Art has played a significant role in shaping The Rainier Club throughout our history. We support our local art community through the work of our members – art collectors, supporters, aficionados, and artists themselves – through our events, partnerships, and our Laureate award program. The Rainier Club is home to one of the largest private collections of works by Edward S. Curtis, famed photographer, ethnographer, and Rainier Club member from 1903-1921.
Our collection features some of the most memorable photogravures from his body of work "The North American Indian" and includes rare platinum prints by Curtis. Not only is the Clubhouse itself a work of art, thanks to architect Kirtland Cutter, but the Clubhouse walls are adorned with eclectic treasures donated to the Club over the years. Our collection is as varied and unique as our members, boasting more than 350 works firmly rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Collection highlights include works from the 1909 Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, Northwest mystics Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan, Jules Charet, Morris Graves, George Tsutakawa, and glass master and Rainier Club Laureate Dale Chihuly.
Our collection also features Northwest contemporary artists Alden Mason, William Ivey, and Rainier Club Laureate Tony Angell. We currently display two permanent loans, a collection of seascapes and objects through MOHAI, and a collection of notable works by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries courtesy of Rainier Club members John and Joyce Price.
The Rainier Club's Arts Committee continues its tradition of hosting gallery openings, featuring a diverse array of talented artists from the Pacific Northwest. More recently, we’ve celebrated the ongoing creativity of individuals such as Squire Broel, Mateo Chacon, Catherine Eaton Skinner, and, currently showing, Daniel Winterbottom as their works were showcased in our Gallery, enriching the cultural fabric of our community through art.