Central Washington Artists' Exhibition breaks with tradition

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Yes, there will be traditional paintings at the Larson Gallery's 54th annual Central Washington Artists' Exhibition, but there will also be ceramic books, digitally modified photos, mixed-media sculpture and, of course, the 8-foot-tall sequin bear.

Um ... what?

"We have a bear that's 8 feet tall, covered with acrylic sequin forms," Larson Gallery Director Cheryl Hahn said."That is the piece that greets you when you walk into the gallery."

That piece, by Ellensburg artist Justin Beckman, is indicative of the annual show's evolution. (Full disclosure: Beckman is a close friend of mine from my days in Ellensburg.)

The Central Washington show, a juried exhibit open to residents of 10 area counties that this year features 85 pieces by 61 artists, is put together each year by a guest curator.

The show opens with a reception Saturday from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

"In the past I've seen several other Central Washington shows where there tended to be a more traditional form of work, rooted in the immediate landscape," Hahn said. "The landscape, or terrain, of this show is a broader terrain. It covers people's personal lives. It covers political issues. It covers humor."

There is no longer any one dominant theme to the region's art.

Instead, driven by the one-world ethos of our technological age, a new generation of artistic daredevils is driving a risk-taking, eclectic regional arts community.

"You can see the diversity in the show," Hahn said. "I think people are going to smile and feel good after they see it."

The curator of this year's show, Patricia Cameron of Seattle's Patricia Cameron Gallery, echoed those sentiments. She was surprised to see so much sculpture among the 216 submissions seeking a place in the show, but she wasn't surprised to see artists diverge from traditional painting.

"There's a wonderful variety of work," Cameron said. "There's great talent and wonderful quality. A lot of surprises. In general today what we're seeing is that everywhere you go, there tends to be quite a mixture of expression."

Wapato artist Laura Wise, whose oil painting "Lmuma Creek Blues" represents a more traditional medium for a Central Washington painter, finds the work of the new guard exciting.

"That's what's really interesting about the Artists' show, it is so eclectic," Wise said. "It's inspiring. And it's very representative of the artists in the area."

Interestingly, Wise, whose work focuses on local landscapes, originally hails from Portland. When she first moved to Central Washington, she found the landscape desolate and boring. But over the years she began to appreciate its stark beauty.

"Lmuma Creek Blues," painted during a tumultuous year of health problems, reflects that. It's a painting of reeds along a creek with hills in the background, sure, but it's also a painting of harsh emotion and cold reality.

For a landscape it's positively unnerving, daring even -- the sort of thing the Artists' Exhibition encourages.

"I think that's what makes (the show) interesting," Wise said. "Even though we're a small town, there's people doing different things, taking risks."

The show, which will give awards to 21 of the works, has built a reputation among artists as a leading showcase.

"Tradition plays a role in that," Hahn said. "It's a great opportunity for artists to see what other artists in the area are doing. And it affords these artists the opportunity for someone like Patricia Cameron (the Seattle gallery owner) to see their work."

* Pat Muir can be reached at 509-577-7693 or pmuir@yakimaherald.com.

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