Caregivers

September 4–26, 2026

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: September 4th, 6pm-9pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

At some point in our lives, nearly all of us experience what it means to give care, receive care, or witness someone we love navigate change. Caregivers creates space to reflect on those moments—the relationships we hold onto, the memories we preserve, and the quiet acts of compassion that often happen outside of view.

Visitors will encounter the sculptural work of Francie Allen, whose five life-size figures transform Allied Arts’ new multi-use room into an intimate environment for reflection and storytelling. Installed alongside the community stage, Allen’s sculptures create a setting where visual art and personal narrative meet. During the exhibition, Allen will share selections from her memoir, bringing voice and lived experience into conversation with the work.

Continuing into Artist Alley, viewers will experience paintings by Margot Clemens and Ann Chaikin. Presented in a more intimate gallery setting, their works offer personal reflections on memory, relationships, and the spaces and moments that shape our connections with others.

More than an exhibition, Caregivers is an opportunity for conversation. Through sculpture, painting, and personal storytelling, the artists remind us that caregiving is not only about loss or responsibility—it is also about love, resilience, presence, and the connections that remain.

The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. Artwork will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting both the exhibiting artists and Allied Arts’ nonprofit mission to strengthen Whatcom County’s creative community.

The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. Artwork will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting both exhibiting artists and Allied Arts’ nonprofit mission to strengthen Whatcom County’s creative community.

Take Shape

August 7–29, 2026

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: August 7th, 6pm-9pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

Allied Arts of Whatcom County invites the community to experience Take Shape, a group exhibition featuring regional artists working across painting, sketching, printmaking, ceramics, fiber, and mixed media. The exhibition will be on view August 7–29, 2026, with a free Opening Reception on Friday, August 7 from 6:00–9:00 PM at Allied Arts, 1213 Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham.

Take Shape explores the many ways artists transform ideas, observations, and materials into meaningful works of art. From expressive lines and layered surfaces to handmade vessels and sculptural forms, the exhibition highlights the relationship between an artist’s vision and the process of creating.

Featured artists include Frank Frazee, whose paintings and sketches capture landscapes, color, and personal observations through expressive mark-making; Jay Heller, whose bold linocuts celebrate architecture, perspective, and the intricate details found in familiar places; Buttercup Nyberg, whose ceramic works reflect connections between nature, function, and artistic expression; and S. Cowan-Quan, whose mixed media sculptures combine fiber, natural materials, and handmade forms to create imaginative characters and narratives. 

Together, these artists invite visitors to slow down and appreciate the textures, details, and stories that emerge when ideas are given physical form.

As Allied Arts continues to expand opportunities for artists and audiences alike, Take Shape reflects the organization’s commitment to showcasing a wide range of creative voices while connecting our community through art.

The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. Artwork will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting both exhibiting artists and Allied Arts’ nonprofit mission to strengthen Whatcom County’s creative community.

For more information visit www.alliedarts.org or contact us at 360-676-8548 or gallery@alliedarts.org.

Collectively Assembled: Heads, Bodies, Fins, and Claws
cadavre exquis from the Salish Sea

July 3rd to  – July 25th,  2026 

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: July 3rd, 6pm-9pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

What if 62 artists contributed an 18” x 24” drawing as parts of 22 composite drawings loosely depicting Salish Sea animals? Using the fun drawing game the Surrealists used to play, exquisite corpse, artists made a blind pick of a pre-selected Salish Sea animal part prepared by the inventor and curator of the exhibition, Suzanne Morlock.

New to Bellingham, local visual artist, Suzanne Morlock, conceived of this game idea to help her
become acquainted with local creative folks, learn more about a selection of Salish Sea animals and have some creative fun. Allied Arts accepted Morlock’s proposal for this collaborative game idea in the fall of 2025. The show will be in the Allied Arts Gallery, 1213 Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham, July 3-
25, 2026.

With a vision which by-passes the thinking mind, the freedom to not over think is the artist’s secret
power. Stretching the artist to think outside the box, participants created, using their own style, the
portion of the animal they picked. The drawings were executed with a supplied big, black Sharpie
marker. One participant quipped, “What a fun project! I never work that big! Or with sharpies. I might
have to work this way more often.”

What will these Salish Sea creatures look like? What spectacular, hilarious and exotic results will make
up this exhibition bringing the head, hand and imagination of individual area artists together to “see”
something new, bypassing the typical tools individual artist use to “make art”. Another participant
described the process as, “… This is great! … this is hard … this sucks … I suck … maybe … well that’s
kinda cool … this is great!”

The July 3rd reception will be a flashy opening honoring the depicted animals and the humans who
drew them. Mark the opening date, Friday July 3rd 6-9pm – an opening not to be missed! An assortment
of species will be a part of the festivities as well as some special guests. Ecoacoustician, Andrea Lynn
has prepared a sound piece, Voices Beneath the Waves, which will play in the gallery using sounds
harvested from the sea. Dancers, Aowyn Leiper, Kaitlin Nelson and Karmen Samione will respond will
respond to the visual and sound art with an original movement piece. Bait bites will be served as we
celebrate the Salish Sea and spark conversation and care for the ecosystem.

In partnership with Bellingham SeaFeast, Morlock’s collectively assembled will be part of a larger
curated exhibition of creative collaborations SeaFeast has undertaken during the nonprofit’s ten year
history. Look out for more details on the 10th anniversary celebrations of SeaFeast’s “fishy fun” and
creative retrospective at the Cordata Gallery August 22 through October 24, 2026.

For more information visit www.alliedarts.org or contact us at 360-676-8548 or gallery@alliedarts.org.

Children’s Art Walk

May 1st to  – May 16th,  2026 

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: May 1st, 5pm-8pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

We welcome all to stroll through downtown Bellingham and delight in the works of the younger art community! On Friday, May 1st, Whatcom County students will proudly display their works of art during the 26th annual Children’s Art Walk presented by Allied Arts of Whatcom County. On this night there will be a number of activities for kids and adults, music, and more to celebrate the arts in schools – Art will stay on display through the first two weeks in May in honor of the statewide Arts Education Month. 

Children’s Art Walk is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, Northsound ACH, Bellingham Public Schools, Hotel Leo, and Cascadia Daily News.

Allied Arts is a non-profit gallery; all proceeds from sales go towards supporting the arts in our community. 

For more information visit www.alliedarts.org or contact us at 360-676-8548 or gallery@alliedarts.org.

Recycled Art & Resource Expo 

April 3rd – April 25th,  2026 

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: April 3rd, 6pm-9pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

Come join us at the Annual Recycled Arts Expo (RARE!) this April. RARE! celebrates the creative use of recycled pieces through a juried art exhibit at Allied Arts Gallery. We also spotlight art organizations and facilities promoting sustainability. Our goal for this exhibit is to educate the community on the ways art contributes to sustainability, and to leave you with new and resourceful ideas that highlight the importance of creative reusage.  

RARE! is made possible in part by a generous sponsorship from Cascadia Daily News.

Allied Arts is a non-profit gallery; all proceeds from sales go towards supporting the arts in our community. 

For more information visit www.alliedarts.org or contact us at 360-676-8548 or gallery@alliedarts.org.

Message & Medium 

March 6th – March 28th,  2026 

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: March 6th, 6pm-9pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

This March, celebrate language and the craft of keeping messages alive!  

We are delighted to present the annual Whatcom READS Art Challenge, in collaboration with the Bellingham & Whatcom Libraries’ Whatcom READS program. Local artists embarked on a journey inspired by this year’s chosen book, Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora. Applications to participate in the exhibition are available at alliedarts.org.  

We have a set of featured artists that invite you to extend the idea of the written word: Artists Akiko Victorson, Katherine Potzler and Prentiss Cole display their works in the Allied Arts gallery. The show: Message and Medium, centers artists who explore the impact of language. Delve into these spectacular works incorporating calligraphy, psychology, eastern philosophy, journal making, and much more. Immerse yourself in local Whatcom County artists’ work, all sharing their messages at Allied Arts!  

Don’t miss this extraordinary exploration of message, art, and craft that inspire artists and viewers alike. Come celebrate the stories and creativity that thrives here in Whatcom County! 

Allied Arts is a non-profit gallery; all proceeds from sales go towards supporting the arts in our community. 

For more information visit www.alliedarts.org or contact us at 360-676-8548 or gallery@alliedarts.org.

Members Show 

February 6th – February 28th,  2026 

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm 

Opening Reception: February 6th, 6pm-9pm 

1213 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 

Allied Arts is delighted to present the 2026 Annual Members Show this February at the Downtown Bellingham gallery. This year’s show includes creations from nearly 100 Allied Arts members, ranging from professional artists, students, to new or emerging artists! From traditional painting to contemporary sculpting, photography and everything in between, this year’s show will reveal the prodigious talent within the Whatcom community.

Allied Arts is a non-profit gallery; all proceeds from sales go towards supporting the arts in our community. 

For more information visit www.alliedarts.org or contact us at 360-676-8548 or gallery@alliedarts.org.