Take a walk, enjoy art at same time
A sure sign of spring in Coeur d’Alene is the return of the downtown Art Walks that bring art lovers and the art community together every second Friday. The season’s first Art Walk on April 8 brought out a great crowd, thanks to the beautiful weather, and this Friday’s Art Walk should be even better.
This month, Angel Gallery of Fine Art and Antiques is celebrating its first anniversary at its new location at 423 Sherman Ave. The gallery not only has fine art, but owners and sisters Deborah Rathbun and Patricia Kovatch have a wide variety of antiques, gifts and jewelry to choose from.
For the Art Walk, the gallery will feature works by Northwest artist Del Gish. Born in 1936, Gish trained with the acclaimed Russian American realist painter Sergei Bongart. His introspective works are characteristic of the light and brilliance associated with Impressionism. Gish’s work has been displayed in Seattle’s Frye Art Museum, and is in many public and private collections.
Devin Galleries, 507 Sherman Ave., is featuring the work of Spokane’s Melissa Cole. Cole currently has a show on display at the Seattle Aquarium. The show at Devin, “An Artist’s Journey,” will feature new original acrylic and watercolor paintings. Debbie Peterson, one of the gallery’s owners, said Cole portrays wildlife in a very interesting, different way.
“It has an aboriginal feel to it,” Peterson said.
The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave., hosts its sixth annual Clay Invitational with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. during the Art Walk. This popular show will run through June 4, and features 17 clay artists.
Among the artists featured are Mika Negishi Laidlaw, from Mankato, Minn. Born and raised in Japan, she received her BFA from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, then returned to Japan for a three-year apprenticeship in traditional Japanese pottery before receiving her MFA from Kansas State University. She now teaches ceramics at Minnesota State University at Mankato.
Also featured is Eric Nelsen of Vashon, Wash., who built one of the first anagama kilns in the United States. He has been widely shown, published and collected. Richard Bohn of Spokane, is well-known for his vessels and sculptures made from pit-fired terra cotta. He will be showing a large broken vessel.
Erlendson Art Glass, 116 E. Lakeside Ave., is the only place in Coeur d’Alene where you can enjoy a latte or mocha and watch Spencer Erlendson, Joel Nelson and Steve Farr manipulate molten glass into elegant works of art using techniques dating back 2,000 years.
Summer’s Glass, at 211 Sherman Ave., will feature the work of Conrad Bagley, a mixed-media artist, and proprietor Cindy Summer’s glass work.
Mosgrove Gallery, 211 Coeur d’Alene Ave., No. 101, is featuring the work of Tim Mosgrove’s students “Past and Present.” There will be a wide variety of functional pottery, such as bowls, plates and vases, as well as some sculptures.
Other participating galleries include Frame of Mind Gallery, 119 N. Second St., Northwest Artists, 217 Sherman Ave., the Painter’s Chair Gallery, featuring nationally acclaimed artist Stephen Shortridge, and Cisco’s arts and artifacts at 212 N. Fourth St.
All of these galleries are within walking distance of each other. The Art Walk gets under way at 5 p.m. Friday. The walks will continue through the fall.