MARCH 2024 ARTBEAT

ARTBE T

Monthly Magazine of the NCW Arts Alliance

Co-editors: Mike Irwin & Susan Lagsdin

Design: Ron Evans NCWArts.org | arts@ncwarts.org

KEEWATINAWIN JOINS BOARD; COLLABORATIVE WORK IN 2024

BY MEG KAPPLER NCW ARTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NCW

Arts is thrilled to announce the newest addition to our board of directors, Amanda Keewatinawin (Northwind)! She is a local indigenous artist and entrepreneur who has enjoyed making wearable art for her business, Mystic North, here in the valley for the last decade. Keewatinawin states, “I am passionate about the preservation of indigenous arts, language, culture, and land.” Welcome!

Keewatinawin joins the following local arts leaders on our board of directors to guide NCW Arts into the collaborative work we have planned for 2024:

Scott Bailey, President

Marissa Collins, Vice-president

Emelia Chavez-Monreal, Sec/Treas Lindsay Breidenthal

Jamie Howell

Natalie Dotzauer

Holly Thorpe

Kris Lahd

Laine Heikel

What is this collaborative work, you ask? I’m excited to tell you!

ON THE COVER:

Grammy-nominated singer Lupita Infante will headline the Mariachi Northwest Festival in Wenatchee (March 27-30). The celebration of Latin culture features

First, NCW Arts has been working directly with the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) on the Explore Creative Connections program (ECC). The ECC program is a pilot project intended to create curriculum and pathways for Indigenous, Latinx and youth in rural areas of north central Washington to give them increased access to career opportunities in the Arts. We are working with regional educators, Colville Tribe members, local artists and arts leaders to map resources for our area and connect youth to careers they may not be aware of. We are excited to be a part of this ECC endeavor, which we hope will mean implementing arts programs in more school districts across our region in the future.

Second, we will be partnering closely with the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center (WVMCC) this spring and summer to help facilitate the Juried Art Show, which is hosted by the museum every two to three years. The show will open on the first Friday in June and will be open throughout the summer, closing in early fall.

Our Mission: NCW Arts nurtures our region by uplifting and connecting artists and communities throughout North Central Washington.

Looking for ways to get involved?

Consider these options:

• Donate by texting SUPPORTARTS to 53-555.

• Join other local artists, writers, musicians, performers and creatives on our Artist Index.

• Promote your business or event across the region by advertising in the ArtBeat.

For more information, contact us at arts@ncwarts.org

CHEERS TO...

NICKI ISAACSON: Nine years ago, her watercolor painting was chosen for the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival poster — and now this accomplished artist has done it again! The close-up view of the luscious, ready-to-burst apple blossom seen here was the judges’ choice for 2024. Nicki first fell in love with the Wenatchee Valley as a child visiting her grandparents in their orchard home at the base of Saddle Rock. Although she loves the area’s waterways, walking paths and wilderness, her work currently focuses mostly on flowers, fruits, vegetables and birds. She is a member of the Wenatchee Watercolor Society and has shown her work at Pybus Public Market and the Two Rivers Art Gallery, where she has served on the board and has often been a featured artist.

If you’re inspired to be the 2025 Apple Blossom Festival “poster child,” know that the art print committee is accepting submissions until July 18. You can see guidelines and past winners at appleblossom.org.

FEATURED EVENT: A TOP CROP OF TEEN ARTISTS

music, dance, workshops, a student showcase and a finale of professional performers. See article in this issue of ArtBeat for complete details.

High school art students from around the region are eager to see their best work displayed at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center this month, and several artists will receive awards for their art in a variety of categories and genres. The 45th Annual Regional High School Art Show is free to the public, sponsored by North Central Educational Service District and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. In past years, students from this district have been well-represented in

the subsequent statewide exhibit that opens at the end of May in Olympia.

The show’s opening reception (with music by Jazz Jam Quintet, food and beverages) also includes the annual exhibit, Beauty of Bronze, a showcase of dozens of cast bronze sculptures made by local school children.

See both exhibits, which continue during the month, from 4 to 8 p.m. March 1, during the Wenatchee First Fridays Arts Walk at WVMCC, 127 South Mission Street, Wenatchee.

2024 Apple Blossom Festival poster by Nicki Isaacson

“Man with Pearl Earring” by Ella Johnson, The River Academy, Wenatchee “Oni Pot” by Owen Ervin, Wenatchee High School

PLAYING BY HEART FROM THE HEART OF MEXICO

Rancheras, corridos, cumbias, boleros, ballads, sones, huapangos, jarabes, danzones, joropos, pasodobles and chotís — you might hear many of those distinctive styles at the Mariachi Northwest Festival in March. It celebrates the long life of a musical form that’s migrated north from Mexico and kept its roots intact. And, in its 24 years in Wenatchee, it has always centered on student musicians who are intent on continuing that legacy.

Mariachi music evolved from the privacy of the chapel to mass media and nationwide festivals in a relatively short time. Originally it was played by small groups of musicians at weddings, christenings and funerals around Guadalajara (possibly named after “Maria H,” a local ranch). By the mid-1800s the indigenous folk tunes infused with Spanish forms and instruments had gained popularity, and by the 1920s the sound was staple fare on the Mexican radio. Its migration north led to several well-known groups based in Los Angeles by 1940.

As the American west grew and prospered, so did mariachi music. Now, thousands of musicians perform at annual festivals like the Mariachi Invitational and the Mariachi Extravaganza in Texas, and Mariachi USA in Los Angeles.

Wenatchee is the epicenter of the Pacific Northwest’s mariachi community, and statewide interest grew from here. This year, the festival expects to draw audiences

and student musicians — from fourth graders to adults — from Idaho, Oregon, Yakima and the Tri-Cities as well as the Puget Sound area.

Nationally-known mariachi musicians and folkloric dancers will teach intensive workshops at Wenatchee Valley College for two and a half days, culminating in a student showcase at the Wenatchee High School auditorium on Friday, March 29.

On Saturday evening, those same professionals don their finest finery to perform at the high school. The headliner is L.A.based, Grammy-nominated singer and La Voz (The Voice) winner Lupita Infante, whose father and grandfather were entertainers, the latter called “The Elvis of Mariachi.”

For local musicians and their families, an additional highlight of the weekend may be the Saturday evening performance by Mariachi Huenachi, an ensemble comprised of the program’s most advanced students. It’s earned a national reputation as the top mariachi in Washington, performing annually at dozens of events and festivals in and out of state, even winning second in the high school division at a major competition in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

At a classroom rehearsal, students were asked what they love about mariachi. Yadhira Garibay says she likes connecting with her culture, and “it’s great to get to know other people” in class and at the festivals. And Samuel Miranda immediately said,

“The traveling.” He likes playing for new audiences and meeting people. Brian Hernandez said it’s that moment “when the audience gets excited and starts clapping and screaming. You just get more and more into it.”

Tasked not just with “getting into it” but getting close to perfect is Eduardo CortesSolorio. He’s been the director of that celebrated ensemble for the last five years, a violinist who teaches music at both Pioneer Middle School and Wenatchee High School. With the help of a dedicated committee of volunteers, he also organizes the annual mariachi event.

Former Mariachi Northwest Festival director Ramon Rivera was Eduardo’s own teacher and mentor. Raised in Wenatchee by immigrant parents, Eduardo is proud to be a Mariachi Huenachi alum upholding the group’s tradition. Another point of pride for him and his students might be that, unlike in orchestras, “The students do not have any music sheets in front of them,” he said. “They must learn the pieces they play by heart.”

The 24th Annual Mariachi Northwest Festival workshops and showcase are March 27 to 29. The public concert is 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Wenatchee High School, 1101 Millerdale Ave. Introductions and commentary will be in both Spanish and English. Tickets are $45 at mariachinorthwest.com

(Who are these local artists? Initials are given; see the answers below.)

1. (K.M.) You may have seen this multitalented chameleon of an actor in a variety of roles on the Riverside Playhouse stage. Now he’s also the president of Music Theater of Wenatchee.

2. (K.L.) A longtime dream for this local rock musician came true with the creation of his Pink Floyd tribute band, Artemidorus, and its faithful rendition of “The Dark Side of the Moon.”

3. (A.C.) She’s taught art at Grunewald Guild and in Wenatchee schools; now this Plain painter, known for mathematically codifying nature observations, is also venturing into online teaching.

4. (B.H.) Often a performer in local plays and musicals, this Wenatchee High School teacher and former puppeteer recently directed the play “Bright Star” in Quincy, his former hometown.

5. (T.T.) Now on the Wenatchee Valley Museum staff, this awardwinning, much-traveled dancer and choreographer taught aerial arts (picture trapezes, hoops, silk ropes) at her dance school.

6. (W.G.) This muralist, now deceased, depicted our region’s geology and history in paintings like one at Pangborn Field of the 1931 trans-Pacific flight and “Horsepower” at Rocky Reach Dam.

ANSWERS: 1. Kevin McKee

2. Kris Lahd 3. Adele Caemmerer

4. Brian Higgins 5. Tracy Trotter

6. Walter Graham

Colorful dancer at a recent Mariachi Northwest Festival performance.

Eduardo Cortes-Solorio, director of Mariachi Huenachi.

Wenatchee High School’s mariachi ensemble rehearses for this month’s Mariachi Northwest Festival.

MARCH 2024

7. Watercore Cider 6-8 PM Reece Nobles, musician. Covers and originals.

8. Mela 5-8 PM Kari Litchfield, fluid acrylics. Exhibition runs through March 31.

9. Tumbleweed 4-7 PM Ruthy Lou Designs, jeweler.

10. Ground Control 5-10 PM Mystic North, jeweler

11. Pybus Art Alley 5-7 PM “Flower Power,” Sharratt DeLong, artist. Nate Weakley, live music. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres by donation. Exhibition runs through March 31.

12. Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center 4-8 PM Free admission. Opening of the 45th Annual Regional High School Art Show. Beauty of Bronze, student sculptures. Jazz Jam Quartet, live music. Light refreshments provided.

5. Steam Panda 4-9 PM Buy one noodle soup, get 2nd noodle soup $5 off. Dine in only when you mention first Friday.

1. MAC Gallery 5-7 PM “Taemong: Mother’s Dream,” Kyung Hee Im, sculpture and installationbased pieces. Exhibition runs through April 26.

2. Wells House 5-7 PM Free admission to tour the Wells House. Hunt for gold coins.

3. Inspiration Ceramic & Art Cafe 6-8 PM Ladies Night, pottery painting. Ticketed event. inspirationsceramic.com.

4. Visit Wenatchee Tasting Room 11 AM-6 PM Nic Allen, musician. Local wine, beer, and ciders. Wenatchee First Fridays maps and information available at NCW Arts Alliance table .

ARTS WALK EAT & DRINK

5. Lemolo Café & Deli 4-6 PM Corey Oakes, artist. Exhibition runs through March 30.

6. Two Rivers Art Gallery 5-8 PM “A Western Experience,” Dean Rainey, paintings. Patric Thompson and Glenn Isaacason, live music. Local wines. Exhibition runs through March 31.

1. Horan Estates Winery 3-7 PM $2 off glass pours.

2. Stones Gastropub 3-9 PM

mention first Friday.

6. Cave Noire 4-10 PM

Enjoy a complimentary glass after any wine tasting flight.

2. Stones Gastropub 3-9 PM $10 specialty cocktail.

3. Watermill Winery On The Ave 3-8 PM One glass of red or white wine for $6.

7. Epoch 5-10 PM $2 off any house cocktail.

8. Norwood Wine Bar 4-10 PM $2 off glass pours.

4. Zebra Brasserie 10 AM-3 PM Enjoy craft bean-tobar chocolate presented by Chocolate Steward, Dorrinda.

SHOP DOWNTOWN

3. Bellas Artes Import 9:30 AM-5:30 PM Mexican coffee tasting, “Ristretto & Espresso,” organic coffee produced in the Central and South States of the Mexican Republic-Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz.

1. American Shoe Shop 5–7 PM Extended hours

2. The Original Children’s Shop 5-7 PM 10% discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.

WENATCHEEFIRSTFRIDAYS.COM

ARTBIZ SOCIAL TEDIA: MUST WE MARKET OURSELVES ONLINE?

by Jamie Howell

Idislike social media. I resent the time it takes to create posts and post them — time that I sense would have been better spent creating my work.

But the people are on social media, scrolling away, and, as a creator working in a rural community who relies on showing and selling work to other people, well .... it’s a pickle.

To absent myself from the interwebs would be to commit a sort of digital harakiri, and I’m not at all interested in disemboweling this little creative operation of mine. It pays the bills and, I’m guessing, if I were less opposed to all this facebookery and more active on the ‘gram, it could probably do more than that.

In search of creative compatriots facing down this same conundrum, I took a quick spin through the NCW Arts Artist Index, hoping either to find commiseration or be convinced that it isn’t all just the #BWE. (I’ll spare you the Googling — “Biggest Wankfest Ever.”)

‘Facebook sucks’

HENRY STINSON

Painter, instructor henrystinson.com

Instagram: henrystinsonart

“Facebook sucks,” said Stinson. “... It reminds me of the worst parts of high school’s social structure.”

Preach, Pastor Stinson, preach! But before I could lay my big Amen on him, I learned just how hard he works at it.

Stinson devotes about 30 minutes a post up to three times a week — primarily to Instagram — a frequency I’d call, “on top of it.” While he doesn’t sell his paintings directly through social media, he does find it useful in spreading the word about his upcoming classes or workshops.

In Stinson’s view, somebody flipped open the lid on the Pandora’s box that is social media without asking the rest of us and, “Like it or not, we have to deal with it.”

The antidote, according to Stinson, lies in not getting sucked into worrying about likes, clicks or follows. “Spend more time making art, working on your craft. ... Get out and meet people in person.”

‘Be authentic’

ALLISON TEAL LEWIS

Painter, calligrapher tealpatrickart.com

Facebook: tealpatrickart

Instagram: tealpatrickart

Working at it even harder is painter and calligrapher Allison Teal Lewis, who

spends five to 20 minutes per post almost daily. Not only does she post to Facebook and Instagram, she maintains a Pinterest account and a YouTube channel.

“At the end of the day, if I want to be an artist in the marketplace, it is just part of the deal,” said Lewis. She admits to wishing there was another way to connect with people on the scale possible through social media, and there’s the occasional flicker of resentment when, for example, she’s forced to waste time sussing out some new algorithm when she would rather be spending time with her family.

In general, though, she feels the positives outweigh the negatives – allowing her to build relationships worldwide, to share new pieces and, of course, to sell her artwork.

So long as an artist remains authentic in the content they post, she feels social media can be of service.

Ultimately, says Lewis, it’s about “sharing what you’ve been given in talent, resources and your unique voice to serve your client and community.”

‘A love/hate relationship’

ELLEN BRUEX

Visual artist, poet, muralist, instructor Facebook: Art by Ellen Bruex Instagram: ellen.bruex

Artist Ellen Bruex posts sporadically — from a couple of times per week to going weeks without posting at all. “It often depends on where I am in the creative process,” she said.

For Bruex, “It’s a love/hate relationship.” She loves that she’s gotten commissions, sold artwork and connected with other artists through her online channels. She hates the “unproductive comparison, self-doubt, time-wasting, exhaustion and seemingly futile attempts to understand the algorithms,” that sometimes come with it.

“Aim for balance,” is her best advice. “Show people what you’re doing, but don’t prioritize it above the art itself.”

A common thread

If there’s a common thread to be found running through the perspectives of these artists, it seems to be that no one loves spending time on social media, but they all see benefit when they do. So, dislike it though we may, it appears that part of being a working artist in the 2020s means sucking it up, accepting the tedium of the medium and developing your online craft right alongside your art.

Jamie Howell, founder of Howell at the Moon Productions in Wenatchee, is currently marking his 25th year as a documentary filmmaker and, ironically, digital content creator.

Henry Stinson

Allison Teal Lewis

Ellen Bruex

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING AT THE SNOWY OWL THEATER

Guaranteed to tickle the fancy of anyone with Irish roots, or anyone with hands to clap and toes to tap, The Gothard Sisters will bring both traditional and contemporary Celtic tunes to Leavenworth in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Though they’re essentially a homegrown Northwest girl band, the Gothard Sisters (Old English: GAWthird) create the distinctive sound of the Isles with their violin, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bodhran, djembe, whistle and vocal harmonies.

They’ve performed far and away for 15 years, all across America, at the Kennedy Center, on cruise ships and in Japan. They have a strong international following and 36 million social media views. But they still circle back to play concerts in our Wenatchee Valley towns when they can.

Reviewers love them, too. Irish Central said the Gothard Sisters offer, “A harmonious blend of traditional Celtic with hints of Americana. There’s a country-western earthiness that gives the songs a lively, approachable, down-home sound.” And in Irish Music Magazine: “The sisters have captured life in all its beauty . . . inspiring us to appreciate the world around us and life in general.”

Greta Gothard and her younger sisters Willow and Solana have been making music all their lives and agree that their extensive touring and recording (15 years, 10 albums and 3,000 live shows) is more of a

lifestyle than a career. Greta said they’re still searching for that elusive “work-life balance” but find the two inextricably intertwined. And that’s OK. “It’s wonderful to be able to share the work up-and-downs with my sisters,” said Greta, “and have all those memories in common with each other.”

One especially satisfying venture for the sisters was in the midst of the pandemic when they couldn’t tour. “So, we built a home recording studio,” said Greta. “Willow stepped up to engineer, Solana assisted her, and I started writing original songs. It was 100 percent just us, and we’re really proud that our album, Dragonfly, came out of all that.”

Greta gave some thought to the best thing about making music. She described a song “when it’s a brand-new seedling of an idea and we’re working on the arrangement and composition together. It’s a magical time.” And, happily for us, their other best moment is “playing the finished song live — sharing it with an audience. The way the audience responds to the song can also mold and shape the performance sometimes, too. It’s lovely.”

Hear The Gothard Sisters at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Snowy Owl Theatre, Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, 7409 Icicle Road, Leavenworth. Tickets are $15-35 at iciclecreek.org

The Gothard Sister

ON THE UPBEAT ‘I WANT TO BALANCE MY LIFE WITH PURE JOY’

Photo by Anthony Moore / Fatman Concert Photos

By Kris Lahd

Raymond Malstead, the pianist and composer from the band Cockaphonix, balances his life through performance art and pizazz.

How do you balance your career with music?

I work in occupational therapy, so I’m surrounded on a daily basis with pain. I was coming up on my 10-year mark working at Confluence Health in Wenatchee and I didn’t know if I could continue doing this until retirement. I was raising kids who also had health issues, and, if there’s any such thing as a midlife crisis, this was that moment. So, I started S’natchee Records. Out of that, the band Jip Sea Party formed.

I moved into my friend Dan Koenig’s house after Jip Sea Party imploded and we formed Cockaphonix, which now has piano, drums, trumpet, trombone and tuba. We haul my 100-year-old upright piano to every show. I have to tune it once a month; traveling over the passes is a tune killer. Hauling pianos is nothing new to me. My mom actually hauled a piano on a mission ship through South America. I have a picture of cranes pulling this piano up onto the ship. My parents were missionaries, so we traveled all around. I was born in Beirut, Lebanon, then we moved to England and often visited Turkey.

Did your time abroad influence your music composition?

Absolutely. Sometimes I hear Middle Eastern music in my compositions. My

earliest musical exposures were to Moroccan and Turkish music, which I felt was a little too traditional, so ultimately I rejected it. When I moved to New York City and Chicago, that’s when I fully embraced classic rock and blues. Then I came up to speed with my contemporaries with punk and post-punk. Now I’m in a situation where I’m synthesizing all of it — jazz, blues, rock and reggae.

Do you get into character for your shows?

I consider performance a little bit larger than just the music. It’s how you play the songs, it’s how you present yourself — how the band presents itself. It’s how I decorate my piano and my face. There’s a whole process of decoration gearing up to that persona, whom I call Rayko.

Where did Rayko come from?

Rayko came from the Jip Sea party days, I was drinking back then and Rayko would come out after a couple whiskeys as an alter-ego. Now Rayko is very sober so he only relies on music and performance really to access his personality. There was a big moment when I first came back to the stage totally sober. It was a New Year’s Eve show with a huge turnout. I was very nervous and I remember thinking, I don’t know if I can do this because to date, I’d

always used alcohol to bring out that stage bravado. Once I got over that hump, that part of me came out pretty naturally. I’ve realized that I want to balance my life out with pure joy, pure excitement, pure novelty, pure pizzazz. There’s already enough in life to get down about and feel sad about. Of course, there’s the conundrum of the tragedy and the comedy ... well, I’m balancing things out by being the comedy. The other band (Low-Gain) I’m in with Travis Grable ... those songs are not comedy; they’re a more introspective look at things.

Upcoming Shows

Low Gain:

03/23 — Wally’s House of Booze, Wenatchee

Cockaphonix:

06/07 — Tri-Town Get Down at Emerald of Siam, Richland

07/06 — Wally’s House of Booze, Wenatchee

07/18 — Downtown Summer Nights, Yakima

You can find Cockaphonix on Youtube, Spotify and Bandcamp.

“Shelter” can have multiple connotations as a physical protection or a psychological resting place. Curators at the Confluence Gallery in Twisp hope that for their summer show artists feel free to explore what shelter means to them. Is it a structure that physically protects and shields? A core essential of survival? A home? A separation

from surroundings? A haven for animals?

Within that theme, artists may submit up to five pieces of original work, of any size in any medium, made in the last three years and not previously seen at The Confluence Gallery. Artwork must arrive ready for display and available for sale. The show will run from June 8 through July 13 at The Confluence Gallery, 104 Glover Street South in Twisp. An Intent to Submit and samples are due by March 20. For details, see confluencegallery.org

[Note: Confluence Gallery announced a simplified submission process starting with the July-August show. See their website for details.]