Vintage Christmas Cards by Northwest Artists, 1900 – 1990s

November 8, 2023 – January 7, 2024

Cascadia Art Museum is excited to announce the return of our highly anticipated annual exhibition of vintage Christmas cards by noted Northwest artists and designers. Our collection dates from 1909 through the present with many produced at mid-century.

For most of the 20^th century, regional artists created original works of art to send to their fellow artists, friends and families to celebrate the Holiday Season. The cards were created using an array of various mediums such as woodcut and linoleum blocks; etching and drypoints; screenprints, as well as watercolor, oil, collage and other materials.

This collection includes examples by many familiar names such as Paul Horiuchi and George Tsutakawa as well as some creative individuals now forgotten by time. Of special interest this year are a collection of rare original color blockprint cards by renowned Northwest artist Mac Harshberger (1900-1975) donated to us by the artist’s nephew. The Harshberger cards reflect Art Deco and Modernist design themes as they date from the 1920’s-through 1960’s.

Also entering our collection this year are a group of rare vintage Holiday cards by the earliest internationally known artist from the Northwest, Myra Albert Wiggins (1869-1956) Wiggins was a painter and fine art photographer who was a member of Alfred Stieglitz exclusive “Photo Secession”. Wiggins co-founded Women Painters of Washington in 1930.

A book featuring many of the cards from our collection is available in our gift store.

Image Credits:

Klee Wyk Studio (1950-1962), Bird Design, 1956. Color blockprint. Promised gift to Cascadia Art Museum.
Cover image of Cascadia Art Museum’s Vintage Christmas Cards by Northwest Artists publication.