Clark County Historical Museum To Explore LGBTQ Artists And Pacific Northwest Art History With The Lavender Palette (Photo) - 09/21/26
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Clark County Historical Museum will present History on Tap - The Lavender Palette: LGBTQ Artists and th Art of Washington State on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Old Liberty Theater in Ridgefield, featuring art historian and curator David F. Martin and his groundbreaking research into LGBTQ artists who helped shape the artistic and cultural identity of Washington State.
The presentation marks the final installment of the museum's 2026 History on Tap series and begins at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m.
Martin's presentation draws on more than three decades of original research that culminated in his 2020 publication, The Lavender Palette: Gay Culture and the Art of Washington State, and a corresponding exhibition at the Cascadia Art Museum in Edmonds.
Beginning as far back as the 1910s, Martin's research examines the lives and work of pioneering gay and lesbian artists whose contributions to the Pacific Northwest's artistic heritage have often been overlooked or understudied. Through artwork, personal photographs, archival materials and stories from his research, Martin will explore the artists who helped establish a distinctive regional aesthetic and contributed to Washington's broader cultural history.
Much of Martin's research comes from sources that have not previously been widely available. He knew several of the artists personally and developed relationships with their families and descendants, giving him access to previously unpublished biographical materials and photographs.
The book features essays and biographies of thirteen artists and examines their artistic contributions and the development of a regional cultural identity. Martin also addresses the historical use of the colors lavender and purple in association with homosexuality and considers how those associations have evolved over time.
David F. Martin is Curator for the Cascadia Art Museum in Edmonds, Washington, and a leading authority on Washington State art history. For more than 30 years, Martin has focused his research on artists active between 1880 and 1970, including women, Asian American, LGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented artists.
He is the author of numerous books and exhibition catalogues and contributes essays and catalogue entries to national and international publications on painting, printmaking and photography. Martin has lectured throughout the United States and Europe on Northwest regional art.
His landmark 2020 publication, The Lavender Palette: Gay Culture and the Art of Washington State, was the first American art history publication of its kind.
Martin received an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts in 2017 and the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild's 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Presentation begins at 7 p.m.
Old Liberty Theater
115 Main Avenue
Ridgefield, WA 98642
Admission is $5 for non-members and free for Clark County Historical Museum members.
Tickets are available at cchmuseum.org.
History on Tap is a public history series presented by the Clark County Historical Museum, bringing historians, researchers and community experts together for engaging conversations about the history and heritage of Clark County and the Pacific Northwest.
The event is sponsored by Old Liberty Theater and Ridgefield Main Street, with The Columbian serving as media sponsor.
