A party?

Door prizes made by artists?

A special culinary surprise at The Fish Bowl?

If you don’t already have an invitation to the 15th anniversary celebration of the Artists Co-operative Gallery in Langley, run on down to The Fish Bowl and get in on the fun.

The co-op gallery and The Fish Bowl restaurant are joining festive forces from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 26 with complementary wine and hors d’oeuvre at both locations. That little corner of the art world at Second and Anthes streets in Langley will be party central with art, food, decorations and fun. But you must pick up an invitation before you come.

Organizers Moe Jerome, a featured painter at the co-op, and Fishbowl owner Maureen Cooke have a mission beyond just the celebration of the gallery’s birthday.

“We see this as a way to bring back the awareness of art in the community,” Jerome said. “We feel like it has kind of slipped away.”

The way Cooke sees it, Langley is an entire experience and not just a place for tourists to come, sleep over and leave. It is a vibrant community with many opportunities for not only tourists but for locals to revel in. Langley is overflowing with rich artistic experiences that are available to islanders all year round, like the Artwalk on the first Saturday of every month that is hosted by Langley’s galleries.

“I built this restaurant for the locals,” Cooke said. “I hate the fact that I have to have tourists to make this run. I did it for the community.”

Jerome and Cooke see this party as both a celebration of local art and business in Langley and as a kick-off to what they hope will become a frequent happening in downtown: locals coming out to enjoy the unique island experience of a rich artistic community. They said they would like to do something like this once a month if the response is good.

“We have two theaters, several galleries, an old-fashioned movie house and plenty of places to dine, all within our little village,” said Cooke. “That’s so unique and special and we want the community to come out of their comfort zone and engage in and enjoy what they have.”

Cooke is a long-time supporter of the arts in Langley. She was recruited to head up the Harvest Moon Ball in 1989 and eventually became involved with the Island Arts Council and the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, and generally has raised awareness for the arts in the community ever since.

“I’ve always been a big promoter of artists and I like to make sure they are recognized,” said Cooke.

The Artists Cooperative Gallery, established in 1992 and located at 117 Anthes Ave. in Langley, shows the work of more than 30 local artists working in a variety of mediums. Artists become members through an interview and jury process. Their works runs the gamut of art from the traditional to experimental, and include fine art paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics, fiber and fabrics.

The gallery has also begun the installation of a sculpture garden on all the grounds surrounding the outside of the gallery. The party on Saturday will feature some of those newly installed outside pieces.

The Fishbowl is located at 317 Second St. in Langley. Reservations are available immediately following the party at 5:30 p.m. The menu is based on fresh ingredients from the land and sea and the restaurant often uses its walls to display the artwork of local artists.

For an invitation to the anniversary celebration or more information about the event call the Fishbowl at 221-6511 or the gallery at 221-7675.

Patricia Duff can be reached at 221-5300 or pduff@southwhidbeyrecord.com.