Larson Gallery showcases faculty artwork
This winter the Larson Gallery will showcase the artwork of several Yakima Valley College art faculty during a special exhibit, titled “Dust,” opening on January 13. The show features work by faculty Rachel Dorn, Chris Otten, Kayo Nakamura, Monika Lemmon, Timm Wauzynski and David Lynx along with scholarly articles by art historian Robert Millard.
According to Dorn, a YVC faculty member for over 15 years, this is the first exhibit of its kind in recent years.
“We have put single pieces in the [YVC] student show each year but this is the first exhibition for just art faculty,” she said. “The large gallery gives us space to show a collection of work, which is often how we think about our art, rather than single stand-alone pieces, like we’ve been able to share in other shows.”
Unique to this exhibition is a special installation for Millard’s work which will highlight his research and writing, rather than a studio piece. Dorn notes that her installation will include approximately 30 pieces of art between two collections as well as some stand-alone pieces while Nakamura and Otten will also both feature a series of their work.
“It’s really great to have this opportunity to share our work more broadly with our students, colleagues and the YVC and Yakima communities,” Dorn said. “The large space, for me, means I can try out some stuff I haven’t had room for before, and the whole show being focused on just six artists (and one historian) means we can share a wider range of our work. It’s a totally different experience from showing just one work at a time in a juried show or alongside our students.”
Dorn is also excited about how this show will translate to the classroom and her students.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how our winter students draw inspiration from seeing our work, and to just chatting with them about the wide range of media and approaches represented by our talented faculty in this exhibit.”
YVC’s art program fosters an awareness of the making of art as well as the interpretation and development of art across cultures and time, and the relevance of art to daily experience. The partnership between the college and the gallery provides an avenue for college faculty and students to showcase their artwork in a professional gallery each year.
An opening reception will be held 3 – 5 p.m. on January 13 and the show runs through February 24. There is no charge for admission to the gallery. For more information about this show contact the gallery at 509.574.4875 / gallery@yvcc.edu.
Press Release Contacts:
Dustin Wunderlich / 509.574.6870 / dwunderlich@yvcc.edu
Stefanie Menard / 509.574.4646 / smenard@yvcc.edu