TD Art Center to Throw a Bowl Out on Saturday, May 15; Building looking Incredible
Ceramics Display on the main floor of The Dalles Art Center. Notice something different?
Warning - the photos and art you are about to experience may become so breathtaking that a mandatory five- to 10-minute timeout is necessary to let your eyes adjust to the new level of awesomeness of your ethereal plane.
From The Dalles Art Center:
Ceramics as well as throwing a little clay will be happening at The Dalles Art Center this Saturday, May 15 as the gallery showcases its market of incredible pieces brought about by a collaboration of local and regional artists.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Dalles Art Center is featuring ceramics in May with the exhibit Beyond the Construct, a showcase of expressive and functional clay. It is a collaboration with the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River with both venues running a simultaneous exhibition.
How it came to be
Ten regional artists were invited by curator Bent Binford, owner of Eutectic Gallery in Portland. This included The Dalles ceramicist PK Hoffman. An open call for artists went out in December with a final selection of 22 artists to accompany the pre-selected artists.
As expected, five local artists were included in Beyond the Construct: Penny Wallace, Yvonne Wakefield, Savannah Lawton, Tom Bottman, and Jonathan Kranzley. The coupling of local artists with regional artists represented by galleries like PDX Contemporary, Froelick Gallery and Eutectic creates opportunities for a wider audience than The Dalles and Hood River.
The collaboration with the Columbia Center for the Arts helps bring visitors to The Dalles who have visited the exhibit in Hood River. This reciprocal relationship creates a more robust presence for local artists in the Columbia Gorge and the region.
Cost Effective
With the pandemic taking a toll on business and opportunities, the sharing of administrative costs helps both centers continue to provide outstanding exhibitions for both communities.
The Big Event
The programming around Beyond the Construct continues with a Ceramics Market on Saturday, May 15th, 11 am - 3 pm.
Yvonne Wakefield, Penny Wallace, Savannah Lawton Karen Hart, and Rebecca Brochu will be in front of The Dalles Art Center under pop-up tents with displays of their ceramic work. Penny and Yvonne will be doing demonstrations on two pottery wheels with the opportunity for visitors to try turning a pot. Both artists will be tapping into years of teaching experience. Children of all ages will have an opportunity to turn a pot for free.
Another Opportunity
The Columbia Center for the Arts will have three ceramics booths at the Hood River Farmers Market on Saturday, May 22nd and will feature Dyana Fiediga, Polly Wood and Yvonne Wakefield.
Donation by Maher
Photographer and artist Tom Maher will also be on hand Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. Maher, who is moving out the area, has donated many of his works, such as the one above, to the Art Center and proceeds will go toward the nonprofit. Another win.
While You’re There
Check out the incredible flowers and landscaping around the building. Painstaking work is really paying off as the building and its bevy of flowers are simply gorgeous this spring. Our hats are off to the volunteer landscape crew!
Meanwhile, the heart of the building has also had a major upgrade. Executive Director J. Scott Stephenson, Assistant Director Kris Vercouteren and volunteers Shelley, Chloe, Mason, Rico, Pam and Woody all chipped in to remove the old carpet, nails and tacks on the main floor. Jason Hinkle and his Dad, Nolan then sanded and refinished the floors. Vertical grain fir never looked so inviting.
Executive Director J. Scott Stephenson stands on the refurbished floor mid-way through the sanding process of the vertical grain fir on the main floor of the Art Center.
Nolan and Jason Hinkle
