Art event lets colors shine
Spokane Valley is growing up.
Its older sibling Spokane and distant cousin Coeur d’Alene have their share of monthly art events where hundreds of people trample the streets to rub elbows with the art scene.
Spokane Valley has its own monthly art event. It’s an award-winning one and a gem in our city.
The event takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at the MAX at Mirabeau Point Hotel. First Wednesday began in September of 2005 and has been gaining momentum.
In 2006, the Washington State Hotel and Lodging Association presented the MAX at Mirabeau with a Special Events Achievement Award specifically for First Wednesday.
Dennis Manley, director of food and beverage, accepted the award. He has been setting up the event from its conception.
“People are still surprised that Spokane Valley has something like this to offer,” Manley said. “The reception has been phenomenal. Music, wine, art, food – they’re cut from the same cloth, they demand creativity and a certain degree of appreciation.”
The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and includes hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting by well-known wineries as well as new ones.
“Our art ranges from the well known to little ladies with watercolors to the bold work done by a guy with tattoos,” Manley said.
The latter is Wednesday’s featured artist, Brandon Hewitt. A little rough around the edges, Hewitt wears tattoos and piercings comfortably. He is an untrained artist, but his work is moving and ranges from the demure and subtle to rock ‘n’ roll-style tags.
He sprays colored air from an airbrush and often uses a sci-fi styled respirator when he works. Hewitt works on canvas, walls, furniture, computers and anything else he can get his hands on.
“The world is my coloring book,” he said.
Hewitt received his first airbrush in exchange for a large dragon that he painted in his boss’s daughter’s playroom, and airbrushing became his medium.
“I want people to surround themselves with beauty – fast colors, strong emotional art, or slow relaxing art,” he said.
He has since painted boats, motorbikes and trailers and has a list of upcoming commissions.
A patron who saw Hewitt’s work on the Internet suggested Hewitt to Manley and Manley was quick to oblige.
“His work is pretty darn cool,” said Manley.
Hewitt, 26, got his GED after dropping out of University High School.
“I went through, well, angst. There were ups and downs,” he said.
The ups have been three beautiful daughters and art, and the downs included the time he was robbed, stabbed and almost died, depression, and 2½ years in prison.
“The past is the past,” he said, “I’m not going to apologize for who I am, but I don’t want people to make judgments because of my past.”
Hewitt left prison with a folder filled with drawings he created as tattoos for other inmates as well as heart-felt creations that helped him through his incarceration.
Hewitt is passionate about his craft.
“Art moves my soul, and it speaks to me. It tells me that I can be great and never puts me down. When it’s wrong, it’s my fault, and there is no blame. I feel blessed that I have found my center and feel so strong about it because for some people, it’s not so easy,” he said
His heroes are local artist George Roybal and fantasy artist Boris Vallejo. Hewitt hopes to one day be considered inspiring and have his work in environments all over the area.