Peninsula Art League: 40 Years of Art in Gig Harbor

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A milestone festival supporting artists and future creatives

By Like Media Team

For 40 years, the Peninsula Art League (PAL) Summer Arts Festival has brought community to the artist and art to the community. The 40th festival takes place July 18 and 19, 2026, at Sehmel Homestead Park. Admission and parking are free. Saturday hours are 10 am–6 pm, and Sunday hours are 10 am–5 pm.

“Reaching this milestone is a moment of immense pride for us,” says PAL President Robin Avni. “We have grown and evolved from a small group of artists in the early 1980s into the organization we are today, now representing over 240 local artists and art lovers in Pierce and Kitsap counties.”

Over 100 juried artists will be on-site across both days, with work spanning basketry, ceramics, fiber arts, garden art, glass art, jewelry, metal art, mosaic, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and woodworking.

Artists travel from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and the selection is competitive.

This year, four experienced artists reviewed submissions across multiple disciplines and selected participants through a private, collaborative voting process. Alongside those established names, the Emerging Artist category continues to gain momentum, giving first-time exhibitors a professional platform to reach thousands of attendees.

“We are proud to encourage new talent at the festival,” Avni says. “The Emerging Artist booths offer a very special opportunity for festival attendees to discover and support new talent.”

New this year is the Community Arts in the Field, a designated area on the festival grounds available at no cost to regional arts organizations. The Gig Harbor Film Festival, Visit Gig Harbor, Ghostlight Performing Arts, and the Gig Harbor and Bainbridge Island Studio Tours are among the 2026 participants.

Inside the Volunteer Vern Pavilion, the PAL Summer Member Show runs alongside the outdoor booths. Entries are selected through a juried process. This year’s juror is Christine Buchanan, a sculptor and Fine Arts Department Chair at Peninsula High School, where she has taught sculpture, pottery, glass, and printmaking for more than 30 years.

Buchanan will award Best of Show, First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and three Honorable Mentions. Festival visitors can also vote for the People’s Choice Award, one of the event’s most anticipated honors.

Since the festival began in 1986, its proceeds have funded the art league’s high school scholarship program every year. In 2026, the organization awarded thousands of dollars to nine students from four area high schools: Gig Harbor, Peninsula, Henderson Bay, and South Kitsap. Recipients plan to pursue studies in art, film, music, architecture, and digital arts.

Live music on the Kimball Coffeehouse Music Stage begins at noon both days. Food vendors BBQ2U, Iscreamery, Kai’s Shaved Ice, Fusion Donuts, Stack’s Burgers, Gather Gig Harbor, and Travelin’Tom’s Coffee will be stationed in the food court near the stage.

Kids’ activities will run throughout the weekend with PenMet Parks, Kiwanis, Snapology, and face painting by Masks and Mugs. A free continuous shuttle will connect the Gig Harbor High School parking lot to the festival entrance at Sehmel Homestead Park, with on-site parking also available at no charge.

Avni encourages first-time visitors to browse the full artist catalog at PeninsulaArtLeague.org before arriving, then leave enough time to explore both the outdoor booths and the Member Summer Show inside the Pavilion. Live demonstrations by PAL members take place just outside the Pavilion entrance, offering visitors a closer look at how the work is made.