Lopez Island Library

09/01/2026

The community is invited to an art presentation by Lopez Island artist Colin Snap. It is deliberately intended to be experienced without context other than that it is open to the public and will last about an hour. Bring an open, curious mind and whatever you need to be warm and comfortable outside. There will be some chairs and some blankets and pillows for seating, but bring anything else you’d like for yourself. Parking will be along Richardson Road, and there will be a small amount of walking required to get to the event location.

Artist / Photographer Colin Snapp grew up on Lopez Island. He obtained his BFA in filmmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. He taught art and filming seminars during his studies through his early career. His previous exhibitions include BAM / Brooklyn Academy of Music, Hauser & Wirth, Times Square AEO LED Billboard Project, Sculpture Center, Whitney Museum of American Art, Recess Activities, White Box Gallery, Jericho Ditch, Triple Canopy, Proyectos Ultravioleta, and Galerie Allen.
He has lived and worked between New York and Los Angeles and returned to live full-time on Lopez a couple of years ago. “

08/12/2026

There have been reports of a shy bear hanging out at the library. That can only mean one thing, it’s time for the Teddy Bear Picnic! Our Library Bear only comes out once a year and you don’t want to miss it. Thursday, August 13 at 11am in the back orchard.

Bring your teddy bear (or another favorite stuffed friend) for stories, music, picnic-time fun, and—of course—the legendary teddy bear zipline!

And keep your eyes open. You never know when our Library Bear might finally work up the courage to come out and say hello.

08/06/2026

New(ish) to Lopez? Welcome! Whether you’ve been here for a month or several years, live here part-time or full-time, join us tonight, Thursday, August 6, from 6–8:30 PM for The Welcome Basket: A Community Welcome Social.

Been on Lopez for a while....or longer than a while? You’re invited too! Come share your island tips, meet new neighbors, and help us welcome some fresh faces.

Come enjoy games, refreshments, Lopez trivia, each other! There will be plenty of time to meet interesting people and make new connections.

And that’s not all! A few lucky attendees taking home a welcome basket filled with local treats and gifts

A heartfelt thank-you to the local organizations that generously contributed to the welcome baskets:

Barn Owl Bakery, Blossom Grocery, The Galley, Lopez Bookshop, Lopez Chamber of Commerce, Lopez Grind, and Vita’s.

All ages. All welcome. Thursday, August 6, 6–8:30 PM

08/06/2026

Big Laughs for a Good Cause

Get ready for clever challenges, ridiculous solutions, and plenty of local laughs! Inspired by the popular TV show, Lopez Taskmaster features Lopezians competing in creative and absurd tasks.

See the challenges taped over the Winter, hear live commentary from contestants and Taskmaster, and watch a final live task to determine the winner.

Brought to you by the Friends of the Lopez Island Library, this fun community event raises funds to support the library.

When: Sunday, August 9 | 2–3:30 p.m.
Where: Lopez Center for Community and the Arts
Tickets: $20 at the door

PS Be sure to check out their silent auction, too, at the event.

08/03/2026

Project Little Red has reached an exciting milestone, thanks to the incredible generosity of the community.

Representatives from Friends of the Lopez Island Library recently presented the library with a ceremonial “big check” for $227,000. The funds complete the community match needed to qualify for a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Together with the state grant and funding from San Juan County’s Public Facilities Financing Assistance Program, this support will make Phase 1 of Project Little Red possible: replacing the library’s aging roof and failing windows. These essential improvements will help protect the building, improve energy efficiency, and ensure this much-loved community space remains safe, sound, and ready to provide enrichment, education, and enjoyment for generations to come.

Nearly 300 individuals and families contributed to the campaign. Every donation, large or small, helped us reach the match and unlock significant public funding.

We are deeply grateful to the Friends and to everyone who contributed. This milestone is a wonderful example of what Lopez can accomplish when people come together around something they value. The library belongs to this community, and the community has truly stepped up to protect its future.

With Phase 1 fundraising complete, the library is moving ahead with the architectural and planning work needed to guide the roof and window project through design, permitting, bidding, and construction.

The big check is worth celebrating, but Project Little Red is not finished. The Friends are already raising funds for Phase 2, the final phase, which will address additional building and infrastructure needs and help keep the library welcoming, accessible, resilient, and functional well into the future.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the Friends for their remarkable partnership and year-round fundraising efforts, and to every individual, family, business, and organization that helped make this milestone possible.

Learn more about Project Little Red and the Friends’ continuing campaign at friendsoflopezlibrary.org.

08/01/2026

August is harvest month. Partake of these abundant offerings: dive into “The Plunge” documentary; explore the Salish Sea Dome; be welcomed at The Welcome Basket Social; be hilariously entertained at the Lopez Taskmaster fundraiser; start a personal archive at Archival Boundaries; view a new exhibition of paintings by local artist Julia Mira; come to the 49th annual Teddy Bear Picnic; enjoy original music in the back orchard with Samuel Kim and Amir Akram; learn animation techniques with Yarely Torres Reynoso; pick up your summer reading cards; and much more!

Full newsletter link, https://bit.ly/4w2zpnU.

08/01/2026

Premiere Screening: Braving the Chill, a new documentary by Lopez Library Artist in Residence Pedro Costa.

Filmed here on Lopez Island, the documentary follows a local cold-water plunging group and explores the courage, connection, and community found in taking the plunge together.

The screening will be followed by a talk and Q&A with Pedro and a panel of participants featured in the film.

Saturday, August 1, 4:30–5:30 PM

Come celebrate a locally made film and the intrepid islanders who brave the cold!

07/28/2026

A Special Event in collaboration with 404 FOUND Arts Residency.

Edward Rafael Castro is a fashion design artist/photographer/biographer who is combining his talents over his three week residency to create garments that contain narrative content true to the lives of the wearers they are designed for, constructed from upcycled materials combined with vintage fabric scraps, visible stitching, buttons and decorative details, embedded with literal or metaphorical content.

The goal of this project is to emphasize the creativity and meaning that fashion and costume have held in indigenous communities and in ancient times, and bring that love and care forward to the present. “Fashion as Portraiture” explores the idea of slow fashion, as an art form. An individual artist makes a piece of clothing from the ground up, for a specific person, with an understanding of that person’s lifestyle, history, habits and preferences; a return to long ago values that can be a way forward for future humans. Demonstrating the values of connection and creativity, care in repurposing resources that are already available, and taking the time to understand and build relationships between individuals is the process.

July 29, 2026
5:30 - 7:00pm
Lopez Island Library

07/10/2026

07/08/2026

Getting our steps ready for tomorrow night's SWING DANCE!

A short dance lesson begins a 7pm, and we'll start dancing at 7:30!

Free and all ages are welcome.

See you at the Lopez Center with your dancing shoes!