The Gallery at the Park is bringing Women Painters of Washington to Richland for the featured April exhibit. The gallery is showcasing these beautiful paintings alongside glass art by Deborah Barnard.

Women Painters of Washington is an association of professional artists throughout the state. It was founded in 1930 by six female artists who wanted to empower professional women to exhibit and market their artwork, as well as to promote art appreciation in their communities.

Women Painters of Washington has had more than 1,000 members since its origination. Today, it has more than 150 members.

The exhibit at the Gallery at the Park is Women Painters of Washington’s 2018 Spring Juried Show, “Fusion.” Though all the works of art are tied together by the theme of fusion, each artist has interpreted the theme in a unique way. For instance, some have chosen to explore combined media, while others have focused on subject matter or narrative. The result is a wonderful collection of diverse paintings.

Women Painters of Washington maintains a gallery in Seattle’s Columbia Tower building. Every year, the gallery features four non-juried exhibitions, usually with about 20 members showcasing 70 different paintings. Visit the gallery at 701 5th Ave., Suite 310, in Seattle, or visit online at womenpainters.com.

Glass art

The Gallery at the Park is also featuring three-dimensional art in the form of Deborah Barnard’s fused glass. Using heat, molds and various forms of glass, Barnard is able to create spectacular works of art. Her 2018 pieces use soft, warm colors to convey the emerging warmth of springtime.

Ten years ago, Barnard opened db Studio, a small teaching facility and retail shop for glass-fusing supplies. In 2013, the size of db Studio increased sixfold, giving it the capacity for a kiln room, cold shop, sandblaster, printmaking, mold-making, a teaching ‘Fusion’ conveyed in paintings, glass at Allied Arts Gallery at the Park facility and a large retail space. The studio is located at Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, and the website is dbstudiofusedglass.com.

The “Fusion” and fused glass exhibits will be on display at the Gallery at the Park from April 3 to April 27. The artist reception will be on April 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The exhibit during March at the Gallery at the Park in Richland features two wonderful artists — Jill Smith and John Clement. Like February’s art installation, this exhibit is a mix of three-dimensional and two-dimensional works, with Jill Smith providing clay works and John Clement showing photography. Stop by the gallery sometime this month to see intricate hand-sculptured totems coupled with beautiful photographs of nature.

Jill Smith has a long history of working with clay. She studied ceramics at the University of Puget Sound and later received a master’s degree in fine arts from Whitworth. In 1972, she established her own professional pottery studio, Clay Fox Pottery. Smith’s current work explores high fire stoneware and raku — two distinct techniques for firing pottery.

For the Gallery at the Park exhibition, Smith displays pieces called “Future Fossils,” which resemble rock walls, and totems. Inspired by the natural world, she uses the fluidity of clay and earth pigments to create lasting works of art. If you’re interested in taking pottery classes from Jill, check out clayfoxclayschool.com.

John Clement has been in the photography business for about 40 years, and during that time his work has received more than 60 regional, national and international awards and been accepted into numerous galleries and art shows, including the Washington State University Museum of Art. Clement also has 17 murals on display in CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders.

Clement’s photography and Smith’s clay works complement each other because both bodies of work are based around nature. For Clement, photography is a way of sharing God’s creation with others. Using proceeds from his work, he supports a number of Eastern Washington-based nonprofit organizations such as Young Life Ministries, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Walla Walla Hospital Foundation and many others. Visit his website, johnclementgallery.com.

The exhibit will be in the Gallery at the Park from March 6 to March 30. The artist reception will be held on March 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Stop by the Gallery at the Park this February to see Tracy Horner and Jane Holly Estrada’s beautiful exhibition exploring themes of precision and symmetry. Horner has provided the two-dimensional images, while the three-dimensional art was supplied by Estrada.

Tracy Horner has been creating her own designs and patterns since she was young, and her company, Ink Circles, has been providing cross stitchers with unique embroidery patterns for 12 years. The inspiration for her artwork comes from the details and patterns that emerge when a shape is rotated or mirrored.

Horner even appreciates the slight wobbles and imperfections inevitable with freehand drawing, as they are a direct contrast to the automated drafted products she handles as an electrical engineer. These little imperfections keep the works comfortably human and give them a look of spontaneity. Horner’s featured wall art will comprise of intricate mandalas and Celtic knots. For more information, visit TracyHorner.com.

Jane Holly Estrada’s artwork includes beautiful handmade porcelain and gemstone jewelry and housewares. Like Horner, Estrada works in the sciences (as a radiochemist) and has an eye for detail. She is influenced by the ephemeral and temporal. Her process involves capturing a fleeting moment of time and using art to transform it into a state of permanence.

Estrada’s unique approach is evident in her work: her pieces take inspiration from the leaves of trees, particularly in autumn after they have fallen. She also uses colors found in nature, such as green from the forest and blue from the river, to create an impression of the natural world. Check out her ceramic jewelry business at Etsy.com/shop/JaneHollyDesigns.

Tracy Horner and Jane Holly Estrada’s exhibit will be on display at the Gallery at the Park from Jan. 30 to Feb. 23. The reception will be held on Feb. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Throughout November and December, the Gallery will literally "glow" with a large selection of gift ideas from our many talented artists. The variety of handmade regional and local artwork is exceptional. Every piece of art work is original and one of a kind. We have the area's largest selection of original paintings, photography, collage work, glass work, ceramics, wood work, many different types of greeting cards, yard ornaments, outstanding fiber artwork, and probably the broadest and best selection of quality jewelry you'll ever find anywhere! The categories noted here are "just the tip of the iceberg". Come in and have a look for yourself. 

To compliment the work by our artists a group of talented and happy "elves" have had fun redesigning holiday trees, and table and wall decorations for the fall and winter holiday seasons. These treasures are available to you at a minimal price. All proceeds from these fund raiser sales go towards Allied Arts Association's outreach to the community by bringing you a rich variety of visual arts opportunities which include workshops, exhibits and scholarships. 

You'll want to shop early and often during this season as our artwork changes constantly. When looking for a special gift, remember you can purchase a gift certificate at the Gallery. The Gallery at the Park is open Tuesday through Friday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm and 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturdays. We are also open Sunday afternoons 1:00 - 4:00 pm through Christmas. 

As the summer months continue, so too do Richland’s summer traditions. With so many things to do in downtown Richland, make sure you take some time to stop at the Gallery at the Park to see Allied Arts Association’s Annual Juried Show, beginning on July 1.

This year, Allied Arts Association’s Annual Juried Show features 47 works from 36 different artists, out of 194 submitted pieces from 66 artists. Some of the featured artists will even win monetary prizes, with more than $2,000 being awarded altogether. The majority of the artwork comes from around the Tri-Cities area, though many pieces are also from Walla Walla and a few come from Spokane and Seattle.

The juror for the 2017 show is Sarah Haven, an artist who has run the ceramics program at Central Washington University for several years. Haven was also a member of Seattle’s Punch Gallery for two years and of Culture Lab artist collective, an organization whose members work together creating art and participating in group shows, for eight years.

Currently, Haven travels around the Northwest, attending craft shows and searching for new artists to represent at Gallery One in Ellensburg. She frequently participates in these craft shows as well, and she has won many awards in juried shows across the country.

This exhibit will be on display at the Gallery at the Park from July 1 to August 18. The reception and award ceremony will be held on July 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Art in the Park
Don’t miss out on the 67th Annual Art in the Park, located at Howard Amon Park in Richland. Stop by Howard Amon to see the works of more than 200 artists, primarily from the Pacific Northwest area. You can visit artist booths and find beautiful, completely unique creations. Art in the Park always features a variety of different products, from handmade clothes and jewelry to woodworks and home décor. No matter where your interests lie, Art in the Park will have a booth for you.

This year, Art in the Park has widened its scope even further to include an increased focus on families and children. For example, children will be able to visit a booth where they can make art of their very own. Director Bethany Beard explains, “A lot of times when you walk through, you hear, ‘Don’t touch, don’t touch.’ We really want to make it where kids can interact with the art and feel like art is a part of themselves.”

Art in the Park will be on July 28 and 29, with art, food, children’s activities and performers scheduled throughout the two days.