Studio Art Quilt Associates
Studio Art Quilt Associates

This June, the Gallery at the Park is featuring Markings: Traces and Impressions, a beautiful, innovative exhibition from Washington State members of Studio Art Quilt Associates!

Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) was founded in 1989 to promote art quilt as a fine art medium and to create opportunities for artists, curators, and collectors. SAQA Washington is one of more than 50 regions of the international organization, which has more than 4,000 members around the world.

Learn more about Studio Art Quilt Associates at SAQA.com.

The juror for Markings: Traces and Impressions is Lesley Riley, an internationally-known mixed media artist, art quilter, instructor, and writer. In the past 25 years, she has taught classes throughout the world, written 10 books, and contributed to numerous other books and magazines. Riley’s own artwork often incorporates photography and cyanotype in quilt designs.

The theme of the exhibit is markings made by things or beings. When selecting works, Riley’s primary focus was on composition and the principles of design. She noticed nature as a recurring source of inspiration, with markings used to tell stories, convey emotion, and evoke both decay and beauty.

“Collectively, this exhibition celebrates the breadth and vitality of contemporary art quilting,” Riley says. “Each work reflects an individual voice, and together they form a compelling body of work that speaks to the many ways artists continue to expand the expressive language of fiber.”

Learn more about Leslie Riley at lesleyriley.com.

Markings: Traces and Impressions is on display at the Gallery at the Park from June 2–July 3.  The reception is on Friday, June 5, 6–8pm.

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Scholarship Show 2026
Scholarship Show 2026

Every year, the Gallery at the Park presents a Scholarship Show to celebrate emerging artists! The show features unique art from local and regional students who are receiving Allied Arts Association scholarships.

The primary exhibition spotlights a graduate student enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts program at a university in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. This year, jurors Mary Dryburgh and Tracy Walker selected Washington State University student Nickolas Carl Hurlbut as the scholarship recipient and featured artist.

Nickolas Carl Hurlbut is an artist and photographer whose work explores human sexuality and connection. As a queer creative, Hurlbut seeks to deconstruct traditional ideas of gender. 

“I rewrite the predominant cultural narrative depicting men as rugged, aggressive and destructive, by depicting the opposite – growth, calm, pacificity, and softness,” Hurlbut says. “Redefining masculinity in my practice has helped me heal parts of myself that I was once taught to change or reject.”

Hulburt prints his images as cyanotypes to give them a soft, painterly quality that reflects the gentleness of the subject matter.

The Scholarship Show also features work from Krystal Weston, a student in the Visual Arts program at Columbia Basin College, and work from Casie Nguyen, a Tri-Cities high school senior planning to pursue a higher education in visual arts. 

The Scholarship Show is on display at the Gallery at the Park from May 5–29.

The reception is on Sunday, May 17, from 1–3pm.

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Northwest Designer Craftartists
Northwest Designer Craftartists

This April, the Gallery at the Park is showcasing Handwork 2026: Shaped in the Northwest, an impressive new exhibition from Northwest Designer Craftartists.

Northwest Designer Craftartists was founded in 1954 to promote excellence of design and encourage public appreciation of fine craft. Members include artists in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska who work in clay, wood, glass, metal, fiber, and mixed media.

This exhibition is part of a contribution to Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative presented by Craft in America, the Peabody Award-winning documentary series on PBS, to honor the value of the handmade in both history and contemporary life. Handwork 2026 celebrates the depth and diversity of the crafts that define America.

The jurors for the Northwest Designer Craftartists exhibition are Vicki Piper Gerton and Ron Gerton. Vicki blends scientific observation with artistic intuition, creating work where color, texture, and pattern emerge through experimentation. Ron, a self-taught metalsmith and retired mechanical engineer, transforms natural objects such as leaves, insects, and wood into enduring sculptures, often combining them with wood turnings.

Learn more about Northwest Designer Craftartists online at nwdesignercraftartists.org.

Handwork 2026: Shaped in the Northwest is on display at the Gallery at the Park from March 31–May 1. The reception is on Sunday, April 12, 1–3pm.

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Mid-Columbia Watercolor Society & Empty Bowls
Mid-Columbia Watercolor Society & Empty Bowls

This March, the Gallery at the Park presents a vibrant new exhibition from the Mid-Columbia Watercolor Society, Refractions and Reflections, alongside Empty Bowls, an art fundraiser to combat hunger in our community.

The Mid-Columbia Watercolor Society was established in 2017 to provide a forum for learning, sharing, and practicing the art of watercolor.

Watercolor is a challenging medium that requires precision and timing. When light passes through delicate layers of pigment, it reflects on the white paper and returns a brilliance only watercolor can achieve.

The Society averages more than 30 members and showcases multiple exhibitions every year, partnering with regional libraries, restaurants, and wineries.

Alongside the Mid-Columbia Watercolor Society’s Refractions and Reflections, the Gallery at the Park is featuring handmade bowls as part of the Empty Bowls fundraiser.

Ceramic, glass, and wooden bowls donated by our Gallery artists are on sale with all proceeds going directly to the Tri-Cities Food Bank. These handmade bowls are a reminder that many in our community face empty bowls every day.

Exhibition Dates: March 3 to 27, 2026
Reception Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026, from 1 to 3pm

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Terri Rice, Pam Sharp & Leo Bowman
Terri Rice, Pam Sharp & Leo Bowman

This February, the Gallery at the Park presents Wood, Wings, and the Wild Blue Yonder, an exciting exhibition that explores nature and the outdoors, featuring work from Terri Rice, Pam Sharp, and Leo Bowman.

Terri Rice is a painter who focuses on skylines and landscapes. She took her first watercolor class at the University of Miami, but after teaching herself oil painting in 2015, she became so drawn to the intensity and permanence of oil paint that she seldom returns to watercolor.

Rice enjoys the slow-drying nature of oil paint, which allows her to come back later to blend in a new color or soften a line. Her goal is to paint with enough realism to portray a particular moment, but abstract enough to invite the viewer’s own interpretation.

Pam Sharp is a watercolor and scratchboard artist who specializes in wildlife subjects like birds, horses, and other animals. She earned a degree in Zoology from Washington State University, which laid the foundation for her detailed, nature-inspired artwork. She creates unique pieces that blend Pacific Rim cultural influences with Western flair.

Sharp participates in many events across the Western United States, and her work has been featured at venues like the Clymer Museum of Art, Wenaha Gallery, Charles Francis Gallery, and Larson Gallery.

Leo Bowman is a woodturner whose passion for the art began in high school. In 1975, he was able to dedicate himself to woodworking and begin refining his craft. He aims to emphasize the natural beauty of the material with his sculptures and turned wood pieces.

Bowman has exhibited at notable venues, including the Clymer Museum of Art and Hedges Family Estate, and during events like the Tour d’Arts on Red Mountain. He regularly participates in regional art festivals, such as the June Art Fest in Yakima.

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