The Golden Art Gallery

This was a great night for these two artists, very well attended with a lot of fun stuff going on. There was a door prize , a pair of earrings won by Buz Paul,(his wife is happy). Little turkey name tags identified the folks who came and there were the usual regulars plus there were lots more who received special invitations personally handed out by Dorthy and Annetta. We owe a vote of thanks to Sandra Choate who filled in for Leroy Schoot as the wine pouring person, she said she enjoyed it too. Annette Ruckert set up a special jewelry display and sold some very nice pieces, Dorothy had painted special fall paintings that were charming. The special live and original music and vocals played by Star Meichtry was a wonderful addition. Every one is reminded that we will have an all member special Second Thursday, December 8. many members will have special X Mass cards and gifts available. Mark your calendars for this great event.

Halloween around Goldendale, WA was celebrated Sat. night Oct 29 and there were hundreds of little ghosts and goblins who came parading by to collect treats from the cars backed into the side walks.  The General store sponsors this safe celebration every year and the Golden Art Gallery does the Pumpkin Carving Contest exhibit and judging.  This event had a new addition this year with a special haunted house attracting a lot of interest.  It was a lot of fun for everyone.  The Gallery had a good size staff to man the candy baskets so no one person had to stand outside very long.  We didn’t have room this year to be seated in chairs, lucky for us it was quite warm and lots of daylight to work in.  The General store also had a fire pit and cooked up hot dogs.  Rainier Billingsly play his own special brand of music.  Everyone enjoyed the evening.

General Store was all decorated for a fun time with a haunted house this year.

Something new at the Golden Art Gallery is our Final Friday event. On the last Friday of each month we will feature poetry, music, and other arts.  I attended the May 27th one and it was a heartfelt experience for me .  Marese Mitchel opened with introductions of the poets read one she composed about childhood experiences.  Duff McAndie read poems about his concerns with his own life and expressed concern with the world we live in and wars.  Brian Tours entertained us with his rendition of Waltzing Matilda which he sang as well as spoke.  Then he shifted the North and told us about the Legend of Sam Magee.  Brian is very good at expression so pictures of the cold , the wind and the old boat came vividly to mind.  Ned Bodie created some realistic pictures with description of line fencing and two cowboys who haven’t bathed in two weeks.  There they were in a bar crowded with patrons except there was a large circle of vacant space around the two smelly cowboys.  Ingrid Archibald expressed her great sense of loss in a poem telling about her husband of many years dying.  In another poem she told us about how the loss of his master affected his dedicated dog.  I think we all felt that loss in her poetry.

Many thanks to Margaret Burkhart and Charlene Morrison for their contributions of wonderful goodies.  Donation proceeds were given to the Guild.

Duff McAndie expresses his concerns

It was a special Second Thursday night at the gallery. This time we planned a very special birthday party for Carol Schoot’s 70th birthday. Her children all came to visit and celebrate this very special night. What a thrill for her and husband Leroy too. Congratulations Carol!!

A grand birthday gift

Carol has been crowned the Queen for the Day

The theme at the gallery this month is wildflowers.  The month of may is when nature’s bounty bursts forth and we can all enjoy the beauty of the area.  Balsam, camas, lupine ,yellow bells , yarrow and so many more can be enjoyed by everyone just by taking a short drive around the area,  be sure to bring your camera too.

The Golden Art Gallery is a member of the Columbia Gorge Arts and Cultural Association.  We have joined in the advertising campaign to draw people to this area.  We have placed posters, wallet maps, and rack cards in every museum, discovery center, gallery and made sure motels, restaurants and other likely tourist haunts are informed about the many treasures that may be found on both sides of the Columbia River.  Every place has buttons for personnel to wear asking the key question “whats my secret?  Well the answer depends on the place but for Goldendale it is the beautiful wildflowers. Be sure to come soon as May is the best time.

Robin hits the trail with his horse

April 2nd Thursday we had our first venture into having a poet and artist combined into one fascinating person. The poetry read by Ned Bodie (his stage name ) was really impressive and we all enjoyed it very much. He also treated us to some lovely western style CDs for a little back ground music. On the artistic side Robin Freerks paints the area where he lived and ranched in California. He is originally from Holland and when his family moved to the United States from Holland he quickly realized this was a dream come true. He is an experienced horseman and loves to portray scenes and horses he knows.

The Wines of the Neighborhood were served with style by Leroy Schoot and they are always very special with whites and reds to experience. Leroy chooses different wineries that are in and around the Gorge area on the Washington side. There are some very fine wineries located here . also we had a great selection of snacks. Robin brought his dish which was meatballs served with his special barbecue sauce. All I can say is they were yummy.

Watch for our new monthly event starting soon. Final Friday will feature an open mic and authors of poetry, written works and music will be welcomed to perform. Coffee will be served and food will be available too. It will start at 5 P.M.

Attendees chat about the new exhibit.

The month of March the Golden Art Gallery celebrated the excellent photography of Jim Walter and the weaving of expert Norma Nelson, both are outstanding artists. In this day and age of digital photography it is not easy to stand above the crowd but Jim has an eye for framing the perfect shot. Norma is doing some outstanding weaving,  she and her husband raise sheep and she has some beautiful dyed skeins of the wool on display.  She also creates wearable art such as scarves, mittens , felted hats, toasty slippers and gorgeous rugs for floors.

The reception was well attended by about 50 persons.  They had an opportunity to listen to the original guitar music by Rainier who also sings.  It was a pleasure to have him as a guest musician.  Rainier through his Out side In Music Productions has a Singer/Songwriter Showcase scheduled for March 26 at the Old St. Peters Landmark Cathedral, starting time 7 PM.  Contact him for more information at www. OutSideInMusic.net

Naturally the Wines of the Neighborhood hosted by Leroy Schoot were a popular attraction and this time the McCormick Family Vineyard was featured. These are under the Mistral label. There were two reds and two whites, all hand selected by the proprietor plus as a  sweet touch Waving Tree’s orange muscat was available.  The snacks are always very good and the table was loaded with all sorts of goodies.

Next month on April 14 we will have the cowboy poetry of Ned Bodie. This is our first venture into the world of writing and reading.  Put this one on your calendar for  special treat.

Norma Nelson and a friend enjoy the evening

Rainier sings and plays his own compositions.

wood works by Duane Berg

Wow – the artist reception night is really growing in popularity, it is free except for the wine tasting which is by Wines of the Neighborhood. This time Leroy selected Marshal’s Winery, two whites and two reds. This has proven to be very popular and gives people a chance to taste the local Washington wines. Trust me they are among the very best to be had anywhere. The snack table was laden with goodies and we also had chilled pop and water available.

Your editor, Joan Crice, featured her scratch board works and was delighted with a purchase of a mini work from the Vegetable Soup series and some of the new oriental cards were sold too. Made my day for sure.
Views of Duane’s wood works and Joan’s art works may be seen on the artist pages on this site.
Also new at the gallery is a area for the musician’s to set up and play with chairs for listeners. We set up a cabinet for their CDs and posters, cards and contact information. Megan and Chad Moody play for many events and were really pleased with our new set up.
Everyone is welcome to come to this event and it is free to all except wine tasting. It is a great way to visit with friends and neighbors.

A new approach to our receptions , we are featuring one wall artist and one crafter together.

Kathy Biber , Cath'y Crafts

This new approach allows all our members an opportunity to show their works within one year. Featured this month are Bob Koch, Windows on the Gorge, photographer and Cathy Biber creator of Cathy’s Crafts. Our receptions have grown in attendance and are a way for everyone to become familiar with all the artists and their creations as well as meeting friends new and old.

Windows on the Gorge by Bob Koch

Live music was by Lou Marzeles and his friend Leslie on guitars.  Lou will perform for a benefit , Celilo Cancer Center , January 29 at the the Granada Theater in The Dalles, OR. His original music and style was much appreciated by all.

Food was great and the wine selections from Waving Tree winery were wonderful.  Leroy Schoot, wine Meister, poured the wines, a fight of four, two reds and two whites. You could then make a choice of a glass of one you chose.  All were very excellent.  The appetizer choices were great and many were quickly gone.  There was a game played with two prizes offered, one from each artist.  Lots of people had a bit of fun selecting words that matched the personality of the artist. People put their entries in a pot and two winners were selected.

Everyone is invited to attend our monthly artist receptions, we love having you there. Always Second Thursday of the month starting at 4 PM and ending at 7:30 PM at the gallery in Goldendale.