Enjoy the beautiful campus at Washington State University Vancouver in Salmon Creek even if you aren’t a student. There are great walking trails, a Disc Golf Course, and Art Exhibits that are free to visit.

“An exhibit of large black-and-white photographs called “The InBetween” by Sara Yerkes is on display through September 15, 2011  in the Administration building gallery at Washington State University Vancouver. The exhibit focuses on the surface of water.

Yerkes is taken with how water responds to the wind above and currents below. Her photos show images of ripples, reflections and shadows in water. Using a long exposure, Yerkes captures the water’s movement. She says this technique softens the crisp distinction between water and air. The result is an image not seen by the naked eye. She also edits out much of what might give the observer clues as to where the photos were taken and frames the water in isolation.

Yerkes has been creating black-and-white photographs for about a decade. She has exhibited in California, Colorado and Washington. Her work has been published in the magazine Artifacts and in the Stanford University Continuing Education catalog. She was awarded the 2006 Pictorial Photo of the Year by the Channel Cities Camera Club. To see more of Sara Yerkes work, go to her website, Sara Yerkes Photography.” ~WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205. WSU Vancouver art galleries are open from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday. Admission is free. Parking is available at parking meters or in the Blue Daily Pay lot for $3.

This post: “Visit The In Between at WSU Vancouver” was originally featured at Salmon Creek Live!
For more detailed neighborhood coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events in your Salmon Creek neighborhood, please visit Salmon Creek Live!

The 14th Annual Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 26, 27, and 28, 2011 at Esther Short Park. This three day event is a “celebration of the Musical, Enological, Visual and Culinary Arts, and brings together the best in the Pacific Northwest…international & local jazz artists, world-renowned wines, fine artists and delicious local cuisine in a 1st-class city: Vancouver, Washington!”

Junkyard Jane will kick off the event Friday night, with weekend performances by Al Jarreau, Arturo Sandoval, Spyro Gyra, Diane Schuur, Stanley Jordan, Coco Montoya, Bill Frisell, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and John Hammond. In addition to the music, attendees can sample wine, enjoy some fabulous foods, and shop local art.

Bring your low back chairs or blankets for seating, and feel free to bring the kids! “We are a “family friendly” cultural arts event.  We WANT kids to hear the music and see all the fantastic fine art—maybe there is a budding jazz musician or fine artist out there!  So, kids under 12 are free — but they MUST be accompanied AT ALL TIMES by an adult parent or legal guardian.”

“The Festival is a true arts festival, in that we present American jazz music, fine arts and crafts, premium wines and great food” says Dr. Michael Kissinger, Artistic Director. “Our goal is to create a rich cultural and artistic environment, a palate from which people can sample and hear great music, drink a nice Northwest wine, purchase a piece of art, and just immerse themselves in an arts-rich weekend.”

Bravo! Vancouver produces the  Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival which is “one of the most important jazz festivals on the west coast.” Advance discounted  tickets are on sale now, but tickets will also be available at the gate.

Constantly surrounded by laptops, smartphones and mp3 players, people seem to forget the alluring simplicity of writing things down or flipping the pages of a book. Local photographer Tina Tran, 19, believes remembering classic techniques is her “secret weapon” as digital photography overtakes film.  “I think people should have to learn how to use an analog camera before they are able to use a digital one,” Tran said, “because I think you should know a camera instead of depending on the technology. I’m also still really old-fashioned that way.”

Tran started taking pictures in photo classes in high school as a hobby. At the time, she had plans to go to college to be pre-dental, a goal influenced by her Asian heritage. After a couple of quarters at North Seattle Community College (NSCC), though, she realized medicine was not a good fit for her.

“I’d spend more time taking pictures, editing them, perfecting them rather than studying for a human anatomy exam or memorizing bones and muscles,” she said.

Tran didn’t bend to cultural and familial pressures, instead choosing to do something she was passionate about. She showed some of her work at the gallery at NSCC, and then Archer Gallery at Clark College and others around Vancouver when she moved home last fall. Her photos are currently on display at Archer Gallery as part of the Art Student Annual, collections of pieces students created for classes.

Tran shoots in both digital and film, but no matter which medium she uses, she tries to use the camera to capture a scene as it is rather than manipulating it with Photoshop.

“Most of the things I do are still life,” she said. “They don’t talk back to you. They don’t ask you what they should do. They just sit there and be pretty as they are.”

Tran likes to document the beauty in mundane, everyday objects, especially bedsheets and raindrops. She also has an affinity for figure work, playing with light as it interacts with the curves and contours of the body.

“It’s just serene intimacy,” she said.

Tran also has a great affinity for color, and she wants to do an exhibit exploring color, specifically citing bubbles and glitter as potential subjects or media.

“I’m really drawn to colors,” Tran said. “If I could, I would do a study on why humans are so drawn to colors, why they have favorite colors, and how [seeing colors] affects their everyday life.”

More than just a photographer, Tran reads Vietnamese poems during international poetry nights. She linked up with a local poet, who, Tran says, believes in opening listeners up to poetry in foreign languages.

“Even when poems are written in different languages,” she said, “you can still hear the tone and how it all flows together like a song. You can still understand that it’s still poetry, and how your poem sounds in a different language, it’s still really beautiful.”

Tran has lots of ideas for the future. She wants to travel, get her Master’s in photography, open and run a gallery, and teach photography. For now, Tran is content to finish school (she’s anxiously waiting to hear back from the University of Washington) and keep taking pictures through her business, Friendship Photography.

“I do have that inkling that wants to do Better Homes and Gardens and stuff,” Tran said, “but I can’t really tell where the future’s gonna take me. I’m only 19. I can’t have my life mapped out yet. I can’t wait to see what’s in store.”

To see some of Tran’s artwork or contact her, check out her website.

Reach Managing Editor Ashleen Aguilar at ashleen@clarkcountylive.com.

The Columbia River High School Annual Arts in the Park, featuring local art and handmade goods in conjunction with their annual plant sale, will be Saturday, May 7, 2011 from 10 am to 3 pm at Columbia River High School (800 NW 99th Street).

This event is free to attend and a great way to support our local high school, as well as our community artists and crafters. There will be ceramics, hanging baskets, paintings, sculpture, photography, crafts, plants, plant stakes, gift cards, face and body painting, and more!

Are you interested in being a vendor at this event? (they are also accepting applications for Food Vendors) Booth fees are only $10 and will go to supporting the awards for the All School Art Show. For more information, view the Columbia River Arts in the Park FAQ’s.

Looking to volunteer, or have other questions or comments about this event? Contact Jamie Keiser (Jamie.Keiser@vansd.org), Jason Phelps (Jason.Phelps@vansd.org), or Amanda Ronstadt (Amanda.Ronstadt@vansd.org).

This post: “Columbia River Arts in the Park” was originally featured at Hazel Dell Live!
For more detailed neighborhood coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events in your Hazel Dell neighborhood, please visit Hazel Dell Live!

Hot jazz, fabulous wines, fine art, and delicious cuisine…experience it all at the 13th Annual Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival taking place in the heart of Vancouver, USA, Esther Short Park, on August 27,28, and 29, 2010.

This year’s Festival features a diverse lineup of American “jazz legends”—including blues, fusion, Cajun, straight ahead and contemporary bands. Local and regional jazz bands will also be performing, and the Festival’s Jazz Education Stage will also provide an opportunity for middle school and high school musicians to perform on the same venue as the Grammy winners. More than 20 bands will be featured throughout the weekend!

In addition to the music, the Festival features over 200 wines from around the world. Attendees can sample wines, or purchase a glass to sip while enjoying food from 9 restaurants. The cuisine ranges from Northwest to German, Lebanese and Italian fare. Art lovers can shop the 40 fine artists from California, Idaho, Washington & Oregon. “The Festival is a true arts festival, in that we present American jazz music, fine arts and crafts, premium wines and great food” says Dr. Michael Kissinger, Artistic Director. “Our goal is to create a rich cultural and artistic environment, a palate from which people can sample and hear great music, drink a nice Northwest wine, purchase a piece of art, and just immerse themselves in an arts-rich weekend.”

Bravo! Vancouver produces the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival which is “one of the most important jazz festivals on the west coast.” Advance discounted tickets are on sale now, but tickets will also be available at the gate.

First Fridays in Felida, where friends and neighbors meet for wine tasting, chocolate nibbling, art viewing, and conversation. Everyone is welcome at this fun and free event, hosted monthly by Barbara Hill Photography and Lakeshore Interior Design. Located in the heart of Felida, in the old fire station, their new studio offers a venue for neighbors and friends to gather on the first Friday of each month from 6-8 pm. Enjoy displays by local artists as well as complimentary wine tasting and chocolate delights.

Each month boasts its own theme for your entertainment. August is a heated month with gorgeous images of Arches National Park in Moab, Utah by Al Krause, as well as playful floral watercolors by SuzyArt. October will feature Young Artists night and an additional Friday for an evening Coffee House performance. Want more information about this event, or interested in participating in the next event? Give either Barbara or Suzanne a call.

Their studio is located at: 12216 NW 36th Ave. 98685. Limited parking is available behind the studio, so they encourage carpooling or walking. Barbara Hill can be reached at 503-314-0302 or online at Barbara Hill Photography, and Suzanne Simon at 360-904-8083 or online at decdens.com.

“We look forward to celebrating our neighborhood together!”

This post: “First Fridays in Felida”
was originally featured at Salmon Creek Live!

For more detailed neighborhood coverage of the People, Places, Activities and Events in Salmon Creek, please visit Salmon Creek Live!

Studio Eighty Twenty will be hosting Rising from the Ashes, featuring works by Isaiah Wyckoff, at LSW Architechts (2300 Main Street). There will be a special show opening on Friday, August 6th between 5 and 9 pm, and Saturday August 7th between 10 am and 4 pm. Works will be on display August 9th through the 31st, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm (closed from noon to 1 pm).

Rising from the Ashes is the first in a two part series of recent works by Isaiah Wyckoff that attempts to offer a sense of hope in the face of pain. Whether it’s physical, emotional or spiritual… whether it’s deeply internal or rides on the surface… the landscape of our lives can wrench our hearts. The weight of it is real… but so to is the hope.  Select pieces from this show will be offered for sale with 80% of the proceeds going to local charities for those who need it most.

In fact, at Studio Eighty Twenty, all artists are committed to making a difference to those in our local community with the greatest needs: the homeless, the abused, the neglected. Through the sales of their art, 80% goes directly to local organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to helping those in need. For more information, visit Studio Eighty Twenty.

With an Artist’s reception and refreshments Friday night from 5-9 PM, and a full show Saturday 10 AM-5 PM, you can satisfy that art craving this weekend at the Ridgefield Community Center.  See the Ridgefield Art Association site for more details.

Do you love making art and making a tangible difference in people’s lives? Then check out Art with a Conscience, a weekly community art series hosted by Studio Eighty Twenty that addresses local and global issues through art.

Studio Eighty Twenty meets every Tuesday at Pop Culture in Downtown Vancouver (1929 West Main Street) from 5:30 to 7:00 pm to create art based around a theme, (which may include homelessness, poverty, hunger, etc.) and is open to the public.  “It will be a time for those that love making art to utilize their talents to make a tangible difference in our community and abroad.”

How can art make a difference?  Several times a year, Studio Eighty Twenty will hold an Art show, where the artist work is sold to collectors. Eighty percent of the proceeds “goes towards helping fund local organizations that have demonstrated a commitment for providing for those in need”, and twenty percent goes back to the artist to help purchase more art supplies.

To more information, including information on this month’s theme, visit Studio Eighty Twenty online.

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Washington State University Vancouver in Salmon Creek is currently displaying a group exhibition of selected Watercolor Artists from the Southwest Washington Watercolor Society in the Engineering Life Science Building through November 6.

The Southwest Washington Watercolor Society was established in 1979 to bring fine art to the community and to encourage a higher experience and education for both artists and the community.  WSU Vancouver Art Galleries are free and open to the public 8 am to 9 pm Monday through Thursday, and 8 am to 5 pm Friday.