Meet Emily Russel - The Landscape Architect who helped bring Quincy Square to life!   What inspires you about Bremerton? My family moved to Bremerton for work-related opportunities when I was 3 years old, and I’ve lived here ever since. As I entered young adulthood, I chose to stay living in Bremerton and attend Olympic College before transferring and commuting to the University of Washington’s Landscape Architecture program. Once I graduated from college, I was confronted wi

Meet Amy Camp - Festival Director of the West Sound Film Festival   Film and art—what could be more perfect? Bremerton First Friday Art Walk is excited to feature the West Sound Film Festival this month. It’s the perfect chance to start the weekend with art on Friday evening and enjoy an amazing lineup of films all weekend long. The West Sound Film Festival is an international festival showcasing a wide range of genres, including experimental films, short documentaries, comed

Meet Author Stephanie Rose !  Stephanie's first book came out on October 29th called, Hiding Lies . Recently announced is the upcoming release of Stephanie's next book, Small Town Slasher, to be released 3/3/26 Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: The sense of community I have felt in such a short period of time. It finally feels like I've found a home in the PNW. Q: What drew you to your medium? A: I was a librarian for a few years and then opened an indie bookshop. Now

Meet Photographer Emily Deszell!  Q: What drew you to your medium?  A: I’ve always been captivated by photography. I began learning in high school where I took a film photography class. I fantasized about being a professional photographer but for one reason or another I didn’t pursue my dream until over a decade later.  It wasn’t until my son was born that my dream actualized. I didn’t want to miss a single moment of his life. And I realized that my calling all along, aside f

Meet Artist Kyle Wisser !  Q: What drew you to your medium?  A: Right now my medium of choice is watercolor, but I think my medium highly depends on what I want to play with. Watercolor is fun for me because it’s a challenge and something I'm not really used to. Before watercolor I really enjoyed working with graphite. I like graphite a lot because of the ability to blend all the grey. Life feels like that at times, blending a bunch of black and white and finding the balance

Meet Artist Carly Denessen - Creator of A Rae of Design!   Carly Denessen Interview: Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: There is such a strong art community here with a big base of support. There’s so many talented people always making something new. Plus there’s so many trails and waterfronts with beautiful color!  Q: What drew you to your medium? A: My mom is a quilter, and I’ve always loved Batik style fabric. I found a technique that’s similar online one day and fel

We can’t wait to introduce you to artist DM Potwin!    Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: Being surrounded by ocean, forest and mountains, the abundance of food that naturally grows here, the people, the way art and makers are supported. Q: What drew you to your medium? A: The tactile aspect and the ability to make impressions and reveal deliciously intricate textures of natural and manmade objects. Q: What is your favorite local spot? A: This is hard! Ilahee Preserve,

Meet Artist Matt Taylor- owner of Dyed in the Wild !   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: I found my inspiration for my business and was drawn to my medium while staying at home with my terminally ill mother. Tie dye gave me something to keep me occupied while being a full time caretaker and helped me find my inner artist. Q: What drew you to your medium? A: I have been a Bremerton resident since the 90's and love this town and community. I love the grittiness and hardw

Meet Katelyn and Joe Downing - AKA - The Downing Duo!    Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: What inspires me about Bremerton is the sense of close-knit community and the opportunity it offers to make a meaningful difference. Additionally, the openness of local businesses to support creative endeavors, like filming, adds to its charm and potential for growth. Q: What drew you to your medium? A: What drew me to my medium is the profound ability to tell stories that reso

Meet Western Dawn Art   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: I love how much the community cares to build events and spaces that foster connection. Especially within the arts community, there are so many people who want to see Bremerton succeed and who are creating spaces for creativity.   Q: What drew you to your medium? A: I have always loved creating jewelry, as a little kid I would collect found things, old jewelry and take wire from my dad's workshop to make pieces. 

Meet Artist Kyle Norris - Portrait Photographer !   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: The thriving artistic scene is continuously growing. Over the last 10 years, I've had the opportunity to see the art scene grow into its own here in Bremerton. From the Graffiti wall and local businesses of Manette through downtown and up to Olympic College, the quality of self-expression and community shown throughout inspires me to improve my own skill sets. Q: What drew you to your

Meet Leilani   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?  A: What inspires me is the variety of people from different backgrounds, being a place that’s getting more family friendly over all these years; I’ve been happy to have been here for over 20 years! Q: What drew you to your medium? A: I’ve always loved creating art and once I became a mother I began painting with my children; and slowly starting creating more art with acrylics. I would love to get more practice with oils an

Meet Gian Magana   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?   A: Cherry Blossoms at Olympic College and waiting for a ferry ride to Seattle. I often take thousands of RAW images. But I do believe making a genuinely good picture does take a while. There are no shortcuts. You have to leave your worries about money, women, and relationships and try to photograph the scenes in the now. Q: What drew you to your medium?  A: I moved from Guam to the Pacific Northwest at the end of 2022

Meet Artist Theo Ludwig - Owner of Teddy Bears Beads! Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?  A: What inspires me about Bremerton is the sense of community that embraces anyone and everyone who spend time here. I believe that to be known is to be loved , and I have never once felt like a stranger here.  Q: What drew you to your medium?  A:  About 10 years ago I worked at an overnight-camp as a camp counselor and one of my favorite crafts to do with my kids were pony bead pets!

Meet Tristine Marie Studio   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?   A: I moved here over 2 years ago with my now fiancée and dog son, Pogy, and discovered the vastness of Bremerton. Coming from a small town in Whidbey Island, I was thrilled to find a thriving art scene. Connecting with other artists has been incredibly fulfilling, and I’m grateful to be part of such a vibrant community. Q: What drew you to your medium?  A: I create digital art, and I’ve grown to love the fre

Meet Carly Denesson   Q: What drew you to your medium? A: Being an artist all my life I have always had the dream of that being my sole profession, but everyone says you’ll always be a starving artist. Therefore, I try to make each art piece useful, such as staying warm with a colorful sweatshirt, accessorizing your puppy best friend, or giving a hand painted greeting card to a loved one. People are more likely to buy art for others than themselves. Along with that theory, I

Meet Alize Reaux   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?⁠ A: What inspires me the most about Bremerton is the "want" for artists. They make a massive effort to make artists feel seen and do so by showcasing art and really broadening people's minds, even mine. I have seen some amazing works since beginning my participation almost exactly a year ago. ⁠ ⁠ Q: What drew you to your medium? ⁠ A: I am someone who uses multiple mediums. I am learning how to use graphite, charcoal, an

Meet Cory Bushore   Q:  What inspires you about Bremerton? A:  Bremerton is full of creative individuals. Between the mountains, forests and the water there's so much to feel inspired. Q:  What drew you to your medium? A:  I've always leaned towards being an illustrator and am comfortable with ink and watercolor and acrylic. I work as a gardener and carry pens with me to squeeze in little art pieces on breaks. Q:  What is your favorite local spot? A:  Been spending time at As

Meet Carissa Helm Q: What inspires you about Bremerton? A: I love Bremerton's sense of community. The kind people and beautiful outdoors are unbeatable! Q: What drew you to your medium? A: I feel calm and centered whenever I work with clay. I can be working on ceramics for 10 hours in one day and be ready to jump back in the next. Plus, it keeps my hands so soft because the grit is a natural exfoliant! Q: What is your favorite local spot? A: My favorite local spot has to be

Meet Jessica McBride   Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?⁠ A: The diverse community and the natural beauty of the west Puget Sound. ⁠ ⁠ Q: What drew you to your medium? A: I’ve tried several mediums, but have consistently used acrylics since I was a young kid. Right now I am a huge fan of Golden Fluid acrylics because of their vibrancy.⁠ ⁠ Q: What is your favorite local spot? ⁠ A: My favorite local spots are Kiwanis Park, El Balcon and SeeFilm. ⁠ ⁠ Q: Where do you find in