MacLachlan donates uplifting piece to Allied Arts show

The "Art of Healing" exhibit at Allied Arts has been open since Sept. 17, but it got a late addition last week that has drawn new attention.

Famous actor and hometown boy-made-good Kyle MacLachlan donated a piece to the exhibit, which celebrates cancer survivors.

The piece? A bra covered in moss and little quilted trees, titled "Twin Peaks" in reference to MacLachlan's hit TV series from the early '90s.

MacLachlan, a Yakima native, created the bra as a whimsical way to honor his mother, Kathy, who died of ovarian cancer, and his stepmother, Diana, who died of breast cancer. The signed bra will be used as a raffle prize -- tickets cost $3 -- with the proceeds going to the Wellness House, a cancer support center in Yakima.

MacLachlan, known for his television work as Agent Dale Cooper in "Twin Peaks," Trey MacDougal in "Sex and the City" and Orson Hodge in "Desperate Housewives," donated it last week. MacLachlan also starred in the films "Blue Velvet" and "Dune."

Other artists contributed paintings, sculptures and their own versions of art bras and undergarments. All of them were inspired by experiences with cancer.

Making art that's so personal and deals with such a difficult subject could have led to a dour exhibit, but the work on display shows humor and strength above all else.

"It was kind of a leap of faith for a lot of them," said Mary Johnson, whose work is part of the show.

The exhibit will remain up through Nov. 1.

-- Pat Muir