Art in Downtown Yakima

This weekend I went for a walk downtown. I went for lunch but I also went to see the Windows Alive project. There's some pretty nice displays in those windows on the north side of Yakima Ave between 3rd and 4th Streets.

Sandi Drury's display window

I don't know all of the artists and there wasn't much biographical information about them, but the works were strong and they were set up well. I participated in a similar project in my hometown in Wisconsin but the windows set up for the artworks were parts of stores that operating. The Yakima version puts works in windows of business that have closed or were never open (to my knowledge). The lack of competing visual information meant that the Yakima Windows Alive project puts the art front and center and the focus and arrangement apparently can be controlled by the artist. Even the partial walls on which 2D work was hung were well made walls with minimal visual distraction.

display for work by Mike Ritch

Thought Windows Alive doesn't have a strong online presence (and I can't seem to find many pictures), it appears to be going strong. This is the second group of works and I have heard that there will be another call for artists in spring or summer.

Mike Ritch

Though this will disappoint my photographer friends, I didn't bring a camera with me on my walk. I had to go back the next day for pictures and only took a few. You'll have to go down yourself to see the show. The weather is pretty nice here in Yakima (sorry to my Midwestern and Eastern friends), so take some time this week or next weekend and go for a walk. There are even some shops and restaurants downtown that we sometimes forget about.

Lindsey Merrell

On my walk I also saw the Liberty Bottle chandeliers put up by Allied Arts. They were apparently painted by Naches Elementary students. The focus may not have been on the sound exactly, but they were blowing in the wind and making noise when I was down there.

 chandeliers blowing in the wind

I have been hearing or seeing a little about Allied Arts doing some "Art Scene" stuff downtown but I didn't realize what was actually going on until I got down there. Now that Allied Arts is building-less I get the impression they are "creating a new identity" for themselves. It should be interesting to keep an eye on their transition. I hope they increase their online presence so the Yakima arts community can stay informed.

Some chandeliers on North First

Good Year

I bragged about my clay students in my last post, but I've had a great year too.

At School
I've had a great year in my teaching career. At the YVCC graduation ceremony in June I will be receiving the Sherrie and Daryl Parker Faculty Award. Award winners are nominated by students. My clay students (the one's I just bragged about) nominated me this year.

The Distinguished Service Award goes to the Larson Gallery Guild of which I am a board member.

I was also nominated for ASYVCC (Associated Students of Yakima Valley Community College) Teacher of the Year. Both full time art instructors and three Humanities instructors were nominated this year.

And finally, I was awarded a sabbatical for next fall. I will be working in my home studio, preparing work for an exhibition in January at Columbia Basin College, exploring the problem of integrating non-ceramic materials into my clay sculpture, and preparing an article about my research.

Top half of "SRAM Gears" currently on show at the DoVA Exhibition at Larson Gallery

bottom half of "SRAM Gears" recently shown at Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton, WA

In My Work

It has also been a good year for my sculpture. At the end of summer I completed a small set of work incorporating bike parts. I am pleased with the direction of this work and have shown the results in New York City, Bremerton, Ellensburg and Yakima. 

"SRAM Supported Botany" donated to World Bicycle Relief as part of the pART Project fundraiser

"Big SRAM", recently show at Central Washington University and the Tour of Artist's Homes; soon to be on exhibit at the Larson Gallery Membership Exhibition

I have also had success with other work in national and local shows. This year I have shown work in Texas, Illinois, Washington state (of course), and I have work currently en route to New Hampshire for a show called "Human/Nature." I was so busy with Tour of Artists' Homes and my students' events or other local events, that I completely neglected to even mention the "Women's Works" show in Woodstock, Illinois or the "Human/Nature" show in Manchester, New Hampshire before this. The New Hampshire show runs June 15-August 1 and I know at least two people who will be able to see the work in person.

"Zebra Mussels" on its way to New Hampshire for "Human/Nature."

It appears I will also have work making its way from its temporary home in my parent's basement in Wisconsin to St Croix, Wisconsin for a continuation of a Climate Change exhibition that traveled Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota from 2006-2009. 

"Taka Kozonanka" is in Texas for the "Texas National" exhibition.

Coming Up
Locally, my work is currently on display at Allied Arts of Yakima for the exhibition, "In Case You Were Wondering..." and I have work in the Larson Gallery through the end of this week for the DoVA Student and Faculty Exhibition. Next Friday the Membership Show opens at Larson Gallery and I plan to have work there as well.

Allied Arts Exhibition (their website is not up to date as of this writing)

My next big local event is June Art Fest at Chalet Place Mall (near Oak Hollow, Wray's and Inklings). Mike Hiler and I will share a booth. June Art Fest runs from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, June 8.

My Clay Students

Can I just say how proud I am of my clay students this year? I have an amazing group of students and this May and June seems to be a culmination of their superior achievements. My clay students are winning nominations and awards for their art and their schoolwork. My clay students are strongly represented in the Student Exhibition (and awards) and I have students showing their work professionally at various locations in Yakima.

Tour of Artist Homes

I recently wrote about my home on the Tour of Artists' Homes and Studios. Several of my intermediate, advanced, and independent students showed their work at my home.

work by Grace Keller and John Peterson (photo credit: Gary E. Miller, Larson Gallery)

work by John and Timer Harrison-O'dell (photo credit: Gary E. Miller, Larson Gallery)

work by Shannon Hoptowit (photo credit: Gary E. Miller, Larson Gallery)

work by Katie Schnieder (photo credit: Gary E. Miller, Larson Gallery)

Student of the Year Nomination

Shannon Hoptowit, one of my independent clay students, my most senior clay work study and an invaluable worker for the last few years, was recently nominated by the students of Yakima Valley Community College for the ASYVCC student of the year award. YVCC students can vote for her for Student of the Year. 

Professional Venues

Besides the Tour of Artist Homes, I know of at least 4 other professional venues where students have or will show their work this year. 

Grace Keller, an advanced clay student, has a tiny studio in Glenwood Square on Tieton Drive and displays some of her work at The Glass Kaleidoscope on the main floor.

Mason Cooper, an intermediate student from 2012, displayed one of his pieces at the Emerging Artist show at Allied Arts earlier this year.

Shannon Hoptowit, Grace Keller, and Katie Schnieder, all students who displayed at the Tour of Artists' Homes this year, will also be featured in the Emerging Artists Exhibition at Oak Hollow Gallery in June. The Exhibition opens June 4 with a reception on June 7 from 4-6pm. Monika Lemmon, the painter who showed at my house for the Tour will also have her work in this exhibition.

Additionally, on June 8 my perpetual clay student, Mike Hiler, will be sharing a booth with me. I believe we will be up near Wray's if you are looking for us. Mike is nearing the limit of what one might call a student, as his work is regularly show at Oak Hollow and Larson Galleries and I saw his work in Yakima Magazine's Art Issue. (Look closely at the third picture in the linked article to see Mike's work.)

There is one more place you might be able to see my students' work in the future. I know at least one student is expecting to have work in Larson Gallery's Membership Exhibition, opening Friday June 7 from 5-7pm.

DoVA Show and Awards

The DoVA Student and Faculty Exhibition has been up for some time, but I haven't gotten a chance to mention the awards or show pictures. Seven of my clay students took home awards, including cash awards, purchase awards and Best of Show.

More than two dozen clay students exhibited work in the Student Show. Several student exhibited more than one work and a few showed three pieces, one for each quarter they took clay classes during the previous year.

clockwise from top: work by Sandra Juarez, Katie Schnieder,  Shannon Hoptowit and Shannon Hoptowit. 

Katie Schnieder, hand-built vases

Honorable Mention: Sandra Juarez's hand-built "Twisted Lady"

I taught beginning throwing and beginning hand-building classes this year. I taught throwing classes every quarter and my higher level throwing students have been experimenting with larger and more complex forms.

center: Shannon Hoptowit's "Giant Cookie Jar" wheel-thrown clay Award of Merit
also pictured, clockwise from top right: work by Janice Buckler, Jamie Davis, Amanda Gutierrez and John Harrison-O'dell 

Honorable Mention: Grace Keller's "Lidded Casserole"

My beginning students are making strong, though usually smaller, work. I believe part of the overall quality of my students' work comes from seeing each other working in the studio. I have a strong group of continuing students who demonstrate a solid work ethic. Students see each other working in the studio, recognize hard work as an expectation and thus work harder themselves. The hard work is practice and practice results in more work and better work. 

Shauna Avery, Functional Pottery (first quarter wheel class)

Amanda Gutierrez, Functional Pottery (first quarter wheel class)

My higher level throwing students combine hand-building and throwing techniques, altering their forms off the potter's wheel.

Doug & Laurie Kanyer Purchase Award: Mariah George's "Owl Lamp"
thrown and altered wheel pottery

Janice Buckler's "Paddled Vase"

Shannon Hoptowit's "Fish Kiss Vase"

Katie Schnieder's thrown and altered vase

This past winter I was blessed with an incredible hand-building class. Somehow I ended up with a whole cohort of hardworking student who challenged themselves and their classmates. Some of the strongest work in the exhibition came from first-quarter hand-building students. The class included a couple of students who had taken throwing classes before. Throwing skills may not directly translate to hand-building skills, but familiarity with clay helps with any technique.

Joshua Baxter's "Log Cabin"

Sarahgenie Bliss' "Centaur"

Makaela Duim's "Waterfall"

In fact, the hand-building energy was so strong this past winter that I wrote a new course to be offered next year which will be a second quarter continuation of hand-building. I have one continuing hand-building student this quarter who is testing out some of the hand-building projects that may be used in the new course next year.

hand-built clay Award of Merit: Lydia Gallegos' "Cebollas"

Jessenia Rodriguez's "Pomegranates"
Students in the Hand-building class made work inspired by Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield's "Abaya and Beyond" show, which was up during the winter. "Pomegranates", "Cebollas" and the Purse bag below were all inspired by this exhibition.

Further evidence that the clay work in the DoVA show is strong is that my clay students took home seven awards including Best of Show, a purchase award, a design award and three honorable mentions, as well as two clay specific awards. I also noticed, when I was last in the gallery, that several clay students had sold their work. 

Dick Lord Memorial for Excellence in Design: Timer Nite Harrison-O'dell's "Abaya and Beyond Purse bag"

Assistant Director Honorable Mention: Katie Schnieder's "Cracked Jars"

If you haven't gotten over to see the show, I highly recommend that you do. The show closes on June 1. Larson Gallery is open 10-5 Tuesday-Friday and 1-5 on Saturday. Students may start picking up work after 3pm on Saturday, so get their early. If you do miss it, never fear, you'll hear from these students again.

For some reason, this year's exhibition had a significant selection of dragons and dinosaurs, including a combination thrown and hand-built piece by Janice Buckler

Dragon Alley also featured this thrown and altered teapot by Timer Nite Harrison-O'dell

John Peterson's "The Year that Was"

Best of Show: Katie Schnieder's "Tyrannosaurus Rex"

Busy Art Week for Yakima / Ellensburg

Javier Lopez Ortiz
This evening was the opening for Javier Lopez Ortiz's exhibition at Allied Arts in Yakima. Lopez Ortiz is visiting Yakima from our sister city, Morelia, in Mexico. The artist works with water color and smoke, making quite a varied range of brightly colored and more subdued works. My favorites tend to be those which are more ambiguous. The show isn't up long, just through May 18. I highly recommend you try to get there to see it while it is in town.

For those who are interested, it appears Allied Arts is hosting a watercolor workshop with the artist while he is here. On Monday YVCC students will be able to participate in workshops or demonstrations with the artist. Monday is also a busy day on campus because the Latin Music Festival will be taking place on campus that day.



Alfredo Arreguin
Tomorrow (Friday) the the First Friday opening reception for Gallery One's Alfredo Arreguin exhibition, "Primevera." Saturday Arreguin will be participating in the Dia de la Familia activities in the gallery. I plan to drive up to Ellensburg to see the show on Saturday and bring my daughter.

YVCC DoVA Exhibition
Tuesday night from 5-7pm Larson Gallery hosts the YVCC Department of Visual Arts Student and Faculty Exhibition. We selected most of the award winners today. There are more than 10 (I can't remember exactly how many) cash awards for student work and, of course, many of the works are for sale. The awards will be announced during the reception Tuesday evening. The show continues through June 1.

YVCC Clay Sale
Thursday at 11:30 is the YVCC Clay Sale, featuring work by students and faculty. Much of the work is functional and it's all priced to sell. We have done several extra firings and a series of glaze tests in the last quarter, meaning there should be plenty of brand new work for this sale. We are hoping to fire one last load on Tuesday so it will be fresh out of the kiln for the sale.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

And, finally, though I'm not sure when I am going to fit it in, the Warehouse Theatre Company's art-related production opens this weekend. The show, written by Steve Martin, is about Picasso and Einstein and I believe the star is one of my previous Design students. In my limited experience, Warehouse Theater does a great job. The show continues through May 18, so I'm hoping to fit it in sometime or another.

Tour of Artists' Homes & Studios

That rounds out a busy week of events, though my mind is focused on the upcoming Tour of Artist Homes and Studios on May 18. My home and studio are featured on the tour. Tomorrow, Spring Holiday for YVCC will be my studio and house cleaning day as I try to get the place ready for visitors.