EWU faculty takes spotlight

A cornucopia of contemporary art is on view in the “EWU Art Faculty Exhibition” at the Gallery of Art on Eastern Washington University’s Cheney campus.

This annual exhibition presents the recent work of 11 teaching artists in a wide variety of mediums and in a diverse array of artistic styles. An opening reception is today at noon in the gallery.

Melissa Furness, who teaches drawing, painting and intermedia, seems to use all three in her multimedia narratives.

During the summer of 2001, Furness traveled to Hungary where she discovered the rich culture of Eastern Europe and, in particular, the history of thermal baths and tubs.

“In my work,” writes Furness in an e-mail, “I look to express a new sense of the foreign self through a combination of past and present: the history of public bathing as a social gathering versus the online hedonism of Internet surfers, the traditional touristic experience of place versus travel across virtual space, and the body language of human beings versus the abstracted gestures of popular comic characters.”

She adds: “There is a submersion of real and virtual space; of current and past time; of the physical, spiritual and virtual body; and a submersion of varying materials in my artistic process.”

Also on view are oil paintings by Lanny DeVuono; ceramic objects by Lisa Nappa, Curtis Stewardson and Sandra Trujillo; photography and paintings by Shelly Murney; sculpture by Roger Ralston and Nancy Hathaway; and other works by Nathan Orosco, Jennifer Compau and Tom Askman.

“This annual exhibition offers students and community members throughout the region the opportunity to experience the high quality of artwork currently being produced by Eastern Washington University’s Faculty of Art,” says gallery director Hathaway.

View the work through Feb. 17. The free gallery is open to the public weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The gallery is in the Art Building, located in the center of the fine and performing arts complex on the college campus at Seventh and I streets in Cheney. All of the events are free and open to the public.

‘Mother-Daughter’ show at Grant

The William Grant Gallery in North Spokane is changing its art show format this year.

“Shows will now run for two months,” says gallery owner Charlie Hinton. “We want to make them a larger production, so we will have six artists each show.”

Kicking off the 2006 season is a “Mother-Daughter” exhibit featuring Jan and Janna Juday, Sandra and Korlynn Hiller, and Liz Bishop and Sara Hawks.

The artists are showing both cooperative pieces and individual works.

The Judays’ mixed-media pieces involve jewelry, silk and acrylics. The Hiller team works with cut and hand-painted leather. Bishop and Hawks are showing large wall pieces made with raku clay, glass and metal.

Meet the artists during a reception Friday between 5 and 8 p.m. at the gallery, 820 W. Francis Ave. View the work through March 4. Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; extended hours this weekend are Friday’s opening until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Deer Park ‘Winter Fest’ art shows

There are two art shows this weekend as part of Deer Park’s annual Winter Fest:

•The City of Deer Park Arts Commission is showing the original color paintings for Harry Deuber’s “A Portrait in Color,” the Deer Park Centennial Mural. Stop by the Crawford Gallery, 316 E. Crawford in the lower level of Deer Park City Hall, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

•The Deer Park Winter Quilt Guild is displaying close to 100 quilts in its biannual quilt show, “Wildflowers in the Snow,” on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the School Administration Building, 428 N. Main. Admission is $1.

Presentations on Saturday include: 11 a.m., Roberta Schroeder, “Making Two-side Quilts;” 1 p.m., “How to Make a Chenille Pillow;” 2 p.m., Melissa Smith, “Appliquéing;” 3 p.m., Peggy Ostness, “Using Vintage Quilts.” On Sunday: 1 p.m., Sandi Stillman, “Using Up All of Your Scraps.”

Live art making at Tinman

Two Spokane artists, Carl Richardson and Ric Gendron, will demonstrate art-making techniques at the Tinman Gallery, 811 W. Garland Ave.

Richardson, an art instructor at Spokane Falls Community College, is showing silkscreening on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. His current show of silkscreens on glass, “Boxing the Legend,” is on view at Tinman through January.

Gendron will demonstrate his colorful acrylic painting techniques on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. His narrative images feature musical, animal and totemic figures.

The demonstrations are free. Call the gallery at 325-1500 or go online at www.tinmanartworks.com. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Other galleries

•Northpointe Retirement Community is having a “Residents’ Art Show” beginning Wednesday with an artists’ reception from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. There will be music by Kathy Goyette the first hour of the reception.

View the work through Jan. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Northpointe is located at 1110 E. Westview Court, off Nevada, just east of Northpointe Shopping Center. Call 465-8440 or go to www.Northpointeretirement.com.

•Far West Billiards is showing the photographs of Carey Eyer and Sean Girard during January. Information on the show is at www.vinepress.com.