Sequim is known for two things that, at first glance, have nothing to do with each other: lavender and art. The town bills itself as the Lavender Capital of North America, home to a dozen farms that bloom spectacularly each July. It also hosts one of the most active gallery communities of any small town in Washington State. But these two identities aren't as separate as they appear. They grew from the same soil, literally and figuratively, and they continue to nourish each other in ways worth examining.
The Same Climate, the Same Draw
Lavender and artists came to Sequim for the same fundamental reason: the rain shadow. Lavandula, whether English, French, or hybrid varieties, requires well-drained soil and abundant sunshine. The Olympic Peninsula's rain shadow, which keeps annual precipitation under 17 inches while surrounding areas receive four to ten times more, creates conditions that mimic the lavender-growing regions of Provence.
The first commercial lavender farms appeared in the 1990s, though small-scale plantings had existed for decades before. By the mid-2000s, lavender had become central to Sequim's tourism identity, attracting tens of thousands of visitors during the annual Sequim Lavender Festival each July.
Artists noticed the same climate advantage. Persistent sunlight meant reliable natural light for studio work and plein air painting. The mild winters (rarely below freezing, thanks to maritime influence) allowed year-round outdoor activity. The landscape was visually rich and varied. Many of the artists who settled in Sequim during the same period were drawn by exactly the conditions that make lavender thrive.
Lavender as Subject
Walk through any gallery in Sequim during peak season and you'll find lavender in the paintings. Purple rows stretching toward the Olympic Mountains. Close-up studies of individual blooms with bees suspended in flight. Impressionistic fields where the boundary between lavender and sky dissolves into atmosphere. For plein air painters, the lavender farms are irresistible subjects, and the farm owners generally welcome artists who set up easels at the field edges.
The challenge for painters is avoiding cliche. Lavender fields are inherently pretty, and "pretty" is a trap that can lead to decorative work without substance. The strongest lavender paintings tend to be the ones that go beyond the purple: the way light falls differently on morning-wet plants versus afternoon-dry ones, the geometric precision of cultivated rows against the wild disorder of surrounding meadows, the particular quality of color that emerges when lavender is past peak bloom and fading toward gray.
Photographers face a similar challenge and opportunity. The most shared images of Sequim lavender are saturated sunset shots that look beautiful on Instagram but tell you nothing specific. Photographers who spend serious time with the subject find more interesting territory: the labor of harvesting, the architecture of distillation equipment, the textural complexity of dried lavender bundles, the interaction between cultivated fields and the wild landscape they occupy.
Lavender as Material
Beyond its role as subject, lavender has become a physical material in the work of several Sequim-area artists. Fiber artists use dried lavender in sachets and textile installations. Ceramicists incorporate lavender-impressed textures into clay surfaces before firing. One local mixed-media artist creates botanical prints using actual lavender stems and blooms pressed onto handmade paper.
The essential oil extracted from Sequim lavender appears in some artists' studios as an ingredient in cleaning solvents and as a scent element in mixed-media work. A few enterprising makers have experimented with lavender-based natural dyes, though the results tend toward subtle gray-brown tones rather than the vivid purple people expect.
The Festival Connection
The annual Lavender Festival, typically held the third weekend of July, has become a significant venue for local artists. Sequim Arts coordinates an artist booth section within the festival grounds, where member artists display and sell lavender-themed and non-lavender work alongside the farms' booths of sachets, essential oils, and culinary products.
For artists, the festival represents one of the highest-traffic sales opportunities of the year. Thousands of visitors pass through the festival over the weekend, and many are in a mood to browse and buy. Painters who might sell a few pieces during a quiet November Art Walk can sell a dozen during the Lavender Festival. That economic boost matters, particularly for artists who depend on art sales as a primary or supplementary income source.
The festival also introduces visitors to Sequim's arts community who might not have known it existed. Someone who drives from Seattle for lavender bouquets and U-pick experiences may discover the gallery district on the same trip. That crossover between lavender tourism and arts tourism is one of the most productive dynamics in Sequim's local economy.
A Shared Identity
Lavender and art have become intertwined in Sequim's sense of itself. The town's welcome signs, marketing materials, and public imagery feature both elements prominently. Local businesses (wine bars, restaurants, gift shops) display art that references lavender. Farms sell artistic products alongside agricultural ones. The two sectors share a calendar rhythm: quiet winters of preparation, building energy in spring, peak activity in summer, and a reflective autumn harvest.
Neither lavender nor art alone would have been enough to give Sequim the cultural identity it has today. A town known only for lavender risks being a one-weekend novelty destination. A town with galleries but no other tourism draw struggles to bring enough visitors to sustain them. Together, they create something that neither could achieve independently: a genuine small-town cultural destination that rewards visits in every season.
Experiencing the Connection
The best time to see the lavender-art overlap is during the July Lavender Festival, when the farms are in full bloom and the galleries feature lavender-inspired exhibitions. But the connection is visible year-round. Visit a downtown gallery in November and you'll find lavender scenes alongside winter landscapes. Stop by an artist's studio and you may find dried lavender bundles used as still-life subjects or textural references.
The relationship between lavender and art in Sequim isn't a marketing invention. It grew naturally from shared conditions, and it continues to deepen as both communities mature. If you're visiting the Olympic Peninsula, experiencing both sides of that relationship is one of the things that makes a trip to Sequim distinctly worthwhile.