This February, stop by the Gallery at the Park to experience “Herstory,” an art show inspired by American women’s history. The exhibit includes a broad range of women’s history, though it focuses primarily on the history of the suffrage movement in Washington state, Washington state women’s history and American suffrage history.

In the lead-up to the show, “Herstory” considered submissions from U.S. artists over the age of 14, with over 50 works from over 30 different artists now on display. The artworks encompass a wide array of media, including paintings, collages, quilts, sculptures, ceramics and nontraditional media.  

“Herstory” will be on display at the Gallery at the Park from Feb. 4 through Feb. 29. The reception will be held on Sunday, Feb. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. 

During the reception, the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers will perform selections from their upcoming concert, “Votes for Women: Voices for All,” celebrating the centennial of U.S. women’s suffrage. Additionally, the Richland Players will be showcasing period costumes, and the League of Women Voters will act as jurors for the show and present awards to the winners.

This January, the Gallery at the Park welcomes back the Tri-City Quilters’ Guild! The Guild has been regularly featured at the Gallery at the Park for more than 30 years.

Since its origination in 1982, the Tri-City Quilters’ Guild has been dedicated to promoting the art of quilting through education and fellowship. Today, its membership has grown to more than 300 quilters. Their goals include sharing information about quilting, creating comfort quilts for local agencies and enjoying other activities related to quilt creation, collection and appreciation.

The Tri-City Quilters’ Guild produces one of the largest annual quilt shows in Washington, filling Kennewick’s Three Rivers Convention Center with more than 400 quilts. Guild members also participate in monthly meetings, friendship groups, community service sewing days and many other activities.

Stop by the Gallery at the Park to see the Tri-City Quilters’ Guild’s raffle quilt for 2020. Every year, the Guild raffles a quilt made by local members, and the proceeds from raffle ticket sales go towards fabric and other materials used to create comfort quilts, which are given to local human service agencies.

This year’s raffle quilt is called “Modern Metamorphosis,” and it is a collaborative creation of the Make It Modern friendship group. Tula Pink provided the pattern, In the Beginning donated the fabric and Dana Pearson designed the quilting.

Purchase a raffle ticket at the Gallery for $1.00. The winner of the raffle  will be announced at the annual quilt show, located at Three Rivers Convention Center, on March 21 at 4 p.m. Visit the Tri-City Quilters’ Guild website at tcquilters.org to learn more.

The quilt show will be on display at the Gallery at the Park from Jan. 7 to 31, and the reception will be held on Jan. 12.

This October, don’t miss Neva Scott’s one-of-a-kind exhibit at the Gallery the Park!

Growing up in a small town in Nevada, Neva Scott always wanted to be an artist, but between raising children, working as a realtor and shopkeeping, she simply didn’t have enough time to commit to the arts as fully as she would have liked. Then, Scott turned 65; she retired, and her children were all adults, so she was finally able to turn her attention to this new venture.

After studying the basics of encaustic painting under Alicia Tormey, Scott now loves to manipulate wax and resin with a blowtorch to create new works of art.

Scott has also been influenced by Joseph Cornell, Orphan Pamuk, Louise Nevelson and Kurt Schwitters. These artists used found objects to create assemblages, with Schwitters saying, “objects shown out​ of context startle the viewer.” Inspired by these works, Scott began making assemblages out of abandoned toys—she is, after all, a grandmother.

“When imagining a new piece of art, I summon up a mix of contrasts,” Scott says, “clarity and chaos, exactness and freedom, control and randomness, precision and free flow.”

Scott’s daring and colorful exhibit will be on display at the Gallery at the Park from Oct. 1 through 25. The artist reception will be on Oct. 4.

To view more of Neva Scott’s work, visit her gallery, Neva Scott Art, at 511 Lee Boulevard in Richland.

This month, the Gallery at the Park features a showcase of work from the Northwest Designer Craftsmen, an organization dedicated to promoting excellent design and craftsmanship.

The Northwest Designer Craftsmen is made up of professional artists from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. These artists work with clay, wood, glass, metal, fiber and mixed media. The group also has members who support the craft as educators, managers of art organizations or buyers of art.

Nine Seattle artisans joined together to form the Northwest Designer Craftsman in 1954 as a way of fostering high standards of design, promoting public interest in crafts and fostering sound business methods among designers in the Northwest. 

Today, the organization has over 150 members working in a variety of mediums, including weaving, quilting and basketry, as well as jewelry and metal arts and other mixed media. Many Northwest Designer Craftsmen artists even use a variety of techniques and materials to create unique works of art that blur the line between fine art and craft.

Members all hold a high regard for professional craftsmanship and a respect for the materials and process, regardless of whether they work in metal, wood, clay, textiles or anything else. They create quality work that exemplifies how the tradition of craft can be merged with contemporary artistic expression.

The Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s gallery show features over 100 works from 44 different artists. The works are distinct and varied, ranging from porcelain, clay and glass to quilts and handwoven tapestries to sterling silver and beaded jewelry. The only way to understand the full scope of what the Northwest Designer Craftsmen can do is to come see for yourself!

The exhibit will be on display at the Gallery at the Park until Sept. 27, and the reception will be held on Sept. 6.

This summer, be sure you make some time to visit the Gallery at the Park in Richland and see the annual Juried Show, which begins July 2.

The 2019 Juried Show features works by artists from around the Pacific Northwest. Some of the featured artists will even win monetary prizes, with more than $2,500 being awarded altogether.

This year’s juror is Gina Freuen, an artist and educator with a ceramics and mixed media studio in Spokane. From 1996 through 2016, she was on the teaching faculty in the art department at Gonzaga University, and in 2013 she joined the Trackside Studio Ceramic Art Gallery as an exhibiting partner in its monthly exhibits. Now, she volunteers as a drawing teacher for high-school students at Riverpoint Academy.

Over a 40-year career, Freuen has created a unique collection of multimedia art and complex porcelain and stoneware vessels.

To learn more about Freuen’s work, check out her website at ginafreuen.com.

Art in the Park

This year marks the Allied Arts Association’s 69th annual Art in the Park celebration. The open-air festival, which is free to attend, attracts visitors to browse and purchase works from more than 200 artists. Stop by to see artwork from painters, jewelers, photographers, woodworkers and more.

Along with a wide array of arts and crafts, Art in the Park also features entertainment and food provided by local nonprofit organizations.

Art in the Park is a two-day event that is fun, family-friendly and has something for everyone! It takes place at Howard Amon Park on Friday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.