Parts & Pieces = Celebration!
Parts from old adding machines, pieces of hand-cut enameled copper, and celebratory sculpture all come together for June's exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery.
This month we showcase new works by local artists Michael Horswill and Allen & Mary Dee Dodge, kicking off a summer of celebration in downtown Coeur d'Alene.
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge have been active in the Coeur d’Alene art scene for over forty years. For this exhibition - both individually and collectively - the couple has created over seventy new pieces, including large welded steel sculpture, abstract and whimsically representational enamel wall pieces, and smaller painted metal sculpture that will engage and amuse viewers. The artists’ public art pieces – large metal sculpture, utility boxes, bike racks, collaborative murals, and more - saturate the greater Coeur d’Alene area. The two met and married while attending the Kansas City Art Institute. Mary Dee graduated with a degree in ceramics and Allen in painting and sculpture.
Michael Horswill’s relief sculptures combine a wide range of materials that integrate antique machinery parts, glass, and metal with natural materials like beeswax and leather. Michael has been an active artist in the region for more than twenty years and has created numerous public art pieces in the area, including large-scale public art for Coeur d’Alene’s educational corridor and the Hayden Public Library. He is a full-time instructor of art at North Idaho College and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Idaho.
The opening reception will be on Friday, June 8th from 5-8 p.m. in conjunction with ArtWalk.
This show is sponsored by Anthony's at Coeur d'Alene.
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This Month's Featured Artists
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Allen studied enameling with Balazs in 2007. “The depth of [Harold’s] knowledge and curiosity was mind-boggling,” says Allen, whose monochrome enamels use Balazs’ technique of layering white and black to resemble a drawing or print.
In his workshop there is a tang of metal in the air left over from when he used the grinder to create a tumbled-stone look on a large-scale welded steel sculpture.
Abstract forms are methodically laid out on the largest shop wall. Industrial casting molds from an 1800s lake cruise company were given to the couple by Balazs and the late Patrick Flammia, a longtime friend and accomplished local artist. Otherwise, the shop is a jumble of tools for welding, woodworking, enameling, printmaking and sketching.
“You just want to be able to turn around and do it and not make a big deal out of getting the job done,” says Allen, who smiles when saying he is not a purist.
The artist even builds his own tools, including the cobbled-together kiln for firing larger works made from parts Balazs gave him. Although the Dodges have discussed moving the kiln into Mary Dee’s studio and perhaps getting a larger kiln, it gives Mary Dee a reason to visit.
from the article
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Joyful Collaboration
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Western Art & Architecture
, Feb.2018
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Michael Horswill creates abstract visual environments that juxtapose natural materials such as wood, rawhide, beeswax, and bamboo with mechanical materials such as steel, copper, wire and glass.
In the magazine
Glass on Metal
, Jean Tudor writes, “Michael Horswill’s art brings back memories of armor seen in the Tower of London, but armor with the magic of color added. Several wall forms […] combine enamel, sheet metal, and glass into masks which carry the hidden-ness and boldness that masks provided, making them mysterious” (June 2012).
Horswill’s influences include a fascination with mechanical systems combined with immersion in nature, including bee-keeping and watching the occasional moose while welding. He grew up in the Northwest and attended art schools and universities in Montana, Japan, Washington, and Idaho, studying studio art, architecture, Native-American artifacts, African and Oceanic art, and Asian Wabe-Sabe philosophy, culminating in an MFA. His work as an illustrator, painter, and sculptor is balanced by teaching design, sculpture, and art history at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene.
Horswill is a life-long student of art, continually exploring and uniting processes and materials to create both intricate smaller sculptures for gallery exhibitions and larger public artworks for installation in the Inland Northwest region.
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“She loves pattern and color,” says Allen from the kitchen of the couple's 1955 home located on the periphery of Coeur d’Alene National Forest.
“I always say that I never have to finish anything,” jokes Mary Dee, whose intricately painted ceramics line the upper shelf of kitchen cupboards amongst Majolica pottery from the couple’s travels.
Mary Dee was also influenced by Balazs and has modified some of the artist’s techniques. Working in the studio, she sifts colored-glass powder over shapes of metal no greater than 9 inches that she cuts with a band saw. These lustrous, vibrant shapes are then fired in her tabletop kiln. “It forces me to piece things together,” says Mary Dee. Some enameled pieces are layered in bas-relief to create individual works, while others are assembled onto Allen’s sculptures.
Mary Dee’s 16-by-24-foot studio is neat and bright with little on the walls or worktables other than whatever she’s currently working on. She moves around a central table, examining pieces from various angles as music — jazz, classical guitar, opera — plays in the background. A bookshelf reveals varied influences: Wassily Kandinsky, Navajo rugs, African designs, figurative drawing, Georgia O’Keeffe, painting on fabric. Jars of Thompson enamel powder are organized in drawers under a wraparound worktable, culminating in a small painting and sketching area. A massive window reveals a view of their house and one of Allen’s sculptures, Owl, at the edge of the couple’s 1.3-acre property.
from the article
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Joyful Collaboration
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Western Art & Architecture
, Feb.2018
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We wish to thank Anthony's of Coeur d'Alene for their continued support of The Art Spirit Gallery.
We encourage you to stop by their great restaurant to enjoy a meal.
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This month, Rocky Owens of Lewis & Clark State College will serve as our "Curator for a Day" here at The Art Spirit Gallery.
"We want to bring people in and show them what we do to put on an exhibit," said owner Blair Williams. "More importantly, we want to remind people that creativity and design are a part of all industries and jobs."
After spending a few hours in our basement inventory downstairs, guest curators select works to showcase.
"Curator for a Day" exhibits will be on display during The Art Spirit Gallery's monthly shows in the back gallery.
Check out Rocky's show opening Friday, June 8th from 5-8 pm.
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Rocky Owens
Director, Lewis & Clark State College
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The Arts Ed Co-Lab is a collaborative
non-profit organization founded by
The Art Spirit Gallery and
the University of Idaho.
Our mission is to teach the business of art, while providing leadership
for the arts within our community.
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Art Writers CDA
Saturday,June 9th
8:30 - 10 am
The Art Spirit Gallery
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Art Writers CDA is looking for freelance writers with passionate interest in the arts to craft editorial pieces around gallery and museum exhibitions, artists’ practices, artist biographies, and art fair coverage.
As a program of the Arts Ed Co-Lab, our mission is to make art accessible to everyone by offering writers the opportunity to bring their language into a complex meeting with the visual arts and the ideas that inform it. Good posts incorporate some research and may dig into a specific artist’s practice or tease out a theme or story around an exhibition or body of works.
Handouts for pitches will be provided on a monthly basis with the frequency of pieces determined between writers and regional art groups.
Join us once a month as we gather writers with regional arts groups, artists, and galleries to pitch story ideas in need of writers. Handouts for each of the pitches will be available on site, and representatives will be on hand to answer questions. We look forward to collaborating with other writing groups.
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Youth Art Scout
Saturday, June 9th
10:30 - 11:30 am
The Art Spirit Gallery
Learn about the upcoming exhibit featuring artists Allen & Mary Dee Doge and Michael Horswill
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The Arts Ed Co-Lab will again host our Art Scout program at The Art Spirit Gallery during the summer of 2018.
Students will learn to guide others through a gallery exhibit by explaining the artists' background, techniques and inspirations. This storytelling will help to better connect the audience to the works while teaching the Art Scouts communication skills.
Students interested must sign up for a one hour training session in which they learn about how a gallery works, meet the artists of the upcoming exhibit, discuss their work, and ask questions about technique, inspiration, and more.
Contact Clancy Magnuson, Gallery Manager at (208) 765-6006 to sign up.
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Check out The Art Spirit Gallery on YouTube
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Collaborating in the Community
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Proud To Support
PRIDE In The Park
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The Art Spirit Gallery was proud to support PRIDE In The Park this past weekend here in Coeur d'Alene.
The fourth annual Pride in the Park took place in Coeur d'Alene City Park. Attendees enjoyed vendor and educational booths, live music, dancing, and other activities. The celebration is held at the beginning of June in recognition of Gay Pride Month.
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New Works At The Gallery
Game Load
, 2018
Amy Brakeman Livezey
mixed media on canvas
48 x 44 in.
$3,000
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COMING ATTRACTIONS
at The Art Spirit Gallery
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Allen Dodge
Michael Horswill
Mary Dee Dodge
ArtWalk
Friday, June 8th
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The Art Spirit Gallery
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Art Writers CDA
Saturday, June 9th
8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
The Art Spirit Gallery
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Youth Art Scout
Training Session
Saturday, June 9th
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
The Art Spirit Gallery
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Creative Conversations
Saturday, June 16th
10:00 a.m.
The Art Spirit Gallery
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Jerri Lisk
Mark Lisk
Katherine Nelson
A.L. Swanson
ArtWalk
Friday, July 13th
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The Art Spirit Gallery
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Art Smarts
The Artistry of
Ancient Grains
Saturday, July 14th
10:00 am - Noon
The Art Spirit Gallery
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The Art of Lisk
Saturday, July 14th
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
The Art Spirit Gallery
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CDA Arts & Cultural Alliance
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The CDA Arts & Cultural Alliance brings together artists, non-profit arts organizations and businesses to collaborate and promote arts and culture in Coeur d'Alene. As a member, you will help connect the community to arts and culture as well as support us in providing valuable services to area artists and cultural organizations.
JOIN TODAY!
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The Art Spirit Gallery
415 East Sherman Avenue | Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
www.TheArtSpiritGallery.com
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