Visual Arts: Orange plays key role in Fearn’s florals

Melody Laine Fearn was “just a kid” when she picked up her first paintbrush.

“My grandmother still has paintings I did on the insides of grocery sacks,” says the Republic, Wash., artist.

These days the grown-up Fearn is painting big, bright canvases that are hanging in the Gold Mountains Gallery in Republic.

Her new show, “Shades of Orange,” includes 14 florals, travel moments and country scenes – each with a dab or splash of orange.

One of the florals, “Flaming Tulips 2,” evolved out of another painting.

“As I was painting the original fresh-cut tulips in a clear glass jar,” she says, “they started opening and becoming these big, loose and wild things. I knew I had to paint them again.”

Half of the paintings in the show were influenced by a winter escape to Mexico, where Fearn observed the different quality of light and how unusual the colors of ordinary items appeared.

“Even the water is a different color,” she says.

Meet Fearn at an artist’s reception Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the gallery, 852 S. Clark St. in downtown Republic.

The free show will run through Aug. 12. For directions or additional information call (509) 775-8010.

s.m.ART by the River

One of the more charming, long-running community arts festivals happens this weekend near St. Maries.

The 18th annual s.m.ART by the River Festival of the Arts takes place at the Cherry Bend Boat Park on the St. Joe River.

There will be around 50 arts and crafts tents, live music, children’s art adventures and food booths.

Mosey through the festive marketplace on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entertainment is continuous on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The playbill includes rock and roller P.J. Destiny, folk and blues musician Laddie Ray Melvin, world drum and dance music by Malidoma and contemporary bluegrass by Big Red Barn.

Performing groups on Sunday go from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. L.G. Senelly starts the day with spiritual music, followed by bluesman Ray Roberson, All that Jazz, P.J. Destiny, and Deep Roots’ Celtic music with Arvid Lundin.

For those who arrive early and hungry, the Kiwanis club is once again serving a $5.50 ham, egg and pancake breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. on both days.

To get to the festival by car, take Exit 34 off Interstate 90 and travel south on Highway 3 to the Cottonwood Point turnoff and follow the signs three miles north. If you want to arrive by boat, there is a dock set aside at the Cherry Bend Boat Park.

For more information call (208) 245-3417.

North Idaho studio tour

Artists in the Idaho Panhandle are opening their home studios as part of an annual self-guided driving tour.

The free “Artists’ Studio Tour of North Idaho” gives people the opportunity to see “the entire process – from the spark of the idea to the finished work, and all the fascinating live demonstrations in between,” says tour representative Meyla Bianco Johnston in an e-mail.

The tour features more than two dozen artists and crafters in 18 locations throughout the communities of Sandpoint, Sunnyside, Hope, Clark Fork, Glengary, Garfield Bay, Cocolalla and Bonners Ferry.

The artists create in a variety of mediums including watercolor, glass, photography and sculpture.

All the studios are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and again July 27 to 29.

For a map and directions go online at arttourdrive.org or call (800) 800-2106.

‘American Roots Music’

The Moses Lake Art Center, in cooperation with Humanities Washington, is showing a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” Friday through Sept. 1.

The exhibition examines the progression of American music, as rich and eclectic as the country itself.

A secondary show, “Musical Notes of Moses Lake,” runs at the same time.

Free events during the run of the exhibit include:

“July 26, 7 p.m. – Humanities Washington Inquiring Mind speaker Carl Allen presents “Roll on Columbia: Woody Guthrie and the Columbia River Songs.”

“Aug. 2, 7 p.m. – Humanities Washington Inquiring Mind speaker Brian Pertl talks about “American Roots Music: A Sonic Adventure of Continental Proportions.”

“Aug. 10 and 25 – “Electric Guitars and Amps of the ‘50s & ‘60s” exhibit.

“Aug. 11, 8 p.m. – Northwest Street Dance at Sinkiuse Square featuring The Kingsmen.

The museum, 228 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call (509) 766-9395.

Julyamsh Indian Art Show

Next weekend, during the Julyamsh Powwow, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe will host an Indian Art Show and Auction in the main pavilion of the Greyhound Park in Post Falls.

The three-day event includes acrylic and oil paintings, jewelry, leather work, sculpture and beadwork.

Featured artists include George Flett (Spokane), Rabbit Knows Gun (Crow), Neil Parsons (Black Feet), Ramon Murrillo (Apache), Jim Jackson (Klamath), Gail Running Wolf (Black Feet) and Gus Yellow Hair (Sioux).

The free show runs July 27 to 29, with an art auction getting under way at 6 p.m. on July 28.

For additional information call Shaina Morning Owl at (800) 523-2464, ext. 7408.

Othello’s Old Hotel

Self-taught painter Katherine Downing of Quincy, Wash., is showing her latest paintings at the Old Hotel Art Gallery in Othello, Wash.

“Katherine uses the pallet knife for most of her impressionist work, which involves bright colors and lots of energy,” says gallery director Sally Lambert in a news release.

The show is up through July in the gallery, 33 E. Larch St. For more information call (509) 488-5936 or go online to oldhotelartgallery.com.