Art Chowder September | October 2016 Issue 5

CULINARY ARTS | PERFORMING ARTS | VISUAL ARTS

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016 . ISSUE 5

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Artist Exclusives with

cover artist www.artchowder.com

Stan Miller September|October 2016 1

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CONTENTS: 04 From the Publisher

Dean Cameron

08 Artist Exclusives

Stan Miller 18 Nicolas Sironka: Batik Artist

By Karen Mobley

20 Origins of American Belly Dance

By Katie Leute

28 River Ridge Association of Fine Arts

By Chuck Harmon 34 The MasterClass Big Band

By Janis V. Bers 37 Art About Town

Art Resource Directory

September|October 2016 3

From the Publisher Dean Cameron

A

s I reflect on the summer of 2016, I think of the word, growth. There is a distinct feeling of a change in both the perception as well as the participation in the arts communities and their fans. It has been a fabulous summer filled with shows and events, from large park-filled events like Artfest and Art on the Green to the numerous art gallery “First Fridays” and studio shows. Many other amazing events took place at concerts, nightclubs and even in our amazing restaurants.

So do we now say so long to a season and see you next year? Absolutely not! Holy smokes, we have a lineup of events coming our way. In September we have Pig Out in the Park, Valleyfest (see article), the Studio Arts Tour, (Story, map and artists featured in this issue.) as well as numerous gallery shows and arts events. In October we experience “Create Spokane Arts Month” with the big kick off on Friday, October 7th with artist events all over our area participating. A couple to note are the Terrain No. 9 event which draws thousands of visitors through their doors at Post and Spokane Falls Blvd. and right around the corner is an event we are thrilled to share at the Liberty Gallery located at 402 W. Main on the same night that features a collection of over 20 of Spokane’s top artists who all share one thing in common, they are all members of Flootie.com. For the first time ever, these rock star artists will all be showing at the same time and in the same venue and their show will run from October 1st through January 30th with over 60 works covering three floors of the Liberty Building. Mark your calendars and support the arts while enjoying these amazing upcoming events.

Art Chowder Magazine is happy to be able to tell the stories and share the excitement with our Inland Northwest communities. In this issue we will see a diverse and wide range of that talent that will inspire us as we learn and experience what lies within our neighborhoods. We are seeing so much enthusiasm and “arts loving” partners joining the call to share the creativity and enrich our region with awe-inspiring talent.

A special thank you to our Art Chowder retail stores, businesses like these are all a vital resource to help promote the arts in our community. We appreciate you.

See you out and about,

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Dean Cameron Publisher

CONTENTS: 38

The Rise and Fall of the Monarchical Art Critic

By Melville Holmes

44 Irish Eyes Are Smiling: Roman Burgam

By The Clandestine C ol l e c tors 49 Slam Poetry

By Karen Mobley

52 Valleyfest

By Sydney Anderson

56 The Naked Plate

By Mariah McLaughlin

62 Art Chowder Marketplace

Publisher & Advertising Sales P.O. Box 141292 Spokane Valley Washington 99214 509-995-9958 ISSUE No. 5

www.artchowder.com

Dean Cameron dean@artchowder.com

Editor In Chief & Creative Director

Rebecca Lloyd rebecca@artchowder.com

Slam Poetry Photography Chandra Dee Photography

Contributing Writers

Dean Cameron Karen Mobley Melville Holmes Katie Leute Mariah McLaughlin The Clandestine Co ll e c t o r s Chuck Harmon Janis V. Bers Sydney Anderson

Cover Artists Stan Miller

September|October 2016 5

Mailing Address No. 1

Mailing Address No. 2

Full Name

Full Name

Address

City State Zip

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Apt. No.

Address

City State Zip

Apt. No.

September|October 2016 7

Artist I

Exclusives W I T H S TA N M I L L E R

was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on May 12, 1949. In

1965 our family, three brothers and three sisters, my parents and I

moved to Spokane, WA. I graduated from University High in 1967.

I took three years of graphic design and fine art at Spokane Falls Community College and started painting full time in 1973.

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Did you always know that you wanted to be an artist?

Pretty much. My older brother would draw all the time and I would watch him draw and learn things from him, like perspective. I excelled in art in junior and senior high school, enjoying it very much. In college I didn’t think I was good enough to pursue a fine art career so my major the first year was focused on becoming a physical education teacher, and possibly a writer. I took writing that first year and my teacher thought I had potential. Upon realizing that SFCC had a 2 and 3-year graphic design program, I shifted my major the second year to pursuing a 3-year degree in graphic design. It was during this period that I discovered watercolor.

How long have you been creating?

Of course everyone begins creating at birth. Creativity as a painter began when I started painting in college, my first class in 1967.

Do you work in different mediums?

I work primarily in watercolor and egg tempera. I do a few oil paintings now and then.

Which medium is your favorite?

I equally like watercolor and egg tempera. Wa-

tercolor is thinner, more fluid and quicker then egg tempera. Egg Tempera (using egg yolk with your watercolor), is a thicker, dryer approach to painting. It takes much longer to finish an egg tempera then a watercolor. I tell my students, painting in watercolor is like writing a poem or a short story.

Egg tempera is more like writing a novel.

September|October 2016 9

Artist

Exclusives What is your favorite childhood memory?

I loved growing up, my large family, my brothers and sisters and their friends constantly coming and going.

Growing up in Sioux Falls in the late 1950’s and 1960’s was a time of carefree after school play and adventure.

I would come home from school; change my clothes and head out the door, usually to my best friend David’s house. We knew many of the neighborhood kids and during the summer we would often play softball, creating our own team, dying t-shirts for our team uniform and trying to find another neighborhood team to play against. We also headed up to “trees” where we would make forts, have dirt clod wars, using old tire tubes to make sling shots so we could bombard our enemies with soft dirt clods...or, we would camp out. On Halloween we were out the door at 6 and home at 9 with a pillowcase filled with candy. Parents never went with their kids...thousands of kids ran from door to door trying to gather as much candy as possible and still be home by 9.

What fun. The fun memories of growing up are endless.

Are there certain subjects that you are particularly drawn to for inspiration?

I like painting portraits, landscape and Venice, Italy.

I actually like nearly any and all subjects. Portraits are more difficult to sell, but I like landscape and portrait equally. In landscape and Venice, I like low light, moody atmosphere paintings. I like subjects that evoke quietness, thoughtfulness...stillness. How the light, the lighting, and the light source affect the subject is hugely important in my effort to get the mood I desire, with portraits as well as landscape.

What is the name and location of the favorite place you have exhibited your work?

I don’t believe I have a favorite exhibition space...if I had to choose, it would be my home. I do a home exhibition every year in early December. It’s nice to be home while exhibiting my work, for people to see where I live, my studio.

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Would you consider yourself to be a social person?

Very social; I love teaching and love my students and am not even remotely shy. On the other hand, I love my alone time. I tell my students that I think you need both to be a good artist. When alone, one can truly create and imagine....�creativity comes from silence�...James McNeil Whistler. But, all artists need to counterbalance the alone time required with times of socializing. I feel I balance these two fairly well.

September|October 2016 11

Stan Miller

Is there anything you wish was different in the art world?

I wish that the arts were more important in our schools. Unfortunately the arts, music, drama, dance, the visual arts are usually the first programs to be cut. Expressing oneself through the arts is equally important to learning math, science, history, etc. When the world de-emphasizes the arts in favor of other subjects, sports, and business...watch out.

We will suffer the consequences. When students find themselves struggling to fit in a school, usually the art classes can help these students to find and then express themselves, possibly their unique view of life that separates them from the other students. When our creative students fail to find a quality artistic way of expressing their uniqueness through the schools curriculum my guess is that many of these students drop out, join gangs…or in extreme cases, become a “shooter”....feeling like no one knows them or listens to them. Supporting and encouraging the arts in our world is supporting the many varied ways that we can communicate with each other. When the world cuts the arts, in my view, violence will increase all around the world.

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If you had not become an artist what other career paths might you have pursued?

As I mentioned earlier, I think I would have enjoyed being a physical education teacher, or a writer, possibly a musician. My friend and I were quite good at writing songs and singing in the late 1960’s. We made a 45rpm record and placed in the top 50 out of 15,000 entries in the Billboard Magazine Song Writing competition in the late 1960’s. We had a Simon and Garfunkel kind of a sound. I liked painting better then the thought of trying to make it as a musician, songwriter.

Do you have an artist “bucket list” so to speak?

No bucket list. I’ve done exactly what I’ve wanted to do as a painter (and as a person) for more then forty years. If I had a dream that I wanted to fulfill I would have started pursuing that dream the minute it surfaced, that’s what I’ve done all my life. So, there’s nothing waiting in the wings.

What would you consider to be a dream project?

My “dream” project I’ve carried with me from the beginning; the desire to paint a good painting and to make each painting better. To paint a picture that truly expresses my view of life, my desire for peace, for beauty and honesty. I’ve pursued this from the beginning and continue to pursue it with every new painting.

Can you tell us a little about any upcoming exhibits that you are looking forward to?

I don’t look forward to exhibits, but...I don’t dislike exhibits either. I look forward to another day of freedom of expression, of being able to paint another painting. Exhibiting one’s work is an opportunity to share one’s view of life, I believe that’s what I’m doing as I answer these questions. So the rewards of exhibiting my work are quite similar to the rewards to me being able to share my thoughts in this article.

What is your biggest fear when exhibiting your work?

I have no fear when exhibiting my work. I’ve exhibited my work in all kinds of venues for more then 40 years...one is ready and not surprised by anything. Of course I hope that my exhibition would be well received and that I might sell some work.

September|October 2016 13

Is there anything you wish you’d done differently in your own career as an artist?

No. I love my artistic life and am doing exactly what I want to do. I am most fortunate to have been able to live my dream, become a successful artist, watercolorist.

Do you have any advice for emerging talents?

Anything achieved in life that is good, good for us, good for the world, requires hard work. I tell my students that if you truly want to be a great artist you must be willing to spend thousands of hours working towards your goals.

Malcolm Gladwell states in his book, Outliers

“ that 10,000 hours are needed to achieve a professional status in most talent based activities and professions.”

I generally agree with that. Secondly, for one to work for thousands of hours towards one’s goals, one needs passions, a vision, a dream.

If there is no passion, one will fail to spend the time required to fulfill ones dreams. If there is a gift that we receive when we are born, it would be our passion to pursue something that is good and great for the betterment of our world.

What do you enjoying doing besides art?

Playing golf, visiting friends and family, watching a good movie.

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What is your favorite piece of your own artwork to date?

To ask an artist which is your favorite painting is to ask a mother, which is your favorite child. Unanswerable. I love all of my paintings equally, for different reasons. I truly have never had a favorite painting. The painting I think about the most is usually the last painting I did. I am often thinking, is there something I could still do to make it better? There is a painting that I painted about a year ago, which I think about quite often, it’s called “The Coming of Wisdom”. It is of a 12 or 14 year-old girl, a large portrait done in Egg Tempera. The face is looking at you; someone says she looks sad, others determined, other reflective.

I like the responses that I’ve gotten from that painting. I feel good about having achieved what I desired with that painting...but...the painting is certainly not one of my favorites, just one that achieved my desires.... and, also a relatively recent painting, which is why I thought of it.

What are some of the most meaningful responses you have had to your work?

That question runs the gamut of compliments.

Patrons and the public are highly appreciative of the work that I do. Painting historical subjects allows me to depict a moment in time that people heretofore have only been able to use their mind’s eye. A couple years ago I did a painting called “Walking Your Saddle Hoss?” (page 14) depicting a cowboy waiting for a stagecoach in the middle of a desert. Young and old were drawn to the painting and they really liked the humor I depicted. The Phippen Museum in Arizona purchased the painting. I am happy that it will be viewed and enjoyed by the public for years to come.

Is there anything interesting, unusual or notable about you that you feel comfortable sharing with our readers?

I am no more unusual or notable then any one person on this earth. Unfortunately the world doesn’t provide equal possibilities for our desires to pursue our dreams. I believe that every one of us has a unique gift to give to the world. In a just and fair world we would all be able to find out what this gift is in ourselves, develop it and share it with the world. My advantage over others perhaps is that I was born in America, land of the dream chasers. I do thank my parents for instilling in their children the desire to seek what is true and good and to resist the popular and shallow pursuits of the world. I’ve never had an interest in acquiring wealth, or becoming famous, I thank my parents for helping me to avoid these empty pursuits. Of course I do pursue wealth, I need to sell paintings so that I can continue to paint, so I am not innocent. And, fame helps as well in my desire to be able to keep painting. It’s a tricky balance.

September|October 2016 15

Stan Miller What are some of the most meaningful responses you have had to your work?

I was recently told on Facebook, that my work in this viewer’s eyes would change the world. Of course that’s an exaggeration, but I like the idea. Someone else told me that my work had spirituality, peacefulness, quietness...I like hearing that.

Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like to share with our readers about yourself, your work or your process?

The readers might like to know that I teach workshops in painting all over the world. I love teaching nearly as much as I love painting.

I recently returned from Quindao, China where my work was exhibited with a number of artists from all over the world at the Quindao Museum of Art. We were also invited to demonstrate and lecture at the Quindao Newspaper Group lecture hall in Quindao. In 2014 I was invited to teach and exhibit in Hanoi, Vietnam (Military television interviewed me, asking me what I thought of Vietnam today) and in 2013 in Thailand.

The love of the arts in these Asian countries is amazing. At a reception in Bangkok, Thailand, nearly a thousand people attended the opening, with two tv stations reporting. The average age of those coming to this watercolor painting exhibition was probably 25 or 30 years of age. I felt the 16 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

same appreciation for the arts in Vietnam and China. As a professional artist in these countries, one is seen as a master of the arts, a celebrity, with everyone wanting to take your photo, get your autograph. Nearly unreal the way the artist is treated in Asia. France has been good to me as well. Two years ago while teaching a workshop south of Paris, two reporters drove down from Paris and spent two days photographing me and our workshop, publishing an article in the magazine “Pratique Des Arts”. I think I’m more known in France then in the U.S.

Where can we see and find out more about your work?

Everyone is invited to come to my home exhibition in early December here in Spokane. The attendance has dropped over the years so I’m hardly worried about too many people showing up. Also, as soon as I finish a painting I post it on Facebook. One is also welcome to call me for an appointment and come to my home to see my work. I’m not in any galleries.

My website is www.stanmiller.net for contact and exhibition information.

www.stanmiller.net

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September|October 2016 17

Sironka Nicolas

_

Karen Mobley _

ba·tik bəˈtēk/ noun

a technique that involves a wax resist dyeing process on cloth.

When you meet Sironka, the first thing you no-

tice is his bright smile and intense gaze. He is a tall man who resembles the traditional Maasai people represented in many of his batiks. He often wears his native attire with its bright beadwork and colorful fabrics to his exhibitions and lectures. His batiks often show the men, women and children of the Maasai culture of Kenya and Tanzania. The batiks are displayed with captions and short stories that tell about the lives of the people. The batiks are rich in reds, golds, and rich browns. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic group of “pasturalists” who live from the land and have a strong relationship to the creatures on the land including the cattle they herd. Sironka conveys not only the traditions, but the values of the Maasai – respect for elders as the “pillars of wisdom”, love and care for family and livestock, and respect for others differences. Sironka tells the stories and talks about how we can “nourish one another with words.” Many of the images are of mothers, grandmothers, and elders.

Sironka initially came to Spokane on a Fullbright Grant, which funded a visit to Whitworth University as a guest artist and cultural speaker. He recently returned to Spokane from a short stint in Seattle. Sironka sells his batiks, teaches workshops and classes at the Hatch Creative Incubator and also as a guest artist in schools, universities and community organizations. He has a broad background and can teach students about the Maasai culture of his native country, Kenya, and about batik which is his preferred art media. Sironka is a fine storyteller and a compelling speaker.

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He will speak at Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, WA in September. He will be a guest artist at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN in October. Sironka has brought Maasai dancers from Kenya to visit local schools and communities. The tour of the dancers, not only helps the dancers earn income, but also helped raise money to renovate the maternity clinic in the village of Olooseos, Kenya and to plant 300 trees surrounding the clinic.

Currently, his studio is at Hatch Creative Incubator at 9612 E. Sprague in the Spokane Valley. To see Sironka’s work, learn about bringing him to your school or group, or to learn more about the Maasai please visit: Sironkamaasai.com or register for class through www.hatchspokane.com.

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ORIGINS

of American Belly Dance

By Katie LEUTE

I was almost three years old when my mother took me to see Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. It was dubious whether,

as a toddler, I could stay awake through all four acts. Yet, on the edge of my seat, I was awake until the final curtain call, entranced with the harrowing, heartbreaking regalia of doomed love, and the enchanting medium through which such a tale was unraveled on the stage; en pointe, through dance, with not a word spoken among the key players.

As long as there have been humans, there has been dance. Embodying an emotional experience and expressing through movement has roots in religious, cultural, and casual social practices in every indigenous group known.

Even in First World cultures there are expectations that, at certain times and in certain places, regardless of personal skill level (or lack thereof), you are expected to dance. The medium itself is highly intimate; in many other forms of art your expression passes through an external process that creates the art outside of the self. Dance is, by its nature, a very personal expression, as your creation is embodied through your own physicality, and becomes a part of you during the moments in which you practice and perform.

I began a long dance education shortly after my experience with Tchaikovsky’s doomed Swan maiden, and I’ve embodied many dance styles since, through ballet, contemporary jazz and modern, tap, hip hop, and now a modernization of one of the oldest styles of dance known, belly dance. For the past 10 years, I’ve studied many different iterations of Middle Eastern folk dance, and more modern interpretations of belly dance, including American Tribal Style® and Tribal Fusion. One of many personal goals as a performer has been to elevate belly dance to a level of respect and professionalism that other more contemporary dance styles have enjoyed. Belly dance has roots in folk dances that may have been practiced as fertility rites, with a practical application of strengthening and building muscles for pregnancy and for successful, healthy child-birthing experiences. This foundation in body wellness and positive body imagery was lost in the late 19th century when belly dance first came to North America.

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Most North Americans experienced belly dance for the first time at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, at an attraction set up on the Midway known as “A Street in Cairo.” For Victorian Era Americans, the spectacle was enthralling and simultaneously grotesque; corsets and petticoats forsworn for low slung skirts, jangling coin belts and exposed midriffs, revealing muscular undulations and shimmering vibrations. When taken out of its cultural context and displayed to foreigners, belly dance became relegated to the cabaret and exotic dance clubs of North America, sold as a titillating and forbidden experience that went against Victorian ethics of feminine decorum, modesty, and restraint.

The origins of “American” belly dance thus led to a slow, steady climb from the bottom of this social and professional construct. As a ballet dancer, growing up into my early teens, I received various nuances of admiration and respect when people were told I performed in a dance company. As a belly dancer in my early twenties, the opposite was often true. I was often mistaken for an exotic dancer, and it was assumed that what I did was socially rebellious and, for lack of a better word, “naughty.” Even a century later, Victorian ideals still resonate throughout what is supposed to be a modern society, and it’s these assumptions about belly dance that we strive through our performance troupe and our studio classes to alter.

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n the 1970’s, belly dance went through a transformation as the feminist movement began gaining momentum. The idea of a belly dancer as a fantasy object shifted, and women began looking back to 19th century photographs, paintings, and depictions of tribal dancers from North Africa as inspiration for re-creating themselves and the belly dancer image. Long hair was forsworn for heavy turbans deliciously decorated with antique silver pins and large amber beads.

Textiles of unimaginable intricacy were draped in layers over pantaloons and heavy skirts. Patterns were painted on the face reminiscent of the facial tattoos of Berber women, and heavy coin belts dripping with beaded medallions accented hip and torso movements below a bared stomach. The focus shifted; instead of a solo, scantily clad dancer gyrating around a restaurant for the pleasure of patrons, the dance became centered on a group of women performing for each other in a chorus format, at festivals and art exhibits, as a display of skill and prowess. These women chose how to present themselves, breaking cultural expectations of feminine sexuality and beauty and presenting an alternative version; an act that said, in the truest voice of feminism, “This is what I think is beautiful. This is how I want to be seen.” This shift became formalized, with a structured vocabulary of movement known as American Tribal Style®. American, to denote it’s origins, and Tribal, to compare it to other belly dance styles, where the focus was on the group, the tribe, the dance, and the skills presented, and not on any one particular dancer.

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w w w . f l o o t i e . c o m 24 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

T

his change paved the way for what we now call Tribal Fusion. The style that we practice and teach centers on community, and on sisterhood (and the occasional dance “brother,” as we are wholly open and comfortable with men choosing to join our classes.) A large part of “elevating” what is essentially a folk style has been driving a focus on technical precision and excellence, and we strive to offer classes where students can grow a wide technical skillset.

We also continue educating ourselves by travelling to learn from some of the best teachers in the world. We balance technical precision with creative freedom, mixing drills and conditioning with more abstract exercises meant to enhance non-structured thinking and push dancers to find their individual voice within the belly dance framework - both so that a dancer can offer ideas and support to her troupe mates, as well as become a creative artist in her own right when it comes time to perform a solo.

We incorporate many different styles into our foundation, hence the name “Tribal Fusion.”

The foundation is a blend of ATS® and American Cabaret belly dance, but there are elements of Spanish Flamenco, Indian Odissi Temple and Kathak dance, and Balinese dance, as well as Modern Jazz, Hip Hop, and even Ballet in some of our pieces. What we do is wholly new and modern, and very American; a fusion of multiple origins, much like many ethnic makeups we see in America today.

September|October 2016 25

Y

et through aesthetic, music choice, costuming, attitude, and education we are attempting to connect to the spirit of the style as it was before “Americanization”; a dance that was ultimately about that vital connection to the beginning of life, about our connection to each other as human beings and our shared origins.

Belly dance became popular in American culture because it opened the mind to the Oriental fantasy, to morals and ideals that American women were forbidden to embody. 100 years later, we’re using the medium of fantasy and illusion to tell a truth about our shared beginnings, and we invite you - young, old, large, small, of any gender, color, and sexual orientation - to join us and share that truth with the world.

Kat i e L E U T E

Katie Leute has spent a majority of her life studying various forms of expressive movement and dance, spending her formative years competing in contemporary dance competitions with a Seattle-based dance company. She currently fuses contemporary dance forms with American Cabaret, American Tribal Style® and Tribal Fusions of belly dance, creating a modern and bohemian approach to movement that balances creative expression with technical excellence.

o

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Coil Studio offers classes in belly dance, yoga, and aerial silk performance arts. A current schedule of classes and more information can be found at coilyogabellydance.com, and at facebook. com/coilyogabellydance.

W here science , fantasy and fiction come together … like clockWork .

Steampunk Art Takes over the

steam plant Friday & Saturday Oct 7–8 • 3–8 pm The iconic Steam Plant, built in 1916, plays host to this two-day event – the perfect ambiance to feature regional Steampunk artists.

Art | Live Music | Food and Beer, lots of beer

SEEKING ARTISTS TO EXHIBIT! Contact Linda Anderson at linda@la-zing.com or visit www.steampunkatsteamplant.com

LOCATION: STEAM PLANT, 159 S. LINCOLN, SPOKANE WA

SPOKANE CALLIGRAPHIC ART SOCIETY

A society of calligraphers whose purpose is to promote the art of beautiful handwriting Meets on second Tuesdays

6:30-9:00 PM SEPTEMBER - JUNE Spokane Art Supply 1303 N Monroe Street Spokane WA contact us for more information

David 509 842-8876

Vicki 509 928-7793

Karyn 509 847-8535

September|October 2016 27

River Ridge

ASSOCIATION OF FINE ARTS

By Chuck Harmon

A

John Holden

re you an artist? Have you been creating your art forever or just beginning? Have you ever wondered how to learn more about the arts scene in Spokane? How to find ways to show your work (and maybe even sell some?) Read on!

There’s an arts organization in Spokane that you may not be aware of, but many others have known about and been members of for years. Back in 1971 a group of artists, among them May Whitney, Jean Sinclair and Joyce Ellett incorporated as the River Ridge Association of Fine Arts (RRAFA). By 1987 there were approximately 25 members. Membership has gone up and down through the years, but RRAFA membership was over 80 last year and is close to that now. The group has been meeting regularly and helping its members find ways to improve and sell their art since that early beginning.

For the ridiculously low annual membership fee of $25, anyone who creates (any kind of) art may join the organization. What does one get for that $25? A monthly meeting at which members learn from locally and nationally known guest speakers, are offered opportunities to show their art in (currently) seven different locations* and learn about other venues friendly to the arts community.

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Irene Dahl

Nancy Reid Isaak

Worth Martin

In the summer of 2016, you could find RRAFA artists showing in dozens of places around Spokane and the immediate area.

Many RRAFA artists show in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene galleries. RRAFA artists have also won local, national and international competitions.

This calendar year we have learned from two artists who have both graced the covers of this magazine. Our March speaker was Shana Smith, and Melissa Cole spoke in April. At our May meeting, acclaimed muralist Todd Benson took us through his career, and in June, it was Jesse Swanson, General Manager of Hatch, Owner-operator at Magicraftsman Printing and Editor at Terra Obscura. Last fall we heard from marketing guru Dean Cameron, Dean is also the publisher of Art Chowder.

Tracy Dupuis Roland

During his talk in May, Todd Benson mentioned his first show in Spokane. It was at the annual fall show put on by RRAFA, that year held at the Spokane Club.

September|October 2016 29

River Ridge

Association of Fine Arts

S

peaking of which, the deadline, September 10th, looms for entry into RRAFA’s October show. It is an all-media affair which will be staged the whole month of October at Hatch: Creative Business Inclubator at Sprague and Farr in Spokane Valley. For those interested, go to www.spokanerrafa.com and pull up an entry form. Get in the show and you are in the running for a $300 grand prize, and a lot of merchandise prizes for specific categories.

Penny Woods

So, you say, I’m just interested in collecting art, not creating it! First of all, what’s your name and how do I get in touch with you? Just kidding, kind of.

Seriously, I hope many art lovers as well as artists are reading this magazine, because it takes a village to create a thriving arts community. A number of RRAFA artists can be seen exhibiting their works in the annual Spokane Studio Arts Tour, the weekend of September 10th and 11th. There will be upwards of 8 or 9 artists at 5 different locations on the north side of Spokane that weekend offering their creations for less than you’d have to pay in a gallery (no overhead). Go to www.studioarttour.com for info on this year’s participants and examples of their work. You’ll also find a map on the site.

Oksaka Tepp

*New art is shown at the following locations either monthly or every other month: Park Place Retirement Apartments, Lincoln Center Event Center, Garland Sandwich Shoppe, Little Garden Cafe, Forza Coffee Shop, and the corporate offices of United Way. If you have a business that wants to jazz up the walls, contact info@spokanerrafa.com, or artsychuck@gmail.com.

Helen Parsons

30 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

13th Annual

September 10-11, 2016 Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Studio 1 - 404 W. Graves Rd. Janie Edwards - Watercolor/Acrylic/Oil/Pen & Ink - Page 32 Shirley Antak - Watercolor Collista Bejjani - Pottery Audrey Ferguson - Jewelry Lauren Hammerstrom - Watercolor/Oil/Mixed Studio 2 - 7315 N. Excell Dr. Viola Unger - Watercolor - Page 45 Ana Funderburk - Sculpture Jan Hess - Acrylic/Pastel Richy Sharshan - Acrylic Oksana Tepp - Acrylic/Watercolor/Oil Studio 3 - 3132 W. Riverview Chuck Harmon - Acrylic Alice Harmon - Acrylic - Page 48 John Altberg - Woodturning Connie Janney - Acrylic/Mixed Media Shelley Ricardo - Jewelry Carole Cossette - Acrylic/Felting - Page 45 Nancy Reid Isaak - Acrylic/Pastel Kathleen Morris - Acrylic Jan Priss - Oil/Watercolor Studio 4 - 9906 N. Comanche Dr. Vicki West - Watercolor Diane Conkright - Jewelry/Abstract Watermedia Karen Jeffrey - Fine Art Book “Life in Letters”/Calligraphy Lynn Marvin - Gourd Art Denise Roberson - Soft Sculpture Jim Talley - Artistry in Wood Olivia Waterman - Painted Silks/Sumi-e Amy Wharf - Pottery - Page 38 Studio 5 - 5323 W. Woodview Ct. Dian Zahner - Watercolor/Weaving/Baskets - Page 63 Elise Bozzo - Fiber Art bari cordia federspiel - Watercolor - Page 24 Randy Haa - Fused Glass Cheryl Halverson - Watercolor Sunday only - Page 63 Robert Karr - Watercolor - Page 38 Carol Schmauder - Watercolor/Acrylic/Jewelry Saturday only - Page 62 Mary Ann Sinclair - Fiber Art Elaine Syth - Watercolor

CURRENT ADVERTISERS

September|October 2016 31

R E B E C C A L L OY D

rebecca @ strictlyart . com

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Janie

Edwards

Janie Edwards will show her art during the

13th Annual

STUDIO ART TOUR

SPOKANE September 10 & 11 along with thirty artists at five studios on the north side.

www.studioarttour.com 32 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

SCAPES

& VISTAS Melissa Cole & Marilyn Singh

Mother Daughter Show KENDALL YARDS, WA SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 THROUGH OCTOBER 2, 2016

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September|October 2016 33

The

MasterClass

Big Band

IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN , MUSICALLY AND MASTERFULLY

As William Shakespeare once sagely wrote:

“if music be the food of love, play on;” and within Spokane, North Idaho and the Inland Northwest region, we have been richly served with a veritable banquet of live and recorded artists, bands and orchestras covering a full range of musical styles, genres and varieties. We most definitely have a ravenous appetite for this cornucopia of first class talent, while always leaving sufficient room for ‘dessert’! It’s that very ‘sweet spot’ that I’m highlighting in this article.

I’ll be focusing on an originative community led music program that brings together enthusiastic local music students with seasoned professional musicians and guest artists. The students are mentored and perform together to form a collective big band swing combination.

34 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

Ja n i s V. B e r s

M u s i ca l A rt s Co r re s p o n d e n t

I

ntroducing ‘The MasterClass Big Band’ which, as the name suggests is a novel learning concept for young upcoming instrumental and vocal artists who gain valuable insight and confidence whilst ‘on the job’ to advance their skills and techniques as part of their journey to become professional performers in their own right.

Also, it’s not all achieved behind the closed doors of a classroom. MasterClass very much wants to be heard, and so offers its students a taste of the real world by taking the band on the road to perform many uplifting live public concerts, dances and music festivals in and around our region all throughout the year.

This innovative concept was initiated in 2008 when MasterClass Executive Director, Mark Stephens realized that although Spokane offered many development opportunities for junior orchestra and junior choir there was nothing for junior jazz on any performance level.

So Mark, a professional drummer and vocalist with MasterClass, teamed up with Paul Plowman, the Music Director as well as a saxophone wind professional. The team also included a wide selection of seasoned professional musicians acting as mentors to introduce big band standards plus several modern arrangements into the music students’ curriculum.

MasterClass Big Band had become a working reality.

Offering a very wide and expanding repertoire of popular big band swing arrangements by the likes of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Count Basie along with more modern melodies by The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Natalie Cole and Michael Buble amongst many more. The MasterClass Big Band has a wide ranging appeal which is rapidly gaining popularity and acclaim from its eager audiences and is constantly receiving new bookings for their vibrant and festive live performances.

Today based upon the considerable local and regional success of MasterClass, Mark’s next ambition is to expand and broaden the band’s horizons to include combination performances with the Spokane Junior Symphony and Spokane Youth Chorale in a similar way that programs have been staged by the Boston Pops Orchestra, and then ultimately to replicate and develop similar programs on a nationwide level.

It is well worth a visit to the band’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MasterClass-Big-Band-201709103206527 where you can find out when and where their next live shows will be performed, along with many photos of the student and mentor musicians, links to several YouTube videos, and plenty of information about the band, their goals, objectives and opprtunities to support and become involved with the MasterClass Big Band.

I’m Janis V Bers (pronounced ‘Yanni’), and despite the spelling of my first name I am actually a guy! I’m so thrilled to be a contributor to this exciting and lively publication.

My main focus here is to spotlight the plethora of outstanding musical and vocal talent we are blessed by within the Inland Northwest, with an emphasis on community involved music programs and opportunities.

I will be covering many styles and genres from classical to jazz to blues and even some rock & roll. I will also review the venues they perform at including arenas, theaters, clubs and even school classrooms.

Also, I hope to interview national and international touring artists and bands whenever they are appearing in our region.

I am originally from Great Britain where the BBC employed me as an announcer and senior radio and television producer. I came to the United States in 1990 to broaden my horizons in the American broadcasting profession.

I am a very keen and passionate advocate of live local music. I firmly believe we are richly rewarded with exciting talent in our surrounding area and I very much look forward to bringing you many stories and facts about our fine artists in the coming months.

September|October 2016 35

POTTERY CLASSES | WORKSHOPS | EXHIBIT | SELL | MEMBERSHIPS

Eco print scarf workshop October 16, 1:00-4:00pm With Nan Drye

Pottery trimming workshop September 18, 1:00-3:00pm

With John Newman

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36 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

8 week pottery classes $125.00

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Art About Town

ART RESOURCE DIRECTORY 29th Avenue Artworks 3128 East 29th Ave. Spokane, WA 99223 (509) 534-7959 Angel Art Gallery 423 Sherman Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 665-7232

Avenue West Gallery 907 W Boone Ave, Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 838-4999 Bozzi Gallery 221 N Wall St Suite 226, Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 290-5604 Cello 415 W Main Ave #101 (509) 315-9579 Opens at 11:00 AM Chase Gallery 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd (509) 625-6050 Emerge 208 N 4th St, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 818-3342 Hatch Gallery 9612 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, WA,

99206, SUITE 201 509-598-8080 Jundt Art Museum 200 E Desmet Ave Spokane, WA 99202 (509) 313-6843 Kolva Sullivan Gallery & Trackside Studio 115 S Adams St Spokane, WA.99201 (509) 462-5653 Kress Gallery / River Park Square 808 W. Main River Park Square, Third Level Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 456-3413 Little Dog Art Gallery 903-1/2 W Garland Ave Spokane, WA (509) 315-7900 Marmot Art Space 1206 W Summit Pkwy Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 270-5804 Magic Craftsman Gallery 18209 E Appleway Ave Spokane Valley, WA 99016 (509) 475-2390

McCarthy Art Company 601 W. Main Spokane, Washington 99201

New Moon Art Gallery 1326 East Sprague Spokane, WA 99202 (509) 413-9101 Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture 2316 W 1st Ave Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 456-3931 Painters Chair 223 Sherman Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 667-3606 Saranac Art Projects 2910 E 57th Ave # 5-282 Spokane, WA 99223 (509) 954-5458 Spectrum Fine Art 21 W 34th Ave Spokane, WA 99203 (509) 747-5267

Spokane Gallery

409 S. Dishman Mica Rd

Spokane Valley, WA 99206 (509) 747-0812

Spokane Falls Community College Fine Arts Gallery 3410 W Fort George Wright Dr, Bldg 6 Spokane, WA 99204 (509) 533-3710

Steven A. Scroggins Fine Art Gallery P.O. Box 1164 Cd’A, ID. 83816 (208) 659-8332 The Art Spirit Gallery 415 Sherman Ave Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 765-6006

The Artisan Gallery 53 Wisconsin Street Priest River, ID 83856 (208)-304-4656 The Liberty Art Gallery 203 N Washington, Spokane, WA 99201

Urban Art Co-op 3017 N Monroe St. Spokane, WA 99205 (509) 720-7624 William Grant Gallery 1188 W Summit Pkwy Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 484-3535

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Peone Creek Pottery amy wharf, potter

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scene in the 1981 Mel Brooks comedy, History of the World: Part 1, shows five cavemen eagerly watching the progress of the picture of a prehistoric horse on the cave wall, as another caveman, played by Sid Caesar, adds its finishing touches.

Narrator Orson Welles explains, “Even in most primitive man the need to create was part of his nature. This need, this talent, clearly separated early man from animals, who would never know this gift. And here in a cave, somewhere in the North American continent ... the first artist was born.” With a few bold strokes, as his companions look on in delighted wonder, it is finished. The resonant voice of Welles continues, “And of course, with the birth of the artist, came the inevitable afterbirth: the Critic.” While the artist exults in his creation, his attention is drawn to a bearded stranger who has just entered the cave. The critic fixes a steely gaze upon the picture and a severe frown crosses his face before the sound of an opening zipper is heard and a narrow stream of liquid bathes the new work of art. The artist is crestfallen, as triumph yields to humiliation. The scene ends as the deflated artist’s friends offer gestures of comfort and disdain for the critic as they turn to walk away.

This funny film sequence contrasts the stereotype of the aloof and imperious real-world art critic -- who by force of personal presence and a way with words can make or break an artist’s reputation -- with the common man, the art world outsider who says, “I don’t know anything about art, but I know what I like,” exemplified by the cave artist’s friends.

Critics, of course, are only part of the overall art world, which includes art dealers, auction house specialists, art historians, museum directors and curators, art conservators, and art educators. It also includes artists, but here we face another divide because there is very definitely an “inside” and an “outside” to this art world. There are types of art that are very definitely “out.” Thomas Kinkade, best known for his hugely popular renditions of light-filled cottages set in an idyllic mountain landscape or by the seaside with a lighthouse, is a prime example. In the critical establishment his work has been universally hated. A survey of online critical reactions after his unexpected death at age 54 in 2012 offers a litany of derogatory descriptors: saccharine, sentimental, heavy-handed, mediocre, artificial, bad, kitsch, worthless schmaltz, representational, hokey, formulaic, nostalgic, trite and uninteresting. On the other side, a blog post on a site at artpromotivate.com attempts to answer the question, “What is it about Thomas Kinkade’s paintings that so many people like and made him so popular?” A survey of some forum comments lists four common factors that drew people to his work: comforting, makes a personal connection, idyllic, family-safe. The disconnect between “inside” and “outside” could scarcely be more stark.

38 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

T

here may be no better example of a truly powerful art critic to more fully illustrate the divide between the inside and the outside of the art world than Clement Greenberg (1909-1994). He was the most prominent and influential champion of Abstract Expressionism in the 1940s and ‘50s, most notably the work of Jackson Pollock. In August 1949, Life magazine published a spread, provocatively entitled “Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?” The article opened by noting that it was “a formidably high-brow New York critic” who had made the suggestion that Pollock might well be just that. The critic was Greenberg. The article depicted the artist himself, along with some of his now famous drip canvases, in color. This piece introduced Pollock to a wide audience while also inviting controversy. According to an extract from a 2012 book on the artist by Evelyn Toynton, Life received an unprecedented flood of letters because of the story. Most of these writers were indignant. How could paintings made with “paint flung, dripped, and sometimes spread with sticks across the canvas, . . . be producing anything more aesthetically valid than a child’s finger painting”? The letter writers are not the only ones to have found the new art incomprehensible.

Notwithstanding public skepticism that this new kind of painting could really be “art,” Abstract Expressionism was critically acclaimed as the first truly American art form, New York would replace Paris as the art world’s new capitol, and this mode of art would dominate the art world in the middle of the 20th century.

How did this come about? The history traces back to the birth of Modern Art itself.

In the middle of the 19th century Paris was the leading art center of Europe and the Paris art world was dominated by the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

Founded in 1648 the Académie was a direct heir of the Renaissance tradition of classical representational painting and sculpture, and also made Paris the leading center for the training of artists, not only in France, but from abroad as well. The annual Salon held under the auspices of the Académie was the single most important exhibition venue for aspiring artists and one’s options were severely limited if one could not get in. The struggles of the French Impressionists to get their unconventional works into the Salon, and their eventual vindication, are well known.

Chardin’s still lifes and interior scenes with figures were regularly exhibited at the Paris Salon. His work was praised by Denis Diderot, who wrote regular critiques of the Salons.

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779) Still Life with Attributes of the Art 1766 Hermitage Museum Photo: Wikimedia commons

The reaction of viewers to the drip canvases in the Life magazine article on Pollock echoes the sentiment expressed some 70 years earlier by acclaimed English writer on art and powerful critic John Ruskin when he saw James A. Whistler’s Nocturne in Black and Gold – The Falling Rocket at James A. McNiel Whistler Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket the Grosvenor Galc. 1875 Detroit Institute of Arts lery, London in 1877.

Photo: Wikimedia commons His reaction led him to famously write a letter stating, “I have seen, and heard, much of Cockney impudence before now, but never expected to hear a coxcomb ask two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.” Whistler sued for libel.

The jury ruled in his favor but awarded a mere farthing as damages. A British Guinea amounted to one pound plus one shilling. A farthing was smallest monetary unit, amounting to 1/960th of a pound.

September|October 2016 39

T

he paintings of Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro were a departure from the highly polished works of the academic artists who largely populated the salons, but they were still representational and their novel style did not require a whole new theory of art to explain their work. Post-Impressionism (a term coined by Roger Fry, whom we’ll meet in a moment), on the other hand, is another story.

Paul Cézanne (18391906) has often been called “the father of Modern Art.” He had worked alongside the early Impressionists for a number of years, but was not content with the surface effect of light and color. “I wanted to make out of Impressionism something solid and lasting like the art of the museums,” he said in what may be his most famous quotation.

In his mature works Cézanne was after a kind of internal compositional structure. But what he was exactly driving at was not readily apparent. His paintings neither supply an illusion of depth, nor of light and shade, nor of naturalistic color.

40 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

Paul Cézanne Still-Life with Plaster Cupid 1894 Nationalmuseum, Stockholm Photo: Wikimedia commons

Paul Cézanne Mont Sainte-Victoire with Large Pine c. 1887 Courtauld Institute of Art Photo: Wikipedia

I

t was two Englishmen who would develop the new theory of art that would put Cézanne in context and have sweeping ramifications for art in the 20th century: Roger Fry 1866-1934) and Clive Bell (1881-1964).

An English artist and critic (and co-founder of The Burlington Magazine), Fry is also especially known for his advocacy of the French Post-Impressionists, Paul Cézanne. Former Director of the National Gallery, London, Kenneth Clark referred to Fry as, “incomparably the greatest influence on taste since Ruskin” and claimed “In so far as taste can be changed by one man, it was changed by Roger Fry.” Bell, also an English art critic and close associate with Fry (both were members of the Bloomsbury Group), noted in his 1922 book Since Cézanne, “One of the many unpremeditated effects of Cézanne’s life and work was to set artists thinking, even arguing.

His practice challenged so sharply all current notions of what painting should be that a new generation, taking him for a master found itself obliged to ask such questions as ‘What am I doing?’ ‘Why am I doing it?’ Now such questions lead inevitably to an immense query -- ‘What is Art?’” It was Bell and Fry who would articulate a new definition of what constitutes the fundamental nature of Art, which boiled down to a concept that Bell called “Significant Form.”

I n his 1914 book Art, Bell puts it this way, “There must be some one quality without which a work of art cannot exist; possessing which, in the least degree, no work is altogether worthless. What is this quality? What qualities are shared by all objects that provoke our aesthetic emotions? What quality is common to [Saint] Sophia and the windows at Chartres, Mexican sculpture, a Persian bowl, Chinese carpets, Giotto’s frescoes at Padua, and the masterpieces of Poussin, Piero della Francesca, and Cézanne? Only one answer seems possible — significant form. In each, lines and colours combined in a particular way, certain forms and relations of forms, stir our aesthetic emotions. These relations and combinations of lines and colours, these aesthetically moving forms, I call ‘Significant Form’; and ‘Significant form’ is the one quality common to all works of visual art.”

Pable Picasso Les Demoiselles d’Avignon 1907 Museum of Modern Art Photo: Wikimedia commons This work is often designated as the first truly “Modern” painting.

This theory of art later became known as Formalism and its influence can hardly be overemphasized. The “art” of any artwork was now said to be its formal arrangement. In this regard subject matter, storytelling, or truth to nature became irrelevant. Whereas the distortions of Picasso or the unnatural colors of a Matisse struck many first-time viewers as impudent, garish, and incompetent (“my child could do this”), this theory served to make plain that Modern artists weren’t trying to paint realistically and failing. They were pushing the boundaries of Art itself, to boldly go where no artist had gone before. This was the “avant-garde.” The doctrine that the essential elements of art are line, shape, and color would spread into college and university art departments in the United States for decades to come. In expanding this theory to include the Abstract Expressionists, Clement Greenberg was simply taking it to its logical conclusion: getting rid of referential content (which he saw as impurities) altogether. In the critical establishment, “Realism” was out.

September|October 2016 41

S

everal impacts resulting from the ascendancy of Modern Art in the 20th century are worth noting.

The art history survey texts when I was in school in the ‘70s basically covered the development of styles, with focus on individual artists who advanced or epitomized each one in turn: Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classicism, Romanticism. Then, after describing the next style to come along, the short-lived Realism of Courbet, they turned attention to the Impressionists in considerable detail.

A significant part of their story involved the reluctance of the academic art establishment to embrace the

innovations the Impressionists were developing. But the textbooks didn’t cover any of the numerous, popularly successful academic artists whose works filled the Salons, with the exception of maybe a Bouguereau or a Gérôme, to illustrate why they should be disregarded, in favor of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, after which the texts immediately moved on to Modern Art it its various manifestations.

Something similar happened with museums. With Modernism in the ascendant, popular academic paintings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were moved into storage, they had fallen so far out of critical favor.

The market for the once highly celebrated academic artworks was naturally also affected. One rather startling example is by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), a Dutch painter who settled in England when he was 34. His work is best known for genre scenes from the ancient classical world, painted with singular precision. The Finding of Moses (1904) illustrates the story in the book of Exodus where the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, discovers a basket floating on the Nile, inside of which is the infant Moses, whom she adopts and raises as her own. The painting was a commission, for which the artist was paid £5,250, which is calculated to amount to around £570,635 in 2014. By 1960, when abstract art was at the zenith of critical acclaim, academic paintings were at the nadir of their appreciation. The Finding of Moses sold that year for £252. Fast-forward to 2010 when the picture came up for auction to find that fashion had changed. The auction estimate in the catalog was $3,000,000 -$5,000,000. It sold at Sotheby’s New York for $35,922,500, setting a record.

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema The Finding of Moses 1904 Private Collection

42 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

A

uthor Tom Wolfe begins his amusing, controversial, but more or less factually accurate book The Painted Word by recounting an “Aha!” moment that overcame him one day while reading the morning paper. In the Sunday New York Times Art critic Hilton Kramer reviewed a 1974 exhibition called “Seven Realists,” which included these words: “Realism does not lack its partisans, but it does rather conspicuously lack a persuasive theory. And, given the nature of our intellectual commerce with works of art, to lack a persuasive theory is to lack something crucial—the means by which our experience of individual works is joined to our understanding of the values they signify.” Wolfe was struck especially by the choice of the word “crucial” that, in a flash, would drive the thesis of his book. “In short: frankly, these days, without a theory to go with it, I can’t see a painting . . . Modern Art has become completely literary: the paintings and other works exist only to illustrate the text.” This is an exaggeration, to be sure, although by the time Conceptual Art came along, whereby it was enough to write an idea for a possible artwork on a piece of paper without actually making an artwork, it was pretty clear that the atmosphere of art-critical theory had become excessively rarefied.

A Google search with the keywords “art criticism crisis” yielded any number of articles to say that there has indeed been one, going as far back as two decades now. Titles of articles and books include “The Demise of Artnet Magazine and the Crisis in Criticism” (from 1996), “What Happened to Art Criticism?” (2003), “The Trouble with Art Criticism” (2011, a YouTube video), “Confronting the ‘death’ of art criticism” (2012), “There Are Fewer Than 10 Full-Time Art Critics in the U.S.” (2013), “No one cares about art criticism: Advocating for an embodiment of the avant-garde as an alternative to capitalism” (2015), and “Post-Crisis: What’s Next for Art Criticism in a Digital Age” (2015), among many more. A series of seven book series entitled “The Art Seminar” (2005-2008) came out of a project that brought together hundreds of scholars from around the world for a set of open-ended conversations having to do with art theory. The title of one of these, The State of Art Criticism, itself suggests that the time has come to take stock.

A few observations may be offered with reasonable certainty. Formalism, as an all-encompassing theory of the essential nature and definition of “Art,” proved shortlived after all and no other one has come along to take its place. The iconic role of the powerful critic, of which Clement Greenberg was an archetype, is no more. Whereas in 1960 traditional representationalism (often, in my opinion misclassified within the domain of critics as “realism”) was “out” and there was no place to be found if one wanted to acquire the skills of academic painting, there are now many schools and ateliers for that, and hundreds (thousands?) of highly competent artists who have mastered the skill and craft. An organization called Art Renewal Center (www.artrenewal.org), founded in 1999, boasts one of the largest museums online of traditional, representational art, and has held a juried online “Salon” since 2004. In 2015 a gallery showing of the works of award winners was held in New York and Barcelona, as will also be held in 2016.

But a perhaps paradoxical question now arises. There don’t seem to be any critics looking at, evaluating, and writing about any of this work. Webster offers this primary definition of a critic: “one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique.” With the Formalist doctrine a thing of the past, is there any reason why a renewal of careful criticism could not properly be applied to contemporary representational art?

M e lv i l l e H o l m e s

Melville Holmes (b.1950) is a fine artist devoted to doing “new paintings like those of the old masters. He has deeply studied the history, technology, and chemistry of the materials of oil painting, and has written several published papers on the subject.

He lives in Spokane, WA.

Are you a collector of fine art?

Do you have a relationship with international artists?

If so, Art Chowder magazine wants to hear from you.

Email us today:

dean@artchowder.com

September|October 2016 43

IRISH EYES ARE

SMILING The Art of Roman Burgan

I R E L A N D

44 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

A N D

S L O V A K I A

ART FROM AROUND THE

WORLD

As artists there is an instinctive part of us which will travel We understand emotions are simply fuel which brings about creation It is instinctive creation born of emotions As artists there is no turning back when this energy flourishes We know there is a reason for that moment and go where it takes us It is instinctive strength born of energies As artists we have connections to all things living or otherwise There is a blindness to boundaries and deep feelings for imperfections It is instinctive caring born of freedom

CAROLE COSSETTE Expressive Art by Carole Ann

As artists we love, we live fully, we flow and seek From this stream of feeling there are only new experiences waiting It is instinctive trust born of joy As artists there is a need to absorb as much as life has to offer We are constantly longing, learning and listening It is instinctive cravings born of hunger As artists there are no limitations in art There is only the next brilliant statement of beauty It is instinctive appreciation born of knowing

artbycaroleann@gmail.com

- Roman Burgan

V iola U nger

b vu n g e r @ c o m c a s t . n e t September|October 2016 45

Roman Burgan is a self-de-

scribed “social person”. I have been a friend of Roman’s on social media now for several years and one of his very vibrant works greets me in my office as I sit at my computer. You get a sense of the love Roman has for his adopted home from the passion he imparts in his paintings of Ireland.

In getting to know Roman, I found him to be a person who cares about people, social justice and living life to its fullest. This shines through in his artwork as well. It is extremely important to me that when I “adopt” a work of art that it connects me to the relationship I have with the artist.

You can see by the biography below that Roman has had a very successful art career and continues to share his talents with many very fortunate people who can see his works first hand. I would encourage you to also get to know the person. Take the time to visit his website. Send him an email. I promise you it will enrich your appreciation for the work and the artist who created it.

Roman Burgan was born in the early 1960’s

in Slovakia. He shared with me that his love for art began when he was a very young boy in primary school and won a prize for an art piece he created.

“This was the beginning of my passion for painting”.

Roman graduated from The School of Art in Kremnica, in 1980 with a degree in fine arts.

His education has taught him a very diverse set of skills from painting in oils, pastels and many other mediums. He also has skills in antique art restoration.

46 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

THE CLANDESTINE

Collectors

Roman has had many solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe. After visiting Ireland he decided to make it his home. Roman’s sense of color enables him to capture the dramatic beauty of the Irish landscape with an obvious passion for the sky. For the past five years Roman has had a solo exhibition in Dublin promoting Slovakian culture in Ireland and his work is permanently shown in Pop Up Gallery Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

Who are we? People that love art. People that love artists and those who support their successes. We buy art from our friends. We seek to find it outside of our communities.

We build relationships with artists from around the world and we love to learn what inspires those who create. We are not the elite, spending insane amounts of money on works just to show off. However, we do support the arts by paying fair prices for the work we love. Like Banksy, we stay anonymous because it is not about who we are. It is about the art and doing what we can to help create a healthy community by sharing the talents of those we have come to know.

You can learn more about Roman Burgan at his web site www.romanburgan.net or send him an email at roman.burgan@yahoo.com.

September|October 2016 47

Quinn’s CORNER

John F. Thamm

WWW.JFTHAMMSTUDIOS.COM

$20 O P rder

osters

pinklloyd2@msn.com

BARK SMIRK and PUCKER N O W S H O W I N G Hatch - 9812 E Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley Artist Reception-Second Saturday September 10, 2016 - 5:00pm-9:00pm 48 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE

f

Slam POETRY SP O KA N E , WA SH I N G T O N

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Karen Mobley

T

he slam poetry scene in Spokane is alive, raucous, and growing! Writers and performers of all ages participate at the two regular monthly slams. Every first Sunday is BootSlam, at Boots Bakery and Lounge. It is a great place for first-time competitors because it is a close, friendly, home-like atmosphere. Every third Monday is Spokane Poetry Slam at The Bartlett. This is a bit more like a rock show, with a stage and lights and a very high-energy crowd. People clap loud, heckle and shout!

There are other events in Spokane that welcome performance poetry - Broken Mic occurs every Wednesday evening at Neato Burrito. Isaac Grambo, a prominent poetry event organizer says of Broken Mic, “This is the gutter-punk rock show for poetry, and is as welcoming and unassuming as a warm smile from your favorite aunt. This weekly event fills a community space for many of the regulars. 3 Minute Mic provides a different, more laid-back and easy-going atmosphere in Auntie’s Bookstore every first Friday.

Spokane’s Slam Team are readying for this year’s Individual World Poetry Slam in Decatur, Georgia this month and the community is setting the stage for the 2017 Individual World Poetry Slam to be held here in Spokane.

Isaac Grambo, a Slam poet and organizer for the 2017 event, explained that Spokane hosted iWPS for the first time in 2013. In fact, iWPS 2013 Finals ended in the most Spokane way possible, with a tie for first place! The two poets tied for first were given the option to go another round to break the tie, but they both felt that what the night, and Spokane, deserved was the feeling of community and celebration that had produced the tie. As far as he knows, it is the only PSi-organized national-level competition to result in a tie.

Spokane will host iWPS again in October of 2017. A date is not set at this time, but the event will take place over four days, with side events such as showcases, open mics, and workshops to enhance the festival and provide more opportunities for participation for poets and fans.

September|October 2016 49

iWPS is the Individual World Poetry Slam, which is an international competition organized by Poetry Slam, Inc. (PSi), the primary organizing body for slam in the United States. iWPS is an individual competition, in which 72 poets present their work in four preliminary rounds of competition. Each round has a different time limit (4 minute, 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute). The cumulative score for each competitor for the first four rounds determines the top 12 poets for the competition, who then compete in Finals. For iWPS Finals, there are four rounds, with poets eliminated after each round, until only one is left. The time limit for all rounds in Finals is three minutes.

Poets will come from across the United States and Canada. PSi opens this competition to poets from all over the world, though travel costs and time frames often result in a field of primarily US-poets.

The 2016 Poetry Slam Team includes: Fitz Fitzpatrick, Luke Grayson, Jansen Niccals, and Jack Siebel.

The 2015 Slam Team included: Chadwick Aufderhar, Devin Devine, Fitz Fitzpatrick and Seth Marlin.

You may wish to attend Slam events as an audience member. You might volunteer to be a judge. Or you might start prepping to compete for the 2017 Slam Team.

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Isaac Grambo tells why poets might want to do this, “I think the biggest reason to get involved with slam as a poet is the evaluative part of the competition. At an open mic, everyone claps and you go back to your seat and, unless you ask someone for feedback, you don’t get any kind of constructive critique. While the numbers involved in slam judging are impersonal, they do give you an instant gauge about how well you are communicating with strangers.”

Fitz Fitzpatrick who is the reigning Spokane Slam Champion is in her second year representing Spokane at the iWPS. When asked about her experiences she stated, “I’ve been coming to Broken Mic on and off since I was 18, but found a home there after the National Poetry Slam last year in a moment where I was basically starving for more poetry in my life. It’s the only open mic I’ve heard of that can match that ravenous energy and it does that every week. The people that show up love poetry and love poets. People don’t just read their work, they perform it and express it and the audience gives back ten-fold. Spokane’s identity as an arts community is one of inclusivity and authentic vulnerability. If you show up to Broken Mic or a slam you’ll be welcomed with open arms and hear words that absolutely shred. I’ve been honored also the past six months to take part in hosting one of the local poetry slams. Investing more time into this community and giving back has been food for my soul and I’m pumped to encourage others the way this world has encouraged me.”

Slam Poetry Photo Credit: Chandra Dee Photography

September|October 2016 51

Sydney Anderson

September 23, 24 & 25th CenterPlace Regional Event Center

Mirabeau Point Park | Plantes Ferry Park

Valleyfest is an annual tradition bringing the greater region together since 1990. This community-wide celebration is held each September at Mirabeau Point Park and CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley. Valleyfest is a diverse and unique festival that inspires the community through the discovery of talent in and around Spokane Valley. Long story short, there’s a place for everyone at Valleyfest.

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IMMERSE YOURSELF in all things at the

art

Artist Corner!

Browse, shop, and create with a variety of local,

Spokane artists. Children and adults welcome to “Create a Masterpiece” on Saturday, Sept. 24, where we invite you to be inspired and get creative on a 5 x 7 canvas of your own for only $5. Come by the Artist Corner on Sunday, Sept. 25 to witness Valleyfest’s first ever “ProAm,” where professional artists collaborate with amateurs to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art. The final product will be auctioned off after 3 p.m. In the meantime, browse and shop around the booths and Galleria, which feature many different pieces from various professional artists. Don’t want to lug your newly purchased art piece around Valleyfest? Drop it off at the Artist Corner’s “Concierge Service” located in the Galleria, and schedule to pick it up at a more convenient time for you! The Artist Corner is proudly sponsored by the Spokane Valley Arts Council. The Galleria is brought to you by Spokane Gallery. The “ProAm” is sponsored by Art Chowder Magazine. Proceeds from the “Paint and Take” as well as the “ProAm” will go toward making Valleyfest 2017 possible.

Another booth features arts and crafts for children, where kids can make and take home their own craft creation! This booth is staffed by volunteers from East Valley School District.

What would a festival be without music?

There are three different stages that house a variety of entertainment throughout the entire Valleyfest weekend: the Family Stage, Meadow Festival Stage, and CenterPlace Patio Stage. John Roberts Y Pan Blanco performs on the Meadow Festival Stage on Saturday at 2:30! They aim to share musical diversity with the audience with vocals in Spanish, English and Portuguese.

September|October 2016 53

This group is melding high energy Funk, African and Salsa grooves with blistering instrumental solos. Right after John Roberts Y Pan Blanco perform, Men in the Making is back for another year at Valleyfest to combine oldies rock with humor and a myriad of outrageous costume changes that you won’t want to miss.

Spokane Aerial Performance Arts perform hand balancing aerial hoop and acrobatics. After each performance aerialist artists help children stand on a very low knot on the silk for photos.

Weekend

Entertainment List: MEADOW FESTIVAL STAGE: Inland Northwest Dance Association Desja John Roberts Y Pan Blanco Men In The Making Cheryl Branz Moses Willey The Portatos Accordion Band CENTERPLACE PATIO STAGE: The Cronkites Unplugged Comedy Cup The Sidemen

Sara Brown Band FAMILY STAGE: Jazzercize Eric Herman & Puppy Dog Dave Cecil’s Magic Jung Kim Martial Arts Otis Orchards Mallteers Paper Cut-Out Crew Dawn of Life Elite Dance

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September|October 2016 55

The Naked Plate

By Mariah McLaughlin, Inland NW Culinary Academy Graduate

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ave you ever wondered what thought and structure are behind any masterpiece of plated food? What methods and processes are used to create such visually stimulating pieces? What amount of passion must be unleashed or how much chaos must be harnessed to allow such beauty to be presented to the masses. Conventionally, most artists are allowed color, texture as well as any additional factors that may be specific to their chosen medium and are restricted in some way or another by the ‘canvas’ they work upon. Like most artists, chefs also have a canvas to deliver their methods, passion and chaos...the naked plate.

First impressions are of the utmost importance, and with food presentation it allows our audience to eat first with their eyes. Once the visual feast has been granted to our guests, chefs have another unique component that we are allowed to deliver. Taste. The chef ’s art must not only allow escape into the presented dish, but must grant satisfaction with every bite that follows.

Food presentation is the art of modifying, decorating or arranging food that enhances its aesthetic appeal; this is known as plating. With that in mind lets take a look at some important factors that contribute to the finished plate:

Emphasis is on the main ingredient- the one that is to be showcased. Chefs attempt to allow the most space making it essentially the most attractive piece on the plate.

In classical plating there are three primary elements of a dish: main, starch, and vegetable(s). Using a clock-like process we place the main ingredient between 3- 9, a starch between 9-12 and vegetable(s) between 12-3. It wouldn’t matter the course you are serving but always serve the guest at 6 O’clock. This offers them the best view of the plate and ensures the main ingredient stands out from its September|October 2016 57 surroundings.

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alance the plate as a whole and understand each aspect of the dish and the way it contributes to the overall appearance. Chefs like to channel their artistic side through each section of the plate with playfulness. Through their own interpretation of the foods’ interaction with each other, they delight in how the visual offerings tempt the guest while tickling the taste buds through each sampling. Chefs enjoy playing to all of the senses- sight, smell,and taste. In some food presentations chefs also enjoy the audio senses through crackling and sizzling presentations to their guests- think fajitas.

Contrast between shapes that are nestled beside each other offer visual appeal. Think of the humble offerings of peas and carrots. Both are familiar but one is round while the other is square. Combine the two and it jumps out at you with the vibrancy of life through oranges and a multitude of cool greens. Culinary students spend a great deal of time in school learning the shapes and size dimensions of the classic knife cuts: julienne, battonet, brunoise, dice, paysanne, tourne and chiffonade. Each one of these offer a wide variety of contrast and geometrical shapes. Utilizing different shapes and sizes, chefs can deliver a myriad of visual possibilities to the guest.

Color the plate with complimentary colors to create a focal point that bursts with life and the allure of flavor or use contrasting colors with shades of light and dark tones that can evoke emotions. Chefs take cues from nature, and at times let the color speak for the seasons.

Green can have coolness and calming effects whereas red can be full of passion and excitement. Yellow is happy and friendly, but blue hues, like Smurfs, on the other hand are unnatural, act as a appetite suppressant and make food look unappetizing.

Texture should be visible in all components: crunchy, soft, chewy, brittle, silky, firm, rigid. Try to use your imagination to create a plate with a variety of textures. Chefs are careful not to combine like textures on a plate. Lets think about a dessert- a square cut piece of chocolate bread pudding on a rectangle plate. Additional ingredients on the plate might be a quenelle of vanilla bean gelato placed on a bed of cookie crumbles and caramelized bananas finished with a raspberry sauce. It’s something familiar but taken to a new level by adding fun textures.

Simplify your dish and avoid the urge to overcrowd the plate. Keeping it simple and understanding that less is sometimes more is an invaluable skill. You may need fewer elements than you think to make the dish look complete. It is often more difficult to leave a presentation alone than to keep adding to it. The amuse bouche- a little gift from the kitchen to awaken the taste buds- should be nothing more than one bite of something exotic without too many ingredients to complicate its intended simplicity. The more complexity you add, the more it distracts from the flavor. In the end, chefs let the ingredients be the stars by offering the best and the freshest flavors.

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Plate to the size and arrangement of the food being served without leaving too much empty space. The shape and the color of the plate matters. Everything looks better using white china- in which way the food is allowed to stand out. The colors appear more vibrant and the food looks more appealing. Round, square, triangle, curved, with or without rims and small centers create plating techniques of their own. The shape of the plate is the foundation of which you can build with fluidity and motion.

When it comes to putting the final touches on the plate all you need is a sauce and a garnish. A sauce is a flavorful liquid designed to accompany food in order to enhance or bring flavor. Sauces have a variety of tastes: salty, savory, sweet, bitter, sour and the forgotten fifth taste- umami or earthiness.

Plating with sauces can be functional, decorative or both. Functional sauces can be used to add moisture and flavor. Decorative sauces are used as artistic expressions. Both can be found beneath or above food or as a drizzle or a drop on the plate. They provide not only visible interest but also compliment the dish. When you think of salad think of (No -Not Ranch!) an herbal infused vinaigrette- subtle and flavorful. For a perfectly seared piece of salmon how about a roasted red pepper coulis- beautiful and bold. When it comes to dessert think of a berry or caramel sauce- rich and smooth.

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arnishes are edible accents that can provide extra color and texture from appetizers to desserts. Garnishes can be placed under, around or on the food. They vary from simple springs of herbs and flowers, crispy fried elements like parsnip chips, elegantly curled onion flowers to chocolate leaves and caramel decorations. A garnish should never be thrown on a plate without thought. Carrot flowers are cute - but it should be steamed first so that it can be eaten if the guest chooses to. Everything that goes on the plate needs to be edible! Garnishes need to be appealing to the eye, but they should echo and harmonize with the dish.

In writing this article I realize that I am also experimenting with my plating when I serve dinner at home.

Last night’s dinner was chicken-fried pork chops, mashed potatoes (with the skin), peas and carrots (my favorite) and finished with a nice white pan gravy. Ethan, age 10, put his food on the plate in random order, cut his steak and liberally covered his food with gravy. On the other hand, I took my time and put the sauce down first then mounded the potatoes, propped my chop and nestled my vegetables to the side.

Logan, age 15, was downstairs finishing a zombie game on the X-box so I made his plate too. His potatoes went directly in the center so I stacked the chop on top, drizzled the gravy on top so it cascaded down the plate and put the vegetables into the corner of a square plate. Remember, this was all the same meal, served with a variety of plating techniques. It tasted the same in the end, but because of the arrangements it made each bite different to the devourer.

You don’t have to be a gourmet or formerly trained chef to create spectacular plates of food. I recommend you unleash the inner child and be playful and artistic. Practice at home. When you are out to eat, look at your plate twice before digging in. Take in all the sights, smells and truly enjoy the flavors. What was put in front of you is not “just” food. What is in front of you is a work of art- prepared with skill, passion, creativity, and thought -through the mind of a chef.

For more information on the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, or to receive our quarterly newsletter, please visit our website at http://www.scc.spokane.edu/Hospitality/INCA/Home.aspx or call Program Coordinator Janet Breedlove at 509-533-7283. We are “closed” from mid-June through mid-September, but look forward to seeing and feeding you our passion in the near future. For any “off season” information requests, please do not hesitate to email Julie Raftis-Litzenberger at Julie.Litzenberger@scc.spokane.edu.

Your inquiries, suggestions and comments are most welcome!

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MARIAH M c L AU G H L I N

Mariah McLaughlin was born and raised on a cattle and wheat ranch in Montana. She moved to Spokane five years ago, where she enjoys being a mother of three children: Darien (20), Logan (15) and Ethan (10) with her husband James of 22 years. Mariah has completed her two-year AAS degree in Culinary Arts from the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy at SCC. In addition to her full time kitchen management at the Black Diamond restaurant in Spokane Valley, Mariah manages to volunteer for nearly every extracurricular community event opportunity through INCA, and is the proud recipient of the Albert Kowitz Sustainability Scholarship, Washington Restaurant Association Spokane Chapter scholarship, Chef Biordi continual scholarship and the Quillisascut Education Foundation scholarship. Mariah and her family enjoy playing and competing in disc golf, along with camping, fishing and gardening.

September|October 2016 61

Carol Schmauder F i

n

e

A

The ranch 20”x16” Oil on canvas

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Avenue West Gallery 907 W. Boone, Suite B Spokane, Washington

Nora Egger

noraegger.com |509-991-0041

www . carolschmauder . com

SEPTEMBER Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th

Find More Information At WWW.STUDIOARTTOUR.COM Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

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Dian Zahner

Steven A. Scroggins

BY APPOINTMENT artist@stevenascroggins.com

Avenue West Gallery 907 W. Boone, Suite B Spokane, Washington swim1946@yahoo.com

| 509.220.3043

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P.O. Box 1164 Coeur d’Alene, ID 83816

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a r t c h o w d e r . c o m

A true

artist is not one who is inspired, but one

who inspires others.

-Salvador Dali

Stan Miller “The Parisian” Watercolor Stanmiller.net 64 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE