There are at least 3 local galleries I enjoy visiting every few months: Garry Oak Gallery on…read morePioneer in Oak Harbor, Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville and Scott Milo Gallery in Anacortes. They are wonderful sources of diverse-medium local art and provide shopping opportunities for economical gifts representing life on Whidbey Island. Garry Oak Gallery offers a diverse selection of pottery, blown glass, paintings, jewelry and wood working. The displays are well lit with plenty of space to offer perspective. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Absolutely no pressure. Combine it with lunch at one of the nearby restaurants and you are all set.

This is my first stop when shopping for that needed 'special' gift. I love that all the artwork is…read morecreated by local artists living and working on Whidbey Island. It is a beautifully arranged gallery with many media represented. It is also easily accessible from the street with handicap parking available directly in front of the gallery. It is also COVID compliant with masks, hand sanitizing and social distancing.

-adorable stuffed animals -…read more We passed by this place and I was fascinated by all the cute stuffed animals. My daughter was taking a nap in the stroller, but my husband said I should go take a look. The store has a really cozy and warm vibe with all the cute stuffed animals around, and there was another family with a baby in the stroller at that time. They also do customization and will help you sew stuff on. I am not entirely sure how that works but it sounds like a super good idea for baby shower gifts or stuff like that. The only downside is that the stuff here aren't cheap, and a bit on the higher price point. However, I think the quality is worth the $$$. The store is small, but I'm sure you will find something you like as well! I got the knitted chicken and it's super soft! My daughter played with it afterwards and accepted our new "family member" on the way back home.

*GIFT REVIEW ONLY* I…read morereceived a gift from Bunnies by the Bay. Carefully packaged and secure, these cuties are adorable! A simple object to bring light into a space limited of natural light, seeing these bring smiles. At home or in the office, it is a conversation piece :-)

Beautiful Crafts from from local artisans on the San Juan Islands. Pottery, photography, oil,…read moreknits ...

I stopped here during my short sojourn at Friday Harbor yesterday. There are several arts and…read morecrafts-type places in town and in my limited experience, Island Studios had the best selection and at fairly reasonable prices. It's also a handsome place with their various pieces well displayed. I was particularly impressed with their glass wall pieces and some wood boxes by a person on Orcas Island by the name of River Jim. I also thought that the owner was very helpful, especially since I'll probably buy one of River Jim's boxes in the future. Jane Y.'s experience is unfortunate, although a sometimes high shipping/handling charge for often fragile and uniquely shaped artistic objects is more common than not. And it is certainly something I expect and factor into my purchasing decisions. I'm also usually suspicious of Yelp reviews from a profile with no picture and only one pointed posting. I call this a "drive by".

Amazing a must stop on the island…read more Friendly service see the Island artwork all local artists

Extremely special and beautiful spot. It's a gallery hidden in a forest and is a super charming and…read morewell curated little haven of beautiful art in all mediums. Sadly the owner did not echo the gracious surroundings....she was pretty snobby and obviously didn't think much of city people, so that really brought the vibe down and I won't be back. I know people always say it's a small town thing but I'm not into it.

I always love walking into an art gallery, especially when the artists work in the gallery! I found…read moreso many great treasures here and settled on my purchase; I was chatting up the gentleman behind the counter and he was the local painter- he gestured to many of the paintings throughout the gallery- all of which were gorgeous works of art! I love the variety of mediums and artists, prices range from affordable all the way up to fine art pricing based on what it was. Some items you could pick up and really look at and some you were afraid to breathe on, lol. I greatly appreciated the diverse works.

Yes, I'm one of the artists of Penn Cove Gallery. 28 Whidbey artists own and operate the gallery,…read moreso any time you visit you'll interact with and artist and an owner. We offer a wide variety of art in a range of prices. Because we own the gallery, prices are well below what you'd otherwise pay. The gallery is open every day of the year except Christmas, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving.

American Cruise Line brought us here for an excursion. We had a class in glass fusion doing an…read moreocean theme with an orca on a flat glass roughly 6x11". This was an incredible opportunity for learning a new artistic process using glass as a medium. At the end of designing our works, they will be placed in a kiln and heated until the glassware is all fused together. After the appropriate cooling time she will ship our works home to us. The instructor Joanie was very enthusiastic and helpful in assisting us with the process. The shop is also a gallery with works for sale all done here locally, no imported anything. This store is worth a visit as there are many very nicely crafted earrings, notecards, wares from various different local artists.

Love, LOVE, LOVE this gally and shop. Great diversity of artwork, plus it is an active studio! I…read morebought a stunning pair of earrings from a Chicago based kinetic sculpture artist! And I wanted several pairs! Well, if you know me- you might know I can seriously gab about art and I chatted up the wonderful lady behind the counter and she asked to see pictures of my art and then made an offer- she was interested in buying my work wholesale...!!! I think next time I visit I am going to book myself a class in their studio- the do glass fusing there and it is something I am very interested in learning! This store excited me in so many ways- great energy, amazing artist- over a 150 artists- both local and across the country. I actually spotted an artist that I have several pieces from!

This place is the Archi MacPhee's of Anacortes! If you need a gift for anyone of any age, this is…read morethe place! They have really fun, unique product from socks, books, games, candy, to tiny hands! This place might be small, but it's plum packed with everything you need! It's my "GO TO" shop for any occasion!

The Red Snapper is a fantastic gift store with many exciting items to choose from. They are a place…read moreyou will definitely want to check out if you are in Anacortes, WA. Check out my wildlife greeting cards and say hi to Mugsy!

This is an adorable art supply store but it also has an informal studio space and a nice little…read moregarden/koi pond in the back. It also has a couple of tables and a rack of art supplies that people can freely use. This is a lovely, inviting, and cozy spot!

I wasn't planning to visit an art store today or even Coupeville, but my friend offered to meet for…read morelunch and I ended up with the only parking spot left on Front street.. right in front of Meet Market. I was intrigued by the "hang out & make art" sign in the window and decided to stop by after lunch. As I walked in, I was immediately welcomed by The Decemberists' sweet musical embrace. One of my favorite bands playing? How did they know! And it just ended up being the sweetest little art shop. Queer-friendly (and queer-owned, I found after googling later on!) with local art for purchase and a wide variety of art supply mediums. I wish I'd had more time to check out the studio/"maker art" side of the shop, because it looked wonderful. I will absolutely make a special trip over the next time I'm passing through Whidbey.