Longview's first art walk debuts Saturday on Commerce Avenue
Thursday, June 29, 2006 7:26 AM PDT
By Staff
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E-mail this articleThe Pearl District in Portland hosts art gallery walks the first Thursday of every month. Kalama has had an art walk the last two years. A dedicated group of art enthusiasts think it's about time that Longview offered its very own chance for the public to stroll along sidewalks and admire the work of local artists.
The Art Connection will be Longview's debut art walk. Saturday on Commerce Avenue, more than 40 artists will to show and sell works in 19 downtown businesses, and some will set up easels and create art while patrons watch.
In a particularly Longview twist, the event will be held in conjunction with the annual Columbia River Corvettes car show, the Bow Tie Bash.
"The performing arts have a presence" here, said Marie Wise of Kalama, the driving force behind the event. "But I see a need ... for more events for the public to see art and meet artists."
The event grew out of this year's Leadership Academy sponsored by the Kelso/Longview Chamber of Commerce. One of the participants was Wise, who was sponsored by her employer, the Port of Longview.
Leadership Academy students are encouraged to do a community service project, and others in the class suggested such subjects as youth sports and social services, Wise said. "I was the only one who proposed something related to art."
"I couldn't stand to see Marie out there as the lone supporter of the arts," said Carole Eby of Cowlitz Americorps Network, who was also in the leadership program. "It looked like a wonderful idea was going to fizzle for a lack of support."
Eventually, two other class members joined Wise and Eby. After discussions with downtown business people and the Chamber of Commerce, the idea of a mini art-festival was born.
"We have operated from a zero budget," Eby said. Peacehealth provided the 1,000 color brochures for the event.
Wise, who has never been to a car show, said there are several good reasons to meld The Art Connection and the Bow Tie Bash.
"We get a lot of the community down there," Wise said.
As the guys discuss carburetors and chrome, "their wives like something else to do," said Eby, who has attended car shows with her husband.
An added bonus was that the car club had a city permit to close Commerce to regular traffic.
Gary Wohl, co-chair of the Bow Tie Bash, said he expects as many as 400 vehicles at this year's show. This will be the first year in the show's 14-year history that any American-brand vehicle will be accepted. Last year's Chevy-only event drew about 200 cars and about three times as many people, Wohl said.
To prepare for the art show, Wise got her creative juices flowing and painted a couple of oils of classic cars, something she had never done.
Her painting of a '57 Chevy Belair adorns the event's official brochure. She's also painted the stern of a '59 Chevy, its massive, chromed spare-tire cover gleaming.
Wise loves the way light dances off shiny paint and chrome. Painting the cars pushed her into a new medium, metallic paint. "I've broadened my artistic horizons," she said.
Until this year, her subjects tended towards plants and portraits, said the artist, who stated painting as a girl and has lived in Kalama for 30 years.
Since 2005, she and her husband, Allan, have lived in a house high above the town with a sweeping view south over the Columbia River. "We just love the view and the light," she said.
A three-panel painting of that view awaits finishing touches in her gallery, a room in the house with a big window for natural light plus plenty of overhead recessed bulbs.
She leads a tour of her house's art displays: "My Monet and my Klimdt and my Van Gogh." Actually, she's painted her version of works by those artists, who are among her main inspirations.
Several years ago, she painted a "Rhody series." Next will come a series of paintings of Longview lillies. "There's a lot of water lillies at the lake, but they're only in bloom for a week, so you have to snap a lot of pictures."
During Art Connection, Wise will set up shop at Scoops at 1339 Commerce. "I'm going to paint ice cream."
The following Commerce Avenue businesses between Hemlock and Vandercook Way will host artists between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. Commerce will be closed to vehicular traffic for the event and Bow Tie Bash car show.
Banda's Bouquets -- Deborah Dunn
Bonnie's Place -- Kathi Graves, Rebecca Traub
The Broadway Gallery -- Carol Boudreau, Heidi Bishop, Katie Berggren, Scott McRae, Vicki Brigden, Gini Smith
Columbia Theatre -- Judi Schlecht
Country Folks Deli -- Margaret Barton-Ross
Common Ground -- Dave Huffman
CAP -- Empty Bowls Project, Susan Miller
Cowlitz Americorps Network -- Gerald Parcel, Michael Brundage
Dreamweaver Gifts -- Angela Fields, Cynthia Kiive, John Henry
Elams Home Furnishings -- Peggy Bird
Frank's European Cellar -- Linda Kite
Freddy's Just for the Halibut -- Jean Lancaster, Lower Columbia Woodcarvers Association
Horse Lover's Haven -- Cheyenne
Longview Stageworks -- Sharon Kelley
The Merk -- Cacy Lee, Joy Lassiter, Kathy Loney, Michael Harrison, Michael Vrosh, Steve Heitert
Scoops -- Marie Wise
Teagues Interiors -- Gert Martini, Irene Bacon, Carol Chisman, Janis Newton, Sheila Rickard, Wendy Kosloski, Shirley Bailey
Treasure House & Java Joy Coffee Shop -- LeeRoy Parcel Sr., Jim Ward, Linda Ward
Trendy Trades -- Robin Wright
What's Upstairs -- Fern Kelley, Sacajawea Handweavers Guild
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