There will be a memorial celebration of life service for Jeanette Best, who died November 30, 2017 at her home in Port Ludlow. The service will be held at the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (QUUF) at 2333 San Juan Ave in Port Townsend, on Saturday March 17 at 3 p.m., and is presented in conjunction with Northwind Arts Center, Unity Spiritual Enrichment Center and the QUUF.
Jeanette was born to Swedish immigrant parents, obtained a BA from the University of Wisconsin and an MA in Creative Arts from San Francisco State University. She studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago, UCLA, College of the Americas in Mexico City, and Timo Pajunen College of Marin, as well as with Janet Brown on Whidbey Island, and Melissa Newell at Edmonds Community College. She taught Water Media and Studio Arts at Peninsula College, Sculpture with Quimper Arts in Port Townsend, and Ceramics at the Port Ludlow Bay Club. Her work has been exhibited in Washington and Oregon.
Jeanette was a mentor of artists and participated in the founding of organizations that support local artists, such as Port Townsend (renamed Jefferson) Arts Alliance, which eventually became Northwind Arts Center, Art Port Townsend, and the Port Ludlow Art League. The Port Townsend Arts Commission named her Angel of the Arts in 2004 and Patron of the Arts posthumously in 2017.
Jeanette devoted countless hours to our community. “I think I’m doing my own work less because of my community involvement,” said Best. “But there’s a definite reward in being part of making things happen in an area that you feel is important.” She served on the boards of many of the organizations she help found, as well as other charitable organizations throughout the West Coast. She was Northwind’s board president for 12 years before stepping down from that position in 2016.
Jeanette bequeathed her art to Northwind. Some of the pieces will be offered to the Jefferson County Historical Society, and others will be sold to continue Jeanette’s work at the Arts Center.
