Little pieces of art that sell fast because they can fit anywhere, make great gifts, and are so reasonably priced!

The popular Art-A-Day Exhibition returns to the Columbia Art Gallery in July. The show opens on Friday, July 2nd with a public reception from 6-8pm, and extends through August 1.

Each artist will be debuting 30 new pieces that they created over the course of a month.

“I am thrilled that the gallery is hosting this exhibition again this year,” said Catherine Kiewit, the gallery manager for Columbia Art Gallery. “We had such an enormous response in 2009 that we decided to bring it back. It is really rare to see such a large collection of artwork by one artist, and we will have 30 pieces by each of the five artists!”

Kiewit recommends for local customers to shop early for the best selection. “Last year, we sold so much work at the opening—those little pieces go fast because they can fit anywhere, make great gifts, and are so reasonably priced.”

Participating Artists

Five talented artists who live and work in the Columbia Gorge region are featured.

• Melinda Hannigan (Hood River, OR) is known for her extraordinary canvasses depicting close-up views sea vessels and freighters. Her paintings are typically large, dramatic works with modern compositions and lots of texture. When asked about the experience of doing a piece of art a day, Melinda explained, “I have found that doing small work liberates me to use color and combinations of color that I don't normally use in my larger work. I regard them as little puzzles. I love the challenge of making color, texture, and composition work on a small scale.” Melinda Hannigan will be showing a collection of 30 pieces each the size of a dollar bill.
  
  
• Andrew Pate (Stevenson, WA) will show a collection of graphite and watercolor paintings. Much of the work is figurative and true to Andrew’s style is wonderfully evocative of emotion. The abstracted faces, although human, encompass traits that are so genuine and honest that the viewer sees something far more universal. Throughout this process Andrew has sought to "see each beginning through to its end" and produce work that might not ordinarily come to fruition. “As opposed to thinking about painting or planning paintings, I am bringing myself back to the act of painting.”
  
  
• Ellen Dittebrandt (Mosier, OR), who is known throughout the State for her vibrant acrylic paintings, will have thirty fabulous paintings on display. Her collection includes imagery of the June hillsides with several pieces dedicated specifically to highlighting the local wildflowers (poppies, yarrow, bachelor buttons, etc). Like all the artists participating in this challenge, Ellen has taken this opportunity to explore a new arena and will also reveal her newest subject matter: birds. They are splendid!
  
  
• Eric Jacobsen (Glenwood, WA) is one of the most talented and sought after artists living in the Columbia River Gorge. We are so fortunate to have him participate in this show. His collection of work will be a series of 30 pastoral scenes painted from life in a 6”x 8” format. “So far, I’ve enjoyed the Art-A-Day experience,” says plein air artist Eric Jacobsen. “I've done a bunch of paintings of differing subject matter….of particular interest to me are the old barns up here in the Glenwood area. I've done several barn paintings and hope to do more.”
  
  
• Terrence (Terry) Belunes (Scappoose, OR) will showcase a new series of colorful glass vessels formed in the Pate de verre (paste of glass) technique. Terry interpreted the challenge differently than the other artists; rather than making a finished glass piece each day (something virtually impossible considering the time involved in building moulds, firing the glass and allowing for the piece to anneal) he worked for 30 consecutive days. Terry fabricated and fired his work in batches. For anyone who appreciates glass, this is a collection of work not to be missed.

About Columbia Art Gallery

Columbia Art Gallery, located in the Columbia Center for the Arts, is a non-profit community gallery with the mission to promote an arts-rich environment in the Columbia River Gorge. Summer hours are daily, 11am – 6pm.