Stonington will be at the Seattle Art Fair!

Stonington Gallery is happy to announce that we will be participating in the Seattle Art Fair this year! Our booth (B13) will feature works from many mediums by these artists:

 

The Art Fair will take place at the Lumen Field Event Center from July 27-30. We look forward to building and strengthening our connection to the Seattle (and international) art community and are excited for the opportunity to expose a larger audience to the incredible artwork made by contemporary Indigenous artists of the Northwest Coast.

A single day ticket costs $35, and a full 3-day Fair Pass is $65. We hope to see you there.

About the Canoe Journey 2023

Paddlers arrive to Seattle in the 1989 “Paddle to Seattle,” the first of its kind. Photo copyright Alan Berner / The Seattle Times.

Stonington Gallery is celebrating the 2023 Tribal Canoe Journey in a special group exhibition titled The Power of Water. For June and July we will feature new artworks from our many talented artists working in various mediums exploring the traditions surrounding the Indigenous canoe culture and the precious water that allows it, and us, to survive and thrive.

We’re excited to present these new water centered works to you along with some background information on the origins of the Intertribal Canoe Journey. We hope you will join us in celebrating the return of this important event and the meaningful work of our incredible artists.

The History of the Canoe Journey

Canoes have always been an important facet of Pacific Northwest Coast Native culture. The peoples of this region have relied on water as a means of livelihood for thousands of years. The many rivers and inlets of the coast were major thoroughfares for travel and trade, as well as allowing people to gather together and learn from each other’s knowledge. The water had also been a bountiful source of food and materials needed to survive day-to-day. Many traditions along with fishing and canoe culture became difficult to practice under the oppression of the United States and Canadian governments specifically during the late 19th century. It wasn’t until 1978 in the USA with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act that the possibility of canoeing traditions could be fully revived.

The 1989 Revival of Canoe Traditions

The Seattle Times reported that many Native communities, due to the government’s systemic cultural oppression, had not built or engaged with ceremonial Tribal canoes for 50-60 years before 1989, when Quinault elder Emmett Oliver convinced then-governor of Washington, Booth Gardner, to include canoes in Washington state’s centennial celebration. Eight canoes were commissioned and several First Nations tribes, including some residing in Canada, were invited to “Paddle to Seattle” (the original name given to the event) in the summer of ‘89.

This momentous occasion sparked a revival in canoe culture amongst the Indigenous peoples across the Pacific Northwest, where now every year a different tribe along the coast will host the Canoe Journey and welcome other tribes to their shores.

This year’s event is the first after a hiatus during the pandemic years and will be hosted by the Muckleshoot Tribe, where thousands of paddlers and visitors will be welcomed onto the shores of the central Puget Sound.

What Happens During the Canoe Journey

For some canoe families, the Canoe Journey starts over a month in advance. Many groups must travel long distances to get to the shores of the host tribe in time for the landing date. Tribes from up and down the Pacific Northwest Coast in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska have participated. As the canoe families make their way to the host destination, they are welcomed to the shores of other participating tribes to rest, learn their traditions, and share some of their own.

Once the canoe enters the host tribe’s waters, protocol begins. It is customary to wait with paddles facing upwards as a way of asking permission to land ashore. They will do this until they are invited to shore, sometimes waiting hours. This is part of ancient tradition as a way of honoring and respecting the other nation they are visiting. For a whole week, tribes will take turns sharing their knowledge, which includes each tribe’s traditional songs and dances. This ceremony that stretches out over many days is known as “protocol.”

Canoe families and spectators will share food together, discuss important topics facing their communities, and enjoy each other’s company.

Canoe Journey 2023: Paddle to Muckleshoot

Host: The Muckleshoot Tribe

Landing Date: July 30th

Protocol: July 31st – August 6th

Official Theme: Honoring Our Warriors Past and Present


Stonington’s exhibition celebrating and reflecting this event, The Power of Water, will feature a diverse group of work that explores not only the traditions of the Canoe Journey event but touches on the meaning behind this wonderful gathering: reconnecting with vibrant cultural traditions rooted in honoring the water. We’re really looking forward to the next two months of art, travel, and ceremony!

Spring Sale!

Happy Spring, everyone! Here in Seattle, the sun is coming out and brightening everything up, signaling a real end to the dark, cold days of fall and winter. Flowers are blooming, the air is warm, and we’d like to celebrate the occasion with a 2-week sale on select merchandise here at Stonington!

From April 29th to May 13th, Stonington is offering a 10% discount on a variety of artwork in our gallery! Just give us a call or stop in to inquire about a piece; the sale will be applied to most, but not all, of the artwork, so we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions. Feel free to browse our website for inspiration!

We’re happy to kick off the full season of spring with such talented artists and dedicated, involved clientele. If you’re in Seattle, we hope you’re enjoying the warm weather and sunny days! If not, Stonington wishes you a spring full of happiness. Take care!

🖼️20% Off All Framing⚡

Looking for inspiration for your walls? Stonington has a vast selection of 2D art that could be the perfect work for that spot you’ve been looking to fill. View all of our latest prints and painting and let us help you find the right print and custom frame your artwork!

For the rest of January and all of February our fabulous framer, Terry, will be offering 20% OFF on:

  • artwork available in the gallery that Terry has framed already;
  • custom framing of pieces purchased at Stonington;
  • custom framing of pieces purchased somewhere other than Stonington!

Call us at 206-405-4040 or email us at art@stoningtongallery.com to schedule a framing consultation today!

*Artwork used for graphic of this post: “Louie, Louie” by Allie High (Aleut/Haida/Tsimshian)

🖼❄️ Great Holiday Gift Ideas!

Season’s Greetings!

The holidays are here and this season we encourage you to give the gift of Pacific Northwest Coast art from our long-standing local Seattle art gallery!! Stonington offers a wide variety of art works from prints and paintings to jewelry, carvings, and glass sculpture in addition to our custom frame shop where artwork of all kinds, whether purchased at Stonington or not, can be framed year round.

Feel free to email or call us to discuss all the options or, better yet, visit the gallery to view and make your selection in person! Our staff is knowledgable and eager to help if you need any advice or guidance in choosing the perfect artwork to gift to a friend or loved one. We have many handmade, unique, meaningful creations available!

Stonington will be open regular business hours throughout the holiday season, Tuesday through Saturday, except we will be closed on Christmas Day and closed on New Years Day.

Keep in mind that gift certificates are always a great idea, which will allow your friend or loved one to enjoy the fun of shopping for their own artwork or get their artwork framed as they prefer.

Please be mindful of the calendar! If you need your gift shipped, don’t delay!

Wishing you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Warmest regards,

The Stonington Gallery Team


This holiday season, Stonington has compiled a list of pieces we think make perfect gifts from friends and family alike! Our 2022 gift guide features five categories representative of some of the offerings we have this season, but it is not exhaustive! Even so, we hope this guide can inspire and aid in the gift-giving process. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like more specialized assistance!


Featuring Family

These pieces directly reference familial bonds through nature and animal imagery.


Whoo Loves You, Baby?
Allie High (Aleut/ Haida/ Tsimshian)
Limited Edition Serigraph, Conservation Framed
20″h x 20.5″w
$500
View this artwork »
You and Me – AP
Allie High (Aleut/ Haida/ Tsimshian)
Limited Edition Serigraph, AP Edition
22″h x 23″w
$225
View this artwork »
Thunder Child
Peter Boome (Upper Skagit)
Limited Edition Serigraph
30″h x 11″w
$250
View this artwork »
Brother Moon and Sister Sun
Terresa White (Yup’ik)
Ceramic, Pigment, Game Bird Feathers
18″h x 25″w x 6″d (approx. width of both masks together)
$3,600
View this artwork »
Wolf Brothers
Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson (Puyallup / Tulalip)
Limited Edition Serigraph
20″h x 17″w
$300
View this artwork »

Celebrating the Snowy Season

The cold, snowy weather has arrived! What better way to celebrate such a time than with a gift that captures this wintry magic?


Ice Tlingit Glass Basket with Navy Lip
Preston Singletary (Tlingit)
Blown and Sandblasted Glass
7.25″h x 7″w x 7″d
$4,500
View this artwork »
Blizzard Bear
Dan Friday (Lummi)
Hot-Sculpted Cane Glasswith Merletto Cane Technique
7.75″h x 10.75″w x 2.5″d
$4,300
View this artwork »
Early Snow
Thomas Stream (Aleut)
Limited Edition Giclee
22″h x 30″w 
$475
View this artwork »
Snowflake Basket
Isabel Rorick (Haida)
Spruce Root, Sunbleached Grass Stems 
3.88″h x 3.5″w x 3.5″d
$5,100
View this artwork »
Orion – “Snow Has Eaten 1/4 of Me”
Nikki McClure (Non-Indigenous)
Cut Paper, Framed 
16.25″h x 12.5″w
$1,000
View this artwork »

About the Pacific Northwest

This artwork can serve as a reminder of home, a memento from a special time, or just a beautiful representation of a specific part of the world; whatever the Pacific Northwest means to you, our Seattle-based gallery carries a piece perfect to remember it by.


North Wind on Puget Sound
Bill Holm (Non-Indigenous)
Limited Edition Giclée Print
11.5″h x 35″w
$450
View this artwork »
Reaching for Space
Jeffrey Veregge (Port Gamble S’Klallam)
Limited Edition Giclée Print (Edition of 10)
24″h x 24″w
$500
View this artwork »
Repose (Giant Pacific Octopus)
Raven Skyriver (Tlingit)
Freehand Sculpted Glass
13″h x 18″w x 14″d
$14,000
View this artwork »
West Coast Raven Dancer
Dennis Allen (Skokomish (Twana))
Open Edition Hand-carved and Hand-painted Yellow Cedar, Acrylic
25.25″h x 27.25″w x .75″d
$6,000
View this artwork »
Orcas at Play
Jason Hunt (Kwagulth)
Sandblasted Yellow Cedar, Acrylic Paint, Rope
31.25″h x 31.25″w x 2″d
$3,100 CAD (will sell at the current exchange rate, approx. $2,270 at this time)
View this artwork »
Tzum – Salmon
Preston Singletary (Tlingit)
Limited Edition Bronze 
9″h x 22″w x 5.25″d
$5,000
View this artwork »

 


Wearable Wonders

A gift of one of these fashionable, meticulously hand-crafted pieces of wearable art is certain to bring joy!


Reversible Chrysoprase Agate w/ Leather Chain
Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs / Wasco / Yakama)
Sterling silver, Chrysoprase Agate, Leather
$1,200
View this artwork »
Wild Rose Garland Ring (Size 8.5)
Joan Tenenbaum (Non-Indigenous)
14kt Pink and Yellow Gold, Pink Sapphires
$2,595
View this artwork »
Wolf Ring
Terrence Campbell (Tahltan)
Sterling Silver, 14kt Gold
$350
View this artwork »
Woven Hat Necklace with Fur
Lisa Telford (Haida)
Woven Yellow and Red Cedar Bark, Bead, Ermine Fur
$500
View this artwork »
Mountain Goat Earrings
Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs / Wasco / Yakama)
Sterling Silver
$160
View this artwork »
Dreamer Head Earrings
Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs / Wasco / Yakama)
Sterling Silver
8″h x .63″w
$150
View this artwork »
Blue Heron Cuff
Gene Chilton II (Tlingit)
Hand-Carved Sterling Silver with 14kt Gold
.75″w
$800
View this artwork »
Narrow Cedar Headband w/ Emerald Stripe
Deborah Head (Tlingit / Haida)
Cedar Woven Around Headband
5.25″h x .25″w
$30
View this artwork »
Cedar Headband w/ Green Floral Buttons
Deborah Head (Tlingit / Haida)
Yellow Cedar Woven Around Headband w/ Glued on Buttons
5.5″h x .75″w
$80
View this artwork »

Furnishings & Home Accessories

Some artwork looks particularly striking above a fireplace or in a dining room glass cabinet. However you choose to display it, all of these pieces will look wonderful in your home!


Gray Tlingit Glass Basket with Fog Lip
Preston Singletary (Tlingit)
Blown and Sandblasted Glass
8.5″h x 8″w x 8″d
$8,000
View this artwork »
Cranberry Tlingit Glass Basket with Red Lip
Preston Singletary (Tlingit)
Blown and Sandblasted Glass
5.25″h x 6.25″w x 6.25″d
$3,500
View this artwork »
Ebb and Flow Diptych
Rande Cook (Kwakwaka’wakw ‘Namgis)
Medium-density Fiberboard, Water-based Acrylic Polyurethane Paint
36″h x 50″w x .76″d
$12,600 CAD (will sell at the current exchange rate, approx. $9,200 at this time) 
View this artwork »
Wooley Dog Bentwood Box
Dennis Allen (Skokomish (Twana))
Open Edition Hand Carved Yellow and Red Cedar, Acrylic Paint
6.75″h x 14.5″w x 7.5″d
$600
View this artwork »
Tree Frog and Gold Finch Bentwood Box
Andy Peterson (Skokomish)
Open Edition Red Cedar, Acrylic 
9″h x 7.5″w x 7.5″d
$950
View this artwork »
Ruby II (with Drum Beater)
Allie High (Aleut/ Haida/ Tsimshian)
Acrylic on Stretched Hide, Wood Frame, Drum Beater
20″h x 20″w x 3″d
$2,150
View this artwork »

We encourage everyone to browse our website as you see fit to find the perfect piece for whomever you’re shopping for! For convenience, here are links to our collections sorted by medium:

View Sculptures
View Paintings & Prints
View Jewelry
View Weavings & Textiles

All of us at Stonington Gallery wish you a very happy holiday!

Stonington Gallery Collaboration with Vashon Center of the Arts!

Stonington Gallery is collaborating with the Vashon Center for the Arts Gallery to present Indigenous Art of the Salish Sea, an exciting exhibition of a wide range of contemporary art works by Indigenous artists of this region. The exhibit will open on Friday, November 4th and will run through November 27th. Lummi artist, Dan Friday, will be giving a talk at VAC on Sunday, November 6th, 4-5pm.


Visit the VAC to see these featured works, which remain available for purchase. Contact us to inquire about any of the spectacular pieces included in this exhibition.

Artist Talk with Ursala Hudson & Lily Hope

Tlingit sisters Ursala Hudson and Lily Hope will be exhibiting their latest weavings and collages at Stonington in September. Tune in to their Artist Talk to learn about their weaving process, inspiration for their artwork, and exciting plans ahead for works traveling from Stonington to the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum!

This exhibit will open First Thursday, September 1st, 5-8 pm. The artists will be in attendance!

Glass Panel Discussion w/ Dan Friday, Preston Singletary, & Raven Skyriver Tickets On Sale Now

Click here to buy tickets!

For the months of October and November, Stonington Gallery will host a three-person exhibit of glass works by Dan Friday (Lummi), Preston Singletary (Tlingit), and Raven Skyriver (Tlingit). In conjunction with this exhibit, these three artists will come together on the evening of Thursday, October 13th for a panel discussion about their processes, collaborations, inspiration, and Indigenous heritage. This will be a two-location event: Stonington Gallery & The 101, a venue a few doors down from the gallery at 101 S Jackson St.

Tickets are $18 each (plus fees) and will be required to enter both locations.

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here!

Dan Friday featured in Netflix show “Blown Away”

Dan Friday, Lummi glass artist represented at Stonington Gallery, is one of the contestants in Season 3 of the glass-blowing competition show “Blown Away.” Season 3 will be available for streaming on Netflix starting this Friday, July 22. Congratulations, Dan!

View Currently Available work By Dan Friday

Learn More about Blown Away

Stonington Gallery Seeks Gallery Assistant with Marketing Focus

Stonington Gallery seeks a Creative Gallery Assistant with a Marketing Focus to join our small team. Must be an outgoing and professional team player with superb writing and communication skills and be eager to make art sales. We seek a self-starter, not only adept at graphic design, media releases, and social media content creation, but one comfortable working collaboratively to support all the ins and outs it takes to run a successful art gallery.

We seek a team-oriented creative with:

· Excellent communication and writing skills.

· Prior customer service experience in retail sales and knowledge of gallery best practices.

· Eagerness to interact with the public to educate, represent, and sell artwork.

· Familiarity and savvy with social media platforms and current creative engagement strategies.

· Patience to learn an unfamiliar, and somewhat finicky, art inventory POS system.

· Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, hit deadlines, and be able to work both independently and collaboratively with warmth, good humor, and grace.

· Keen attention to detail, focus, and calm in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.

· Confidence in researching issues independently and following through to solutions, while always feeling comfortable asking questions.

This position helms the gallery’s marketing and promotion. If you are hired, you will:

· Work hand in hand with the gallery director to send beautiful, informative, educational, and well-designed emails promoting our monthly exhibits.

· Produce graphics for monthly exhibit promotion and occasional print/web advertising.

· Create engaging social media content across multiple social profiles, multiple times a week, including regular replies to messages and comments.

· Gather information and write about exhibits to send media releases to press outlets in as timely a manner as is possible.

· Respond to calls for art with enticing and attractive art proposals, and create similar targeted packets for corporation collections, museums, hotels, and hospitals when relevant.

· Maintain Stonington’s profile on various other websites including Pioneer Square, Art Access, Seattle Deconstructed Art Fair, SEArt Now, Refract, etc.

· Conduct video recorded Zoom interviews with artists followed by basic video editing and publishing to YouTube.

· Assist with daily sales.

Additional desired skills:

· Knowledge about or lived experience within the cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples, and familiarity with contemporary art and artists in the field.

The required hours:

We are looking to find the perfect candidate willing to work hard and be dedicated to the success of our gallery. The job hours are Tues-Sat 10-5 plus First Thursday Art Walk until 8pm+.

Includes health and vacation benefits.

Salary is based on an average 37 hours per hour work week (35 most weeks, with the extra hours on First Thursday).

If you are the perfect person for the job and want to work only part-time, let’s discuss.

To apply:

Please email your resume, cover letter, and a selection of applicable materials (graphic design, writing samples, and video).