Gay Waldman's Pool Party Wins 2025 Art Competition

West Seattle Garden Tour is thrilled to reveal the artwork entitled Pool Party by Spokane, Washington artist Gay Waldman has been selected as the winner of the 2025 annual art competition. 

“Frolicking Finches in a garden birdbath, showing off their Dahlia-swim caps! This is a mix of color enhanced and composite photographs. I digitally explore and layer my photographs to discover a new image. My goal is to entice the viewer to absorb the interaction of elements that surround us.”

Gay Waldman’s artwork is particularly intriguing with the way her images overlap, hide behind one another, then peak out and inspire the viewer. Her artwork making relies on constant exploration using a multitude of her photographs layered with rich color and translucent texture. Her imagery includes flora, birds, landscape, seasons, and occasional geometric relics. She presents her finished enhanced and composite photographs as collectable art cards, prints on traditional photo papers, as well as prints on hand-curved satin aluminum and designer fabric scarves.

In a significant way, her work expands how the viewer perceives, considers, and interprets photographic media as art. Selections of Gay’s artwork are currently showing online at www.gwaldman.com and at her Spokane home retail studio shop.

Pool Party will be featured on the 2025 Garden Tour’s official poster and ticket book. Gay will also receive a $750 cash prize. West Seattle Garden Tour will auction the artwork on the day of the tour, Sunday, June 22, 2025. Bids will be taken in one of the gardens from 9am to 5pm. Proceeds will benefit the year’s designated beneficiaries.

The submission period for the 2026 art competition will open this fall.