Doe Bay gives back through artist in residency

For the past six years, Joe and Maureen Brotherton have welcomed traveling musicians to Doe Bay Resort for the summer.

After discontinuing the multiday music extravaganza Doe Bay Fest during the pandemic, the Brothertons decided to launch an artist residency program instead. It provides bands a weeklong stay at the resort, food, a local recording session and an honorarium. The musicians also host free concerts open to guests and the public.

“Doe Bay was known for big shows, but some of the best moments were with a small audience and a few performers on the beach or by the campfire. We decided to try to create that in the Doe Bay Artist In Residence — and it works!” Joe said.

The program has grown each year and now includes writers, actors, painters and sculptors. Musicians are scheduled to perform weekly at Doe Bay from now until the end of September. There are no tickets but off-site guests are asked to preregister at https://forms.gle/Cse3PrkeZLqTAmb89. The Brothertons are underwriting the program as part of their commitment to the arts. The full lineup can be viewed at https://doebay.com/doe-bay-air-2025/.

“All we ask of you is to applaud, and maybe tip the artists,” Joe said.

Over the years, many of the artists in residence ended up recording music in their cabins or in the Doe Bay Yoga Studio, which didn’t provide ideal audio conditions. In 2024, Joe partnered with Kevin Colomby to offer a free recording session in Colomby’s state-of-the-art Hidden Valley Studio, just down the road in Olga. Orcas Center Executive Artistic Director Jake Perrine provides the mixing of the recordings. To listen to last year’s compilation of visiting artists’ tracks, check out the album at https://dbair.hearnow.com/.

“Collaborating with Joe and the DBAIR musicians has been a dream come true,” Colomby said. “I love hosting a casual and professional recording experience for artists who love making music. The studio is built for inspiration: great acoustics, natural light and an efficient workflow.”

The residency program also coincides with the Orcas Center’s Outdoor Summer Concert Series, so Perrine approached Joe about collaborating on selecting artists who could also perform in the Village Green. Doe Bay was already housing many of the artists, so helping with the curation was an easy step.

“It is hard to do what Orcas Center does with performing artists, and housing is one of the challenges. Doe Bay has been a part of the solution,” Joe explained.

Added Perrine: “We have higher caliber artists than ever before, many of whom played at Doe Bay Fest.”

To see the full lineup of Orcas Center’s summer concert series, visit https://orcascenter.org/music/announcing-the-2025-summer-concert-series/. Hundreds of visitors and locals attend the series, which is made possible by sponsors and those who donate housing, like Doe Bay.

The summer concert series is kicking off with a Father’s Day show on Sunday, June 15, featuring fathers and sons Navid Eliot, Jeff Fielder (and Tekla Waterfield) and Hank Lemon featuring Henry LaValle (and his dad), starting at 5 p.m. This will be the first concert produced under the Doe Bay/Orcas Center collaboration.

“The Artist in Residency invites artists to stay at Doe Bay for a week, overlap with other musicians, record and get a paid gig to play in the Village Green — what a tour de force in supporting regional music,” Perrine said.

Joe and Maureen are longtime advocates of Orcas Center and urge other businesses to do the same.

“Doe Bay is a pretty big employer in a rural area. We provide our staff with free access to all cultural events at OC. It is good for the staff and for the community. This is something we urge other employers to do. It’s a great perk for our employees, and the performers love a full house,” Joe said.