The Spring Unveiling Arts Festival in Cannon Beach wasn’t bestowed such a title for no reason: It’s very much about revelation and expectancy.
There’s a sense of anticipation and even mystery around the festival, as members of the Cannon Beach Gallery Group prepare to unveil new pieces from some of their most popular and beloved artists.
“It’s the demarcation point that launches the art season in Cannon Beach,” said Allyn Cantor, who owns the White Bird Gallery on Hemlock Street and is chair of the marketing committee for this year’s festival, which takes place between Friday and Sunday.
At the heart of the festival are the gallery group’s eight members: Bronze Coast Gallery, Cannon Beach Gallery, Images of the West, Jeffrey Hull Gallery, Northwest by Northwest Gallery, DragonFire Gallery, White Bird Gallery and Shearwater Studio & Gallery.
Each gallery participates in the festival in a different way, whether it’s hosting a featured artist during the weekend, putting on demonstrations or curating special exhibitions.
“There are a lot of moving parts to the festival, and everyone approaches it a little differently,” Cantor said.
New and familiar faces
Many galleries participating this year are familiar names that have helped the festival evolve over the past few decades, but one newcomer is Shearwater Studio & Gallery.
Local artist Drea Frost opened the gallery and studio space in Cannon Beach last year, but wasn’t yet part of the gallery group during the last festival. She is looking forward to participating officially this year.
Not only will Frost be unveiling some of her print work, but fiber artist Hilde Morin and ceramicist Shan Sjogren — both represented by the gallery — will be in attendance to meet with visitors on Saturday evening. Other artists involved in the gallery also will have pieces on display.
“It’s just exciting for folks to come and meet artists,” Frost said, adding several of the galleries offer food, drinks and live music. “It creates a really fun energy for people to have a good time.”
The lead-up to the festival requires plenty of preparation and planning, but after all the work is done, Frost said, it’s fun “to connect with people” and “to be able to relax and watch people fall in love with someone’s art and maybe take it home.”
Although small, her space — situated off a path between Hemlock and Spruce streets — features the work of several dozen artists. It also serves as a studio, where she paints and creates prints. For her, it’s the ideal setup.
“It gives me the ability to work on my own pieces while running a small gallery space that highlights local and regional artists,” Frost said.
Connecting with artists
With more than a dozen galleries and several festivals now held throughout the year, Cannon Beach is a destination for the arts.
The nonprofit Cannon Beach Gallery Group was formed in the early 2000s, primarily to develop Spring Unveiling and promote the arts in Cannon Beach. The first Spring Unveiling Arts Festival was held in 2001.
Cantor described the event as a “bookend for the season.”
“It’s after spring break, and I think the art collectors are excited to get back to Cannon Beach and see all the new pieces that are being unveiled,” she added.
She believes the ability to connect with artists makes the festival special for visitors. Several have favorites that they’ve followed for years, and they look forward to seeing what new pieces those artists will release over the weekend.
“It’s like a suspense thing a little bit,” Cantor said. “It’s kind of more exciting when people have to wait for it.”
White Bird Gallery’s featured artist is a prime example: Christopher Mathie has been represented by the gallery for about 12 years, and his collectors wait expectantly for “the big splash,” Cantor said. “They come and they support him because he has a big following. He’s a great fit for Spring Unveiling.”
For his new exhibition, Mathie is working outside of his usual genre. He will be unveiling a collection of work focused on figuration, with themes of humans, animals and birds as subjects, in addition to his signature expressive seascapes.
In addition to the participating locations, the festival also provides a boost for other businesses and galleries that aren’t part of the gallery group, including House of Orange, Icefire Glassworks and Sesame + Lilies.
During the festival weekend, some shops will reveal new product lines, or restaurants will put together specials.
“We’ve created momentum because it’s been 22 years now,” Cantor said. “There’s a whole mood going on that’s a festival kind of mood that makes it different than a normal day in Cannon Beach.”
