Woodcarvers to show off work at ‘Artistry in Wood Show’

Woodcarver Joan Thiele grew up on a family farm in northwest Texas surrounded by animals. It was natural for her to use them as subjects when she began whittling with her pocketknife as a young girl.

The Spokane Valley carver has come a long way since Texas. This weekend she takes center stage at the 15th annual juried “Artistry in Wood Show” in the Lair Building on the Spokane Community College campus at Greene and Mission.

“I still have my first carvings – a pair of miniature mallard ducks,” she says. Alongside those little ducks today is a wall full of ribbons from juried wood carving events.

As the featured artist, Thiele on Saturday and Sunday will demonstrate how she carves her realistic wildlife.

Nearly 200 carvers from throughout the Northwest and Canada are expected to exhibit their work. Club members from the Spokane Carver’s Association and the Inland Empire Carvers will be on hand to show carving techniques and answer questions.

“Last year we carved train whistles as prizes for kids who could make one basket out of three on a little basketball hoop we set up,” says club member Jack Harvey. “It was so popular we’re doing it again this year.”

For the adults there will be how-to videos and information booths along with many vendors of tools, special woods and reference books.

Doors are open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $4 at the door; children admitted free with an adult.

ArtWalk in Coeur d’Alene

The popular Second Friday ArtWalk continues in downtown Coeur d’Alene with six galleries having artists’ receptions from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday.

• Opening at Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave., is “The Space Between” featuring the mixed media sculptures of Michael Horswill.

In his first solo exhibit at the gallery, the Coeur d’Alene artist mixes mechanical materials like copper and wire with natural materials such as wood, fabric or beeswax.

Some of the sculptures “are lit from within,” says gallery owner Steve Gibbs, “and for some the changing light from day to night is reflected in the metals’ changing glimmer.”

Horswill will talk about his work on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the gallery. The show runs through Nov. 6.

• Spokane painter Melissa Cole is showing at the Devin Galleries, 507 Sherman Ave. “Color and the Living Form” includes new acrylic and watercolor paintings inspired by a trip to Santa Fe this summer, said Cole in an e-mail. There are several “interesting pieces made up of multiple canvases stuck together like a puzzle to form one picture,” she said.

• “Oldies but Goodies” opens at the Frame of Mind Gallery, 119 N. Second St. Featured artists are realistic oil painter Carl Funseth, Western artist Jim Carkhuff, landscape watercolorist Carrie Stuart Parks, floral watercolorist Barbara Peretti and realistic oil painter Nona Hengen.

• Impressionistic painter Stephen Charles Shortridge is unveiling his “Amsterdam to Budapest” paintings inspired by a recent trip to Europe at the Painter’s Chair Fine Art Gallery, 223 Sherman Ave.

• Erlendson Art Glass, 116 E. Lakeside Ave., has glassblowers creating their own Halloween party with hand-blown pumpkins, witch hats and shrunken skulls.

• Angel Gallery, 423 Sherman Ave., is showing the stained glass works of Kathy Pierce and fused glass by Sally Mackin.

‘Images of the Palouse’ in Moscow

The work of landscape photographer John Clement opens Friday in “Images of the Palouse” at the Third Street Gallery in Moscow, Idaho.

The photographs reflect Clement’s “love for creation and color,” says gallery director Deena Heath. Clement has won more than 50 regional, national and international awards.

The Kennewick photographer’s image “Red Dawn” was inducted into the National Photographer’s Hall of Fame in 1998.

An opening reception is Friday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the gallery, 206 E. Third St. in the Moscow City Hall. View the work weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Dec. 3.

Republic’s ‘Celebration of the Arts’

The Carousel building on the Ferry County Fairgrounds in Republic, Wash., is the site for a “Celebration of the Arts” with a country feel on Saturday night

More than 20 fine artists and crafters have donated works for an auction to support the new artists’ cooperative Eureka Arts Gold Mountains Gallery in Republic.

“There are an amazing number of talented people in this small community,” said Eureka Arts president David Wermuth in a news release. “We need a place to showcase all this fine work. That’s what Gold Mountains Gallery is going to do.”

Works up for bid include a landscape by Western artist Everett Russell, who placed Best of Show at the National Western Art Show in Ellensburg; a side chair by Wermuth; digital art by John-Dan Key; an oil landscape painting by Jim Weaver; real fur teddy bears, a bed quilt, pastels, ceramics, watercolors, jewelry, photographs and wearable art.

The silent auction begins at 5 p.m., with the live auction starting at 7 p.m. Rusty Summy and Blaine Lindgren of the RusTones will provide the music. Call (509) 775-2507 or (509) 779-4064 for more information.

Nelson’s ‘Sanctuary’ at Whitworth

Environmentally aware artist Rik Nelson has taken unlikely materials and made interesting assemblage with them for “Sanctuary,” opening Tuesday in the Koehler Gallery at Whitworth College.

Nelson transforms common everyday objects – soda cans, cereal boxes and plastic laundry soap jugs – into innovative, colorful works.

“Rik creates his imagery by recycling the leftover scraps of our consumer culture,” says gallery director Scott Kolbo, using what people would normally throw away “to create beautiful objects that transcend the commonness of the source material.”

A public reception is Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery, with an exhibit lecture at 6 p.m. in Room 203 of Weyerhaeuser Hall. The gallery is in the Fine Arts Building at Whitworth College, 300 W. Hawthorne Road.

View the work through Nov. 19, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

‘A Night of Art, Music’

Three emerging visual artists and two local bands are in the spotlight Saturday for “A Night of Art and Music” at Caterina Winery, 905 N. Washington St. The artists include photographer Katie Stone showing, sculptor Victoria Abbott and painter Jeremy Vermilion.

Stop by for the artists’ reception at 5 p.m. and stay for the free music beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Beat Committee and The Side Project are set to perform.

Other galleries

• Spokane Watercolor Society’s Regional Juried Watermedium Show is running through October at the Gallery at Joel, 165 S. Post St.

“We received more than 125 entries this year,” says SWS member Susan Rohrback. “Out of those, juror Eric Weigardt selected 50 for the show.” Weigardt is author of “Watercolor Free and Easy.”

• Art Works Gallery, 309 N. First Ave. in Sandpoint, is showing works by photographer Bob Gregson. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information go to www.sandpointartworks.com.

• Artist Barbara Clark is displaying “Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery” at Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe St., through October.

• Entree Gallery in Priest Lake, Idaho, is closing its doors for the season on Sunday, so there are just a couple more days to see “Frosty the Snowman.” The gallery, two miles east of Nordman, Idaho, on Reeder Bay Road, will reopen in the spring.