Winter Solstice & Some Cedar Dust

Join us for our 1st Winter Solstice Party & Craft Fair in the Beer Garden on Saturday, December 21st. We’re kicking things off the right way…at 4pm, we’ll tap the first brew in our new Galbraith Mountain Series; Cedar Dust IPA. Named after the Galbraith Mt. Trails, located between Bellingham and Sudden Valley, the series intends to capture a taste of the great outdoors and the adventurous spirit of the PNW.  Be one of the first to try it!

Santa and Mrs. Claus are going to be here too! They told us they’re riding in on a horse and buggy to give the reindeer some rest before the big night. They offered to take anyone who would like, on carriage rides around town. It’ll be free, so bring the kids on down and let them have a little chit chat with Santa. Figure out who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice :  )

We’ve also invited several local artists to set up booths in the garden to sell their hand-made creations. We’ll have items like wine-racks, pottery, jewelry, ornaments, scarves…It’s the perfect opportunity to get a little bit of holiday shopping done!

As always, we’ll provide the refreshments. There will be complementary hot cider, cookies and candy canes plus beer available for purchase. Deigo’s Taco Truck will also be joining us.

Santa, tacos, beer, trees, crafts…might sound a bit unconventional, but it’s the Boundary way, and no matter how strange, it’s always fun! Swing by and join us. Happy Holidays from your staff at Boundary Bay

Truly Local Love

artist, Evan Whitehead

Here at Boundary Bay Brewery, we like to devote our wall space to featuring artwork by local artists.  This winter, we’re lucky enough to have paintings up in our Bistro by outdoor enthusiast, Evan Whitehead.  Come enjoy a pint of Cabin Fever and check out Evan’s Mt. Baker-inspired paintings while sipping our Winter Warmer.

Here’s what Evan has to say about his art:

“As a born and raised local of Whatcom County, I have grown up around the mountains to islands, and am constantly sharpening my focus towards our pristine backyard.  Through my years of painting, I have always focused on the mountains in which I spend my time.  Continuously studying the details of these incredible landscapes, my painting style has progressed as I continue to refine my artistic visions.  My aspirations as an artist are for the viewer to connect with the art, to trigger a memory that would take them to a new yet familiar place, a happy place where they can get lost in the painting.

As an avid boarder, I have been focusing a fair amount of work towards paintings that would make a good graphic that would inspire someone if it were on their board or skis.  Certain board graphics have inspired me through the years and to be able to do that for others would be groovy.  Among other directions I’m pursuing are the glow in the dark paintings that make great night scenes, or the underwater fishy seascapes, I enjoy viewing my work in its originality and uniqueness.

My goals for my painting is to continue to strive and grow as an artist, for all to see and admire, and to search out all possible avenues to display my art to the masses.”

You can view Evan’s artwork here at Boundary Bay Brewery through January.  Or check out his website to see all of his work, purchase a painting or two and find out more about Evan and what inspires him.

Boundary Bay Brewery Silent Auction

The Nooksack Salmon Enchancement Association (NSEA) is a nonprofit community-based organization dedicated to restoring sustainable wild salmon runs in Whatcom County.  Thanks to a supportive community and dedicated volunteers, Whatcom County streams offer clean, cool and healthy habitat for salmon.  But, like any nonprofit, NSEA has to rely on fundraising to continue their efforts.  If you missed the big salmon BBQ and Lucky Brown fundraiser show here in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden last weekend, don’t fret…you can still help!  Currently, on display at Boundary Bay Brewery, is Salmon at the Bay, a silent art auction to benefit NSEA.  Each piece of art has been donated by a local artist expressing their passion for salmon, and as a whole, the artwork celebrates the history of Whatcom County salmon and our community’s efforts to ensure their sustainable future.  Proceeds from this silent auction benefit the salmon education and habitat restoration programs of Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association.  To place a bid on the artwork, please view the Salmon at the Bay Art Auction Binder at the host station here in the brewery.  And, for all you out-of-towners, you can see a selection of the incredibly creative artwork here on the Boundary Bay Brewery website.  Cheers!

We need RECYCLED art!!

Hey all you artists out there!!  Pay attention now…we need recycled art!  Interested?

Boundary Bay Brewery will be curating a RECYCLED art show where 100% of the commission returns to the artists themselves! The intention of this show is to raise awareness about recycled and sustainable art. All items in the show must be created with some element of recycled material…the more the better!  The art show will be hung November 28th and will be part of “Shop Where Your Heart Is” — a Downtown Renaissance Network event that happens Nov. 28th and 29th as well as the Downtown Gallery Walk, which takes place on Friday, December 5th.  All artists interested in being part of this show should email a photo of artwork being submitted along with the dimensions of the piece(s) and an explanation of the recycled elements within your work.

Please keep in mind that Boundary Bay is a family friendly establishment and will not accept submissions that contain explicit graphic and/or sexual nature. All emails should be sent to amy@bbaybrewery.com by November 10th.

Earlier this year, Boundary Bay partnered up with Sustainable Connections and made a commitment to move Toward Zero Waste.  As part of our efforts toward being the change we’d like to see in the world, we thought an art show exclusively featuring art made from recycled materials would be a great way to raise awareness, have fun, and highlight alternative uses for what might get thrown away.  As we enter into the holiday season, we here at Boundary Bay wanted to encourage supporting local businesses, supporting our community, and most especially, finding ways to celebrate the holidays that do not have adverse effects on our environment.

p.s. ( Ten Thousand Villages is going to participate in our art show as well as lots of great local artists.  We can’t wait!!)

Salmon at The Bay

Salmon at the Bay is a fundraising event that features a salmon-inspired art show and a kick-off salmon bbq held at Boundary Bay Brewery every year forthe last six years. Salmon at the Bay is Northwest Salmon Enhancement Associations‘s largest fundraiser and all proceeds from the event go directly to funding streamside habitat restoration projects throughout Whatcom County.

This year’s theme was Common Waters: Connecting Salmon and People. One of the best things about Salmon at the Bay is the way this event really brings the community together and highlights the beauty of this unique and iconic species. Local artists were asked to create and donate salmon and water-inspired pieces of any medium to be displayed and sold gallery style at Boundary Bay through August 24th. This year more than 50 local artists, including featured artist Laurie Potter, donated their time, talents, and masterpieces to Salmon at the Bay. The vast majority of the participating artists live right here in Bellingham, and every artist resides in Whatcom County.  To see a slideshow of the art from this year (as well as the past two years!), click here.

People who are interested in supporting NSEA in our endeavors to restore sustainable wild salmon runs to Whatcom County can support NSEA in a variety of ways; by becoming an individual or business member of NSEA, by volunteering at a community stream restoration work party in the spring or fall, by adopting a restoration site to maintain with friends and family on a regular basis, by attending NSEA events, and by making lifestyle choices that minimize harmful impacts on local watersheds.

Salmon are a keystone species here in the Pacific Northwest and are an important indicator we have of the health of our coastal ecosystems. Salmon are extremely sensitive to changes in water quality, water quantity, and trophic webs. The more intact, diverse, and productive a freshwater ecosystem is, the healthier the salmon stocks will be. A decline in the ability of a stream or river to support the rearing of young salmon indicates a decline in the overall health of the ecosystem. Salmon carcasses provide rivers and streams with large amounts of marine-derived nutrients that feed aquatic insects, eagles, humans, and even the trees and shrubs growing along the banks. Timothy Egan wrote that, “the Pacific Northwest is any place a salmon can get to,” and I’m inclined to agree.

written by:
Lindsay Taylor
Volunteer Coordinator for NSEA