Dedicated to creative intention, iolair offers contemporary artists a serene live-work space in the heart of a vibrant island town, to connect with themselves, their practice, nature, and the local community.

Eastsound, WA

about

A new artist residency, iolair (Gaelic for eagle; eye-oh-LAIR) is unfurling on beautiful Orcas Island, Washington. iolair’s living and studio space will host established and rising artists from around the globe, allowing them to immerse deeply in creative practice and share their work with our island community. Visiting artists are selected by invitation, by a nominating committee of contemporary arts professionals.

upcoming

“I'm a creative technologist and artist balancing commercial collaboration with independent practice — bringing clarity, form, and human-centered expression to complex ideas.

My work moves between design, technology, and contemporary art. I help studios and organizations create meaningful interactive experiences, while developing artworks that explore light, geometry, and transformation.” https://grauwald.com


Designed by award-winning architecture studio GO’C and built by Bluebird Builders, our muse of a structure opened its doors in 2025!

Stop by Saturday for treats from our neighbor @olgarising and music by local legend Gene Nery!
Join us for our second contemporary art chat!
“Here on Orcas, I’ve been in deep inquiry about the visual structure of the Hebrew language, which I know almost entirely through my spiritual practices, and how that relates to my (art) collection and specifically my relationship with my
We are thrilled to have Seattle artist @dfalchuk in the house! Stay tuned for info on her open studio Saturday, November 1. ✨ Diana Dvora Falchuk is a mother, artist, and facilitator of social change whose creative practices blend mediums and contex
Open studio with Epiphany Couch this Sunday!
Interdisciplinary artist and writer Epiphany Couch (she/her) will be in residency this month at iolair. Her work explores generational knowledge, storytelling, and our relationships with the natural and spiritual worlds. Working across photography, b
Now you see it… now you don’t✨. “Glass Mountain” is an uneasy meditation on transformation and the eerie sentience of the inanimate. These photographs depict places that seem to exist beyond the field of time, where stones h
Sublime photos by @k7scott, making iolair look its very best.✨ A massive thanks to @bluebirdbuildersllc and @go_c_studio who worked their hearts out getting the details just right.
Summer light✨
Come check out what @meganprinceart has been up to during her “miraculous time at iolair!” ✨Open studio is June 14, 3-5 p.m. Megan Prince is an interdisciplinary artist driven by relationships, and zero waste advocacy, exploring, love, m
When big things come in small packages… Our exquisite iolair sign was designed by @madebyshore, crafted by Matt Kelly at Helve House, and finally positioned at our front door by @go_c_studio and @bluebirdbuildersllc. This is the finishing to
Join us for open studio this Friday with @rafaelsoldi, 5-7p.m., remarks at 5:30! Rafael Soldi is a Peruvian­-born artist and independent curator based in Seattle (unceded Indigenous land of the Coast Salish peoples). He uses video, photography,
Cozying up the studio living room of our residency space.✨ We are dreaming of bookshelves for our growing stack of contemporary art books, and of opening a mini reading library for select hours between visiting artists. What are your favorite art
Still doing backflips of gratitude! Last month we were blown away to receive this stunning handmade quilt from our talented friends at @go_c_studio, the architects behind iolair. The quilt will soon be tucked away into iolair’s artist residen
Thank for coming out to celebrate iolair’s opening! Just over two years ago, we poured our foundation and planted our roots. Just this year, we hosted pilot artists who helped us refine the final phase of construction and vision. Just yest
Join us at iolair for our opening celebration this Sunday from 2-5p.m.!
December 8, 2-5p.m. Join us for an open house… Music by Gene Nery (3-5p.m.) Treats by Olga Rising Dancing lights thanks to Jared Lovejoy, Jake Perinne and Joseph Gray … as we celebrate iolair’s official opening!
Local wizard @j.lovejoy lighting up the space as we enter into the inspirational dark days of winter. @squirebroel paintings on the wall. With our pilot artist era ending, we now venture toward our official opening. Stay tuned!
“Coming to Iolair I had the idea that I wanted to work mostly on ideas surrounding scale invariant structures: like machines that when you dig down deep into their parts you can’t tell if you’ve just ended up looking at their face a
As our programming has continued to evolve, iolair has moved toward a juried nomination and invitation model, instead of an application process. Our intention is to serve both artist and our local community as thoughtfully as we can. Thank you for

contact

mailing address: PO Box 1119  Eastsound, WA  98245