The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is showing two exhibits of contemporary art through January 7.

Need|Want is a juried show “addressing ways contemporary American society assigns value.”

I am always interested in the ways a curator and other artists interpret a show theme.

The mediums ranged from painting and printmaking to video and and performance artifacts.  The subject matter spanned the very personal to global environmental and economic trends.  I was particularly drawn to several works that seemed to relate to matters I’m thinking about now.

Tim Oberst’s piece A Sand County Almanac (the rosette in the gallery view above) looked like a large timber cross-cut, but on closer inspection was formed of corrugated cardboard strips.  Pre- and post-consumer states.  It made me think of Karen Rudd‘s stunning old-growth stumps built from cardboard scrap, but felt delicate and airy instead of massive.

Rik Nelson’s clever Fortress is a patchwork of post-consumer aluminum and plastic.

Rik Nelson, "Fortress", 2003

The rearrangement of “open” to “nope” in Benjamin Sloat’s piece appeals to my sarcastic side.

Benjamin Sloat, "Nope," 2010

Of course every artist wants to see how their own work is hung in a group show. I was delighted to see the installation of Spill, and glad to see it in this company.

The second contemporary show is Territory: Generational Triptychs, and the premise is intriguing.  Pairs of artists, one established and one emerging, were matched up according to some similarity in their background, subject or themes.  Selections of each artist’s individual work were shown, and additionally they were asked to create a collaborative work especially for the show.  Artist pairings were eclectic, including a father-daughter pair, and a visual artist matched with a poet.

Austin Stiegemeier & Ken Spiering, "Passing the Torch", 2011

Austin Stiegemeir and Ken Spiering created a stunning collaboration. They have worked together before, and their combination of deep experience and youthful daring result in a brilliant execution, playing successfully with both illusionistic and actual space. I am inspired by this piece.

Juventino Aranda, "The Southwestern Front", 2010

Juventino Aranda’s work, in contrast, is very stark in execution, but I was struck by the strong concepts and commentary on social justice. I also appreciate the MAC’s willingness to pour sand on the carpet.

I drove from Seattle to Spokane earlier this month to see the Need/Want and Territory shows at the MAC.  I was able to choose a period of clear weather to avoid storms in the Cascade passes.  As it happened, the corollary of the high-pressure calm air was nightly fog across the central Washington plateau.  Combined with freezing temperatures, this had caused a beautiful buildup of frost on every leaf and stalk of grass along the way.

I am honored by the recent flattering interview in the blog The Solipsistic Me.  I hadn’t thought of my work in terms of social justice before the interview, but Michael Hulshof-Schmidt points out that is a significant aspect of my passion about sustainability, the environment, and the size of our collective footprint.

Michael is one of the kindest, most perceptive gentlemen I have ever met.  Yet he also has the courage to tell it as he sees it, and hold people accountable.  If you haven’t read his challenging blog yet, you should check it out.

I have work in two shows which open in October.

In Spokane, my mixed-media piece Spill was chosen for the exhibition “Need|Want: Matters of Priority” at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (MAC).  The project is a collaboration between the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and Terrain, a grassroots, non-profit organization seeking to connect generations of artists with each other and to promote the arts in the community at large.

Need|Want: Matters of Priority
October 15, 2011 – January 7, 2012
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
2316 W. First Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201

BeGin! opening party:
Friday, Oct. 14, 6-9 pm

Spill, oil and acrylic on canvas with mixed media, 77 in x 28 in x 8 in.

And in Seattle, the Phinney Center Gallery is showing work by the winners of the annual Northwest Fine Arts Competition. Jurors Gary Faigin, Sarah Dillon and Jayme Yahr selected my painting Intersection for inclusion.  The other featured artists are John Armstrong, Susan Aurand, John Bolivar, Matt Calcavecchia, Tina Carter, Karen Hackenberg, Aron Hart, Tyler Kimball, Paula Maratea Fuld, Michael Medrano, Nia Michaels, Joseph Pentheroudakis, Todd Smith, Jan Viney and Suze Woolf.

Intersection, oil on canvas, 18 in x 30 in.

Northwest Fine Arts Competition
October 5 – 28, 2011
Phinney Center Gallery
6532 Phinney Avenue N.
Seattle, WA 98103

Opening Reception:
Friday, Oct. 14, 7-9 pm

I was recently in Spokane to deliver work to a show at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture.  More on the show soon, but the trip was rewarding in itself.  The entire museum is between shows, and curator Val Wahl very generously gave me a glance at the backstage work going on to change the galleries around after a major exhibit.

I have spent the better part of the past year immersed in solitary concentration on painting.  For me, that is not just intense, but very internally focused.  So it was a welcome change to lengthen my gaze and be reminded that people beyond the studio also dedicate their lives to art.  Seeing that passion and care was incredibly heart warming.

Rather than make the five-hour return trip on the same day, I stayed overnight and took extensive photos in Eastern Washington.

Not only is it a different season from my recent wetlands paintings, but the climate, vegetation, and light are all so different from Seattle’s that they yield a completely changed palette to work with.  On my winding backroads return, I stumbled across the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. I spent a very productive morning there, making observations and photos which will probably turn into future work.

Pressure, oil on canvas, 24 in x 36 in.

Intersection, oil on canvas, 18 in x 30 in.

Ventilation Shaft, oil on canvas, 20 in x 40 in.

Installation photos from the Drawing and Painting Atelier show “Projects.”  Turnout was fantastic – thanks to everyone who came!  With so much terrific work surrounding it, I was gratified that my painting Spill generated a lot of interest.

Left to right: Chandler Woodfin, "The Living Grave"; portrait by atelier instructor Mark Kang-O'Higgins

Left to right: Elana Winsberg, "Soma Amor" (in back); Tamara Stephas, "Spill"; Stefan Cummings, "Agent X"

The most frequent comment I got about the Bellingham show was “congratulations, but are you showing anywhere closer to home?”

Actually, yes.  Two new pieces of mine are included in Projects, a show of Drawing and Painting Atelier artists.  It will be on view during the July Pioneer Square Artwalk this Thursday (tomorrow!)

Halt, 2011. 21 x 18″, oil on canvas.