Jan Priggee, who retired after being a nurse for 45 years, has turned her attention to being an artist.
She entered the Coupeville Art Festival sponsored by The Pacific NW Art School in 2023 and won “Best in Show.” This accomplishment encouraged her to focus on her art. After this award, she was asked to apply at the Penn Cove Gallery to show her work there.
She uses a variety of materials to create her art including acrylics, inks, and collage.
She comments, “I’m really appreciative of becoming a member of the Penn Cove Gallery. There is a sense of community here that makes an artist feel that everyone wants you to succeed.” She adds, “The quality of the artwork displayed here is very high.”
A major feature of the works displayed at Penn Cove Gallery is that each artist is unique. On the website for the gallery, an opening descriptive paragraph notes: “Penn Cove Gallery is the first cooperative art gallery in Central Whidbey Island and the longest continuously operating co-op on the island, having served visitors and locals for more than 25 years.”
It was launched in 1994 when a group of local artists organized a gallery in Coupeville's historic waterfront district. The not-for-profit gallery is administered and staffed by the artist members.
The Penn Cove Gallery currently has 23 members, with three more members joining the Gallery soon. Every artist gets a section of a wall at the gallery to display their work, and each contributes his or her time, working one to two days a month at the gallery. When a work is sold, the artist contributes 10% to the Gallery.
Penn Cove Gallery is located on the Coupeville Historic Waterfront that is part of the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. On the website it is also noted: “The Gallery has transitioned to LED lighting under a pilot program to evaluate the energy conservation impact of this change.”
Penn Cove Gallery is a member of the Coupeville Chamber of Commerce and Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association. The Gallery is open seven days a week. Current hours in February are 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In March, the hours will be 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information, visit their website: https://www.penncovegallery.com/
