Janet Laurel's art at Skagit Cellars

Janet Laurel Art Skagit Cellars - La Conner

Local artist and poet, Janet Laurel showcases unreleased work at Skagit Cellars tasting room through September 2022. Red Goddesses is a curated collection, representing decades of her prolific and unseen work. Galleries in Seattle were hesitant to hang the work and subsequently Janet started her own gallery when she bought a church from the steel workers union in West Seattle. Always moving on to another series, artwork was archived for a latter time.

A lifetime of expressiveness was digested, dissected, and assembled by textile artist Angelee Lloyd Richmond over the period of two weeks. In the end, it was the unshown work that resonated. Angelee grew up on the floors of the Union hall. Years later it would be Janet’s gallery. Her mother was the first woman steel workers union steward and through serendipity Angelee unrolled years of artwork.

“I was drawn to Janet’s work because it represents the work of an untamed spirit. Janet is a pure, raw and disciplined soul who is able to pour her true self into her work.” According to Richmond, “Janet stands tall in a long line of women who dared to be angry, sexual, talented and challenge a world that does it’s best to diminish feminist energy. “

Janet Laurel, a Pacific Northwest native, was an influential force for decades in the Seattle Art scene. Her work is in many Seattle area collections as well as nationally and internationally. Trained in traditional Japanese Sumi painting and calligraphy, her innovative style fuses Eastern and Western culture, the natural world, passion, sensuality and vivid imagery. Her collection is expressive with poetry, calligraphy and images all integrated into the work. A professional artist her entire life, she supported herself and family. “I never was princess and sometimes you need to kiss a few frogs.” she says after discussing a painting with a young woman.

Entering the winery is an overwhelming sensory experience. The windows are strung with clothesline and clothes pins. There is a sense of the forbidden and, curiosity and mystery. “I wanted to give the show and the unframed pieces a woman’s touch” explains Janet as she flips through the pages of the guestbook. Many of the displayed artwork is unframed nudes done in minimalist traditional ink on rice paper. Raw, honest and brilliant best describe this.

Near the doorway is a narrow, vertical mounted painting. The award-winning Dancing Rodents was painted specifically for the Bellevue Art Museum and made a subtle jab to directors and nuanced statement for a male dominated and chauvinistic industry. “They are all a bunch of limp dick, cocksuckers!”, directly put. There is an anger and fire that can’t be extinguished.

Opposite to the Dancing Rodents are several of Janet’s recent pieces include the cover art for University Press. One of her personal favorite pieces, she commented “They wanted a nude, but after discussion, several submissions, they really couldn’t do it. So, they got naked frogs.”

Mermaiden is the center of the installation. Done on silk with ink and acrylic it invokes a feel of the 1980’s. Pouring wine in a customer’s glass, Russell Chandler, the winery marketing manager, adds “This is the one that Janet wanted to be focused and also the one that she doesn’t discuss.” Pushing a cork in the bottle, and a deep breath. “I have a feeling that this is actually a self-portrait of herself.”

The winery ebbs and flows with customers. It’s the last band of the summer in Gilkey Square. Four hundred people are having a good time and the winery is at capacity. Russell takes a moment from the hustle. “This show is out of a deep respect for Janet. Though some of the pieces might be shocking to some, it’s a testament to her ability to shake up the art world. I come from music and photography. The 1980’s with Punk and New Wave broke down barriers bigger than the Berlin Wall. While the winery is not a traditional gallery, we are a strong supporter of the arts. We organize the summer concert series for La Conner Live! and have weekly live solo musicians. There’s a French term, Salon. That’s where we are evolving as a winery. There is a mix of art, wine and community that totally reflect the essence of the town of La Conner.”

Skagit Cellars is an award-winning, family-owned and operated winery located in Mount Vernon, Washington with tasting rooms in both La Conner and Manson. Mark Hulst owner and head winemaker started making wine in the garage as a hobby back in 2008, but it quickly became a passion. By 2012 Skagit Cellars began commercially producing wine. Within a year the wines won awards at local, national, and international wine competitions. The wine is produced with grapes from Lake Chelan and Columbia Valley and use a natural process during production.

Janet Laurel’s work can be seen in the Skagit Cellars La Conner tasting room Thursday through Monday 12-6:00pm. The show will run through September. Check it out. Sometimes we need to add a little gasoline to the fire.