South Whidbey art show spotlights flowers frozen in ice

Flowers frozen inside blocks of ice will give South Whidbey’s annual art show an uncommon edge this year, adding a new visual surprise to a gathering that has anchored the island arts scene for generations. The 49th Annual Artists of South Whidbey Art Show and Sale will run June 26-28 at Dancing Fish Winery in Freeland, where 25 artists will fill the space with work that ranges from fiber art and collage to oil, acrylic and watercolor painting.

The guest artist, Clinton photographer Ineke de Lange, will bring the exhibit’s most unusual images. De Lange photographs flowers after slowly freezing them in water, then uses a macro lens in natural light to capture the results. She says the images are unpredictable because the ice and changing light alter each flower differently, and she does no digital manipulation before printing the work on archival paper. The effect is delicate and translucent, a method that gives familiar blooms a new look without losing their original forms.

Watercolor artist Cheryl Weisz said the scale of the turnout itself matters. "Having this many participate is great," she said. That strong showing suggests the show remains a live part of the island’s creative calendar, even as it marks nearly five decades of local organizing and changing artistic styles.

The schedule begins with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 26 at Dancing Fish Vineyards, 1953 Newman Rd., Freeland, WA 98249. The show will continue from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27 and 28 at the winery, which describes its Freeland property as a six-acre destination in a natural setting. Dancing Fish has also become a recurring venue for community art shows, concerts and nonprofit benefit events.

That setting fits the history of Artists of South Whidbey, which traces back at least to the mid-1970s. A 2009 profile said the group was celebrating 35 years and had started with island painters meeting in someone’s kitchen in Langley. That same account put the membership at about 40 artists, showing how the group has shifted over time while keeping its community core intact. This year’s 25-artist lineup is smaller than that earlier count, but participants say it is one of the largest turnouts in recent years, a sign that the show is still renewing itself while staying rooted in South Whidbey’s local art tradition.