The following was submitted by the San Juan Islands Museum of Art.

From Feb. 17 to May 7, the San Juan Islands Museum of Art is presenting several exhibits created by five artists under the title “The Female Gaze.”

The “Substrate: underlying currents” group of three Orcas Island artists Susan Singleton, Hannah Alex-Glasser and Kandis Susol have, as women artists over many decades, shared an enduring commitment to their work. We feel that particularly in today’s world, this work carries an urgently needed and important counterbalancing voice.

One of the significant works of the exhibition is Kandis Susol’s piece “Take Refuge,” inspired by the documentary Human Flow, a film by Ai Weiwei about the 65 million refugees worldwide seeking refuge. Moved by the suffering presented in this film, Susol invites anyone to sit with her in silence at the museum to raise awareness regarding this human tragedy, and to acknowledge all manifestations of suffering caused by war, famine, genocide, and environmental degradation. We come together to sit in silent meditation and prayer with the intention to raise up the consciousness in order to create a more compassionate world.

No matter what your individual religious or spiritual persuasion, you are invited to join us at the museum from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 20 and May 1 for a silent vigil. A brief introduction will be followed by a 25-minute meditation, a five-minute walking meditation and a final 25-minute sit. The hour will end with a short “loving-kindness” prayer. Call Kandis at (360) 376-4962 to make a reservation as space is limited. Chairs will be provided if requested at the time of making a reservation, or you can bring your own meditation cushion. This event is free to the public. Donations are always appreciated.