ARTPORT GALLERY
A new cooperative gallery opens at the Port of Ilwaco, offering a mix of local fine art and the opportunity for community education
Story by DWIGHT CASWELL
Photo by Dwight Caswell
“Lotus Eater” by John Clark, an ArtPort Gallery artist.
Photo by Dwight Caswell
“Cobalt and Roses” by Liz Todd, an ArtPort Gallery artist.
Photo by Dwight Caswell
“Benji Wa Yum‡© (All Things are Merely Dreams)” by Kris-
tin Shauck, an ArtPort Gallery artist.
12 | May 21, 2015 | coastweekend.com
“This is a small pond, and there are
a lot of artists in our midst,” says art-
ist Rebecca Read, speaking of Wash-
ington’s Long Beach Peninsula. There
aren’t many art galleries in the area,
though, which means there is room for
one more. Enter the new ArtPort Gal-
lery, which opened May 2.
Read is one of 11 artists participat-
ing in the cooperative gallery. The idea
originated with Ilwaco artist Marie
Powell, who had seen successful “pop-
up” galleries on her annual trip to New
Zealand. She suggested to her friend
Penny Treat, a Long Beach painter,
that the idea might work in Ilwaco.
Treat is something of a community
organizer, with extensive involvement
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and Powell began talking to other art-
ists, the gallery concept soon moved
beyond the pop-up stage. ArtPort was
born, and a collective of artists began
to coalesce around the idea and the lo-
cation.
“Recruiting the artists happened
organically,” Read says. “We want-
ed a good mix with a blend of styles
and media, both two-dimensional and
three-dimensional.” They wanted di-
versity, and they wanted artists to grow
in their art through the sharing of each
other’s knowledge and experience.
The result is that at ArtPort you
will find paintings, jewelry, pottery,
calligraphy, and prints by experi-
enced practicing artists. There are
also things you won’t find. “We’re a
fine art gallery,” says Treat, explain-
ing the absence of “craft” items and
photographs.
Seaview, Washington potter David
Campiche says he was attracted to the
group by the, “communal nature of the
gallery, friends sharing the responsi-
bility and making the economic equa-
tion more viable.” It is also, he says,
“fun to exhibit with friends you know
and respect in a quiet and uncluttered
space. You feel part of a family.”
Meet the ArtPort artists
David Campiche – potter
John Clark – printmaker, glass artist
Diane Lane – jeweler
Anna Lee Larimore – painter
Martha Lee – painter
Sandra Lill – jeweler
Sonja May – painter
Rebecca Read – printmaker, calligrapher
Kristin Shauck – painter
Liz Todd – painter
Penny Treat – painter, printmaker
ArtPort Gallery
177 Howerton Way S.E., Ilwaco, Washington
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday
Follow ArtPort Gallery on Facebook
To find out how you or your organization can
become a partner in the arts, contact Diane Lane,
outreach coordinator, at 360-244-5158
Photo by Laurie Anderson
The ArPort Gallery artists are, from left, back row, Diane Lane, Martha Lee, John Clark, David Campiche, Liz Todd, Kristin Shauck, Rebecca Read, Sandra Hill; and front row, Penny
Treat and Anna Lee Larimore, (Sonja May not pictured)
ArtPort is in the process of becom-
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a part of that process its artists have
developed a mission statement that
goes far beyond the exhibition of art.
ArtPort intends to “support the art and
culture of the region” not only through
the operation of the gallery, but also by
connecting “the community with artists
and the visual arts through a variety of
artistic and educational opportunities.”
This means that community out-
reach is part of the ArtPort agenda,
and the gallery will sponsor work-
shops, Read says, “by members and
guests artists for people who want to
know more about art and art as a busi-
ness.” There will also be youth devel-
opment activities and guest speakers
to support the professional develop-
ment of artists.
“We want to be part of Ilwaco’s
business community, and we will be
building partnerships with other busi-
nesses,” Read says.
As an example of such partnerships
she points to Envision Ilwaco, a group
of citizens who sponsored a day to
“spruce up” Ilwaco in March, includ-
ing artists painting two murals on the
old Oddfellows Building. Read also
looks to a less competitive and more
cooperative business paradigm, quot-
ing the aphorism, “a rising tide floats
all boats.”
The ArtPort artists didn’t have far
to look to find a location for the gal-
lery. There was a large space available
next to Marie Powell’s Ilwaco gallery.
It looked out on the Port of Ilwaco,
and with artist Don Nisbett’s gallery
a few doors down, the addition of a
third gallery would immediately re-
sult in an art enclave, a destination for
arts aficionados.
Each of the three galleries has its
own personality, so visitors will find
a range of artistic expression on dis-
play. “Don Nisbett, Marie Powell and
Artport are all unique,” says Read.
“People will find different work in
each one.”
Many people see Ilwaco as a
sleepy town with a pretty port; Re-
becca Read sees it as a town on the
cusp of change. “It’s a timing thing,”
she says. It seems like this is the right
time for Ilwaco to blossom. We need
people to be excited, to be cheerlead-
ers for Ilwaco.” That’s what she and
10 other artists will be doing at Art-
Port. “We’ll do our best to make Ilwa-
co a more interesting place to live and
to visit,” Read says.
As for David Campiche, he simply
says, “It’s nice to contribute to the
community with a tasteful display of
lovingly crafted art objects.”
Photo by Dwight Caswell
Photo by Laurie Anderson
“Tea Pot with Crow” by David Campiche, a Long Beach Pen-
insula-based ceramic artist.
A visitor looks at the different styles and mediums of art on display at the ArPort Gallery in Ilwaco, Washington, during its grand opening
on May 2.
‘Recruiting the artists happened organically. We wanted a good mix with a
blend of styles and media, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional.’
Photos by Dwight Caswell
ABOVE: “Green Sweatergirl” by Sonja May, an ArtPort Gallery artist.
LEFT: “Horizon II” by Anna Lee Larimore, an ArtPort Gallery artist.
May 21, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 13