Arts in Practice

How creativity lives on the Long Beach Peninsula. Through residencies, workshops, live music and partnerships, we support artists and community year-round on the Washington coast.

With the support of artists, participants, partners, and donors, we’ve been able to provide:

1,895 artist residencies

Person painting on a canvas outside a vintage camper trailer with green trees in the background.

11 Annual Arts Festivals

Two women standing outdoors next to a sign that says "Welcome Arts Week Artists" with a website link. One woman is wearing a colorful, fluffy, patchwork coat, and the other women has a camera around her neck.

As of Jan 2026

216 Visiting-Artist Workshops

Group of people standing outdoors holding colorful printed fabric pieces, with wooden building and string lights in background.

75+ Exhibitions & Film Screenings

A wooden table displaying handcrafted pottery, ceramic mugs, and decorated plates with nature motifs, in an art gallery or craft shop.

400+ Live Shows

People gathered outdoors at night around a woman playing guitar, some standing, others sitting at picnic tables, with a house and trees in the background.

16,000+ Sauna Sessions

Outdoor backyard area with a vintage clawfoot bathtub, a wooden fence, a small sink with a faucet, and a rustic wooden bench under green leafy trees.

Our Programs & Branches

Sou’wester Arts is not a single program. It’s a growing constellation of spaces, partnerships, and practices that support creativity across ages and disciplines.

Ilwaco Artworks

A community clay studio in downtown Ilwaco, WA hosting workshops, residencies and memberships.

25+ monthly members | 15+ monthly workshops

People participating in a group pottery class, working on shaping clay on pottery wheels inside a pottery studio.

Artist Residency Program

Year-round artist residency program located at the Sou’wester Lodge in Seaview, WA

Four people sitting at a red wooden picnic table outdoors, smiling, with a sign in the background that reads 'AFRICAN QUEEN', and various food and drink items on the table.
Four people sitting at a picnic table outdoors with food and drinks, with a colorful food truck in the background reading 'African Queen', surrounded by trees and greenery.

Wave of the Future Preschool

Montessori Arts & Ecology preschool in Seaview, Washington.

Sou’wester Arts Window Gallery

Located in downtown Ilwaco, WA and showcasing the work for artists-in-residence.

Indoor art installation of large, textured, abstract sculptures resembling elongated figures in a gallery space with wooden beams and large windows.
Children and an adult gathering around a small, square hole in the ground, participating in a nature activity outdoors with rocks and dirt.

Visiting-Artist Workshops

Year-round ceramics workshops led by visiting artists-in-residence

Free Live Music

Free live music at the Sou’wester Lodge most Saturday nights!

Group of young women performing with guitars on a wooden stage with microphones.
Group of people sitting around a long table in a pottery studio, working on clay pottery projects and smiling at the camera.
Group of people outdoors, clapping and smiling during an event on a cloudy day, with houses and trees in the background.
A small backyard garden with lush green plants, including ferns and a leafy shrub, in front of a rustic wooden shed decorated with small shelves holding potted plants and decorative objects.