Whidbey Artist’s Collage Exhibition Opens at Coupeville Library

The Coupeville Library opened "Ethereal Journeys: Abstract Figures and Dreamscapes," a solo exhibition by Whidbey Island artist GJ Gillespie, on January 2, and the free collection will remain on view through January. The exhibition presents mixed media collages that fuse mid-century abstract expressionist sensibilities with contemporary explorations of existential themes, making new work available to Island County residents without cost.

Gillespie works from a 1928 Tudor Revival farmhouse studio that overlooks Oak Harbor, transforming everyday materials such as newsprint, colored tissue and found grocery ads into compositions where figures dissolve into dreamlike landscapes. Drawing on the transcendent beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the legacy of the Northwest Mystics, he describes individual works as what he calls "future antiques," pieces that read like artifacts discovered rather than recently created.

The exhibition includes recent works such as "Yesterday," "Party At the End of the World" and "Across the Universe," alongside published pieces like "Good Morning Mr. Sunshine" and "California Dreaming." Gillespie is a prolific practitioner of mixed media collage with 23 awards, exhibitions in 70 shows across Washington, British Columbia, Mississippi and Arizona, and appearances in more than 200 art and literary publications. A retired Professor Emeritus of Communication from Northwest University, he now concentrates on his artistic practice and operates Leda Art Supply, a company specializing in premium sketchbooks.

"My approach involves ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’, reimagining cultural iconography through the lens of abstraction," Gillespie said. "Rather than pursuing purely original designs, I create individuations of universal imagery that become mysterious when placed in new contexts. These abstract explorations tap into unconscious feelings of longing for existential meaning."

For Island County, the exhibit represents more than visual interest. Free library exhibitions lower barriers to cultural participation and can strengthen social cohesion by bringing diverse audiences into shared public spaces. The work’s focus on memory, longing and the dissolution of familiar forms offers viewers a reflective space that may be especially resonant during moments of personal or civic uncertainty. Local arts programming in libraries also supports intergenerational access to creative expression, complementing other community services at a public institution.

Visitors can view the collages at the Coupeville Library through January. The show underscores the role of public libraries as sites for art, dialogue and equitable cultural access in Island County.