OCTOBER 2023 ARTBEAT

ARTBE T

WENATCHEE FIRST FRIDAYS MAP INCLUDED

ARTIST INDEX LAUNCHING THIS MONTH

to find all the open mic nights in the area to test out your new material? We’ve got you covered. Know something we don’t know? You can now post an opportunity directly on this page to easily spread the word.

ON THE UPBEAT MICHAEL CARLOS MOVES IN NEW DIRECTIONS

BY MEG KAPPLER NCW ARTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

There are not enough exclamation points available to me this month. Our news is so exciting!!! I am beyond pleased and proud to announce that our brand spanking new website has launched and is ready for your eager eyes. What’s the big deal? Read on.

First, for all you movers, shakers and makers out there, our Opportunities page has expanded and is now viewable by category, so you can easily search for that grant funding or arts job opening you’ve been looking for. Maybe you just want

Drum roll, please! As of Monday, Oct. 9, regional artists, performers, musicians, sculptors, makers, arts organizations and creatives of all types will be able to register on the website and set up a Member Profile to be featured in our Artist Index. We are keeping this resource FREE for member artists for the first year while we adjust functionality and make improvements. How are we doing this? With grant funding and generous financial support from individual donors.

So, once you recover from the shock of seeing all the amazing stuff happening in the region on the new site, please click the DONATE button to ensure that this becomes a sustainable resource for our local communities. When the Arts thrive, so do our economy, our families and our community. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and help connect you to more creativity, inspiration and fun!

Check it out at ncwarts.org. Questions about the Artist Index?

Email: director@ncwarts.org

BY KRIS LAHD

Welcome to the world of local songwriter, music producer, biologist and band leader, Michael Carlos, where musical eclecticism and Fender Telecasters reign supreme. Raised in Clovis, Calif., Michael discovered his love for playing guitar at an early age. While in grad school, he began writing and recording. In 2003 Michael settled in Wenatchee and, in true musician fashion, did not skip a beat. He formed the Michael Carlos Band the very same year.

ON THE COVER:

Our cover photo shows one of the fantastical creations by Blue Bear Puppet Lab in Ellensburg. Curious? See Page 3 in this is-

sue for an in-depth story on the studio and details on how you can attend their October workshops.

What is your band’s current line up? Domingo Gonzalez is on bass guitar. Aaron Parrott plays drums. And I play guitar and sing.

What is your band currently working on?

We are phasing back gradually from a hiatus. I’m newly married and a family man now, so that’s been my main priority. It’s been 10 years since I released an album. I’ve released a handful of songs here and there, done some musical theater and produced other artists over that time. Last summer though we recorded tracks for eight new songs.

Describe your latest round of songwriting.

In the past, when writing an album, I’ve tried to have a narrative arc with a unify-

ing theme. But these songs are a bit disjointed — they range in topics and style. One is a country song I wrote at Wally’s Tavern about how there is nothing going on. I’ve also got a punk song that’s sort of political. I’ve got another new one that is a funk song about being in the big city but nothing is happening.

Has your style always been so eclectic or is this a new direction for you?

I’m moving in new directions. In the past I’ve dabbled mostly in Latin Rock and writing in Spanish. I’m not a native speaker, but I am Costa Rican and was adopted by Americans. So I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish. My Spanish has significantly improved because just before Covid I found my biological family, which was definitely a life changing event. It’s strange. The better I get at Spanish, the worse my songwriting gets because I’m more afraid of making mistakes. I’ve discovered that the Spanish songs I’ve recorded have some grammatical errors. I don’t worry about it too much, but I’m finding it harder to write in Spanish so there’s less Latin Rock coming out of me right now.

How did you get into recording?

When I was doing my biology field research in grad school, I was way out in a remote location without television or anything, so I’d bring instruments and my little recording setup. I made these terrible sounding demos (laughing) and I hope the fact that nobody has cassette players anymore is going to save those from ever coming to light again.

You’re a Fender Telecaster guy, tell me about your guitars.

My main one is a gun-metal gray American Deluxe Fender Telecaster that’s really fun to play. I also have a custom-built Telecaster-style guitar with Gibson humbuckers [a type of guitar pickup], so it sounds more like a Gibson SG. It’s got a great tone that is perfect for when I need to play louder.

Upcoming Shows

Oct. 21 — Wally’s Tavern

March 23 — Singer Songwriters and Storytellers, Riverside PlayHouse

For more info, head to michael-carlos.com

POETRY WORKSHOP

TO FOCUS ON ‘THE MORE-THAN-HUMAN-WORLD’

This“season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” as Keats described it, seems a natural time for writing poetry, so Write On The River and the Wenatchee River institute have partnered on a workshop to bring out the best in you.

The timing is perfect. An exhibit of “Cascadia Field Guide,” a literary and artistic celebration of our Northwest environment, continues its run at Wenatchee Valley College’s MAC Gallery, punctuated with a Wenatchee First Fridays reading of “Words for the More-Than-HumanWorld” by contributing poets from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6.

The next morning, Oct. 7, in the similarly-named workshop, Leavenworth poets Derek Sheffield, an editor of “Cascadia Field Guide,” and Cynthia Neely will guide participants’ own writing as autumn eases into its most beautiful colors along the banks of the Wenatchee River.

The three-hour class will begin with a collaborative reading of nature poetry, a few known favorites selected by the leaders. After that discussion, the participating writers, primed to honor the natural world with their words, will rove the riverbanks and write their own poetry.

Their poetic venture will be in excellent hands. Cynthia Neely, who makes her home here and on a small island in Canada, is the winner of chapbook contests of both the Bright Hill Press and Flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment, and she was a finalist in the Aldrich Press book contest. Seven Kitchens Press has published her poetry, and her creative nonfiction work appears in The Writers’ Chronicle, Terrain. org and Cutthroat Journal.

Leavenworth writer and naturalist Derek Sheffield lives near town but often explores the eastern slopes of the Cascades. He coedited “Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habit, Defiance and Democracy” and is

the poetry editor of Terrain.org. Of his two books of poetry, one was selected for the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize, the other was runner-up for the Emily Dickinson First Book Award, and he was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Sheffield teaches both at Wenatchee Valley College and in Western Colorado University’s MFA program.

QUIZ: R.U. ART SMART?

(What are these local art venues? See answers on Page 8.)

1. It’s small, but artists are pleased to be seen in this gallery, part of a former ironworks founded in the early 20th century.

2. A frequent Wenatchee First Fridays Arts Walk host, this apparel maker on Mission Street helps create awareness of local Native American tribes.

3. Icicle Road leads to outdoor recreation but also to this Leavenworth Summer

Words for the More-Than-Human-World Poetry Workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at The Wenatchee River Institute, 347 Division Street, Leavenworth. Cost is $40 ($30 for WOTR or WRI members) For information and registration go to wenatcheeriverinstitute.org.

Theater venue, the site of this year’s “Cinderella.”

4. This spacious building on Fifth Street in Wenatchee houses not only a wellregarded art gallery but a performance auditorium called the Grove Recital Hall.

5. Each summer, a Hot August Nights production completely transforms the shape of stage and seating in this Wenatchee theater.

6. A massive (10 feet tall) glass chandelier, outdoors year-round, was designed by Dale Chihuly to grace this art-centric resort.

Derek Sheffield Cynthia Neely

9. Mela 5-8 PM Grace and James Young, artists. Elaine Eagle, musician.

OCTOBER 2023

10. Tumbleweed 4-7 PM Caddisfly Designs, jewelry.

11. Ground Control 5–11 PM Hannah Hein, painter, multimedia.

12. Ye Olde Bookshoppe 4–6 PM Local artisan showcase. Wall art, chocolate, jewelry, homemade treasures.

13. Epoch 7-10 PM Trashgod, artist, pen and ink drawing over watercolor/ inkwash. Wenatchee First Friday After Hours from 7-10 p.m.

14. Pickle Papers 5-7 PM Lauren Leith, artist, photographer, paper goods and cards.

15. Pybus Art Alley 5–7 PM Dean Rainey, Western acrylic paintings. Sage Hills Trio, music.

5-7 PM The Kevin Jones Band. Beer Garden in WVMCC parking lot.

16. LIVE MUSIC @ Centennial Park

17. Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center 4–8 PM Free admission: All the Sacrifices You’ve Made/ Todos Los Sacrificios Que Has Hecho exhibit.

18. Wenatchi Wear 4–6 PM Amanda Keewatinawin, Mystic North Jewelry.

5. Watermill Winery On The Ave

11 AM-7 PM $5 tasting on regular flights, complimentary when purchasing two bottles or more.

6. Steam Panda 11 AM-9 PM Buy one noodle soup, get the

1. MAC Gallery 5–7 PM Special Event: Artist, Justin Gibbens and poets Jack Johnson, Xavier Cavazos, and Rena Priest will join editor Derek Sheffield for a reading and talk from and about Cascadia Field Guide.

2. The Wells House 5–7 PM Free admission to the Bridal Special to view historic weddings that took place at the Wells House .

3. LynnArt Gardens 12–7 PM Multiple featured artists for Halloween/fall theme. Complimentary chili and beverages.

4. Visit Wenatchee Visitor Center & Tasting Room 5–7 PM Wenatchee First Friday maps and information available. Hosted by NCW Arts Alliance.

5. Two Rivers Art Gallery 5–8 PM Nicki Isaacson, painter, watercolors. Music by Connie Celustka on hammered dulcimer.

ARTS WALK EAT & DRINK

11 AM-9 PM Victor and Kellie von Beck, artists, mixed media.

6. Lemolo Café

7. Salt Creek Apothecary

5-8 PM Mask making with Dr. Courtney Taylor and Brianna Olson. Drop-in donation of $10.

8. Watercore Cider 7-9 PM Lucas Maddy, musician and songwriter, neo-traditional country style.

1. Crayelle Cellars 5-7 PM $2 off glass pours.

2. Atlas Fare 4:30-7 PM Join us for dinner and enjoy a complimentary glass of Treveri Sparkling Wine upon arrival.

soup $5 off. Dine in only when you mention Wenatchee First Fridays.

7. Iwa Sushi 11:30 AM-9:30 PM $3 coupon for all signature cocktails. One coupon per person. First drink only.

8. Norwood Wine Bar 5-7 PM $2 off glass pours

SHOP DOWNTOWN

when you mention First Fridays

ELLENSBURG PUPPETEERS BRING MAGIC TO THE STREETS

BY MEG KAPPLER

My first introduction to Blue Bear Puppet Lab (BBPL) was a couple of years ago at the Two Rivers Medieval Faire in the Chelan County Fairgrounds. On a totally random impulse, I decided to stuff an 8-foot-tall puppet of the Goddess Ceres — papier mache and silks with a crown of wheat stalks on her head — into my van … and walk around with her while I was there. (You know, as one does).

As the Goddess and I started down the row of vendors and artisans, we were immediately met with a hearty welcome from Brian Kooser and his gang of absolutely stunning puppets. While Ceres sidled up to an even larger green goddess and a huge tree with a squirrel poking his head out, I got to chat briefly with some of the artists.

Kooser quickly but kindly excused himself, grabbed a huge wolf head with a bonnet on it and headed to the stage area just to the right of their tent to introduce BBPL’s production of “Little Red Riding Hood.” For the next 30 minutes, I was mesmerized by these whimsical, slightly macabre and utterly inspiring puppets as they entertained the crowd.

BBPL was founded by Kooser and friends over a decade ago and has evolved from a personal passion project into a collaborative nonprofit that promotes creativity, community, and creatures. Their work can be seen at farmers markets, theatrical productions and even the Fremont Solstice Parade in Seattle. Kooser lives in Ellens-

burg and is a sculptor, entrepreneur and a lecturer in the art department at Central Washington University. His style of realistic puppet manipulation is informed by Bunraku, a traditional Japanese form of puppetry.

In addition to the Weapons and Mask Workshops offered this month, it turns out that BBPL has big plans and is partnering with Gallery One to establish a community art space, called The Inkubator. According to board member Katie Nolen, the space will also be host to Ellensburg Community Radio and Manastash Media, complete with space for community classes, meetings and shared inspirational workspaces.

If you want to check them out in person, BBPL is open on weekends from noon to 5 p.m. in their new space at 405 North Main Street in Ellensburg. They also participate in Ellensburg’s First Friday Art Walk, where they update their window display for a unique photo booth opportunity. If you’re looking to enhance your Halloween costume this year, register for the following workshops by emailing bluebearpuppetlab@gmail.com

Weapons Workshop: 12 to 2 p.m., Oct. 1 and 8. Level: Beginner. Ages 13-adult. $50 for both days. Materials included.

Helmet/Mask Workshop: 12 to 2 p.m., October 15 and 22. Level: Beginner plus. Ages 13-adult. $75 for both days. Materials included.

Website: bluebearpuppetlab.art/ Instagram: @bluebearsinthestreet.

At left: Examples of Blue Bear Puppet Lab creations. Above: Action at a weapons workshop.

ARTBIZ PRICING YOUR PRICELESS ART

By Jamie Howell

What’s the big mystery when it comes to pricing art? It’s a simple enough formula:

(Hourly Wage x Hours Spent) + Cost of Materials = Price

But, of course, it’s not. Quantifying art, especially the stuff fired in the kilns of your own creativity, is like putting a blue light special on your second-born. You’d love to pawn the demanding little bugger off at times, but damned if you don’t still love the kid and, my God, the hours you’ve put in — unquantifiable.

I’ve run that formula up top before and found it, well, depressing. Once upon a time, we had a band. At the height of our highly localized fame, we could pull down $1,500 a gig. It doesn’t sound terrible ... until you run the numbers.

Three band mates drops it to $500 per person. Divide the $500 by the hours spent packing up the gear, going to the show, setting up, playing, tearing down and getting it all back home. Next add in the hours spent writing the songs and practicing the songs. And what about the hours spent just getting good enough that someone would pay actual money to have us play? Finally, subtract the cost of gas, food and drink during the gig, the instruments, the sound system, the lights. It works out to pennies per hour. Depressing. Don’t do it.

Paint by numbers?

My wife is new on the scene as an oil painter. For her, there’s another whole set of absurd formulas that call for things like setting a price per square inch of canvas.

So, for example, at $6 per square inch, a 16” x 20” painting comes to $1,920; at 24” by 36” that clocks in at a whopping $5,184.

Kinda steep for the local Night Market. But hang it on the wall of a Seattle gallery that Jeff Bezos happens into every so often, you’re in the bargain basement. There’s the rub. So many of the factors that go into selling a piece of art at any price are external to you. Are you at a farmer’s market or a bougie, big-city gallery? How much money is in that shopper’s wallet, and what kind of art gets them excited enough to part with it?

So what do I do?

Start low and sell some stuff. Until someone has walked up and handed you cash for your work, you simply can’t know what it’s going to be worth to someone else.

It can be helpful to research how other artists like you are pricing their work, but, in the end, you are your own best reference point.

Start out as affordably as you can be while covering your actual, out-of-pocket hard costs. For now, set aside the countless hours you have into your craft or even into this individual piece or performance. Then, start building. As your experience adds up, so will your reputation and, eventually, your pricing.

If your stuff is flying off the shelf and you’re still starving, you’re priced too low. If you can’t move a single piece (or land a single gig), it’s priced too high, at least for your current circumstances. Adjust.

A nice, easy formula would be swell, but there just ain’t one. It’s a good thing we’re in it for the Art.

PRESENTED BY THE ENTIAT VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

FOOD

Entiat Valley Makers Market @entiatvalleymakersmarket

DEAN RAINEY DEPICTS WESTERN HISTORY, LANDSCAPES AT PYBUS ART ALLEY

OPPORTUNITIES:

MELA SEEKS EXHIBITING ARTISTS THROUGH 2024

Downtown Wenatchee coffee shop/bistro Cafe Mela, a Wenatchee First Fridays Arts Walk participant since 2007, has put out a call for artists for each month of the upcoming year. Their brick-walled gallery space is large, well-lit and clear enough to host solo or group shows, with food and beverages at hand for opening receptions. They’ll also provide some curatorial and installation help.

Mela is at 17 North Wenatchee Avenue. Contact Kyle Hendrickson at support@melacoffee.com for guidelines and application.

$10,000 MERIT-BASED AWARDS TO ARTISTS

Practicing professional artists in any discipline who demonstrate excellence and dedication to their work are welcome to apply for Washington’s Artist Trust Fellowship Grant, the group’s longest running award program. Eight applicants from around the state will be chosen to receive $10,000 each. Application submission opens Oct. 2 and closes Nov. 6, and, during that month, Artist Trust offers online resources to guide your process.

Go to artisttrust.org/grants/fellowship for more details on eligibility, guidelines and application help. [with Artist Trust logo?]

ARTS GROUPS LOOKING FOR KEY VOLUNTEERS

For a close-up look at denizens of the wilderness and scenes that evoke old traditions, it’s hard to beat Dean Rainey’s realistic Western artwork. Several pieces by the lifelong designer and painter, some focusing on old familiar homesteads, will fill the Pybus Public Market Art Alley beginning Friday, Oct. 6, as part of the Wenatchee First Fridays Arts Walk and through the rest of the month.

Rainey brings both life experience and academic rigor to his award-winning work. Raised on the 1,100-acre ranch established by his great-grandfather on Badger Mountain in 1927, he vividly remembers not only the endless rhythm of caring for cattle but the freedom of roaming those hills on horseback. Early on he saw eagles in flight, deer herds and the endless play of cloud and sky with his artist’s eyes. He knows that played a major role in his artistic life.

Even as a child, Rainey painted realistic scenes he knew and loved. Encouraged by both his family and his Eastmont High School art teacher, he received an art degree from Central Washington University and worked for many years on careers in retail window design (i.e., Nordstrom) in Seattle and custom sign carving and painting when he returned to North Central Washington. While he was fully employed, “I kept painting just what I wanted to in the evenings,” he said.

With a few encouraging awards and a fine mentor, Rainey expended his early

inclinations and started exhibiting and selling Native American portraits, wildlife portrayals, Western history scenes and wide-open landscapes that included the artifacts of his Badger Mountain childhood.

Rainey works only in acrylics, on Masonite, and his large, photorealistic paintings are notable in their pinpoint accuracy. When he needs the shape of a bison hoof or the detail of an 1892 cavalry officer’s uniform, he consults his library, floor-toceiling bookshelves of source material, attributing his respect for the past to a second college degree in anthropology.

“I’m all about precision, and I hate making mistakes,” he said. “There are so many experts out there.” He also photographs or physically collects items for future reference.

Rainey keeps on painting, honing his craft, never bereft of ideas. He’s been a featured artist at Two Rivers Gallery in Wenatchee and has shown around the region. He’s now looking forward to exhibiting at the new Nature’s Window wildlife museum and gallery near Chelan.

Dean Rainey’s Western Art will be on display at Pybus Market’s Art Alley, 3 North Worthen Street, Wenatchee, through the end of October, with an opening scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m.

For more info, see wenatcheefirstfridays.com/venue/pybus-art-alley/

● NCW Arts Alliance is actively recruiting a treasurer to serve a two-year term as part of its board of directors. If you have the interest and the background for this role with a dynamic, arts-supportive, local board, contact Megan Kappler at director@ncwarts.org or fill out the form at ncwarts.org/get-involved

● Artist Trust is accepting applications for its Board of Trustees. It hopes to create a diverse governing board to uphold its mission and broaden its reach throughout Washington. Board and committee meetings are virtual, totaling about three to six hours a month. Applications close on Nov. 15. See more information at artisttrust.org

QUIZ: R.U. ARTSMART ANSWERS

1. Pybus Art Alley 2. Wenatchi Wear 3. Leavenworth Fish Hatchery 4. MAC Gallery 5. Numerica Performing Arts Center 6. Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort.

“Elk” by Dean Rainey