|
May 22, 2008 Artists Show will feature the best of the west
In Pioneer Plaza and inside many Main Avenue businesses, the 2008 Western Art Show promises a variety of artists and mediums in an expanded venue when it returns to downtown Ritzville on May 24-25. This year’s show will boast participation of more than 40 artists in a two-day event centered in Pioneer Plaza on Washington Street and in several storefronts of local merchants. Started by the Ritzville Downtown Development Association last year, the art show features regional and national artists of numerous mediums, including oil, watercolor, acrylic, bronze, plasma-cut metal, recycled iron, jewelry and more. The unique part of this show is that artists are not charged a fee to participate; however, each artist is asked to donate one piece of artwork to the RDDA for an auction at a later date. Monies garnered at the event would fund future art shows and art-related projects. The art show office is located on Washington Street in the building occupied by Bank of Whitman (former location of Whitman Insurance). Chicago Title, Sunny Spot Floral and Gifts, Pepperhead Take-Out, H.E. Gritman Senior Center, Ritzville Computer and Internet, chamber office, Ritzville Drug Company and Flying Arts Ranch are slated to host artists. The Circle T Inn, the Hair Center, Eagles and Ritzville’s Pretty Good Grocery are additional locations available in case of inclement weather. Groups of artists will be located in: • The west side of the Ritzville Trading Company Building on Main Avenue and Washington Street • The Ritzville Public Development Authority Building (former Brunswick) at 205 West Main Avenue • 109 West Main Avenue, between the chamber office and Ritzville Computer and Internet
Quick Draws Fifteen artists will participate in quick draw demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. A quick draw is a common art show event where an artist will display their talents in a short amount of time. On Saturday at 3 p.m. and then Sunday at 1 p.m., the participating artists will have one hour to create a quick draw entry. Visitors to the art show are invited to visit the various artists in their designated booth spaces during the one hour period of time to witness art as it is created. At the conclusion of each quick draw, the art will then be sold via an auction in Pioneer Plaza. The auction will be held approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the quick draw. Payment for the purchased quick draw items is due at the conclusion of the auction. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the sale of each art piece will go to the artist. The remaining 50 percent of the purchase price will be donated to the RDDA to help fund the 2009 art show. The participating quick draw artists are: Cameron Blagg, Barbara Conner-Reed, Doc Cook, Hulan Fleming, Jack Fordyce, Dawnel Hutsell, Anita Klein, Jim Lisk, Joel Olson, Louis Schumacher, Carol Ann Schwisow, Robert Stem, Tina Reeve Tharp, Richard Urdahl and Judy Vanderveen. Warren Kragt will serve as the auctioneer for the quick draw on Saturday and Jerry Snyder will handle the sales effort on Sunday afternoon.
Children’s art table Local resident Heather Burton will host an art table for children of all ages in the center of Pioneer Plaza beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing until 3 p.m. Artists participating in the art show will be encouraged to provide sketches on rolls of news print for anyone to color in. John Rankin, of Flying Arts Ranch on Washington Street, is planning to host Art Alley on the fence by his building. About four tables will be set up by the fence with boards attached to the fence for people to paint. |