Iraq in Pictures with Phil Kiver Feb 18 at 3pm

Iraqi war veteran and army journalist, Phil Kiver, has authored two books on the Iraq war. His photographs and journals bring to life the faces, places and events of this strange war in a strange land.

Raised in Cheney, Kiver graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Political Science. He spent his college years in the National Guard, then joined the active army, stationed in Fort Hood, Texas. While there he served as a broadcast journalist for the army and anchored a news show on NBC Waco. He also earned a master’s degree in the History of the American Civil War.
Once deployed, Kiver was assigned to the Public Affairs office of the Multi National Corp in Iraq. With his cameras and microphones, he spent his time "zooming across the sands in Humvees and Black Hawks" assigned to interview people at all levels. From the beautiful Iraqi children who clamor for Tootsie Rolls, to American soldiers at play and work, to charred bodies in destroyed vehicles, Kiver's photographs bring the war home in ways that are both disturbing and enlightening. "I'm doing what I can to beat the drum for the service we've done," Kiver told Whidbey News Times last month. "We need to be proud of what the men and women in the U.S. Military have accomplished."
Meet Phil Kiver and see his photographs at the Oak Harbor Library on Thursday, February 18, at 3 pm. Book sales and signing available at event. The program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

Free Digital Photography Classes in Oak Harbor

Do you have a new digital camera? Are you still trying to learn all the features on your old camera? Join Charlie Beck, prize winning photographer, at the Oak Harbor Library on Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January 31 at 1:30 each day for this free series. Experienced photographers may want to attend the Sunday session only, where Charlie will go "Beyond the Basics" to demonstrate ways to improve your digital photos. See you at the library! Mary

This Month's Artist: Margaret Eklund

Born in Oregon and raised on a farm in northeastern Washington, Margaret’s love for painting began at an early age.

She received her formal art education at schools in California and Washington before she began employment as a commercial artist for The Boeing Company.

After marriage she took time out to stay at home and paint part time while raising a family. She continued her art education, taking painting classes from established artists in the Bellevue area, and began showing her work in juried shows. The Frye Art Museum in Seattle accepted her wildlife painting of a northern hawk owl as an entry in their annual Pacific Northwest Painters juried exhibition.

Margaret and her husband recently moved to Whidbey Island where she has been painting local scenes in both watercolor and acrylic mediums.