“Worth Remembering”

Eva recalls living on the Alaskan coast with her late husband, a fisherman. She used to fillet the fish he brought home each evening. Mary shares that she’s most proud of being appointed gardener at the senior center. What memories are powerful enough to withstand age and disease? What does it mean when someone afflicted with dementia can remember her rose garden but not her children? Bellingham artist Terra Fine navigates the issues surrounding memory in “Worth Remembering” (through June 28), a series of charcoal portraits based on her experiences volunteering at a nursing home. A poignant examination of the mind’s frailty, Fine’s art demonstrates a frustrating truth: regardless of their importance, we cannot always control what memories we hold onto. Shift Collaborative Studio, 306 S. Washington St. #105, 547-1215, www.shiftstudio.org. Free. Reception 5–8 p.m. ERIKA HOBART
June 5-28, 2008