After a two-month closure for remodeling, Anchor Art Space in downtown Anacortes will reopen this Friday, March 5, the evening of the art walk, announced co-owner Jean Behnke.
She and Jeff Hanks originally opened Anchor in December 2008. Initially they used the space as an open studio and exhibited their own work. “We didn’t have a formal idea for a gallery,” says Jean.
 Jean earned her BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She was artist-in-residence at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Ketchum, Idaho, and earned her MFA in ceramics from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her work has been exhibited nationwide and written up in Art in America.
Also a ceramicist, Jeff earned his art degree from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. On Lopez Island, he co-founded Chimera Gallery and established Red House Pottery.
Anchor is another artistic work-in-progress. It wasn’t long after opening that Jean and Jeff began wanting to share the rather large space with other artists. Last year, they began exhibiting others’ work as well as their own. By the end of the year Anchor had featured ten different shows.
Some of the work at Anchor is installation-oriented, meaning it is created especially for the space in which is shown. “It’s not about commodity,” says Jean. “It’s important to me that art resonate on an interesting and compelling level, even if it’s non-marketable.” While a challenging business model, Jean and Jeff are committed to make it work.
One way they hope to do that is by offering workshops, and that necessitated remodeling. “The space needed definition,” says Jean.
The renovated space will include a somewhat smaller gallery in front, a retail area, a video space, and a workshop area in back. The first workshop, for children ages 8 to 13, will be held during spring break, March 29 through April 2. Entitled “Robots and Figures from Recycled Materials,” it is sponsored by Anacortes Community & Youth Arts.
Anchor will reopen with an exhibit of sculpture by Stephen Kafer. Located just a few blocks north of the concentration of galleries that participate in the art walk, Anchor is well worth the extra steps. Look for a wreath of lights above the door, and a banner emblazoned with an anchor above that.
Anchor Art Space is located at 216 Commercial Avenue. Opening reception: Friday, March 5, 5:00 – 8:00. Regular hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00 – 5:00. For more information visit their Web site or call (206) 919-3893.
Teru Lundsten is a freelance writer and personal historian. To view more of her work and read about the services she provides, visit bfieflives,net.
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