Our Story

Earthenworks Gallery – voted as one of the Top 10 Retailers of American Craft. The Northwest’s best source for fine art and crafts. 

The story of Earthenworks Gallery is a love story of sorts - starting with two Northwest-born teenagers who fell in love with art as they fell in love with each other.  And like with most love stories , they began their journey with a rather humble beginning...

Don began taking art classes in junior high school and excelled at pottery and fine art.  He eventually cultivated that talent and earned bachelor degrees in Fine Art and Art Education.  After graduation, Don and Cynthia moved to Oak Harbor, where Don taught middle-school arts education and in his spare time concentrated on honing his pottery skills, while Cynthia built a career in the retail industry.  In 1977 Cynthia and Don opened their first gallery in Oak Harbor, showcasing Don's pottery along with artwork from a few other local artists.  It was a slow start and they worked hard to make a go of it - Cynthia remembers tending the gallery while their infant daughter slept under the counter...much to the delight of their patrons.

In 1981, Don and  Cynthia realized that La Conner just thirty miles away was an up-and coming art destination community.  Recognizing that a move to La Conner could be a better venue and where they could expand their gallery, it wasn't long before they relocated in 1981.

The hard work of making pottery took it's toll on Don's back.  Realizing that he could not continue a career in pottery.  He took a sabbatical from school teaching.  It was then in 1983 they opened a second location in Port Townsend, WA.  Another artful small town.

Fast forward to 1986, when Don and Cynthia purchased the historically-significant Hotel Planter building on First Street in La Conner then began the job of renovation the decrepit and condemned building. With the purchase of the building, Hotel Planter and Earthenworks Gallery had a home in La Conner for many years.

In August of 2023, Don and Cynthia sold the Hotel Planter building as a step toward retirement. After 43 successful years, Earthenworks in La Conner closed in October of 2023. The new owners of the Hotel Planter, Stan and Shannon O’Neil, are local business owners in La Conner and have plans to continue the legacy of the hotel.

Their Port Townsend business continues to grow today as their only brick and mortar location.

What inspired them in the early years still inspires them today:  talented artists who love their craft and are meticulous about their presentation; collectors from all over the globe who appreciate Cynthia and Don's knowledge of fine art; and their ability to mentor fine artists, many who have become nationally acclaimed.