Submitted by the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.

The San Juan Islands is an oasis for dozens of artists and craftspeople. From boatbuilders to weavers and painters to writers, our Salish community is fertile ground for tranquility, introspection and inspiration.

While many people in their 70s are winding down into quiet, routine lives, Ann Vandervelde and Peter Cavanagh of Lopez Island celebrate their artistic prime.

Cavanagh lived the life of a successful academic in the mechanics of human movement. He began as a professor at Penn State and later became the biomedical engineering chair at the Cleveland Clinic. In 2008, he moved west to Seattle to work at the University of Washington Department of Orthopedic Surgery for 10 years.

Upon retirement, Cavanagh found his desire to learn did not diminish, and so he began a new chapter of studying avian flight and wildlife photography. This passion has taken him all over the world, most recently to India and Bhutan, and yielded two books: “100 Flying Birds: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight” and “How Birds Fly: The Science and Art of Avian Flight.”

Vandervelde was raised in an artistic home in Wisconsin — her mother was a published poet. Vandervelde began her career as a graphic designer, making illustrations for the agriculture department at Penn State. She later went on to get her master’s degree and taught literature and English during the school year and art to adults in the summers.

However, Vandervelde sought to deepen her own artistic expression. She started a series of photography and realistic paintings, yielding a gorgeous collection of botanical works.

Later, at the encouragement of one of her artistic mentors, Vandervelde began to explore theoretical concepts. Since then, she has traversed a fascinating journey from realism to abstractionism. Her use of color, texture, and technique is intriguing and is inspired by concepts such as geology, geography, urbanism, and contemporary politics. Her work encourages viewers to explore her paintings from all angles and perspectives.

The Lopez Center for Community and the Arts, in conjunction with The Lopez Bookshop, Lopez Library, and Lopez Artist Guild, is hosting Vandervelde and Cavanagh on Friday, May 9, for a showing of their works and back-to-back presentations.

Vandervelde will share her experience of being an abstract artist. She will discuss her mentors, her history as an artist, and the progression of her work. Attendees can learn about her creative process and how she has come to understand that the canvas has the final say about a piece of art. Vandervelde returns to her paintings as many times as possible — often over several months — until the work is truly complete.

Cavanagh will discuss his latest book “How Birds Fly: The Science and Art of Avian Flight.” This book is a mesmerizing deep dive into one of the greatest wonders of nature — the locomotion of birds. He covers how birds lift, land, perch, soar, hover, change direction and more. This topic has never been written for the layperson, and he has done an excellent job of making his descriptions of avian aerodynamics accessible and comprehensible to everyone.

You will likely be fascinated by Cavanagh’s discoveries about bird flight, but if that does not keep your attention, the photos certainly will. It’s hard to imagine that wildlife photography is a relatively new passion for Cavanagh because the quality of his images looks like the work of someone who has been photographing for a lifetime. His composition, clarity and diversity of birds from all over the world are truly a wonder to behold.

This is an incredible opportunity to join the Lopez community in learning about two inspiring residents who are still experiencing a love of learning and expression.

On May 9, the evening’s events will begin with a gallery show opening at 5 p.m. with artists’ presentations at 6:30. It is free to attend, and light refreshments will be served. To learn more, contact the Lopez Center at office@lopezcenter.org or visit www.lopezcenter.org.