Angst Gallery will feature artwork by recent Vancouver School of Arts and Academics graduates Kaori Freda and Hannah Swanson for the month of July.
Freda and Swanson, both 18-year-old Vancouver residents, created their shows as VSAA senior projects.
Freda took similar images and captured them with two different media for her show, titled “Paper Pairs.” Each pair comprises a drawing and a collage.
“Art is about taking images and giving them meaning through process,” said Freda, who will begin studying fine art at Reed College in Portland in the fall.
Freda is a student member of North Bank Artists Gallery in Vancouver. Hazel Dell artist Anne John mentored her on this project.
Swanson is an intern at North Bank, and Kathi Rick helped her with her photography exhibit, “Les Personnes Nouveau,” or “The New People.”
Swanson’s work explores the notion of both men and women as eye candy. She used friends as models. She painted the Art Nouveau-style backgrounds used in the photos of women.
Freda has participated in group shows before, but this is her first time as a featured artist. This is Swanson’s first time ever showing in a gallery.
“I’m really excited,” said Swanson, who will begin studying photography, business and marketing at The Evergreen State College in Olympia in the fall. “I think it’s a great opportunity for a young artist.”
Angst Gallery will host an opening reception for the students’ art in the evening on July 1 as part of the First Friday Art Walk.
Local ceramic artist has solo show at Aurora Gallery
Salmon Creek ceramic artist Michael Metz views his clay forms almost as a canvas. It is his glazes that are the focus.
For much of his work, Metz, a 57-year-old retired tennis professional, uses a crystalline glaze.
It’s a labor- and time-intensive process, but the results are well worth it, said Metz, who has been a ceramic artist for about 40 years.
“It’s so shiny and so elegant. It looks almost like blown glass,” he said.
Metz’s crystalline-glazed classical forms, as well as his organic sculptures and high-fire stoneware, will be on display at Aurora Gallery in downtown Vancouver throughout July.
First Friday Art Walk takes place July 1 from 5 to 9 p.m., and Aurora will host an artists reception from 6-8 p.m. Metz said he looks forward to chatting with the public about his work.
“It’s fun to talk about something you enjoy,” he said.
Bits ’n’ Pieces appears Mondays and Fridays. If you have a story you’d like to share, call Courtney Sherwood 360-735-4561, or e-mail features@columbian.com.
