ARTBEAT
AUGUST 2025
Vicci Martinez returns to the Pacific Northwest!
STEPPING IN: A NOTE FROM CALLIE BAKER, NEW
NCW CREATIVES: ON A QUEST FOR COMMUNITY
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF NCW ARTS ALLIANCE
Iam so excited to step into the role of Executive Director at NCW Arts. My background is, oddly enough, in the ski industry and entomology— the study of insects, and what originally landed me in Wenatchee 25 years ago. Nothing about that path would have led me to expect I’d end up in this role, but I can’t imagine a better fit.
I made my inroads into the art scene in 2020, when I became Director of Village Art in the Park, a non-profit outdoor juried art show in Leavenworth. In that
role, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside local artists and community partners to grow the long-running art show that brings creativity and connection to the heart of town—with proceeds supporting budding artists in our local schools through grants and scholarships. That work has been a meaningful entry point into the world of the Arts, and I’ve come to deeply value the role the Arts play in community, expression, and belonging.
I’m looking forward to supporting artists from across North Central Washington, and helping to build programs and partnerships that will support and enhance the lives of the artists we serve.
If you’re a friend of NCW Arts Alliance—or want to be—I look forward to connecting with you soon and hearing your hopes, aspirations, and ideas for what NCW Arts can do to support you.
I’m still getting my bearings, but you’ll be able to find me at the Wenatchee First Fridays event in September—please come say hello! Or please feel free to email me directly anytime at director@ ncwarts.org.
FEATURED OPPORTUNITY
LynnArt Gardens seeks artists from all mediums to showcase their creative visions for a Fantasy-themed art walk scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5 (not this First Friday, but the next.) Whether you sculpt mythical creatures or paint magical landscapes, owner Lynn Palmer plans to decorate her outdoor garden art gallery with the latest, greatest fantastical, local works of art she can find. The event will include live music from Older & Wiser, along with complimentary food and beverages. For artist submissions and inquiries, contact Lynn Palmer at (509) 860-2466 or by email at LynnArtGardens@gmail.com.
To find more opportunities for artists, visit ncwarts.org
By Jamie Howell
Every third Thursday of the month, a variety of creatives cast their introverted tendencies aside and emerge briefly from their artfully cluttered studios, darkened editing bays, sound-dampened garages, warehouse cubbies or wherever else they happen to hole up to turn their wild ideas into creative realities, for a gathering of artistic minds (accompanied by an adult beverage, or several).
NCW Creatives is a monthly meet-up at Yonder Cider in Cashmere. The brainchild of three local creative directorsAdam Sanders (adamjsanders.com); Dan Holz (danholzmedia.com); and Thom Schroeder of Woolley Creative (woolleycreative.com) - the first meeting took place in December 2024.
More than a dozen working, former and aspiring creatives showed up to that first gathering. “It was a hit and people were stoked,” reported Adam Sanders.
“The whole point is to get creatives connected, to have community, to pick each others’ brains, get industry temperature readings and learn from each other,” explained Sanders.
At the most recent NCW Creatives gathering, you could have spotted a graphic designer getting philosophical with an oil painter; a couple of videographers bemoaning the near impossibility of getting your hands on a new DJI drone thanks to seemingly unrelated political suspicions around China; a writer talking the latest AI tools with an agency creative director. “It’s a really cool mix,” said Sanders.
While the first several meetings tended to draw more digitally focused creatives (e.g., photographers, videographers, graphic designers), the membership (unofficial) has since expanded as more analog artists (e.g. painters, writers, mu-
sicians, ceramicists) have gotten wind of the meet-up and begun to join in.
The Yonder Cider Co. location in Cashmere was selected specifically to encourage this kind of broader participation thanks to its central location in the Valley - 15 minutes from Wenatchee and 15 minutes from Leavenworth.
Those early meetings tended to be more structured, with discussion prompts around themes such as working with clients, making effective pitches, integrating AI tools into workflows or, as Sanders puts it, “total geek talk” about things like favorite Photoshop actions or which of the latest lenses are worth the price. Those discussions continue to take place, but in a more informal, organic way, as the organizers have found that many of the creatives in attendance neither want nor need any prompting to get the ball rolling and much prefer a casual “hang” to formalized “networking.”
Many working creatives around North Central Washington are self-employed or freelancers who often find themselves working in isolation. NCW Creatives seeks to provide an antidote through these gatherings. “The whole point at the end of the day is building community through the Arts,” said Sanders. “If you’re a working creative, come join us. You’re bound to learn something.”
The group doesn’t currently maintain a website or a newsletter, but they do send out monthly invites and reminders to anyone who has joined their mailing list. If you’d like to attend an upcoming gathering, you can sign up to receive the invites using the QR code above.
NCW Creatives
Every third Thursday of the month @ Yonder Cider
111A Railroad Avenue, Cashmere, WA
Next meeting: Thursday, Aug. 21, 4-7 p.m.
NCW Arts Executive Director Callie Baker
Mural at LynnArt Gardens by Ron Evans
ON THE UPBEAT WITH VICCI MARTINEZ
“IT’S A SUPERPOWER TO BE AUTHENTIC”
By Jamie Howell
Google famous people from Tacoma, Wash., and somewhere between the late crooner Bing Crosby and Jeff Smith, aka The Frugal Gourmet, you’ll spot singer/songwriter Vicci Martinez. The daughter of a plumber and an ESL teacher, 16-year-old Martinez set her sights on acoustic rock and the adventure was underway.
It’s gone well. Already a beloved touring artist in the Pacific Northwest in the early 2000s, millions more across the country discovered her powerhouse vocals during a 2011 stint on The Voice where she took third place working with mentor Ceelo Green. On the heels of that came a major record label deal, her 2015 album release “Enter-Exit-Stay,” and then ... “a little bit of a breakdown,” Martinez told a reporter back in 2018. “I think I needed to get quiet.”
So, the guitar went back in the case, the vocals fell silent and Martinez dipped under the radar for a few years to work on herself. She didn’t stay off the radar for long. In 2018, Martinez landed the role of “Daddy,” a tough-talking Latina on cell block D, in the hugely popular Netflix series, Orange is the New Black. And it was there that she hit it off with one of the guards.
That last bit is real life. In the final episode, Martinez found true love with “C.O. McCullough,” played by cast member Emily Tarver. It was the “C.O.” who helped Martinez set her music free again. The pair, who live together now in Queens, began to collaborate on songwriting and performing, and the music bug was back.
Martinez, now 40, will be cracking open her guitar case for the folks back home for the first time in more than 10 years. She’s already stepped on stage in Tacoma with her original band, and on Saturday, Aug. 16, Martinez brings her older and wiser new self to Leavenworth as part of Icicle Creek Center for the Arts’ Screech Owl Summer Concert Series.
Your music blends folk, rock, and soul with powerful personal storytelling. How has your approach to songwriting evolved over the years, and what themes are you most drawn to right now?
Back in the day, I think I used my songwriting to tell what was really going on with me, sometimes as a tell-all evenhaha! As I’ve gotten older, having privacy is nice. Not everyone needs to know my business.
I do like writing about lessons I’ve learned. I think that helps people know they aren’t alone and that we all make mistakes, but that nothing really is a mistake if we decide to grow from them.
More like, happy accidents.
Right now, there’s a lot going on in the world. I’ve felt inspired to talk about my perspective in some of my newer songs, even if it’s painful, it’s truth.
You’ve built your career on authenticity and emotional honesty. How do you stay grounded and connected to your creative core in a world that often rewards image over substance? In my past, anytime that I have faked how I was feeling, I ended up compromising my health. I knew that from a young age. Maybe it’s silly, but I believe health is so much more important than how much you have in your bank account.
All I have is myself, my truth. Some in the business may see that as a fault. I feel it’s a superpower to be authentic because in the end, even if I’m not rich, at least I can sleep at night knowing I’m not being fake. And I know my soul or “higher self” is proud of that. That’s all that matters.
You rose to national attention on The Voice, but you were already a veteran performer by then. How did that experience change—or reinforce—your sense of who you are as an artist?
I really liked how The Voice let me tell my story, and knowing that who I am as a person resonated with so many people made me “feel the love” all of us humans are searching for.
I’ll be honest, it was a lot for me all at once, which did compromise my health. Trying to keep up with everyone’s needs for me as a major label artist took a toll on my mental health. But I’m just glad I’ve made it through and lived through it to sing and tell more of my story and the lessons I’ve learned.
Continues on page 6
Vicci Martinez plays Leavenworth as part of Icicle Creek Center for the Arts’ Screech Owl Summer Concert Series on Saturday, Aug. 16.
featuring sounds from Viviparty, Jasper, Joseph
4. Numerica PAC 7:30-9:30 PM Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a Hot August Nights Production. Opening night.
5. Two Rivers Art Gallery 5-8 PM Tana Wood & Carl Ericksen, artists. Jay Eyestone, guitarist. Local wines.
9. Epoch 3-11:30 PM “1000 mg Liquitex PRN,” Meg Sanders, artist. $2 off of house cocktails.
10. Hilton Garden Inn 5-7 PM Theresa from the Old Whitehouse, artist. Live music by Well Strung.
11. Pybus Market 5-7 PM Works from Cheikh Diouf
Horan
3-7 PM $2 off glass pours.
2. Crayelle Cellars 3-6 PM $2 off glass pours.
3. Visit Wenatchee Tasting Room 4-7 PM
Happy hour special: $5 flights of cider or beer.
4. Stones Gastropub 3-9 PM $10 specialty cocktail.
8.
Buy one noodle soup, get 2nd noodle soup $5 off when you mention First Fridays. Dine in only
7. Cave Noire 4-10 PM
Enjoy a complimentary glass after any wine tasting flight.
5. Watermill Winery On The Ave 3-8 PM Wine specials.
PM Maria’s Dream cocktail special, inspired by the trailblazing Mexican artist Maria Izquierdo.
EAT & DRINK
1. Horan Estates Winery
$2 off glass pours.
American Shoe Shop PM Extended hours
Mercantile Day day pass for First Fridays.
SHOP DOWNTOWN
1. American Shoe Shop 5–7 PM Extended hours
2. Crayelle Cellars 3-6 PM $2 off glass pours.
FEATURED EVENT
8. South @ Pybus 5-9 PM Maria’s Dream cocktail special, inspired by the trailblazing Mexican artist Maria Izquierdo.
PYSCHOGRAPHIC ART IN VOGUE BY GENE BARKLEY
5. Steam Panda 4-9 PM
Buy one noodle soup, get 2nd noodle soup $5 off when you mention First Fridays. Dine in only.
2. Mercantile All Day $10 day pass for First Fridays.
4. Woody’s Classic Man 3-8 PM Happy Hour pricing on all beers and ciders. Extended hours.
3. Stones Gastropub 3-9 PM $10 specialty cocktail.
4. Watermill Winery on 5-8 PM Wine specials.
Original Children’s Shop 3-5 PM discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.
4. Woody’s Classic Man 3-8 PM Happy Hour pricing on all beers and ciders. Extended hours.
6. Cave Noire 4-10 PM
Enjoy a complimentary glass after any wine tasting flight.
3. The Original Children’s Shop 3-5 PM 10% discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.
5. Time Capsule 3-7 PM Roll a D20 and get up to 20% off your entire purchase. 30% off Funko Pop figures.
SHOP DOWNTOWN
1. American Shoe Shop 5–7 PM Extended hours.
2. Mercantile All Day $10 day pass for First Fridays.
3. The Original Children’s Shop 3-5 PM 10% discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.
5. Time Capsule 3-7 PM
Roll a D20 and get up to 20% off your entire purchase. 30% off Funko Pop figures.
4. Woody’s Classic Man 3-8 PM Happy Hour pricing on all beers and ciders. Extended hours.
5. Time Capsule 3-7 PM
Roll a D20 and get up to 20% off your entire purchase. 30% off Funko Pop figures.
“Love who you will, be who you are. Everything that begins, ends. Then a new beginning,” writes painter Gene Barkley. For two years, Barkley has been at work on a series of paintings and drawings to create “accidental compositions” through a technique known as psychographic art combined with pointillism.
This new series of images which, according to Barkley, “represent nothingness; everythingness,” will be on display for the next two months at The Vogue in Chelan beginning with an artist reception on Friday, Aug. 1, from 2-4 p.m.
For more local art events, check out ncwarts.org
The Pacific Northwest has always been a part of your story. How has the culture, landscape, or community here shaped your music and your path as a performer?
Oh man, THE TREES! I love the trees. And the water, and the mountains and the clean AIR! I never knew how much I took the nature here for granted.
I’ve made some dumb choices in my past and one of those was signing my first home in Tacoma over to someone else because I felt BAD! What a lesson to learn! But, who knows? The universe has bigger plans, I guess. Maybe one of those was to teach me to stand up for myself.
And that goes for the music, too - needing to stand up to folks who have tried to change my sound or my mind and being easily influenced just so I wouldn’t make them mad.
In the long run, I need to be happy and feel safe and make the music I want to make in order to stay on the road. I’m learning that now at 40 and I’m just grateful I’m still alive to sing about it!
Collaboration seems to be a big part of your process. Can you share a recent or especially meaningful musical collaboration and what made it work?
I’ve been writing music with my partner, Emily Tarver, who I met on the set of Orange Is the New Black. We met and within two weeks we had four songs written that still are some of my favorite tunes to play.
We’ve also written some new ones lately that really just tell the story of our relationship - the highs and the lows. I think because we are willing to be so honest about what we like and don’t like makes it work.
Like I said before, I love telling the truth, even if I’m the Bad Guy in some scenarios. We all need to call ourselves out. That’s what makes us GROW.
What advice would you give to emerging artists who are trying to carve their own path in a music industry that’s constantly shifting?
Stay TRUE TO YOURSELF, and celebrate all the little wins. Enjoy the ride and the process and stay present. Music is Frequency, so keeping it honest and pure is how we heal together and heal the world!
Tickets for Vicci Martinez and the rest of the Screech Owl Summer Concert Series are available at Icicle Creek Center for the Arts at icicle.org
Martinez as “Daddy” in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black
ARTBIZ: WHEN BUSINESS JUST ISN’T IN YOUR
WHEELHOUSE,
THERE’S WHEELHOUSE
by Jamie Howell
In baseball, the “wheelhouse” is that part of the batter’s strike zone most likely to produce a home run. For Washington State artists, the Wheelhouse is a hub of knowledge, support and advocacy most likely to help creatives avoid strikeouts in one of our traditional areas of weakness - business acumen.
I know. You live to create, not crunch numbers; to illustrate, not invoice; to compose, not compile contracts; to mold meaning, not manage marketing. Wheelhouse feels your pain and offers some helpful analgesics for those of us wishing we could contribute a bit more to the creative economy (and to our own withering bank accounts in the process).
Wheelhouse (formerly Whipsmart) is a statewide non-profit focused on supporting all creative workers and creative businesses in Washington State. And they’ve got a lot to support.
Did you know that the creative sector in Washington State alone generates nearly $120 billion every year, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the entire state’s economy? At last count, there were some 380,000 of us out there toiling away at our various creative endeavors, and with those kinds of numbers, some of us must be doing it pretty darn well.
But if that’s not you, Wheelhouse should be the next stop on your artistic journey. For starters, Wheelhouse runs a website designed to help you “level up with kick*ss resources for creatives.”
By “kick*ss resources” they’re talking about how-to guides, cheat sheets, videos and more. Not sure where to start with social media? Just grab their week-by-week social media calendar. Need to refresh that bio (again?!), check out the how-to guide on “3 Easy Tips for a Stress (and Cringe)Free Professional Bio.”
There are day-to-day productivity tips for creative freelancers; money management tips; the pros and cons of taking out a loan;
figuring out what your business structure should be; and even a program that connects Washington artists with potential mentors in their respective fields.
Wheelhouse strives to be like that good, old “friend who’s been in the industry forever and really knows their sh*t.”
Elsewhere on the site, it states, “We are building a statewide network of Bad*ss Creative Businesses.” (One of my favorite things about Wheelhouse has got to be their penchant for swearing with asterisks.)
And while you’re devouring the latest tips and tools, Wheelhouse is out advocating with elected officials to make sure creative professionals aren’t overlooked when our representatives are figuring out how to spend all those tax dollars; or they’re launching training opportunities and inspirational panels across the state; and they’ve put together an entire Creative Economy Coalition aimed at making Washington State a better, more lucrative place for all of us to work and create.
Total cost to you? Nada. Wheelhouse resources are as free as the day is long. I urge you to spend a little time checking them all out. ( He**, do it right now.
You’re already distracted enough to be reading this article.) You can find all the aforementioned kick*ss resources and more at wheelhousewa.org.
WHEELHOUSE COMING TO WENATCHEE
“Creatives Get Real” presents a series of both virtual and IRL panel discussions that brings folks together to talk about the realities of being a creative business owner.
Wheelhouse will be hosting an in-person event in Wenatchee on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. For more information, visit WheelhouseWA.org.
