Artrain Visits Sandpoint

Art and train lovers alike will find something to enjoy with next weekend’s arrival of the Smithsonian Museum’s Artrain in Sandpoint. A train of four cars filled with art will be parked on side rails near the Bonner Mall on Highway 95.

The traveling museum includes 37 contemporary pieces of mixed media and original prints commissioned by the Smithsonian to mark such special events as the end of the Gulf War.

Such notable artists as Georgia O’Keffe, Dale Chihuly, Willem de Kooning, Sam Gilliam, Carolyn Brady, Gene Davis and Jacob Lawrence are included.

Artrain, America’s Museum in Motion, brings world-class artwork to rural areas without large museums. This is its first visit this far West. The Pend Orielle Arts Council is sponsoring the event to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The train will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. next Sunday. Cost is $3 for adults; free for those 18 and under.

Artwalk 1998 will also help the Pend Orielle Arts Council celebrate its anniversary from Saturday through July 31.

Participating galleries include Eklektos Gallery, Selkirk Gallery, Misty Mountain Furniture, Lyman Gallery, Petal Talk, Pend Oreille Winery, Flaherty’s Framing and Fine Art, Pend Oreille Arts Council Gallery, Art Works, Eve’s Leaves, Northwest Artisans, Pend Oreille Bank and Pend Oreille Pasta.

For a complete list of artists and locations, contact the arts council at (208) 263-6139.

Messy and Marvelous

The Art School in Bonners Ferry is accepting registrations for summer classes, which include face and figure drawing, line technique, nature crafts, mask creations, fashion design and a “Make it Messy and Marvelous” class.

Most are two-hour-long classes for five days, costing $30 or $35; class size is limited to eight students.

For more information, call (208) 267-7786, (208) 267-8119 or (208) 267-6044.

Drum and dance

A West African and Caribbean Drum and Dance Camp will be at the Bear Paw Camp near Newport, Wash., Friday, Saturday and next Sunday.

Michael Bear of Spokane’s Tam Tam Mandingue School of Percussion, will teach drumming classes, while Sherrie Bentley will teach dance. Both are members of the Malidoma World Drum and Dance Ensemble.

The camp, which welcomes families, is open to drummers and dancers of all levels; no experience is required.

Cost is $110 for either drumming or dance classes, or $150 for all classes. Meals and lodging are included. Family rates are available. Preregistration is required.

To register or for more information, call 624-7573.

Used art sale

The Cheney Cowles Museum will hold its “Wall to Wall Used Art Sale” Saturday and next Sunday during the Spokane MarketPlace Summer Festival.

The sale at First and Jefferson will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Proceeds will benefit the museum’s art acquisition program.

Rock around the park

Junior high and senior high rock and alternative bands are invited to audition for the annual Battle of the Bands in Riverfront Park, Aug. 22, sponsored by the Chase Youth Commission.

Tryouts will be June 24 at North Central High School. Audition times must be reserved in advance by calling 625-6440.

Meet the press

Nick Heil, art and culture editor for the Pacific Northwest Inlander, and Chris Wille, arts and entertainment editor at The Spokesman-Review, will be guest speakers at next week’s Paradigm Shift meeting of the Visual Arts Commission.

All artists are invited to attend the monthly meeting with its subject of “Working With the Print Media” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe.

Kudos

Spokane native Bruce Ely received first place in the National Photojournalism Championship in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards program. Ely is a graduate of Spokane Community College and the University of Montana-Missoula.

Hulda and Kenneth Bridgeman of Spokane received the award for excellence in wearables at the recent Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C.

Two Spokane watercolor artists were among the 10 winners in last month’s ArtFest, sponsored by the Cheney Cowles Museum and Spokane Art School.

Mari Anne Figgins received the Addison L. Myers Merit Award, while Donald Clegg received the Two-Dimensional Merit Award.