VCA hosts 4th Annual VIVA Membership Show in June 2021
VIVA’s annual member show at Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) opens on June 4 with an artist reception 4 – 8 pm. Meet the artists and discover the inspiration behind the work. The VIVA reception will follow the reception for the Biennial Student Show, which will be held from 2pm – 4pm. The two shows are running concurrently at the VCA.
There are works from 115 VIVA artists (See list below) in this show, making it the biggest membership show ever. Works range from two-dimensional painting and photography in virtually all mediums to three-dimensional jewelry, woodworking, ceramics, collage and more.
Take a virtualtour of the show below, courtesy of the VCA. Click to open the tour, then drag your mouse to navigate the space. In addition to the VIVA works, the tour includes the Student Show and the birds that Bruce Morser did with 5th graders for a artists residency program.
The VIVA show is not only one of the biggest exhibits of the year in terms of participating artists, but will allow the most visitors in the gallery for over a year. The VIVA artists are ready, having spent the COVID year immersing themselves in work, new directions and new designs. Lynann Politte, VCA Gallery Director, observed that “all through the pandemic I’ve witnessed artists continue to make great art, expressing a spectrum of emotions and experiences of the year-long shut down. The art in the VIVA show reflects this diversity in expression and medium. And, amazingly, all of these artists live here with us on this small island.”
Each member artist was encouraged to submit one or more pieces within certain guidelines to the show juried by VIVA Board members Annette Messitt and Lin Holley. Asked his thoughts on the exhibited works, VIVA President Brian Fisher commented “Such diverse and intriguing work from Vashon’s visual artists! As an artist and appreciator of the interpreted visual, I am amazed by the scope and nuance reflected in this show. I am also motivated to wonder- how? I think, how was that texture created before it was shaped into that mug? Was the photographer moving or the subject in this photo? What kind of a brush or was it a tool that makes such a scalloped mark? We each are hardwired to think and make in a unique way and this show proves the fact.”
The most succinct description of the exhibit and exhibitors comes from curator/jurors Annette Messitt and Lin Holley. Drafted to do the heavy lifting that such a large show embodies, the two organizers have viewed every piece of art submitted and essentially loved them all, whether room on the walls was sufficient or not. They were forced to make hard decisions in many cases, especially 2D works, to select only one out of two or three equally amazing images due to space constraints. Reflecting on that process, Annett Messitt said “The VIVA Members Show illustrates that while many things have been on hold during the pandemic, creativity was alive and well among Vashon visual artists. Visitors will recognize works from their favorite on-island artists and enjoy seeing both 2D and 3D work from new members that are equally as exciting. The show is a perfect way to usher in a post-pandemic era that we believe will be defined by hope and creativity.” For a full list of exhibiting artists, selected photographs, show hours and other details, go to https://vivartists.com/.
So what do these comments tell you? Probably what you have known and experienced year after year on Vashon, but it may have taken a pandemic to remind us – we live in a rich, artistically diverse community that is chock full of exceptional artists. This show gives you the opportunity to see a huge number of them in one place, at one time and, for some of them, the first time. VIVA is particularly happy to be sharing the walls with VCA’s Biennial Student show as VIVA is dedicated to providing scholarships and guidance to emerging high school artists by funding $2000.00 or more in scholarships each year.
On Friday, June 4 and throughout the show, VCA will maintain COVID protocols as outlined by VCA and which include the “Meet the Artist” reception spread out over four hours with artists’ arrivals evenly spaced out during that period, social distancing, signing in, readily available hand sanitizers and mandatory masks. The Biennial Student Show will maintain the same safeguards during its 2pm to 4pm reception. The exhibits run through June 27th. We are indeed a Small Island with Big Art!
The chart below shows the names of all participating artists, plus the name of one of their works. Note: several artists have more than one work in the exhibition.
| Artist's First Name | Last Name | Name of Piece #1 | Medium of Piece #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tina | Anderson | Signal #2 | Oil on cradled birch panel |
| Mary Liz | Austin | EUDOXIA | Photograph on wood panel |
| Sara | Barry | Flower Bowl | Paper and textiles |
| Jeaneen | Bauer | Deer Enlightenment | Fiber art sconce |
| Christine | Beck | Porcelain Casserole | Cone 6 porcelain and underglazes |
| darsie | beck | PORT HADLOCK AJAX HOTEL | WATERCOLOR |
| Rose | Belknap | Madrona Trees - upper loop trail | Oil on canvas |
| Harvey | Bergman | Eagle | Giclee |
| Kaj | Berry | If we were brave enough | Ink on paper with gold leaf |
| Elizabeth | Braverman | Good Dog | Mosaic - House broken dishes on wooden stools |
| Tara | Brenno | Daisy Box | Handbuilt clay |
| Brian | Brenno | Orange Garden Flower Hat | hot sculpted and blow glass |
| Morgan | Brig | Passage | mixed media sculpture |
| Laurie D | Brown | ||
| Jim | Burke | Beads | Black and White Photograph Silver Print |
| Lynn | buscaglia | Wood Calling | Applewood and Glass |
| Carolyn | Candy | Spring | Encaustic |
| Donna | Caulton | Between the Realms | Acrylic on cradled board |
| Laura | Clampitt | Sinamay swirl chartreuse | Sinamay straw cloth, steel wire, elastic |
| William | Cleaver | Curious Corvus | Leather, wood, metal |
| Donald | Cole | Chances | acrylic on canvas |
| Kris | Cushing | Birches in Winter | Watercolor |
| Will | Dacus | Vessel #1 | Black and White Ebony |
| John | Dally | A4 artist's sketchbook/journal, leather cover | leather |
| Michael | Darr | Feather and Rock | Watercolor |
| TERRY | DONNELLY | TRAMP HARBOR, DAWN | PHOTOGRAPH |
| Jean | Echevarria | A New Day | Reduction Woodcut Print |
| Alejandro | Echevarria | Monks Singing With Birds | Hand-carved cement |
| Sheila | Eckman | Western Road Trip | Recycled map collage |
| Michael | Elenko | Evans Canyon Fire Aftermath-3 | Archival Photographic Print |
| Jean | Emmons | Pacific Golden Chanterelle #1 | watercolor on vellum |
| Melanie | Farmer | Palomino Sunrise | Encaustic |
| Karen | Fevold | Garlic Keeper1 | Clay |
| Brian | Fisher | Memory Cloud | Mono Print (1/1) |
| Terri | Fletcher | Crispy Around the Edges | Hand burned paper and thread |
| Brette | Flora | Pool Bubbles | Acrylic |
| Michelle | Friars | Night Portrait | Digital Photography |
| Jeff | Good | Evening at Pike Place Market | Watercolor |
| Penny | Grist | Spiraling from the Center | perule cotton on synthetic core |
| Dianne | Grob | ESSENCE OF SPRING | Oil and cold wax |
| Susan | Gross | Liquid Motion | Etching with chine colle' |
| Barbara | Gustafson | A Northwest Forest | woven wall hanging |
| Joanne | Hammer | Garden | Colored pencil, oil on paper mounted on panel |
| Gretchen | Hancock | Red Onion on Gold | oil on panel |
| Peter | Hapeman | Even' Song | Photograph. Archival paper & ink |
| Gail | Hapeman | Flicker | Stained glass |
| Sue | Hardy | Northern Spotted Owl | Copper Plate Etching with Watercolor |
| Lyle | Harris | Tragelaphus Artifact | Douglas Fir, Maple |
| Karen | Hedlund | Blue Heron | Watercolor |
| Patrick | Hinds | 235.24.19.11.1.1 | linocut print (ink on paper) |
| Hannah | Hirsekorn | Boost | Wood, Hardware and Aluminum |
| Lin | Holley | Gardener's Bible Too | |
| Bob | Horsley | Methow Balsamroot | Acrylic |
| Bill | jarcho | Jump for Joy | Sculpture |
| Karen | Kent | Fading fast far from forgotten 2 | Torn paper collage, acrylic and graphite on board. |
| Ingeborg | King | The Forgotten Letter | Watercolor |
| Alice | Larson | Covid Balls | Art: origami folded vellum pieces on Styrofoam balls. |
| suzanna | leigh | Sunflowers 1 | watercolor mounted on wood |
| Rondi | Lightmark | InsideOutside | Photograph |
| Corinne | Lightweaver | Trojan Horse | Collage on paper |
| Richard | Lipke | Sighting | Acrylic on canvas |
| Lena | Lönnberg | Wall Vase "Birka" | Ceramic |
| Rachel | LordKenaga | all twisted up | Oil on canvas |
| GALE | LURIE | LARGE BOWL #1 | MICACEOUS CLAY |
| Janice | Mallman | Dance of the Mirrored Dune Grasses | Photograph, acrylic, collage |
| Robin | Mallory | Arboretum Pathways | Hand-dyed and sewn textile lightbox |
| Charlotte | Masi | Breaking Lava | Watercolor |
| Janis | McElroy | Susan's Dahlias | Watercolor |
| Annette | Messitt | Among the Lily Pads | Linocut print (oil and water-based Ink on Paper) |
| Sharon | Munger | Red Madronas | Alcohol Inks |
| Kate | Munson | Untitled2 | Watercolor |
| Charles | Nagel | Triptych XIX | Resins |
| Jane | Neubauer | Three legged vase | clay with stain |
| Annika | Newell | Series of holes | Alaskan yellow cedar, oiled paper |
| Christina | Nichols | Chachalaca Morning | Collagraph collage |
| Ann | Nicklason | Path of Light | Oil on canvas |
| Matt | O'Meara | Sunstroke | Pastels |
| Mary Rose | O'Reilley | Oberon, King of the Fairies (garden pot) | Earthenware |
| Irene | Otis | missing persons | Glazed tile in frame |
| Marc | Pease | Through the Trees - Judd Creek Trail | Encaustic with Bark |
| Kris | Pedrin | Pelican, Netarts, Oregon, October 8, 2018 | Photography |
| Kent | Phelan | Point Lobos | Photography - 8x10 Film |
| Kent | Phelan | Fir Hill Trail, Island Center Forest | Photography |
| Jayne | Quig | Sharing Secrets | Pastel |
| Lynanne | Raven | Himalayan Blue Poppy | Original Drypoint Print with watercolor |
| Hartmut | Reimnitz | Mount Rainier | oil on panel |
| Ilse | Reimnitz | Going Up | monotype |
| Kristen | Reitz-Green | “Ripple” | Oil on canvas |
| Valerie Lulu | Roberts | Capricious Spring #1 | Acrylic |
| Mary Margaret | Robinson | Sea Cucumber | Lino cut print |
| Charles | Robinson | ADRIFT | A wood bench with metal art. |
| Mary L | Robinson | Dog Pot | Earthenware |
| Donna | Romero | “Isabella’s Choice”. | Oil on canvas |
| Paramasivam | Samanna | " Birds " | Copper |
| Jon-Eric | Schafer | Canyon Shadows on Water | Watercolor |
| John | Schuh | Energy is then supplied | collage |
| Carol | Schwennesen | Arena | oil on Claybord |
| Margaret | Smith | Many Barks | Barks: Red and Yellow Cedar, Eucalyptus, Willow, Wild Cherry with Cedar root rim |
| Marla | Smith | Lighthouse Lantern | Stoneware |
| Dawn | Stief | Red Wing Black Bird on Ponderosa Pine | Black and White Photography |
| William | Stoneham | Simulation | Oil on panel |
| Deborah | Taylor | Tulip Fields | Etching and Watercolor |
| Robert | Thomas | Mme. Georges | Soft Pastel Pencil on Paper |
| Jeanne Marie | Thomas | Beach Walk | Watercolor |
| Margaret | Tylczak | "Give Me A Home" | Photograph |
| Hita | von Mende | Ghost Horse | Oil on linen panel |
| Janice | Wall | Snake River Morning | Soft Pastel |
| Pamela | Wickard | Touched by Palouse | Mixed Media |
| Ken | Widmeyer | Lantern Tower | Transparent watercolor on Arches paper |
| Sue | Willingham | Bamboo Softness | Handweaving |
| Valerie | Willson | "Return" | oil on wood panel |
| Amy | Windus | Tootsies | colored pencil on toned paper |
| John | Woodard | Lilacs and Pussy Willows | oil on canvas |
| Joan | Wortis | Hurried Speech | monotype collage on panel |
| George | Wright | Thru my window | Encaustic |
| Patricia | Wronsky | Red Links Silk Scarf | Handwoven Silk Scarf |
| Lenard | Yen | emanate I | oil |