Local+Arts=Community
The Season for Talk
A few years ago, I spoke with a successful art leader from Portland about how Vancouver could build its audience for its galleries. Keep doing what you’re doing, I was told, with art talks. Galleries and museums often offer free lecture series to the public, for the dual purpose of connecting art lovers and expanding […]
Singing Makes the Connection
This past weekend, choirs from a local high school and college had their retreats at a camp at the Gorge. As a chaperons for my older son’s group, I had the opportunity to see what this is all about. What I discovered was that between games of capture the flag and spaghetti feasting, vocal groups […]
How to Make a Masterpiece
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most well-known masterpieces. A quick disclaimer: I have never created anything that would be confused with a masterpiece, so the thoughts shared here come from conversations I’ve had with professional artists, professors, and art dealers. This week I sat down and chatted with the two […]
Music at Esther Short Park A Joy
Friday night I stopped in at the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival to enjoy Hawaiian food, refreshments, some great conversation, and of course, America’s original art form: jazz. The headliner that night was Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band. Rich tempos and warm horns swept the audience off its feet- some literally. A smattering of couples […]
Aesthetic of a Community
My family returned a couple weeks ago from vacation. Whenever I travel, I spend time quietly watching everything around me. The aesthetic of any community tells visitors several things about its people: what they value, how they perceive beauty, and how much they are willing to invest in their legacy. When I come home to […]
Celebrating Each Others Successes
Why is a district where there are many of the same types of businesses grouped together more economically advantageous than one where there is only a smattering of each? Why is an arts district a better magnet for creative businesses than say, an industrial park? There’s a simple explanation: business cluster economics. The gist of […]
Our Interconnected Arts Community
Every community needs a way to connect its people. In Clark County, there are dozens of groups, guilds, and collectives that reach thousands of creative people and patrons. There are a couple organizations that work to represent and advocate for the broader community and they are the Arts of Clark County (A of CC) and […]
project:PRINT Creates Buzz
It was hot, really, really hot on July 2 when project:PRINT had their first of many planned events in the Vancouver Arts District; this one was at Mt. Tabor Brewing. Regardless of the temperature, dozens of folks turned out to learn how to screenprint, making one of two designs offered. Smiles of pride were worn […]
Recycled Arts Festival Brings Crowds and Commerce
The 10 Year Anniversary of the Recycled Arts Festival brought out happy crowds of Clark County residents to Esther Short Park this past weekend. Visitors enjoyed the work of our creative community. Sweltering heat did not deter folks from this quintessential yearly art event. And from what I heard from vendors, sales were strong. It’s […]
Clark County’s Growing Literary Community
Walking up to the Slocum House for Gallery 360’s first Book Fair this past Saturday, I was greeted by a friendly face. Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna sat at table on the porch with a selection of his anthologies and information about his very successful Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic. He told me he […]