the surface.
Through clay and sculpture, Anderson and Sparks draw inspiration from the natural world, creating forms that feel at once grounded and ethereal. Their work speaks to the rhythms of growth, transformation, and connection that shape our lives, often beyond conscious awareness.
Together, these artists offer a contemplative space where attention slows, perception deepens, and the subtle threads linking all living things become more visible. Stillness is an invitation to pause, observe, and reconnect with the quiet presence that exists beneath the movement of everyday life.
Artists Reception Friday, July 3rd 4pm - 6pm
Orcas Art Barn
631 West Beach Road, Eastsound
July 2026
ELEMENTS
Orcas: ELEMENTS: A Celebration of Contemporary Art by Orcas Island Artists
This August, two of Orcas Island’s art destinations—iolair and Orcas Art Barn—join forces to present Elements, a thoughtfully curated gallery show featuring thirteen contemporary Orcas Island artists working across a wide range of mediums and disciplines. The show invites visitors to discover the many elements that shape the island’s contemporary art landscape.
Curated by Linda Lewis, founder of iolair, and Inese Westcott, artist and Orcas Art Barn founder, the show highlights the extraordinary depth of talent found within the Orcas Island creative community and offers a contemporary perspective on place, material, and connection.
Featured artists include Annie Sparks, Chandelle Anderson, Indigo Free, Inese Westcott, Jared Lovejoy, Kandis Susol, Laura Yeats, Maria Bullock, Michael Lundgren, Robert Dash, Rose Cope, Susan Singleton, and Zackarya Leck.
Together, these artists explore themes of landscape, transformation, memory, movement, and belonging through materials ranging from clay, wood, willow, metal, and paper to paint and photography. The collaboration is a compelling experience that celebrates both individual artistic voices and the collective creative spirit of Orcas Island.
Elements runs August 1–22 at iolair and Orcas Art Barn Thursdays- Saturdays 11-4 p.m.
Laura Yeats - From Follows Nature
Laura Yeats – Form Follows Nature
September 5–30
Artist Reception: Saturday, September 12, 4 PM
This September, Orcas Art Barn is pleased to present new work by Laura Yeats, a wood turner and artist whose practice begins where a tree’s life ends.
Laura transforms fallen trees into utilitarian bowls, sculptural forms, and works on paper. Her aesthetic is rooted in minimalism and a deep attentiveness to each tree’s story.
From burls and bug trails to the contrast between heartwood and sapwood — these natural characteristics lie hidden beneath the bark and are met with reverence in every piece she makes.
Kandis Susol - Murmuration
We are honored to welcome Kandis Susol to Orcas Art Barn this June for a special month long showcase of her work.
Artist Kandis Susol works out of her studio known as Jakuan (Arbor of Tranquility), located on remote Orcas Island, where she creates her encaustic paper sculptures as a form of spiritual practice. Inspired by her study of garden design in Kyoto, Japan; practicing tea ceremony at Shoseian in Seattle, Washington; her study of Zen Buddhism, and a Fiber Arts Major at the University of Washington for 2 years, she is wholeheartedly present in the moment when she works. Drawing on inspiration from the natural world, she is infusing each piece with a meditative quality and materials representing all four earthly elements: water, air, fire and earth.
FOREST series
Forest series
Living in the Pacific Northwest, forests are not just landscape — they are architecture, sanctuary, and teacher. I
n this series, I explore the emotional experience of being under the trees — the grounding presence of trunks, the rhythm of vertical lines, the way light weaves through branches.
Some paintings feel intimate and enclosed; others open into deeper passages of shadow and layered foliage.
Science confirms what we instinctively know: being among trees calms the nervous system, slows the breath, and restores clarity.
Forest is an invitation to step into that feeling — to bring the quiet strength of the woods into your space.
Art Barn ReOpening
Orcas Art Barn reopens — rooted deeper in the wild beauty of Orcas Island.
Step inside our repurposed hay barn transformed into a bold art space showcasing local makers who shape nature into statement work. Expect large-scale paintings that pull the tide into a room, carved and turned wood that still remembers the forest, hand-forged metal with the salt of the islands in its edges, woven willow forms, river-smoothed stone sculpture, and mixed-media pieces that surprise at every angle.
What’s new
Fresh installations by current island artists — new bodies of work in wood, metal, paint, willow, and stone & clay.
Curated interior-art consultations to help bring island-made statements into your home or business.
Full-service transport and professional installation across the San Juan Islands and Greater Seattle, plus shipping beyond.
Special opening events and artist talks
Practicals
Location: The Art Barn on Orcas Island
Hours: Open every Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM starting April 11
Accessibility: Ground-level entrances
Bring your curiosity and a bold home to match. Whether you’re hunting a centerpiece for a living room, commissioning site-specific work, or simply soaking in art made from this place, Orcas Art Barn is back — larger, louder, and uncompromisingly island-made.
We can’t wait to welcome you.
Orcas Art Barn artists
Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice Open Art Barn
As the light begins its slow return, we’re opening the doors of the Art Barn for a cozy Winter Solstice gathering. Step inside our repurposed hay barn—now a creative haven filled with paintings, sculpture, and handmade work from our talented Orcas Island artists.
It’s a beautiful moment to meet the artists, browse for meaningful holiday gifts, or simply slow down and enjoy art in community on the shortest day of the year.
Whether you’re looking for a spark of inspiration, a quiet place to wander, or a piece of art to take home, you’re welcome to drop in.
Harvest of Art
You’re warmly invited to spend a cozy Saturday at the Art Barn, where local artists come together to share their work and creative spirit.
Explore a beautiful mix of paintings, wood and metal sculptures, ceramics, and willow creations — all inspired by the forests, shores, and textures of Orcas Island.
Come by to meet the makers, find something special for the season, and enjoy a moment of art, warmth, and connection in the heart of the island.
Free and open to everyone.
Stop by, say hello, and see what’s been growing inside the Art Barn.