Art in the Heart still a draw

What: Art in the Heart, the fourth annual downtown Vancouver outdoor summer art festival and sale.

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Where: In downtown Vancouver along Main Street from Ninth to 11th streets, and on Ninth Street between Main and Washington streets. The event will also extend down the sidewalks along Evergreen Boulevard from Washington to Columbia streets.

Cost: Free.

Information: http://www.vdausa.org or contact the participating galleries.

Ossie Bladine, owner of the former Tryckpress Galleri and editor in chief of the Vancouver Voice, and local artist Anni Becker are working to organize CouvFestNW, a free outdoor music festival to take place over the weekend that falls between Art in the Heart and the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival.

CouvFestNW is set to take place Aug. 11, 12 and 13 in downtown Vancouver. For more information, go to http://on.fb.me/nSUXAu.

Though this year’s Art in the Heart will feature fewer galleries than last summer’s event, patrons can expect strong artist participation and increased opportunities to get involved with the creative process and even to make their own masterpieces at downtown Vancouver’s annual outdoor summer art festival and sale.

In the past year or so, a number of new downtown Vancouver galleries shuttered, including Rainy Day Gallery, Lincoln’s Gallery, Guerrilla Gallery and Tryckpress Galleri. Hidden Gallery recently announced that it will be closing at the end of August, and that July’s First Friday Art Walk was its last event. Sixth Street Gallery closed in September, relocated, and reopened as Gallery 360 in February.

With a new location closer to the cluster of galleries on Main Street between 10th and 11th streets, Gallery 360 members hope to see increased foot traffic at Art in the Heart this year, said Jamie Lutz Carroll, president of Mosaic Arts Alliance, the gallery’s nonprofit parent organization.

Gallery 360 will be one of a few new participants at the fourth annual Art in the Heart. Also making their Art in the Heart debuts will be Niche Wine & Art, a restaurant, wine bar and gallery owned by Leah Jackson, who also owns the adjacent Angst Gallery; The Bond Studio & Gallery; and the NW Freemodel Guild.

Returning participants to Art in the Heart are Angst, Art on the Boulevard, Aurora Gallery, North Bank Artists Gallery and Rand Jeweler.

The two-day festival takes place Friday and Saturday in downtown Vancouver along Main Street from Ninth to 11th streets, and on Ninth Street between Main and Washington streets. Those blocks will be closed to traffic for the event. The festival will also extend down the sidewalks along Evergreen Boulevard from Washington to Columbia streets.

The participating galleries offer a range of artistic styles and media, from painting to sculpture to jewelry to fiber arts. Many artists will be giving demonstrations, as well. In addition to the visual arts, the festival will spotlight writing and music, and there will be a “Wearable Art” fashion show and trunk sale on Friday. Last year’s fashion show was indoors, but this year’s will take place outside at the corner of Ninth and Main streets.

Gallery 360 will feature its seventh annual Fiber Arts Showcase — though its first since the gallery moved and changed its name. Among those whose work will be included is Tim Klein, who recently moved to Vancouver from Texas and creates yarn art.

“I treat yarn like fuzzy paint, using it to give texture and vivid colors to ordinary objects,” Klein said. “My ‘Vivid Living’ series consists of everyday items such as furniture, clocks and telephones, all covered with yarn.”

Two items from that series, an antique electric iron and a chest, will be on display inside the gallery. Klein’s largest piece of art, however, a 1967 Imperial Crown luxury car covered in more than four miles of acrylic yarn, will be parked outside the gallery for people to view (http://www.yarncar.com).

Klein’s “Yarn Car” is mobile art, with an emphasis on both form and function. It’s his mode of transportation, and he loves seeing people’s reactions as he drives around town.

“A yarn-covered car is such a surreal sight that people don’t quite trust their eyes. They have to reach out and feel it before they’ll believe it’s real,” he said.

Klein first covered the car with yarn in 2002 while living in New York.

“I had this grand old car in dire need of a paint job, so I started learning about types of paint. When I read that both paint and yarn can be made out of acrylic, a light bulb went on over my head,” he said.

He has had to redo it several times since then, because the yarn wears out. Fortunately, given the Northwest’s rainy climate, acrylic yarn is water-resistant.

Klein’s car has been featured in a number of national publications, including USA Today and Reader’s Digest, and on “Good Morning America.”

Taking in art is a big part of the festival, but patrons also will have the chance to act as both muse and artist this weekend.

People will have the opportunity to pose for the NW Freemodel Guild, a group that meets twice a week to draw live clothed models. Guild members will be outside drawing on the corner of Evergreen Boulevard and Main Street throughout Art in the Heart.

North Bank Artists Gallery is offering festivalgoers a couple different ways to flex their artistic muscles. For the third consecutive year, the “Universal Unfinished Canvas Forever” will be outside the gallery, and anyone can add to it. Paint and brushes will be provided.

Inside the gallery, people will have the opportunity to draw costumed models, current and recently graduated Vancouver School of Arts and Academics students who are student members of North Bank.

The gallery will provide easels, paper and drawing implements. People can either take their drawings home with them or display them on the wall at North Bank.

It’s an opportunity for anyone to experience what it’s like to be part of a gallery show, said Kathi Rick, North Bank’s gallery manager.

“You don’t have to know how to draw,” she said. “You can just jump right in and play.”

ART in the heart: Some event highlights

o Magenta Theater (606 Main St.) will give free performances of “And the Lamp Went Out” Friday from 6-8:30 p.m. Performances will begin every half hour.

o The second annual “Wearable Art” fashion show and trunk sale will take place outside at 7 p.m. Friday at the corner of Ninth and Main streets. People can watch the show for free, but priority seating tickets are $10 each or two for $15 and are available at the gallery (111 W. Ninth St.) and various downtown retailers. Ticket sales benefit Mosaic Arts Alliance, Gallery 360’s nonprofit parent organization.

o North Bank Artists Gallery is back for the third year with its “Universal Unfinished Canvas Forever.” The canvas is outside the gallery, and anyone is welcome to add to it. North Bank also will have live costumed models for people to draw both Friday and Saturday.

o There will be live music Friday from 5-9 p.m. in the Vancouver Marketplace courtyard (210 W. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver).

o The NW Freemodel Guild will do live drawing demonstrations throughout the two-day event, and the public is welcome to come and sit for the artists as models. Guild members will be working outside at the corner of Evergreen Boulevard and Main Street.

o Local authors will give readings, sell their books and take questions from readers throughout the two-day event outside Angst Gallery at 11th and Main streets.

o There will be live music on the stage at the corner of 11th and Main streets throughout the event.

o West Coast Bank (500 E. Broadway, Suite 100) is hosting a reception to kick off Art in the Heart from 5-7 p.m. on Friday. Reservations are required and need to be received by Wednesday. To RSVP, send an email to firstfriday.artwalk@yahoo.com.

Participating galleries

o Angst Gallery and Niche Wine & Art: Outside, Angst will spotlight a variety of creative forms including art, jewelry, poetry, prose and sculpture. Inside the gallery, Angst is featuring work by Hazel Dell artist Anne John. (1015 Main St., http://www.facebook.com/AngstGallery) Niche also is featuring John’s work, and will be serving a full menu, wine and beer for purchase. (1013 Main St., http://www.facebook.com/nichewineandart)

o Art on the Boulevard: Eighteen artists working in a variety of styles and media will sell their work at discounted prices along the sidewalk of Evergreen Boulevard and inside the Vancouver Marketplace courtyard. Inside the gallery, Ridgefield mixed-media artist Jennifer Williams’ “Written in Water” show will be featured. (210 W. Evergreen Blvd., Suite 300, http://www.artontheboulevard.org)

o Aurora Gallery: At least 20 artists will sell their art on the street outside Aurora Gallery. Inside, the gallery will offer specials on art and framing, as well as discounted mats and frames for sale. The featured artist for August is Camas oil painter Beth Norwood, who focuses on Northwest landscapes. (1004 Main St., http://www.auroragalleryonline.com)

o The Bond Studio & Gallery: The gallery is located in Hazel Dell in Markon Signs, but for Art in the Heart will have work on display outside on the corner of Evergreen Boulevard and Main Street. It will feature original linocuts and recycled artist notecards and journals by Liz Fappiano, and western-style oil paintings and reproductions by Blue Bond. (http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueBond, http://www.etsy.com/shop/shadyriverstudio?ref=ss_profile)

o Gallery 360: Gallery 360, formerly Sixth Street Gallery, will be having its seventh annual Fiber Arts Showcase. The gallery will also have local artists selling their wares and doing demonstrations outside on the street. Additionally, it will have live music. Among the groups scheduled to perform is the local jazz ensemble UpFront Band. (111 W. Ninth St., http://www.gallery360.org)

o North Bank Artists Gallery: Outside the gallery, people can add to the “Universal Unfinished Canvas Forever.” Inside, North Bank will have live costumed models for people to draw in the back portion of the gallery. The front room features the juried show “Xtravagant Lies.”

o Rand Jeweler: The jewelry shop and gallery will present paintings by Barbara Van Nostern and Carol Sands. Sands will demonstrate her acrylic and watercolor painting techniques outside Rand Jeweler on Friday, and Van Nostern will do demonstrations on Saturday. Also on display inside will be jewelry designed by Rand Schiltz, owner of Rand Jeweler. (112 E. Evergreen Blvd., http://randjeweler.com)