Masami Kusakabe_
Oh, the month of May, the merry month of May, so frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green! ~ Thomas Dekker
May brings us so many talented artists!
Join us for a First Thursday celebration on May 2 with music by John Crocker and artist demonstrations by Marisa Mercure
Featured Artists
Gayle Kiser (pastels), George Broderick (paintings), Elmer Bates (woodworking), Masami Kusakabe (jewelry and Japanese paper art)
Scroll down to learn about our May artists!
Gayle Kiser (pastels)
I grew up in eastern Oregon and still think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There is a starkness to the beauty, particularly in the Painted Hills. The area where the desert meets the mountains is dear to my heart, and I love the openness of the vistas.
~ Gayle Kiser
George Broderick – paintings
George characterizes his narrative oil painting style as “hyperbolic reality” because the figures and colors are overstated. The symbolism and color forms surrounding the figures define their environment, consequently giving considerable complexity to the figure’s character. Choice of color and distortion are designed to expose the subject matter in its interpretive sense rather than surface banality.
Broderick finds artistic inspiration for his narrative paintings in his travels, history and the people he has encountered. His trips to Cuba have had a particularly profound impact. Broderick was honored to have been invited and shown his work in a solo exhibition at the prestigious Guayasamin Gallery in Havana Cuba in June 2005.
In addition to showing at Broderick Gallery and Guayasamin Gallery, Broderick has shown in Portland Open Studios, All You Knead Restaurant gallery in the Haight Ashbury in San Francisc0, Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon; Peaceful Arts Gallery in La Grande, Oregon and Id Space in Hawaii.
His works are in private collections in the U.S., UK and Cuba.
Masami Kusakabe (jewelry and Japanese paper art)
“I wish to spend as much time as possible surrounded by items of beauty,” Masami Kusakabe
I am a Japanese artist. I loved making beautiful things since I was a student. I started making customized bead jewelry and teaching bead classes when I was in Japan. However, we moved to the US as my husband transferred job.
It was at the turning point in my career because I was inspired by Japanese concepts of beauty, but there are different types of inspirations here. Every day, many things inspire me! And I came to realize how beautiful traditional Japanese paper (Washi) art is when I came to the U.S.
I sometimes feel lonely and miss my hometown Kobe, Japan, but Washi traditional paper gives me happiness and I remember my childhood in Japan.
I love Washi paper and I started making Japanese Frames. I am involved in the Japanese community in Vancouver, Washington and teach bead classes and customize bead Jewelry. Since joining the Broadway Gallery, I also enjoy creating jewelry, cards and Japanese frames in Longview.
Basically my bead works use Swarovski Crystals. Its shininess fuels the spark of my imagination. And now, I feel like using a variety of beautiful beads and other materials.
Masami Kusakabe
