Arts Tour: Bainbridge and Vashon Islands
- Visitors to Bainbridge Island can stop by The Island Gallery for a handmade memory of their stay.
Impressions of Seattle typically include mountains encircling the city like a necklace, Mount Rainier its brightest jewel. But tucked away in the waters of Puget Sound, a string of islands adds another dimension.The fashion here may be more fleece jackets than Aloha shirts, but the island mystique is as strong as in any tropical clime. Just ask the hundreds of artists who’ve been lured to these shores.
“Being surrounded by natural beauty is what inspires me most. I can walk out on the beach in front of my house and pick up green jasper that is unique to our island,” says Drew Thomes, a fine jeweler who moved to Bainbridge Island from Seattle 12 years ago. He and his wife Alice are co-owners of Gilbert Thomes Jewelry in Winslow, the main town on the island.
Bainbridge and Vashon islands are easy day trips from Seattle, thanks to the state ferry system crisscrossing Elliott Bay. After a 35-minute ride to Bainbridge Island and a short walk from the ferry terminal, you’ll reach Winslow’s eponymous main street, Winslow Way, lined with shops, galleries and cafes. (You can drive onto the ferries, but this town seems more fun on foot.)
Thomes’ gallery, closest to the terminal, features his fine metal-and-gemstone creations along with regional jewelry and paintings. A few blocks west, The Island Gallery lies on the corner of Madison Avenue. Its vaulted ceilings and huge windows create a light-filled sanctuary for wood, fiber art, wood-fired ceramics and jewelry from more than 100 regional and international artists.
Bainbridge Island Studio Tours
For more of “Arts Tour: Bainbridge and Vashon Islands,” pick up the August 2009 issue of AmericanStyle today!
