Eight members of our arts community trekked to the capitol on February 7 for this year's Arts and Heritage Day,  sponsored by the Washington State Arts Alliance in cooperation with ArtsWA. We had a great opportunity to meet and talk with staff while our local legislators were on the floor of the chamber doing the people's work. We were greeted with warm enthusiasm and a keen interest in what we had to say. 

Getting to know legislators in a position to recommend projects for the state's capital budget is important for all communities. There are real arts infrastructure needs here in Vancouver, and we expect there will be plans and projects needing the state's support. Making sure our legislators know what's happening in our community and letting them know about the support we have here for arts and culture investment is a good starting point. When we are ready to ask, our representatives and senators will know we are ready to engage.

Thanks to the hard work ArtsWA's Karen Hanan, the Washington state legislature, and Governor Inslee, Certified Creative Districts now have a green light in Washington state. An informative webinar from WESTAF, delivered last Tuesday, offered insight into the progress ArtsWA is making on this front. The presentation provided an overview of Colorado's creative districts program which Hanan sees as a model for Washington.

Hanan, executive director of ArtsWA, and Margaret Hunt, executive director of Colorado Creative Industries, discussed the economic benefits of creative districts, how districts measure success, and the best practices to implement a district program.  ArtsWA has a Community Readiness Toolkit for evaluating Creative District opportunities in Washington, but it is good to hear and see how these districts have evolved in Colorado. Vancouver is not yet on ArtsWA's list of cites that have asked to be considered for designation. But let's hope that we'll soon we see this as our opportunity to make the Downtown Arts District succeed. Here is a link to the archived webinar:

Creative Districts: An Economic Catalyst

Learning from Portland

A recent episode of OPB's State of Wonder provided an excellent inside view of Portland's challenges with arts space. The program brought to light the need for Vancouver to not suffer a similar fate. Many cities are realizing that arts space for affordable work, performance, and living are becoming more scarce and the difficulty of saving the last of these spaces is much harder than it was in the past. It is worth a listen, and we need to keep the discussion in the forefront on how our community grows. Thanks to April Baer and Aaron Scott of their constant efforts to make us all aware of this serious threat to a thriving arts community. 

OPB's State of Wonder: Can Portland Save its Arts?

(Update: In yesterday's (2/28/18) episode of  Think Out Loud , April Baer described how the Portland City Council is considering proposals to make the city more affordable for artists, and to preserve space to do their work. We'll watch how this progresses.)

Open Studios tour set for first weekend in November

Here at Arts of Clark County, we always listen to our Clark County Open Studios artists and visitors to continually improve this popular annual event. In a survey of the 2017 participating artists, we learned of the challenges of having the tour weekend coincide with the downtown Vancouver Veteran's Day parade. To avoid the calendar conflict, this year's Open Studios tour will be the weekend of November 3 - 4, 2018. The preview exhibit and reception will, once again, be graciously hosted by the CAVE gallery and will be held on First Friday, November 2. So mark your calendars! 

The call for artists will open April 1 through May 31. 

 

"Twisted" is Art Loft's March and April show featuring steampunk, fantasy, comic-con art and "just a twisted point of view." Opening reception is 5 p.m.- 9 p.m., First Friday, March 2, 2018. Come celebrate the imagination of Artist Loft's local art family.

The Artist Loft

1001 Main St., Suite C, Vancouver

"Reflect" is a group exhibition featuring works from three Portland based artists: Abra Ancliffe, Brandi Kruse, and Yoshihiro Kitai. Each artist uses the exhibition title in their own way to express and present their works. "Printed Matter" is a group exhibition featuring Pacific Northwest College of Art  students  artists, Madeleine Barbier, James Fink, Neal McCormick, and Sydney McLeod. Opening reception is  5 p.m. to 9 p.m., First Friday, March 2.

Shannon Buck, Ann Cavanaugh, Tom Relth, and Dannika Sullivan at Vancouver City Hall

The Clark County Arts Commission and Vancouver City Hall present the works of four regional artists: Shannon Buck, Ann Cavanaugh, Tom Relth, and Dannika Sullivan. The works range in medium from traditional painting, drawing and printmaking to fusion glass art. The exhibit at Vancouver City Hall will be available for viewing March 9 through May 31. The City Hall lobby is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Artwork in the conference rooms is available by appointment for viewing when the space is not being used for City business and meetings. For more information about artwork at Vancouver City Hall please contact Jess Graff.

Journey Theater Arts Group's performance of "Little Women" debut's Friday, March 2, and runs through March 11. Based on Louisa May Alcott's life, "Little Women" follows the adventures of sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested - her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she has to do better and write more from herself. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experience growing up in Civil War America.

Washburn Performing Arts Center

Washougal High School

1201 39th St., Washougal

Tickets and more info

Clark College continues performances of the rock musical "Hair" at  7:30 p.m. on  March 2-3 and March 8-10.  A product of the hippie counterculture and sexual revolution of the late 1960s, several of this musical's songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. "Hair" broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of "rock musical." It tells the story of the "tribe," a group of politically active, long-haired hippies of the "Age of Aquarius" living a bohemian life in New York City. 

Decker Theater

Frost Arts Center

Clark College

1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver

Tickets, more info on "Hair" and other season productions

Read Scott Hewitt's review in the Columbian

Magenta Theater is slowly becoming a hotspot for not only theater productions but also an eclectic variety of music. In the recent past, the theater has hosted Fadin' by 9, Misty Mamas, Harvest Gold, and Lincoln's Beard. 

Portland Opera will be presenting their 2018 season preview at the downtown Vancouver venue. The public is invited to this free event at 2 p.m. on March 18. Featured are Portland Opera's Resident Artists and Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox. Resident Artists will perform a 50-minute program including highlights of Verdi's Rigoletto, Gounod's Faust, Rossini's La Cenerentola, and Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.

Magenta Theater

1108 Main St., Vancouver

Learn more about  Portland Opera

Tickets and more info

Artist Talk: Carson Legree and Jeffrey Opp

Artist Carson Legree and Jeffrey Opp will discuss their works on March 27 at 6 p.m. at the Esther Building Art Space. The talk supplements a current exhibit in the building entitled "Bones, glass, and photographic paper" showing the works of Legree and Opp as well as photographer Rhonda Vanover. Each artist has a unique way of capturing transitory moments. On the first floor of the building, Carson Legree's paintings show abstracted images distilled from current events. The two photographers, Opp and Vanover, have their works displayed on the second floor. Opp captures images of overlooked buildings and spaces while many of Vanover's works are photograms -- images that are made by laying an object directly on photo paper, exposing the image without using a camera. 

Esther Building Art Space

610 Esther St., Vancouver

The current exhibit at Clark College's Archer Gallery continues through March 24. The exhibit titled "In absolute timeless wonder" includes works that are heavily influenced by traditional and contemporary Mesoamerican art, and the numerous trips Michael Lorefice has made to Mexico to travel and make work in the country. Imagery in the show is drawn from these travels as well as the urban and outlying landscapes near Lorefice's home in Seattle. These drawings serve as living documents to the beauty, harshness, and tenacity of the natural environment. As drawings they are more than records; they attest to the enduring connection of humans to the land, the fragile relationship that must endure, and the constant state of flux that we are surrounded by. Gallery hours are Tues. through Thurs., 10 a.m - 7 p.m; Fri. and Sat., 12 p.m - 5 p.m.

Archer Gallery

Clark College 

1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver

This month's Art + Biz Mixer will be held Tuesday, March 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Speakers this month are John and Anni Furniss.  There will be food and libation along with an excellent networking opportunity to connect with the arts and business community. 

John Furniss is an artistic woodworker and has been fully blind since the age of 16. He learned woodworking at a school for the blind in his early 20's. His teacher was also blind and was able to share adaptive techniques with him specifically for woodworkers without sight. John relies heavily on visualization and his sense of touch during his process. John knows what it's like to face extreme challenge and come out stronger on the other side. His perseverance shows others there are no real limits in life except those that we create. John's wife  Anni Becker Furniss was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and draws inspiration from nature and community. An artist for over 20 years, she dabbles in most mediums. These days painting and mixed media are her focus. 

Vancouver Art Space 

8700 NE Vancouver Mall Drive #206

Vancouver, Washington 98662

$10 in advance online, $15 at the door

Tickets and more info

Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic  is  Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m., and will feature Peter Ludwin, author of Gone to Gold Mountain.  Hosted by Christopher Luna and Toni Partington of Printed Matter Vancouver, Open Mic sign up begins at 6:30 p.m.and closes at 7 p.m.  

Learn more

Angst Gallery

1015 Main St., Vancouver

2018 Washougal Art Festival

The Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance (WACA) has begun plans for their third annual Washougal Art Festival and has announced its Call for Artists. The 2018 Washougal Art Festival to be held on Saturday, August 11, at Reflection Plaza in downtown Washougal. The Festival is open to visual artists working in all media and is intended for professional artists who are actively producing and exhibiting their work to sell. All entries will be juried based on originality, creativity, craftsmanship, and professionalism. Judging will also consider the expression of a unique vision and style, and the mastery over the artist's chosen medium. The Festival has limited artist vendors to 25. The entry deadline is May 1, 2018.

More info and artist application