30 minute read
Remembering Fishtown
Art and Nature on the Skagit River
Story by Lorraine Wilde
If you’re a fan of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, you might have passed through charming La Conner, WA. At first glance, you might think it’s little more than a tourist stop. But that’s where you’d be very, very wrong.
La Conner was once home to a rustic artists’ colony, Fishtown, where creatives sought the solitude and spiritual connection to the wildlife, misty mornings and broad sunsets along the mighty Skagit River. From the 1960s to the 80s these artists built a unique camaraderie—a community—whose style and aesthetic went on to influence and shape the work of other artists throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
Although Fishtown is no more, La Conner and Skagit Valley are still home to a thriving arts community full of talent and sophistication that belies the small town feel. The Four Mystics & the Northwest School of Modern Art
The “Big Four” or the Four Mystics first met in the bustling 1930s Seattle art scene. They would eventually become known as the founders of the Northwest School of modern art. Painter Mark Tobey was a faculty member at Seattle’s Cornish School of the Arts. His friend and fellow painter Kenneth Callahan was curator of paintings at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) for 16 years. Morris Graves—a student of Tobey’s—won SAM’s top prize at the age of 23, helping him later sell 45 paintings at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The fourth Mystic, Guy Anderson grew up as a friend of Graves in Edmonds, WA.
In 1936 Graves and Anderson began taking road trips across the country to paint. Although Interstate 5 did not yet exist, the pair followed the road north of Seattle, eventually meandering through downtown La Conner.
Graves and Anderson rented primitive houses and cabins in La Conner as retreats from Seattle’s bustling city life. Over the next two decades the pair came and went between Seattle and La Conner—and around the world. Anderson settled in the La Conner area permanently in the 50s.
A 1953 Life Magazine article explains that they were mystics because “their work embodies a mystical feeling toward life and the universe.” They combined the natural world of the U.S. Pacific Coast with the influence of their travels and studies of Arabic, Japanese, Chinese and Buddhist art and culture, creating an art form that became distinctive of the Northwest.
La Conner already had vacationers and tourists, but the presence of Anderson and Graves—and those they befriended—helped the local community develop a deeper appreciation for art and a greater acceptance of eccentricity.
That openness and sophistication gradually fostered a new generation of northwest artists and attracted others to La Conner, including painter and sculptor Clayton James and Barbara Straker James in the 50s. MexicanAmerican farm worker and painter Jesus Guillén and best-selling novelist Tom Robbins (Another Roadside Attraction) followed in the early 60s. Out-of-town Annual photo taken of Skagit Valley Barn Shows artists in 1995. Middle row includes Bud Anderson (center in hat), Clayton James (far right in glasses), show host Lavone Newell-Reim (at Anderson’s right elbow), and Maggie Wilder (left of Newell-Reim). Photo by Cathy Stevens
artists connected with local artists like Richard Gilkey, and some settled nearby, including Guemes Island’s Leo Osborne, Philip McCracken and Max Benjamin.
Jewelry designer, craftsman and faculty member of the University of Washington School of Art, Ruth Penington, started Fidalgo Summer School of the Allied Arts or, as it was also known, Penington Art School in downtown La Conner in 1954, attracting many artists, art students and teachers to the area for over a decade. Many stayed or returned for the quiet beauty of the Skagit River, the wildlife and the affordable housing. The Birth of Fishtown
In the late 1960s, young painter and sculptor Charles Krafft moved from Seattle to attend Skagit Valley Community College. While hiking near the mouth of the North Fork Skagit River with a local, Krafft discovered the former gill netter’s shacks of Fishtown, about four miles from La Conner. Used only seasonally by hunters and fishermen, the cabins had no running water or electricity and could only be accessed by boat or by trespassing on the property of multiple owners via a dilapidated boardwalk first constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The boardwalks were frequently flooded and wiped out by the Skagit, and most cabins were on stilts. Everything had to be packed in and out. Although damp and odiferous, Krafft embraced the rustic lifestyle, paying just $1 per month to rent his Fishtown cabin in 1968.
The self-proclaimed ‘Mayor of Fishtown’ worked on improvements and attracted other artists, poets and scholars to visit and stay over the next eight years. Art Jorgensen, poet Robert Sund, Hans Nelson, calligrapher Stephen Herold and others were followed by Ralph Aeschliman, Paul Hansen and many more throughout the 70s. Art & Life in Fishtown
La Conner’s Bo Miller was among Richard Gilkey, Western View, 1977; Oil on canvas; 49.25 in. x 85 in. Whatcom Museum collection. On exhibit now at the Lightcatcher building
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those invited to Fishtown by Krafft. “Fishtown for me was a window on a world that could be peaceful, creative and spiritual,” remembers Miller. “I feel fortunate to have spent most of the 70s at Fishtown in a pastoral metaphysical bliss that was/is the Skagit Valley.” There he wrote poetry, made prints, pen and ink drawings and carved sculptures and wooden boxes.
Fishtown and the Skagit delta galvanized a new generation of artists and they, in turn, inspired each other. “Fishtown was a prolonged experiment in the style of deliberate simplicity celebrated by Thoreau and inspired by the example of two legendary Northwest Zen Buddhists, Morris Graves and Gary Snyder,” said Krafft in his unpublished book, A State of Mind, Not a Place (Dec. 2001).
From 1968 to 1980 Fishtown artists produced countless works infused with the peaceful natural environment, breathtaking (mystic) light and shadows of influence from the artists who came before them. Local fishermen and farmers collected their pieces as did tourists, patrons in Seattle and eventually collectors from around the world.
“Back then you could support yourself living on the river and selling your art…and helping yourself to the farmer’s fields occasionally,” remembers Miller.
“They were very resourceful people,” adds painter Maggie Wilder who lived in her own cabin in the Fishtown area from 1995 to 2018. “There were opportunities to live off the grid or
very, very simply. Up through the 80s, La Conner was the affordable housing hub of Skagit County. I moved out there thinking I’d be there for five months and I just kinda forgot to move,” remembers Wilder. She walked 40 minutes each way, using a rope to climb a steep rock, to access her cabin. “I loved the solitude, being out on the river. I made myself a promise that in exchange for all the inconvenience of walking in and out, I was going to stop hurrying in my life. It kinda worked.” Fishtown’s Demise
“Before white men came, before the farmers came, the Skagit estuary was the Safeway, the Costco for the Swinomish Tribe. It held all the food they needed,” notes Miller. “So there was contention between the farmers and the Tribe about who owned the land and decided what happened to it.” Dikes, a jetty, logging and channelization have significantly altered the natural flow and appearance of the Skagit estuary over the past five de
eARTh The art of nature Doug Banner Avian Spirits Rendered in Wood
Clockwise from above: Aruban Shoko, Great Horned, Red Tail, Wind Blown By the time I was six years old, under the tutelage of my grandfather, I knew the names of every tree, bird, and animal in the forested hills behind our farm in Eastern Tennessee. My New England fisherman uncles gave me an entirely new understanding of the natural world on the vast North Atlantic. Moving to the magnificence of the Pacific Northwest impacted the influence nature has on every fiber of my creative spirit. I spend as many hours as I can observing animals in the wild, seeking to capture the spirits of my subjects. They hold wisdom in their eyes, an elusive knowledge that they share with me… if I look long enough.
cades. “It looks very different now than it did in the 70s,” adds Miller.
“Every faction who have ever been in Fishtown—the Tribe, duck hunters, artists and hippies—they all have a vision for how it should be and everybody thinks they’re right—and they’re all very different,” adds Wilder.
“There was a very painful episode [in 1988] where there was a clear cut
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with a swath right through the Fishtown woods,” remembers Wilder. “It was about what the land could produce and not about what the land meant to the people for many, many years.” Native American burial trees and clam middens were disturbed or destroyed along with the remains of the Fishtown shacks. The remaining boardwalks were taken out in 2015 by the adjacent property owner who tired of trespassers. Their Continuing Legacy
Many of the Fishtown artists passed away or moved on to start new chapters of their careers. With them they’ve taken a piece of Fishtown and shared it with the world—through their art and as teachers and mentors of the next generation of artists. Throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond—if you’re looking—you’ll likely encounter the glorious legacy that has followed.
Many art and history exhibitions of Mystic and Fishtown artists (and those they’ve influenced) have occurred over the proceeding decades including several at the Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA), located in La Conner.
Wilder is currently writing a memoir of her time spent in the Skagit Valley art scene. Seattle filmmaker Pat Ford has been working on a documentary, 40 Years in Fishtown, for several years.
The recently published book, The Barn Shows, by Skagit artist Lavone Newell-Reim and photographer Cathy Stevens, shares photos, stories and historic information about an annual art show and birthday party in Newell-Reim’s 1910 Heritage barn near La Conner that occurred from 1987 to 2003. Mystic Guy Anderson was in regular attendance, as were Fishtown artists like Miller, Wilder and many, many Skagit and Pacific Northwest artists.
You’ll find painter Becky Fletcher of Sedro Woolley and painter Tod Horton who was mentored by Clayton James. Theodora Jonsson’s paintings are full of ethereal water, mountain and glacial landscapes, likely inspired by her Skagit Valley mentors Bill Slater and John Simon. Wood worker and sculptor Peregrine O’Gormley’s work was mentored by Leo
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Plan your visit to La Conner—the birth place of the school of Northwest modern art—to explore the rich history and cultural legacy of Skagit Valley’s art scene. But Fishtown is long gone so you shouldn’t try to find it. “It’s a fragile ecosystem that has been damaged repeatedly by the projections of humans. It holds the grounds of strife and tragedy,” explains Wilder. “It is misunderstood as a singular or rare place to foster creativity, when the reality is that we all have the opportunity to slow down and pay attention to what’s in front of us, to create beauty. Each and every one of us can make a place special.”
Miller agrees. “People at that time in the 70s were doing this sort of thing all over the West Coast. Fishtown was one of many.” All of the cabins and associated boardwalks are gone. A caretaker lives Artist Maggie Wilder on the Fishtown boardwalk Photo by Cathy Stevens
in a sole remaining cabin that can be accessed only by trespassing on private property.
Rather than breaking the law to get a taste of Fishtown’s glory, read the
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books, visit MoNA and the surrounding galleries, make a donation and join the documentary email list (pcford@criterionweb.com). It is there that you’ll connect with the priceless Fishtown legacy and the next generation of Northwest modern art. Further Reading
Herold, Steve. 2008. Where the River Ends: The Art and Poetry of the Lower Skagit. Books A to Z. 108 pp. Swedberg, Claire and Rita Hupy. 2017. In the Valley of Mystic Light: An Oral History of the Skagit Valley Art Scene. Good Deed Rain. 298 pp. ANW
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We set out towards the glacier then stopped and drifted about a quarter mile from its face. Margerie was quiet. We sat expectantly in the skiff waiting for the glacier to calf. My mind drifted as I scanned the ice-scarred rocks along the glacier’s edge. The scarring told a story of where the ice had once been, not so long ago. I felt exceedingly small, studying
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MARCH >>> Sunday, 1 March SPECIAL Wild Whatcom Summer Adventures Registration is Now Open! –– Mar 1-May 31. Registration is open for our summer camps and backpacking trips. Grades 1-12. Financial assistance available. wildwhatcom.org/ summer-adventures Saturday, 7 March CYCLE Mussels in the Kettles –– Kettles Trails System, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Non-Competive Mountain Bike and Poker Ride. whidbeyislandbicycleclub.org/ mussels-in-the-kettles RUN/WALK Chuckanut Casual –– 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. A community focused race preview of the inner 18 miles of the Chuckanut 50k trails. aspireadventurerunning.com/ chuckanut-casual-chuckanut50k-race-preview/ Saturday, 21 March CYCLE About Boating Safely Class –– Squalicum Yacht Club, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. About Boating Safely class is a one day (8hr) class. We cover
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APRIL >>> Friday, 3 April SPECIAL World Tour Paddling Film Festival –– Bellingham Technical College, 5:30 am – 9:30 pm. Local tour operator, Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures, is hosting the World Tour Paddling Film Festival in Bellingham, WA. The international adventure film tour presents the world’s best paddling films of the year:
whitewater, sea kayaking, canoeing, fishing, SUP, and lifestyle. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase, including local beer and cider. Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win awesome gear and to show your support for Recreation Northwest, our non-profit beneficiary. moondancekayak.com/paddlingfilm-festival-bellingham-wa
Saturday, 18 April SPECIAL Magnuson Series––Magnuson Park, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. We offer a 5k, 10k, 15k and kids dash each month all year-round. Also check out our special events such as our obstacle dash, duathlon and Earth Day Half Marathon. Based in beautiful Magnuson Park Seattle you get views of Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier. This event supports Earth Runs a tree planting organization. magnusonseries.org/
Friday-Sunday, 24-26 April SPECIAL Adventures Northwest North Cascades Photography Workshop––North Cascades Institute, April 24, 4:00 pm – Apr 26, 12:00 pm. Take your photography to the next level at this workshop in North Cascades National Park. Join us for a weekend of shooting in the field and learning how to use Adobe Lightroom software to bring out the best in your images. This workshop is suitable for students who have a basic familiarity with their camera’s settings. No previous Lightoom experience required (but helpful!). More info: ncascades.org/
MAY >>> Saturday, 2 May SPECIAL Recreation Northwest EXPO––Bellingham Cruise Terminal / Marine Park / Evil Bikes, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. The Recreation Northwest EXPO is your chance to connect with the active outdoor community. We’re moving to a new date,
Saturday, May 2nd, 2020 and expanding into more realms with paddle, bike and camping demos and more. Meet face to face and talk with Gear & Equipment Manufacturers, Retailers, Tour Guides, Coaches & Outfitters, Health & Fitness, Stewardship & Education groups, Events and Races, Public Lands officials and Recreation Media. recreationnorthwest.org/events/ expo/ Saturday, 9 May CYCLE Skagit Spring Classic-- Bayview Elementary School, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm. Join us for the 30th edition of the Skagit Bicycle Club’s Spring Classic. Our fully supported bicycle ride through northern Skagit and southern Whatcom counties features splendid rural, forest, and marine views plus homemade cookies at our well-stocked rest stops. Four courses to choose from – 25,45, 62, and 100 miles. skagitbicycleclub.org/ content.aspx?sl=1520405382 Saturday-Monday, 9-11 May HIKE/CLIMB Mt. Baker Climb --May 9, 7:00 am – May 11, 7:00 pm. Every weekend! American Alpine Institute. In three days have fun learning basic climbing skills then make a summit ascent. No previous climbing experience is required. Every weekend, May through September. Come with a friend or family member or come on your own and meet others making their first climb. AAI is nationally accredited & 100% carbon neutral. 360-671-1505.. AlpineInstitute.com
Tuesday-Tuesday, 19-26 May SPECIAL Glacier Bay Photography Workshop––May 19, 9:00 am – May 25, 1:00 pm. Join Adventures Northwest for a spectacular week in Glacier Bay aboard the M/V David B. The David B goes places that are off-limits to the big ships, allowing us the chance to get up close and personal with one of America’s most awe-inspiring National Parks. Phenomenal scenery, whales, bears, and lots of stunning blue ice! In-depth workshop on digital shooting, editing and post-processing, private staterooms & gourmet meals. Limited to Six Passengers. adventuresnw. com/photo-workshops Sunday, 24 May SPECIAL Ski to Sea––7:30 am – 7:00 pm. First run in 1973, the Ski to Sea is a multi-sport team relay from the Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay. The race is held annually on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in Whatcom County, Washington. A Ski to Sea team consists of three – eight racers competing in seven different sports: Cross Country Ski, Downhill Ski/ Snowboard, Running, Road Bike, Canoe (2 paddlers), Cyclocross Bike, and Sea Kayak. skitosea.com Friday-Sunday, 29-31 May SPECIAL Sucia Island WFR for Runners –– May 29, 2:00 pm – May 31, 3:30 pm. A 3 Day Wilderness First Aid Certification course on Sucia Island for runners. aspireadventurerunning.com/ sucia-island-wfa-course/
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Saturday, 30 May SPECIAL WCPC’s Annual Walk & Run For Life––A Life Church & Cornwall Park, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm. The Walk – It’s a family-friendly, easy 2 miles, so all ages can participate! There will be games, face painting, bouncy houses, food and fun! 5K Fun Run – The 5K run is a combination of trails & pavement that begins & ends on the corner of A Life Church & Cornwall Park and travels throughout Cornwall Park. This is a timed event. ~Refreshments, festivities and awards at A Life Church following these events~ secure.ministrysync.com/ ministrysync/event/website/ home/?e=16352
JUNE >>> Friday-Sunday, 5-7 June RUN/WALK Sucia Island Beach Camp and Trail Run–– Jun 5, 2:00 pm – Jun 7, 3:30 pm. Sucia is known as the jewel of the San Juan Islands. It’s home to tide pools aplenty, remote beaches, abundant sea life, and
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RUN/WALK Girls on the Run 5k–– Lake Padden, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Fun run open to the community. whatcomymca.org/girls-run-5k Saturday, 13 June CYCLE Lake to Lake Bike Ride–– Robinswood Park, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Bring the whole family to this enjoyable, non-competitive ride benefiting the youth camp scholarship fund. Pre ride entry fee $15. Free kids ride in the park after at 12:15. Explore treasures of Bellevue on 9 or 22 mile loops. Low traffic roads, bike lanes, and a little gravel add up to a lot of fun. Post ride party! bellevuewa.gov/citygovernment/departments/parks/ programs/lake-to-lake-bike-ride JULY >>> Saturday, 4 July WATER Martha Lake Open Water Swim–– Martha Lake, Lynnwood, WA, 8:00 am – 10:00 am. 4 distances up to 2 mile. MarthaLakeSwim.com Saturday, 11 July TRIATHLON Lake Whatcom Triathlon–– Blodel Donovan Park, 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. Enjoy the picturesque course in this challenging but fun multisport weekend featuring Olympic and sprint-distance
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Saturday-Saturday, 18-25 July SPECIAL Glacier Bay Photography Workshop II–– Jul 18, 9:00 am – Jul 25, 1:00 pm. Join Adventures Northwest for a spectacular week in Glacier Bay aboard the M/V David B. The David B goes places that are off-limits to the big ships, allowing us the chance to get up close and personal with one of America’s most awe-inspiring National Parks. Phenomenal scenery, whales, bears, and lots of stunning blue ice! In-depth workshop on digital shooting, editing and post-processing, private staterooms & gourmet meals. Limited to Six Passengers. adventuresnw. com/photo-workshops AUGUST >>> Sunday, 2 August SPECIAL Community Food Co-op 50th Anniversary Block Party!–– Depot Market Square, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Free, everyone welcome. Eat, drink, dance, play, celebrate! The Co-op is taking over Depot Market Square and Railroad Avenue to celebrate our 50th and you’re invited! Enjoy a fabulous family-friendly block party with food trucks, beer and wine garden, kids area and entertainment, giant birthday cake, and more surprises. Dance to live bands including Bellingham favorite Baby Cakes. Zero waste event. communityfood.coop
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Saturday, 8 August TRIATHLON Lake Tye Triathlon–– Lake Tye Park, Monroe, WA, 8:00 am – 11:00 am. Sprint, Olymic and Youth. LakeTyeTri.com Sunday, 23 August CYCLE 2020 Chuckanut Classic–– Boundary Bay Brewery, 7:30 am – 5:00 pm. The Chuckanut Classic is the Mount Baker Bicycle Club’s signature ride. Come join us and ride one of the most scenic rides in Washington. With many routes offered you can pick your distance ranging from 25, 38, 62, or 100 miles. You can also join us for a family-friendly 10-mile jaunt with treats, entertainment, and other on-route stops and surprises for kids. The Chuckanut Classic is a benefit ride for Our TreeHouse. mtbakerbikeclub.clubexpress.com SEPTEMBER >>> Sunday, 27 September RUN/WALK Bellingham Bay Marathon––7:30 am – 3:00 pm. Featuring views of Bellingham Bay, San Juan Islands, and North Cascades mountains, we are often called the most beautiful marathon in the Pacific Northwest. Bellingham Bay Marathon offers a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and full marathon relay (for teams of 2-5). One hundred percent of net proceeds benefit local youth nonprofits. Celebrate your race at a fantastic finish line festival with live music and beer garden. Come “Run the Bay!” bellinghambaymarathon.org
ANW
FIND Adventures NW is available free at hundreds of locations region-wide: throughout Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island counties, at select spots in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties, and in Leavenworth, the Methow Valley, Spokane, and Wenatchee. The magazine is also available at REI locations across Washington and Oregon as well as at numerous locations in the Vancouver, BC metro area, at races and events, and area visitor centers. SUBSCRIBE Receive Adventures NW via mail anywhere in the US or Canada. Visit AdventuresNW.com/subscribe for subscription info. ADVERTISE Let Adventures NW magazine help you reach a diverse, receptive audience throughout the Pacific Northwest, and be part of one of the most valued and engaging publications in the region. Info is at AdventuresNW.com/advertise or by writing to ads @ AdventuresNW.com. CONTRIBUTE Adventures NW welcomes original article queries—including feature stories, expert advice, photo essays, the Next Adventure shot, etc. For information: AdventuresNW.com/contribute. EVENTS Have your outdoor-related event, race or public outing listed in the quarterly Race|Play|Experience calendar and in our comprehensive on-line version. Visit AdventuresNW.com/submit-your-event to post events or contact ads @ AdventuresNW.com for details.
14th Annual
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September 27, 2020 FULL • HALF • 10K • 5K • RELAY
Use discount code ANW20 to save 10% on any race entry!
Featuring views of Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and North Cascades mountains, it is one of the most beautiful road races in the Pacific Northwest. Come experience Bellingham and “Run the Bay”!
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Adventure the ext
Princess Louisa Inlet
photo by DANELLE CARNAHAN
I’m enjoying a peaceful paddle along a glassy inlet, with blue sky overhead and delightfully warm late spring weather. Above me tower the mountains that crown Princess Louisa Inlet. Snow is melting from their heights and cascading on every side into waterfalls that reach the sea. A sea lion pops his head above the surface, spots me and vanishes back to the depths. I get it … I don’t want to share this tranquil spot either!
Should I follow my head, or my heart?
For some of life’s questions, you’re not alone.
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David J. Mauro Sr Vice President--Wealth Mgmt 360-714-2550 david.mauro@ubs.com UBS Financial Services Inc. 104 Unity Street Bellingham, WA 98225-4418 360-715-8939 800-774-8422
