Artist Roster

The McReavy House membership includes a variety of artists, including musicians, poets, illustrators, painters, woodcarvers, and more. The museum draws much of its precedent from the Olympus Manor artists colony, which flourished on Hood Canal, in Union, between 1924 and 1952. Aside from housing the history of this era and making its art available, the museum programming revolves around arts and cultural activities. Member artists participate in these programs and in the general development of a local arts and artisan culture.

Art is considered as a quality of attention, of observation and interaction; “art” is not necessarily assigned to a particular practice or material. This is explained well by writer Wendell Berry:

—–“All art that rises above competence insists upon the irreducibility of its subjects, it —–materials, and its finished works. It makes things that are inherently valuable in —–themselves and are not interchangeable with other things. To a merely competent —–carpenter, one sound board may be the same as another. But to a fine carpenter or —–cabinetmaker, every board is unique. The better artist a woodworker becomes, the —–more aware he or she becomes of the individuality of boards and of the differences —–between them. The increase of art accounts for the increase of perception.

—–“In the same way, to be competent a farmer must know the nature of species and —–breeds of animals. But the better the farmer, the more aware he or she is of the —–animals’ individuality. “Every one is different,” you hear the good stockmen say. “No —–two are alike.” The ideal of livestock breeding over the centuries has not been to —–produce clones. Recognition of “type” is certainly important. But paramount is the —–ability to recognize the outstanding individual.”

Contact information, links to their websites, and links to websites where their work is available are included with the artists’ profiles. You can search below by type of art, or directly by the artist’s name with the drop-down menu on the Artist Roster tab above.