The Art of Inclusion: Crescent Harbor Art Gallery Invites Everyone In

Step inside the Crescent Harbor Art Gallery and find yourself in a world of color, creative art and community.

Whether you’re interested in simply enjoying a diversity of art created by local artists, wishing to experiment with your own creativity or expand your artistic skills, the Crescent Harbor Art Gallery welcomes you.

Once inside, you’ll find an open invitation to create, enjoy and be part of a community that’s open to everyone, with much of the educational and creative involvement opportunities available free of charge.

That’s by design, gallery president Philip Wadsworth and treasurer Beverly Kukuk say.

From 1961 Beginnings in a Garage to Today’s Harbor Gallery

The Gallery is under the leadership of the Coast Redwoods Art Association, a nonprofit formed in 1961. From it’s humble beginnings of about 26 founding members who met in a garage, their mission and community impact has grown.

Today the association owns its building on land leased from the Harbor District, and its mission has flourished: to foster cultural awareness and advance public appreciation of, and participation in, the arts.

Activities for all Ages and Abilities

That mission fills a busy calendar. Each fall the gallery hosts a juried national fine art show, and its Innovations Art Show, now in its fourth year, spotlights 3D work, photography, and graphic design. A watercolorist teaches beginning and advanced classes twice a month. Oil painters gather on Wednesdays, free to members, and a drawing group sketches from live models on Mondays. Members lead demonstrations, and the gallery posts more on its YouTube channel. A 12-session watercolor series is available online, and periodic workshops are free or affordably priced.

Dedicated Volunteers, Talented Teachers: Wadsworth & Kukuk

Wadsworth and Kukuk are part of that volunteer teaching corps. Wadsworth has led pastel demonstrations in winter, and Kukuk shares needle felting online. Kukuk first came through the door about 15 years ago, soon after moving to Crescent City, when a drop-in paper mache class drew her in. She’s been involved ever since.

Much of the gallery’s work centers on young people. Once a month, Family Fun Day offers a free class for children ages 6 to 12 and an accompanying adult.

“It allows an adult to be more involved in the activity,” Wadsworth said.

Scholarship Program for Young Artists

Each June, the association awards a scholarship to a graduating high school senior pursuing the arts, and College of the Redwoods students show and sell their work in an annual student competition. A Coast Credit Union grant recently funded 60 to 70 take-home art kits for teens at Sunset School.

Art for All: A Treasure Chest of Supplies Always Available

The gallery also opens its doors to seniors and people of all abilities, and cost is never meant to be a barrier. Anyone can walk in, pull up a chair, and use the gallery’s supplies: paper, coloring books, and “The Treasure Box,” a wooden chest of paints, crayons, and pastels offered to families and to visitors with cognitive or developmental challenges who want to play with color.

“We have that philanthropic bent,” Kukuk said. “We like to be available and be inclusive.”

Art sales help local artists support themselves, she noted, but they’re secondary. The real goal is for people to experience art for themselves, with family and friends.

January 27: Refresh and Renovation Planned

Visitors should plan: the gallery will close in January 2027 for repairs and updates, including fresh paint on walls, ceilings, and trim, plus electrical work. Members and volunteers are donating time and talent. The community is invited to help, too.

Thanks and Goodbye to Gallery Host Sharon Sheets

Finally, a special note of appreciation for Sharon Sheets, the gallery host who is finishing her work at the gallery. Her sunny disposition and love of art made all who entered the gallery feel welcome. Sharon will be missed!

Affordable single and family memberships are available.

“Please come in and experience it,” Wadsworth said. “See what we are doing.”

To learn more, visit https://crescentharborgallery.com/ or email: [email protected].