Hello!

I’m writing this update from the little town of Blaine, where I just dropped three art pieces off at The Vault Wine Bar to be displayed for awhile.

I was invited to participate in this show on account of being part of the lineup in this year’s Whatcom Artist Studio Tour (WAST), coming the first two weekends of October.

This is my first time showing art at this venue, but not my first appearance here. Last time I showed up was to support a friend’s musical performance years ago, and I had a rather questionable experience dignitywise. I’ve lived in this region the greater part of 16 years, and much of that time was spent in … let’s just say … less-than-supportive social contexts.

I don’t say that to be a downer—the opposite actually—because here I am hanging out in Blaine giving this space a fresh try.

Artists who stay artists long term have to navigate a bizarre mix of good faith and bad faith—that just comes with the territory of doing anything authentic.

To keep myself grounded, I often remind myself I am playing the long game. Continuing to diligently create and share my work over time is a reliable antidote to the sting of some of the weird conclusions people jump to and act on.

Phrased differently; bullies get bored of bullying someone when their cruelty doesn’t pay off the way they thought it would. So it’s good to recognize how feeble those judgments really are rather than fall for the illusion that they are set in stone.

OK, that concludes my self-help preamble.

Onto a fast-approaching event I am looking forward to attending next week:

Show opening next week at The J

On Thursday, July 16, from 6–8pm, the Jansen Center in Lynden launches their summer juried exhibition. They’ll have jazz music and a wide variety of art on display. I got a sneak peek at some of the work when I dropped mine off a few weeks ago; there are definitely some fun things to look at.

Two pieces of mine which I am rather proud of will be on display at this event and on into the summer. What’s funny is, I don’t even remember getting the gumption to submit them to this show. I got the letter of acceptance and felt genuinely startled.

Lynden is another one of those places that has challenging history for me and this art center is perched right in the heart of downtown. So we continue with the theme of not letting the past dictate the present.

I was touched by the warmth I experienced at Jansen when delivering my work. I look forward to continued conversation with several of the thoughtful curators there.

If you’re up for venturing to Lynden next Thursday, would be lovely to catch you there.

(Un)Ordinary: the underground showcase

As promised, Valentine Kirby and I opened the Make.Shift Underground Gallery with a duo spotlight. It was a fantastic evening, full of good vibes and interesting conversations.

The work will be up through August 30, so if you’re around Bellingham, make sure you pay a visit to Make.Shift‘s downstairs sometime during their open hours (every Thursday–Friday from 1pm to 5pm) or stop by August first Friday.

You’ll be able to see Valentine’s collage self portrait “Dark Matter,” pictured above, as well as around a dozen other works.

Keeping this hallway alive with art is consolation for me as I continue to gradually move out from Studio #21 over to my new gallery/studio combo at 301 W Holly Ste M5.

Today I ran into Kelly Sorbel, a local music producer, artist, musician, and the Operations Director of Make.Shift, and he described my move as an aspect of the greater Make.Shift community “spreading our wings.”

Yeah, I love that.

I’m still not open to the public yet but I do have a name: The Deep End Art Space.

If we’ve met in person and you happen to stop by while I am there, I may give you a sneak peek.

There’s a lot more to loop you in on, but this update is already pretty long. So you’ll be hearing from me in a week or so with some more.

A little nudge

You might think with everything I share here that I might be too busy to take on projects or learn about other opportunities, but please don’t hesitate to reach out or share if something comes your way. Especially with me being off of social media, there’s a lot I don’t hear about unless people in my network loop me in. It won’t bother me, I promise. 🙂

Thanks for reading and take good care.

Until next time,

—Adrien