ArtSEA: Press pause on election panic with NW art and nature

Regular ArtSEA readers know I rarely pass up the chance to recommend a trip to the Pacific Bonsai Museum. And this is another perfect time to go! This emerald gem shines on the campus of the old Weyerhaeuser headquarters in Federal Way. A pleasant path from the parking lot through the woods takes you to the all-outdoor collection of tiny, sculpted trees surrounded by towering cedars and Doug firs.

Starting this month, the museum is also featuring Stone Images: XIV (through Dec. 15), an annual display of “viewing stones,” courtesy of the Northwest Viewing Stone Group — aka “the stoners.” 

These large rocks are striated with compelling natural ridges that suggest mountain ranges, animals and sometimes galaxies. Contemplating the stones is a cultural tradition in China, Japan and Korea — and you’re encouraged to try it here. “Viewing stones is a meditative art of the imagination,” say the stoners, “inviting us to discover entire worlds within a single rock.”

Also well worth the drive (and ferry ride) is a trip to Whidbey Island to visit the Earth Sanctuary between Langley and Freeland. This 72-acre preserve features miles of forested pathways that wind among an eclectic collection of art installations and meditation spaces, from stone circles (think mini-Stonehenge) to labyrinths to large abstract metal sculptures. Can’t make it this weekend? You still have some time: Founder Chuck Pettis has a 500-year plan to return the acreage to old-growth forest. 

Take a 25-minute drive north of the Earth Sanctuary to find another, newer sculpture park that I explored recently: the Price Sculpture Forest, near Coupeville. Open since late 2020, this 15-acre expanse features a couple short (less than one mile) trails through evergreens, salal and rhododendrons. 

Around every corner comes the surprise of a new artwork, with very cool ceramic, wood, wire and metal pieces by artists including Maria Wickwire, Boyang Yu, Jenni Ward and Anthony Heinz May.

As with every sculpture park, there are hits and misses, but it’s the arts/outdoors combo that feels rejuvenating. I also enjoyed watching a great big banana slug slowly consume a mushroom on a mossy log — perhaps the Platonic ideal of Northwest relaxation.