Northwest Mystics and Beyond

Artworks in the Civic Collection by artists who were labeled the “Northwest Mystics” in a 1953 Life Magazine article. The article brought broad recognition to these artists, and although some of them resisted the classification, the name has persisted over time. In addition to the local natural environment, the Northwest School was influenced by Asian aesthetics, surrealism, cubism, and abstract expressionism. Click on the artist image below to explore their artworks.