​Our Story

Alchemy Art Center is a new non-profit organization on San Juan Island.  Our mission is to foster creative expression and artistic growth in our community by offering work space for artists.  Alchemy Art Center fulfills a vital role as a place where artists of all ages can work, and where the larger community can explore artistic expression.
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Alchemy Art Center was founded by Maria Michaelson and Eben Shay in November, 2016, and became a 501(c(3) Non Profit in 2018.

​Starting Alchemy

​Maria Michaelson and Eben Shay bought the property at 1255 Wold Road in November, 2016. With their friend Richard Reeves, they spent the first year rebuilding the failing infrastructure, dreaming about the community that they were creating, and collecting and resurrecting old tools and supplies. The San Juan Island community supported them, and offered building materials, art making tools, and equipment. Their dream for a creative common space slowly became a reality. 

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE DONATED THEIR EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, TIME, AND FURNITURE:
Liza Michaelson, Carol Herbert, Polly Kaye, Malcolm Suttles, Family of Virginia Van-Camp, Jaime Ellsworth, Ted Strutts, Shaun Hubbard, Emily Reed-Gaiman, Anne Digiavanni, Deirdre Morris, Yvonne Buis Mancuso, Ben Hainey, Ron and Trish Leighman, Mark Cunningham, Jay and Amrita Ibold, Mark and Beth Hetrick, Peter Kilpatrick, Kat Rose, Bella French, Jane Wentworth, Bob Vynne, Shel Bodenstein, Suzie Gartin, George Reeves, Lizzy Herbert, Glenn Hendrick, Hailey Elliot, Mara Lawrence, Sam Ford, Kassie Hancoop, and Jim and Lisa Lawrence.