More than just a place to display art, a new gallery in Clinton provides a venue for people to build community.

Earlier this month, Rocky Jensen opened Koneksi Co-Creative Gallery, a vibrant, multi-purpose space where visitors can purchase products from Whidbey vendors, play music or contribute to a community mural, among other things.

“I love to host events, I love to bring people together,” Jensen said.

The word koneksi means “connection” in Indonesian, a word Jensen chose that represents their Indo heritage.

Jensen has lived on Whidbey for the past decade. In opening Koneksi, they drew inspiration from two other beloved island businesses that are now obsolete – the Machine Shop and Whidbey Wonders.

At the former pinball arcade in Langley, Jensen worked for Tim Leonard, helping with

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