Submitted by David Halpern.

San Juan Artist David Halpern was honored to win the Originality Award for his submission in the 2025 Anacortes Arts Festival Juried Art Exhibit. The show ran during the annual Anacortes Arts Festival last weekend and drew submissions from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Halpern’s award comes with an honorarium of $1,000.

You may have seen some of Halpern’s work at the San Juan Island Sculpture Park, where a flock of his Ghost Net Sheep graze. The sheep are made from recycled fish net with heads fashioned from 1930s vintage cedar fish floats. “I think of them as island iconic,” said Halpern. “Raising sheep and fishing have both been important parts of the island life for generations. It’s fun to bundle them together into a piece of art

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