The following images are from the opening Friday Jan 29th

at the Islands Museum of Art

Islands Museum of Art                                                                                                Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

Celebrating a Northwest Legacy, Helen Loggie, A Retrospective 1917-1956

Jan 29^th - March 7^th, 2010; opening reception with Leo lambiel Jan 29th, 5-8pm

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art & Sculpture Park (IMA), at 28 First Street in Friday Harbor, will open A Retrospective of Helen Loggie, 1917-1952, on Friday, January 29th, 5-8 pm.  Helen Loggie, a nationally recognized artist, lived most of her life in Bellingham and on Orcas Island. This exhibition links San Juan Island and Orcas Island in a unique manner, for The Lambiel Museum on Orcas is generously loaning part of its Helen Loggie Collection of over 100 pieces, the largest private collection in existence, to IMA for an exhibit that will run through March 7th.

Helen Loggie was born and grew up in Bellingham, studied at the Art Students League in New York City followed by trips to Europe, and in the late 1920’s returned to her home in Bellingham. In the early 1930’s she had a house of her own design built on Orcas Island.  A place that had very special meaning for her and would become the main focus of her work in later years.  It was here in the Northwest that she created many of her acclaimed drawings and etchings. Throughout her career, there have been exhibitions of her work including solo exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., the Frye Museum in Seattle, the Whatcom Museum of Art and History and at the Western Gallery at Western Washington University, both in Bellingham.

The IMA exhibition is divided into two sections: Gallery I will include drawings and etchings from her student years in New York with portraiture, dynamic city scenes and St. Patrick’s cathedral, along with vibrant oils, drawings and etchings of magnificent cathedrals, bridges and fishing boats from her European travels.  Gallery II will focus on her transition back to the Northwest with drawings, etchings and oils depicting ships in Bellingham Bay, sawmills and even circus animals, but most importantly, her exquisite images of mountains, islands and trees, particularly her beloved old, gnarled trees of Orcas Island.  The exhibit will also display some of her sketchbooks, etching tools and a collection of Christmas cards.

Helen Loggie scorned abstract art and focused on realistic detail for which she became famous.  Even though she dabbled in oils, her preferred medium was pencil drawing. The brochure for the Western Gallery exhibit quoted from a 1939 newspaper: “For her drawings, Miss Loggie uses three pencils, hard, medium and soft. When she goes out sketching, we are told, she takes with her a dozen pencils of each variety, all carefully sharpened, so she will not have to interrupt her work to repoint them.” Her pencil drawings of trees especially illustrate the intricate lines, e.g. of bark and the grasses on the ground below, which became her signature.

During the first half of the 20th century, current methods of reproducing art did not exist, so she became skilled at the process of etching in order to make copies of her work. Her drawings were particularly suitable for etching and she explored ways to develop contrasts in the etchings to avoid a monotone appearance. Vicki Halper, author of the Loggie Exhibition brochure at the Frye Museum, quotes Loggie as saying: “If I had known how hard etching is, I would never have started.” However, the etching process was essential for her to share and distribute her work and she persisted in honing her skills. A description of the etching process will be part of this exhibit for one of the goals of IMA is be an educational avenue in the arts.

Ann Friedman, author of the essay accompanying the Helen Loggie exhibition at Western Gallery in 1993, quotes Loggie as saying:  “If I could strike an answering spark, especially in the hearts of the young people, so that they would realize that natural beauty is the greatest heritage the West has to give her children, so that they would protect what remains of our Northwest… then I would indeed feel that the years have been well spent.”

Helen Loggie had a reverence for nature and felt it was her role as an artist to preserve its beauty. Although her work covered diverse subjects, her interpretation of the trees, mountains and flowers of the Northwest convey her commitment. In her art and writing, she was clearly an environmentalist long before the word was in our common vocabulary.

I was two years old when my family began visiting the San Juan Island’s in my father’s boat. When we were there, I was in paradise and experiencing a true miracle, a place where my older sisters and brother always played with me, and my parents never disagreed.

My life has now come full circle. In moving up here, to live on John’s Island with Fred and the boys, I am once again experiencing the miracle of the San Juan Island’s.

First-class-elf and the man-of-my-dreams, Fred

With a need to validate my decision to close the gallery and go virtual, I experienced a Christmas miracle that proved to me I was in the right place, and, this was the right time. It all began as we opened our gifts and a hummingbird struck our window.

Now you might ask,”How does a hummingbird, striking the window, validate my decision, let alone, qualify as a miracle?

If this was where the story ended, you’d be correct in questioning my rationale, but, this story has just begun, so please, read on!

Meet post-miracle Jesus ( I use the Hispanic pronunciation, as I am sure he forgot to fly south for the winter, and, after all, it was Christmas morning.)

Jesus on Fred's hand

Here’s is what is soon to be an annual Christmas tale and what happened on the fateful day…

First, there was a thump on the window. I ran outside to see what made the noise and saw a little hummingbird laying on the steps.

Remembering what a friend told us, “Icing a bird’s head after a strike could save its life, because it is the swelling of the brain that often kills it, not the strike.”, I ran back into the house, tore open the freezer and pounced upon Fred’s ice cream sandwich, at which point he exclaimed,”Hey, what are you doing with that?”

It is important reader for you to realize at this point, that replacing said ice cream sandwich is no easy feat when you live on John’s island. It requires a row boat,  power boat, favorable weather, several gallons of gas, about forty-five minutes of time and a great deal of physical effort!

Fred’s sacrifice was great indeed, but, the ice cream sandwich was the only thing I could find to put on little Jesus’s head without injuring him. Ignoring Fred’s question while making an indentation to the sandwich, I ran back outside.

I then leaned down the steps to apply the Miracle-Sandwich to his little noggin (Jesus’s not Fred’s). Not having thought out the effect of my position, the blood began rushing to my head.

Adorned in my Christmas gifts from Fred-pj's, scarf and earrings-I apply the Ice Cream Sandwich

My only goal was not to squish him by falling over or by applying too much pressure as I balanced precariously on the steps. After a few moments, with wide-eyes, he (Jesus not Fred) looked at me and we stared at each other. Actually, it was with only one of his eyes because he was laying on his side.

Fred came outside to check out the situation and to document my handling of what was once his ice cream sandwich. Seeing that the situation was not hopeless, he assisted me by rolling Jesus into his hand for warmth.

Fred with Jesus-Miracle of the Ice Cream Sandwich-Christmas Day

As Jesus gained his wits and then stood on Fred’s hand, he (Fred not Jesus) quickly forgave me my indiscretions with the frosty treat. A short while later, Fred placed him on the deck table.  Jesus stood there for a few minutes, then flew to a near by tree where he hung out for about an hour. He then flew away.

I can’t help but think about what happened when Jesus returned home and tried to convince his partner about why he was late, about the miracle of the ice cream sandwich and the two friendly giants.

I think she believed him though, because when Fred and I took our walk that afternoon around the island, we both noticed that all the birds seemed a little bit more friendly and that Christmas Day seemed a bit brighter.

Now friends, one would think the miracle would end here, but there is more…

Our puppies, Castor-the-white and Pollux-the-black,

Castor and Pollux

have their own version of “The Miracle of the Ice Cream Sandwich” because after I was done using the sandwich for Jesus, guess who got to eat to spoils! That’s right, the puppies had their first ice cream experience. A true doggy miracle moment!

Christmas with the boys, the biggest one is taking the photograph!

Fred swears that he now sees Castor and Pollux trying to lure more birds to the window, so, we have bought two more ice cream sandwiches and are all living happily on John’s Island with hummingbirds and the like!

I am looking forward to keeping you all posted about art happenings and other miracles around the islands and wishing everyone a fantastic New Year!

Cheers,

Marita

PS

If you’d like to see more photos of John’s Island check out Fred’s web site http://www.houselphoto.com/photography.asp

To find out more about the San Juan Islands I find this to be a handy web site;   http://www.sanjuanisland.org/

Stayed tuned for the launch of the new web site for Benham Fine Art in Jan!

December 21st-23rd will be our final full days open to the public at 1216 1st avenue in downtown Seattle before I close the doors forever at noon, December 24th.

Erin Spencer, Denis Kempe, Marita and Richard Marshal

I have been overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of good wishes and the sense of loss to the community as I move on, so I wanted to post some random images from Benham’s history. I hope these photos help the transition and keep the community alive through the memories.

Please send me photos of past events or scans of old postcards from our past exhibitions if you have any.

West Gallery before the center wall

The early colors of Benham, snuggles and beaver

The famous ChuangTzu enjoying a nap on John's Island. He's so handsome!

Reception during the early 90's for Paul Boyer and Richard Nathan

If you would like, please share your experiences with Benham Gallery on this blog!

Thank you, everyone; for all the years, the friendship and the great times. I look forward to providing your art’s desire as Benham Fine Art so stay tuned and keep in touch!!!

Marita Holdaway

Come to our preview party on the 20th from 4-8pm and get in on some great deals before I return artist’s inventory.

Benham Gallery celebrates it’s last First Thursday before we become Benham Fine Art, an online gallery and resource for the arts.

Helping us celebrate are two artists who’s desire to be exhibited at Benham Gallery paid off!

Michelle Bates, the queen of the toy camera, exhibits a wonderfully, wacky body of work showing her eye for seeing the quirky in our everyday lives and Cassie Redstone who has two of her color-travel pieces on exhibition.

The reception is from 6-8pm so stop by, say good-bye and meet these two artists; you can even purchase art while you are here for our last first thursday in Seattle!

Thank you Seattle for loving Benham Gallery, it has been a ride of a life time and I look forward to where the future takes it!

Hoping to facilitate your art’s desire in the future as Benham Fine Art,                                     Marita