First Friday Gallery Opening

VCA invites the community to the First Friday opening reception, Friday, June 5, from 5:00–8:00 pm, for Deep Water Dialogues: Art Beneath the Surface, a compelling new exhibition exploring the rich and complex ecosystems that exist below the surface of our sea and ocean waters. The opening reception takes place on.

Centered in the marine environments of the Salish Sea, regional waters, and beyond, the exhibition brings together more than 45 works by 38 Pacific Northwest artists, including Native artists whose work reflects enduring cultural relationships with water, marine life, and place.

From kelp forests to fish, marine mammals, and aquatic plant life, Deep Water Dialogues highlights the unseen worlds that sustain ocean ecosystems. Rather than focusing solely on coastlines or traditional seascapes, the exhibition draws attention beneath the waterline — toward the living systems and movement that thrive out of sight.

The exhibition is inspired by a major community art and science collaboration centered around “Singer,” the 40-foot gray whale that washed ashore on Vashon in 2024. Following scientific study and skeletal recovery efforts led by the Vashon Nature Center (VNC) and community partners, Singer’s articulated skeleton is the core of a large kinetic sculpture by Vashon artist Ela Lamblin.

Visitors are invited to return for the viewing and celebration of the installation during Vashon Center for the Arts’ 60th Anniversary Party on Saturday June 20, 2026, when Vashon Nature Center's Whale Ambassadors will be at VCA to share their knowledge and stories from the Whale project.

Through painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, blown glass, and wood carvings, Deep Water Dialoguescelebrates both the beauty and complexity of underwater ecosystems while acknowledging the environmental challenges they face. The exhibition coincides with National Ocean Month and surrounds World Oceans Day on June 8.  Click HERE for more info.