By Karen Woldtvedt
Special to the Journal
After many years of service on the board of the San Juan Islands Museum of Art as chairman of the board and executive director, and guiding the construction of the permanent museum in Friday Harbor, Charlie Bodenstab has retired.
“I wholeheartedly wish SJIMA success in this new chapter of its life in service to the arts, artists, and the community,” says Bodenstab. “I believe in SJIMA’s future!”
With a restructured board, SJIMA leadership is using this new phase in the museum’s development to consolidate efforts and reshape operations. We are also planning future exhibitions and strategies. Former members of the board, RaVae Luckhart and this writer Karen Woldtvedt remain. Six new members join them, Yvonne Buijs-Mancuso, Knowle Hanson, Peter Lane, Laura Long, Linda Marsaudon and Diane Martindale.
Says Luckhart, “SJIMA is grateful for the contributions of Charlie Bodenstab, the late Jack Yelverton and the many staff and board members who have worked hard to bring quality visual arts to the County since our founding.”
Continuing its outstanding exhibitions in 2017, SJIMA will present “Legends of the Human Spirit: Traditional and Contemporary Coastal Peoples.” The exhibition will showcase handcrafted art of First Nations, including the Coast Salish. This major exhibition would be the first ever of Coastal People’s art in the county and the most distinguished exhibit in the region in years. The exhibition will open in May 2017 and end after Labor Day, capturing the peak-season visitors.
The new SJIMA board has embraced the professional assistance of the Ostara Group, of Seattle, to shape the long-awaited strategic plan. Another project following that plan is to recruit long-term board members whose talents and energies would support that strategic plan. Until such time that the budget and funding can support a full-time executive director, a steering committee provides management of the day-to-day activities.
Dedicated volunteers are vital to SJIMA’s success and the newly developed volunteer committee is represented on the board by Laura Long. Volunteers serve as docents, painters, installers, sales personnel and hosts of exhibition opening receptions.
The current exhibitions are “Gu Xiong: River of Migration,” “Nicole Pietrantoni: Hydrographs” and “Dianne Kornberg: For All We Know” can be visited through Nov. 28.
A few of the superb exhibitions previously provided by SJIMA are illuminated Glass by William Morris 1998-2013, “FRAGILE WATERS: Ansel Adams, Ernest H. Brooks II &Dorothy Kerper Monnelly,” “Susan Middleton: Spineless” and “Ai Wei Wei: Fault Line.” SJIMA will continue to feature individual artists, group themes and collaborative efforts from both recognized artists as well as emerging ones.
Each exhibition is sponsored by members of the community or foundations, thus keeping a trim budget for the museum operation. The Artists’ Registry provides exposure for regional talent online and at our Artists’ Registry Show, opening in early December featuring over 90 artists. At that time, sculptor John Heric’s retrospective will be showcased in the Atrium Gallery. We welcome everyone’s participation in SJIMA.
