7 • Culture • Arts

7 HOME • CULTURE • ARTS

Exploring Spokane's patriotic art

7/4/2008 | Three cheers for the red, white and blue. And bronze, aluminum, and patina green. Sometime between the picnic and the fireworks, while you're celebrating Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, celebrate some of America's finest patriotic public sculpture – right here in Spokane. The people and events that have sculpted this great, rugged piece of land into the United States of America are captured in great public works of art, sculpted by some of the most prolific artists of our region.

On the Wall

6/27/2008 | Lorinda Knight Gallery523 W. SpragueThrough June 28It's the last two days to catch Bernadette Vielbig's installation at Lorinda Knight Gallery, a co-exhibition with Kathryn Glowen's Wonder/Allotment Gardens, and then the gallery closes its doors during the month of July for an extended summer holiday.

'In the Open Air'

6/20/2008 | The play of light, the movement of wind. The changing colors, textures, and seasons. Spending most of his daylight hours outdoors in the open air, as both a plein air painter and a draft and race horse farmer, Gregg Caudell has discovered the minute intricacies of nature.

First Friday highlights

6/6/2008 | Meet the region's artists and mingle with Spokane's art world tonight at First Friday art walk, from 5 – 8 p. m. The highlights•Ildiko Kalapacs' new series of paintings and small sculptures at The Purple Turtle, 117 W.

2nd Friday ArtWalk

5/9/2008 | Coeur d'AleneTonight, 5-8 p. m. The great thing about downtown Coeur d'Alene's 2nd Friday ArtWalk is that the nine galleries are close enough together that you can potentially see them all in one night, and take in a sparkling view of the lake, too.

Seeing elements of surprise

2/1/2008 | Name: Rose WerrAge: 31Education: I spent a year at Spokane Falls Community College, then transferred to the Maine College of Art (MECA) in Portland, Maine.

Imagery inspired by nature

1/25/2008 | Name: Rachael C. HillAge: 63Education: Bachelor's degree in Studio Art, Eastern Washington University (2007); associate of fine arts, Spokane Falls Community College (2006). Day Job: Maintaining a daily discipline of painting.

Carrying on family tradition

12/14/2007 | Born in Tokyo, Japan Age: 47Education: BA in English from Sacred Heart University in Tokyo, Japan Day job: I work as a medical records clerk at Rockwood Clinic at Moran Prairie, handling paper charts and also electronic medical records Influences: Artistry runs in my family.

Emerging Artist: Stephanie Hill

11/13/2007 | Age: 33. Education: Bachelor of Arts in American Literature, University of Portland. Also studied black-and-white photography, and worked as a photographer's assistant in New York City. Graduate of Spokane-based Northwest Noetic School of Massage. Nationally certified, licensed massage practitioner. Teach part-time Eastern Meridian Theory and Practice at Northwest Noetic School of Massage.

A chip off the old block

10/17/2007 | Natalie Stewart-Utley Studied at the Northwest College of Art, Poulsbo, Wash. She took a couple classes at Spokane Falls Community College. "I work at a veterinary clinic during the day," Stewart-Utley said, "picking up new clients for commissions. "My first major influence started at home with my mom," Stewart-Utley said, referring to veteran Spokane artist Elsie Stewart. "I'd act sick to stay home from elementary school so I could watch her work on her newest painting. When I got to high school, I took as many art-related classes as I could."

A knack for visual abstraction

9/5/2007 | "I like the powerful, abstract images of graffiti art," says Matt R. Hamlin. One of his favorite books is "Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents."

Another influence is Jim Dine, a versatile contemporary artist who is equally comfortable with drawing, printmaking, photography, painting and sculpture. "I saw his sculpture exhibition at WSU in 2004," says Hamlin, "and I really liked how he would do just part of an object or image and let the viewer complete the rest."

Jenn Ahre

8/3/2007 | Age: 22Born in: Kyongsangnam-do-koseong -eup, Korea, raised in Tacoma; currently living in Spokane. Education: Whitworth University, printmaking and painting, Bachelor of Art, 2007. Influences: American painter Robert Rauschenberg, Pakistan-born painter Shazia Sikander, South African artist William Kentridge, Brooklyn-based graffiti artist Jose Parla, printmaker Scott Kolbo of Spokane, and fellow Whitworth art graduates Carolina Maldonado and Jeanine Douglass.

Ahmad Ejahali Mohammed

7/20/2007 | Age: 41Born in Babel, Iraq. Currently living in Spokane. Education: Spokane Falls Community Collage, Certificate of Fine Arts, 2007; Academy of Fine Art, Baghdad, Iraq, 1989.

Lindsey Maloney

7/6/2007 | Age: 22Born in California, currently living in Spokane. Education: Bachelor of Arts in Art, Whitworth College, 2007. Day job: Graphic designer. Influences: Painter and printmaker Margaret Kilgallen, pop artist Andy Warhol, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, painter and designer Ryan McGinness, illustrator Edward Gorey and the graphic novels of Harvey Pekar.

Katherine Staib Derrick

6/22/2007 | Born in Southern California, currently living in Spokane.

Emerging Artist: Geoff Scanlan

6/8/2007 | Age: 26Born in Great Falls, currently living in Spokane. Education: Some college graphic design classes, "but had a bad experience and didn't finish," he said.

Emerging artist : Jaque Ryder

5/11/2007 | Age: 23Born: in Spokane, now living in Spokane Valley. Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate, Eastern Washington University, 2007. Day job: Full-time student. Influences: Clay artist Jeannie Quinn, California multimedia artist Pae White, Canadian ceramic artist Neil Forrest and installation sculptor Sarah SzeWhat kind of art do you make: Mixed media sculpture.

Emerging Artist: Mike Pittman

4/25/2007 | Age: 28 Born in Shelby, N. C., currently living in Spokane Education: North Carolina State University in Raleigh, 2001. Bachelor of Science in multidisciplinary studies, concentration in photo journalism, minor in computer programming Day job: Business analyst for Sterling Savings Bank Influences: Photographers Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, Alfred Stieglitz and Roger Winstead.

Emerging Artist: Chris Ireland

4/13/2007 | Age: 26 Born in Cleveland, Ohio; currently living in Pullman. Education: Master of Fine Arts candidate, Washington State University, 2007. Bachelor of Fine Arts, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, 2003.

Emerging artist: Rebecca York

3/26/2007 | Emerging artist: Rebecca York Age: 52 Born in Newport, Ore., currently living in St. Maries. Education: North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene, courses in computer Internet technology. Day job: Artist. Influences: "My daughter, Tracie, encouraged me to share my art," says York. "I never would have if it wasn't for her."Art form: One-of-a-kind mosaics including windows – "They are a cross between traditional mosaics and stained glass," York says – and decorative objects for the home and garden.

Emerging artists: Mary and Nathan Eberle

3/16/2007 | Age: Nathan, 28; Mary, 27. Born: Nathan was born in Oconomowoc, Wis. , and Mary in Spokane. They currently live in a house across the street from where Mary grew up.

Emerging artist: Carol Schmauder

1/31/2007 | Born and currently living in Spokane. Education: Associate of Arts in Graphic Design, 1993. Day job: Bookkeeper. Influences: "I fell in love with Stan Miller's watercolors which, in turn, prompted me to learn to paint in watercolor," says Schmauder.