Painting by Gini Smith

Our May featured artists bring out that spring joy we are beginning to feel. Vicki’s jewelry with its brown, rust and orange tones reminds us of earth. Gini’s delicate renderings of ponds and plants makes us feel like we can touch them. And Marisa’s drawings capture the moment in pencil or colored conte crayons.

We are proud to present the May featured artists at our First Thursday opening on May 3 at 5:30 pm. Our gallery has been an integral part of the downtown Longview scene for over 20 years, and you are invited to stop by and enjoy what we have to offer. Scroll down  to learn more about our May artists.

About Vicki Brigden

Whether it is making a piece of jewelry, knitting, painting, embellishing one of John’s pots, or putting together a display; the best part is not the finished piece, but the process of combining different materials, colors, and textures together, ~ Vicki Brigden.  See more of Vicki’s artwork

Jewelry by Vicki Brigden

Jewelry by Vicki Brigden

Jewelry by Vicki Brigden

About Gini Smith
My interest in art goes back as long as I can remember. As an art major in high school I kept very busy with art projects, both in and out of the classroom. For example, I painted sets for plays and was art editor of the school annual. At the end of senior year I won an art scholarship through the University of Illinois for summer camp and workshop.

Painting by Gini Smith

By then I knew I wanted to be an artist/teacher. I enrolled in Illinois State University and majored in art education. Most of the instruction was geared towart contemporary abstract art.

I taught for only a short time, as I found I didn’t have enough time to paint and create for myself. I find it more rewarding to teach drawing and painting to students who really want to learn.

For the past 40 years I’ve taught in my studio or classes at The Broadway Gallery. I’ve been a member since 1987. Before that my now deceased husband, Loman Smith and I owned and operated the Woodsmith Gallery in Rainier, Oregon.

Like in any field, one must keep up with new materials and ideas. As a charter member of 30 years with the Columbian Artists Association, I keep active and involved. Through the years I’ve taken classes and workshops with various artists, including the late Russian artist Sergei Bongart.

I do some sketching, but usually take photos for my subject matter. My painting style changes with my medium and subject; however, I usually stay with a limited palette.

Over the 50 years I have won numerous awards and ribbons, my work has been included in many private collections, as was as purchased by the Astoria Library, Norpac and Mentor Graphics.

I hope you enjoy the exhibit. Hopefully it will inspire and motivate you towards your own endeavors, ~ Gini Smith. Learn more about Gini’s artwork.

Painting by Gini Smith

About Marisa Mercure

Marisa’s new exhibit of sketches and drawings done in pencils and Conte crayons will be on display this month! “To handle the mediums in a way that becomes a thing of beauty and talent,  has always fascinated and attracted me,” ~ Marisa Mercure. See more of Marisa’s artwork.

Conte crayon sketch by Marisa Mercure

Conte crayon sketch by Marisa Mercure

Conte crayon sketch by Marisa Mercure

Conte crayon sketch by Marisa Mercure

Drawing by Marisa Mercure

Drawing by Marisa Mercure

Tom Roth

Local resident Tom Roth had the unique opportunity to study at the American University in Dubai, traveled to Oman and Nepal, and documented his experiences in photography. The colors and energy in his photographs are inspiring.

Mary Fortner’s love for creating jewelry is evident in her delicate, light filled combinations of stones and crystals.

Please join us  at our First Thursday Opening Reception where you can meet Tom, Mary and our other April featured artists.

April 5
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Music by Dian McCracken

Featured Artists
Michael Kohlmeier (paintings) | Mary Fortner (jewelry)
Tom Roth (photography) | Scott McRae (miniatures)

About Tom Roth

Tom Roth

This is Tom’s first full featured show. His aim is to highlight Middle Eastern places he’s visited that are often overlooked by tourists. He strives to put a human face on a part of the world unfamiliar to many Americans, while documenting life in those countries. He says, “while the United Arab Emirates is a place of great opulence, traditional aspects remain tucked away throughout the country.”

Tom is a 2008 graduate of Mark Morris High School, a Longview native, and one of Susy Halverson’s former students. He’s currently a senior at the University of San Diego where he’s a photographer for the student newspaper. When he’s not studying, he photographs sporting events, concerts and participates in gallery shows.

About Mary Fortner

Mary Fortner

Mary says, “The spirit that guides my hand and makes my heart race with a new idea or design is that same force that all artists feel. The drive to create; to make something beautiful or functional or inspirational is what keeps us breathing and living. Art—in all forms— gives joy to the world and to the artist.”

Thanks for sharing your beautiful creations, Mary!

Tom Roth

Mary Fortner

Tom Roth

Mary Fortner

Tom Roth

Mary Fortner

Tom Roth

Mary Fortner

Tom Roth

Mary Fortner

Tom Roth

Tom Roth

Tom Roth

City by Linda Schneider

Romantics will find inspiration in our gallery this month, with poetry inspired glassworks by Peggy Bird, and Russian styled paintings of flora and fauna by Linda Schneider. Combined with the fresh colors of Mitzi Christensen’s nautical paintings, we think you’ll feel like spring is on the way!

Please join us for a First Thursday Opening Reception to meet the artists and see their work.

March 1
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Music by Steve Harvey

Featured Artists
Ron Nelson (paintings) | Peggy Bird (kiln formed glass work)
Mitzi Christiansen (paintings) | Linda Schneider (paintings)

Here is a little about our March artists:

Linda Schneider

Man by Linda Schneider

Linda Schneider is a nurse, and finds that painting makes a wonderful balance with the demands of nursing. She started painting 15 years ago when her Mom asked her to join a painting workshop of acrylic on wood. She was hooked, and went on to study oil, pastel and watercolor, creating scenes with animals and flowers as found in nature.

For this exhibit Linda’s focus is painted acrylic on wood. She’s always admired the Russian floral style of Zhostovo and fairy tale style of Palekh. She’s studied with Master Palekh Artists Boris and Tanya Kamardin and has taken Zhostovo painting lessons from Master Zostovo Artist Misha Lebedev for 10 years.

Linda is also inspired by Norwegian decorative painting, and has taken Rosemaling from Bjorg Klevi, but most of all she enjoys learning new styles to create color and beauty.

Scroll down to see more of Linda’s paintings

Words in Glass II ~ by Peggy Bird

Several years ago, inspired by the poem of a dear friend, I created a glass art piece for a show called “Collaborations.”  It was such a rewarding experience that I went on to make a dozen other pieces using her work to guide me. That body of work, which I called Words in Glass, was exhibited at the Broadway Gallery and the Sixth Street Gallery in Vancouver.

Since then I’ve not only continued to do my glass art but have written several novels. In one the story revolves around a dead glass artist, a live and very beautiful glass artist and the police detective who falls in love with her after saving her from being accused of murder.

Although fearing that I had created fictional characters considerably more talented than me, I decided to try to make the pieces described in the novels. Words in Glass II is the result.

This exhibit is in four parts and represents two stages in the lives of two artists. The first, Amanda St. Clair, has two shows mentioned in the book. The first, during which she meets the hero, shows her work interpreting emotions. The second exhibit, after a residency at the famed Pilchuck Glass School north of Seattle, is entitled “Opposites.”

Eubie Kane, who sadly ends up murdered, created “Weather Moods” first then moved on to “Seasonal Moods.”

With each section of work is an excerpt from the novel, describing the setting and sometimes the glass. It is up to the viewer to decide if I captured the essence of the fictional work in my real pieces. ~ Peggy Bird

Peggy Bird has been working with glass for over a decade, creating both functional and art pieces, exhibiting in galleries and shows in Southwest Washington. She was first attracted to glass when she saw stained glass windows in old churches during overseas travel and heard romantic stories about lost formulas for the stunning colors created by medieval artists.

Later she did some rudimentary stained glass works. But it was when she took classes in kiln-forming at Bullseye Glass in Portland that she truly fell in love with the material and began to explore the possibilities of working with it.

The pleasure—and challenge—of working with glass is its unique structure. It can take shape in a kiln when slumped over a mold or with the merest breath when blown. It uniquely captures, transmits and reflects light and color. It has flow and movement.

It also hates to be cut when it’s cold, turns muddy if you don’t clean it properly before firing, and takes advantage of the haste with which you put it in the kiln and moves to join the piece next to it if you put them too close together.

The colors, shapes and movement of painting, photography and fiber art all have informed Peggy’s work, as have words.

Mitzi Christensen

Group of Paint Cans by Mitzi

Mitzi was featured at our gallery in April 2011. Learn more about her work.

Columbia River Fisherman by Mitzi

Plate by Linda Schneider

Table by Linda Schneider

The Raven by Shawnee Chadwick

Shawnee Chadwick is in high school and has dedicated herself 100% to art. For as long as she can remember, she’s always been interested in  art, starting with crayons at an early age and working her way up to pencil. She started taking painting lessons with Susy Halverson  and has seen a lot of  improvement over the years

She also takes charcoal classes with Lorena Birk, who has helped her learn to place the right shadows and detail to really make portraits come alive.

Music helps Shawnee’s imagination run wild. Whenever she hears a song that presents an image or story, she has to write it down so she can create a story of image from it. She knows if she doesn’t make it as an artist, she’ll be able to fall back into writing and illustrating stories. We think she has fantastic potential as an artist, and as a writer!

China Painting by Irene Bacon

Irene Bacon has been painting since 2001 and her china painting has delicate, old-world class. She paints regularly with a group of painters working with Marie Geisler.

China painting is an ancient art form requiring a soft touch and patience. She finds it very satisfying to create beautiful, yet functional art art objects. Floral motifs are her most common subjects, but she sometimes incorporates other art interests of landscape and calligraphy.

We are excited to present these two talented artists’ works, along with Michael Tolleson and Beth Bailey, during the month of February.

Please join us for our First Thursday opening reception  on Thursday, February 2 at 5:30 pm where you can meet the artists. We hope to see you there!

Artwork by Shawnee Chadwick

China Painting by Irene Bacon

Falling from Seattle by Shawnee Chadwick

China Painting by Irene Bacon

The Crow and the Butterfly by Shawnee Chadwick

China Painting by Irene Bacon

Dracula's Bride by Shawnee Chadwick

China Painting by Irene Bacon

Pirates of the Caribbean by Shawnee Chadwick

China Painting by Irene Bacon

Howling at the Moon by Shawnee Chadwick

China Painting by Irene Bacon

Full Moon Bloom by Shawnee Chadwick

Through the Windshield by Mia Schulte

In January the gallery will showcase Mia Schulte’s paintings, Margo Westfall and Don Lovett’s steel botanicals and the annual fiber exhibit.

We are excited to start the New Year with such talented artists.

Please join us for our First Thursday opening, Thursday January 5 at 5:30 pm, featuring music by John Crocker, snacks, wine tasting and friends. It’s a chance to meet the artists and see all of the gallery artwork.

Mia Schulte – Paintings

Art has been a part of Mia Schulte’s life for as long as she can remember. She grew up in a family where art was appreciated and she travelled and lived in several countries such as Turkey, Holland and Germany, providing her the opportunity to visit museums and develop an early appreciation of art.

Twists and Turns by Mia Schulte

Her series of paintings reflects a year-long quest to capture the essence of a bridge between nature and significant moments in her life. The inspiration came from time spent on Whidbey Island and along the Columbia River Gorge this past summer, as well as explorations of life drawing.

She works primarily in soft pastels and ink which allow her to explore the complexities of color and truly feel the medium.

Drifting by Mia Schulte

Nature and the human form are often merged in her paintings. She sees an intimate connection between the human body and our natural habitat. She looks to nature, the human form, a book/poem, memory, and reflection for inspiration, and says the objective of her paintings is to tweak reality with emotional intent in abstract fashion. “What I see and feel melds together into an abstract statement the viewer can connect with,” she explains.

Mia took art classes in college, worked in the Design industry for years, and later entered the field of Art Education. Currently, she’s devoting herself to being a full-time artist. Visit her website at http://www.mia-artist.com/

Margo Westfall and Don Lovett – Metal Sculptures

Steel sculpture by Margo Westall and Don Lovett

Margo Westfall and Don Lovett’s Line, Shape and Form exhibit features small-works sculpture. A departure from their large public art sculptures, this home/business-scaled collection is a unique blend of painting and steel sculpture that primarily features botanicals.

For Westfall and Lovett, the recurrent theme of transformation influences and motivates their work. The artists see steel as a metaphor for transformation, as nearly all steel has been recycled or transformed.

“Steel also serves as a metaphor for people in our lives,” Westfall noted, “that is due in part to their shared traits: inherent strength, resilience, unpredictability. Like people, steel transforms and develops a unique patina over time.”

Described by noted artist Gail Ramsay Wharton as, “out of the box yet approachable,” their balanced and detail-driven style is heavily influenced by the contemporary Sogetsu School of Ikebana – Japanese flower arranging. Westfall and Lovett hope their love of steel as an art medium will be infectious, and that their steel works will broaden the common conception of, and appreciation for metal sculpture.

Steel sculpture by Margo Westfall and Don Lovett

Margo Westfall and Don Lovett have been working together in steel and other metals since 2004, selling their work from their Olympia, Washington workshop to clients throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona, Massachusetts, and beyond.

Margo has been involved in art and media much of her life. She hails from a musical family and has worked as a writer, television and radio producer and director of art and music video documentaries. She is an accomplished glass artist and welder, and is a professional steel sculptor with a critical eye for detail.

Don is a licensed professional land surveyor and consultant, amateur Northwest historian, wood carver, and self-trained artist-craftsperson whose mathematics and critical thinking skills complement the duo’s creations in metal.

Together Westfall and Lovett produce large steel sculptures for international sculpture exhibitions, one-of-a-kind corporate and residential sculptures, and a line of rustic indoor and outdoor sculptures for galleries throughout Puget Sound. They have served as shop assistants for the South Puget Sound Community College’s welding program, and are members of Arts Olympia.

Fingerless Gloves by Jane Gerdon - $20

Communities acrosss the country are banding together to encourage people to shop local. Why? Because supporting local business gives back to the community, helps dollars stay in the community, and helps jobs stay in the community. We like that idea!

The American Express credit card company even created Small Business Saturday encouraging people to do their holiday shopping locally on Saturday, November 26. Over 2 million people have joined a Facebook page called Shop Small.

We know the big retailers really put out the glitz for holiday dollars, with Black Friday, Friday/Saturday specials and Cyber Monday.

We also know that our gallery is full of unique gifts made by the hands of artists who live right here in our community, who have homes and families and children who go to school here, not by someone in China or India.

So we think it’s the perfect time of year to share the unique gift items you can find in our gallery, all under $50 and many under $25.

Shopping local will make a difference to each and every one of our gallery artists, we guarantee it!

Don’t forget Santa’s Workshop on December 6, 8, 13, 15 from  3:30 to 5:30 pm. The cost is just $20!

Hand-made Boxes by Audrey Hoffman - $15

Knitted Hats by Di Morgan, $25 - $40

Earrings by Susy Halverson, $15 - $25

Painted Silk Scarves by Jan Lea - $30

Ceramic Figurines by Lorena Birk - $10

Wheel Carved Pottery by Robin Rudolph Rodenberger, $25 - $50

Hand-made Boxes by Diane Springer - $17

Quilted Fabric Handbag by Peggy Bodle - $65

Gourd Necklaces by Diane Springer - $28

Painted Silk Scarves by Jan Lea - $30

Scarves in Every Color of the Rainbow by Susy Halverson - $24

Ceramic Figurines by Lorena Birk - $10

Hand-made Boxes by Diane Springer - $17

Miniature Paintings of Horses by Lorena Birk - $99

First Thursday ~ November 3
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Music by John Crocker

Featured Artists
Scott McRae and Debby Neely (paintings) | Marisa Mercure  (painted tile)
Don Quackenbush (stained glass) | Jane Gerdon (felting & purses)

Cobalt Moon, Glass Work by Don Quackenbush

“The ability to stir the imagination is intriguing, exciting and fascinating in both stained glass and digital art compositions.” ~ Don Quackenbush

Don has always been visually oriented; he loves to sketch and doodle and finds a pencil and pad of paper to be very relaxing and almost therapeutic.

Now retired, he is able to devote much of his time to exploring the passion for design and creativity that led him into architecture. His compositions are typically abstract and stem from the pencil explorations which he terms generated-doodles. These generated doodles are at times simple, at times complex, and serve as the springboard for his stained glass patterns as well as his explorations into digital artwork.

Also featured in November are Scott McRae’s paintings and Marisa Mercure’s paintings on tile (below),

Dolphins, Glass Work by Don Quackenbush

Bandelier, Glass Work by Don Quackenbush

Foyer Entry, Glass Work by Don Quackenbush

Hand-painted Tile by Marisa Mercure

Hand-painted Tile by Marisa Mercure

Pumpkin Flowers by Scott McRae

Geraniums by Scott McRae

First Thursday ~ October 6
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Music by Dian Norman

Mask Show Best of Show award and prize (gift certificate for The Broadway Gallery) will be announced at the First Thursday reception on October 6, 5:30-7:30.

Featured Artists
Susy Halverson (paintings) | Lee Boone (sculpture) | Donna Patching (paintings) | Dan Sheridan (pottery)

Suzy Halverson Painting Sea Lion Cave Back Door

Susy’s love for teaching art is obvious. She’s been teaching oil painting classes for 20 years, and has been a member of the gallery for 22. In fact, she says her best teachers have always been her students!

“They always test my skills with new challenges,” she says.

It’s easy to see why she learns from her students. Susy lets her students paint the subjects of their choice, and during any class, she may be problem-solving on as many as 12 different paintings at one time.

Susy’s first experience with art came at 12 years old. She visited her aunt in Olympia who introduced her to the esteemed northwest watercolor artist Charles Mulvey. When she shared some of her artwork with him, he encouraged her aunt to find a painting teacher for her.

Susy began oil painting in Frances Bond’s studio in Spokane that same year. She continued with her for three years until moving to Kelso, and she continues to take part in many workshops and college courses and think of herself always as a student, the true mark of a teacher.

Palouse Summer

Susy prefer to paint landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

“These are the places where I like to vacation and travel as much as possible. I’m never as content as when I am painting in the mountains while my husband and I are traveling,” she says.

If she’s not painting while traveling, she’s taking photos to use as study material for future paintings, both for herself and her students. She prefers to paint actual places so people can identify with them and remember the good times they had at that place or see how beautiful a place is and want to go there. It gives her a great feeling when someone identifies a place in one of her paintings!

Susy uses water miscible oil paints for classes and in her own paintings. These are nontoxic paints with low odor, which makes them ideal for classroom use. They also age as well as regular oil paint when sealed correctly. She uses a combination of bristle brushes, sable detail brushes, palette knives and even her bare hands.

If you are interested in taking a class by Susy, you can get the schedule on the Classes page.

Susy also knits and makes jewelry and you can learn more about her on her Artist page.

Featured Artists
Judy Vandermaten (photography) | Bob Farr (photography) | Mary Huels (pottery) | Ruth Doumit

Horsehair Raku Vase

Mary Huels ~ Potter

It’s not every day you meet a firefighter/artist-potter! Mary Huels fights fires, and when the fires are quiet she heads for her studio to dig into clay.

Not surprising, Mary loves trees, as you can see from the designs on her pots. She experiments with horsehair raku and aluminum foil saggar firings to obtain unique burnished surfaces.

Interestingly, horesehair raku uses…horsehair! The hairs are burned onto the pot’s surface to create lines. As hair is laid upon glowing hot pots straight from the kiln, they sear onto the pot’s surface and leave carbon markings.

Here’s some information about horsehair raku.

Maryalso creates porcelain pots with food safe glazes that are safe for dishwasher and microwave.

“I expect my pots to be used”, she says!

You can see Mary’s beautiful pots, together with photography by Judy Vandermaten and Bob Farr, and artwork by Ruth Doumit during the month of September.

Tree Vase

Small Red and White Vase

Salsa Bowls

Red and White Vase with Neck

Horsehair Raku Vase

Aluminum Saggar Bowl

Hosting arts events are an important part of economic revitalization in our community. For residents and visitors alike, they communicate important small town lifestyles and values.”

On Saturday August 20 the Columbian Artists Association and the City of Longview Parks and Recreation offered a summertime Art in the Park festival at Lake Sacajawea.

This year’s festival was beautiful, due in part to the wonderful sunshine we’ve been having, but mostly due to the efforts of the volunteer organizers and the outstanding group of participating artists.

This year more than 50 booths featured local artworks including photography, fused glas, stained glass, china painting, iron art, fabric art, woodworking, jewelry, sculpture, watercolor, oils, acrylics and prints. There was even a booth for children to create their own artwork!

Several of our gallery artists participated, including Carol Boudreau, Scott McRae and Marisa Mercure. Carol generously gave her time to help organize the event.

Hosting arts events like these are an important part of economic revitalization in our community. For residents and visitors alike, they communicate important small town lifestyles and values. Hollywood often mythologizes these values in “feel-good” movies, but the underlying truth is that small towns and cities are often in dire economic straights, with city and county budgets strained to the limit.

Yet the ability to support the arts can have a dramatic impact on economic opportunities. Visitors form opinions about communities based upon their ability to provide art and culture, which translates into an attractive location for businesses with many employees. It’s also an incentive for arts professionals and artists in search of small town safety, affordability and a sense of community connectedness.

Today visual artists and art gallery owners have found it possible to make a living in places that had never been widely known for supporting the arts. They have found small towns and cities to be welcoming, if not always lucrative, places to pursue their career goals.

We can’t help but think that Art in the Park helps support our community, as much as it helps support artists. Special thanks to the Columbian Artists Association and the City of Longview for supporting the arts. You are helping to bring arts-supportive people to our community in areas where they have not always been visible in previous years!

Here’s some sights from this year’s festival! We hope to see everyone again next year!