Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan and Guy Anderson became recognized nationally when LIFE magazine published a 1953 feature article on them, and later became known as the “Big Four” and the “Northwest Mystics“. These artists combined natural elements of the Puget Sound area with traditional Asian aesthetics to create a novel and distinct regional style.
And the surroundings of the Pacific Northwest continue to inspire and influence the Artists of our region, painting landscapes of moody sceneswith glowing colors, soft hues and a keen observation of light, from the Washington Coast to the Skagit Valley and the natural setting of Western Washington, they work to interpret and blend the elements of nature into a highly integrated vision of the luminous landscape we all inhabit.