“Feels Like Home,” by Tamera Abate, is one of the many works that will be on display at the Winthrop Gallery from July 25 – Sept. 17.
Artists of the Winthrop Gallery will present a show of art that contemplates the concept of sustenance – the things that not only feed our bodies but also nurture our souls.
The show opens Wednesday (July 25) and a public reception will be held Saturday (July 28) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
One of the artists featured in the exhibit, encaustic painter Tamera Abate, captured the concept of sustenance in a new work titled “Feels Like Home.” Abate said the piece represents both a gathering of childhood memories of springtime on her family’s wheat farm in the Columbia Basin and a reflection on the sustenance the farm has provided for five generations.
“The cycle begins in autumn with fields being tilled and planted,” Abate said. “Seeds are then put to bed in fertile ground waiting for winter to blanket them with a sheltering snow. When spring arrives sprouts emerge, the fields grows lush and green with plants reaching up toward the wide, blue sky with cotton ball clouds drifting across it’s expanse.
“Summer brings rustling, brittle stalks filled with kernels to be harvested and stored for the future. The wheat, the farm and Mother Nature provide sustenance not only for my family but for people all across the globe. This sustenance comes not only in the form of nutrition but in the contentment of a life well spent,” Abate said.
Several other artists also focused on agricultural themes to capture the idea of “sustenance,” said Abate, who helped coordinate the exhibit. Painter Gregg Caudell’s work includes draft horses pulling farm equipment and hay stored in a barn. Photographer Denny O’Callaghan provided photos of barns and landscapes in bright, vibrant colors.
Marcy Stamper is exhibiting photos of streetscapes and landscapes that span the stillness of the Palouse to the clamor of India. Photography by Teri Pieper captures close-ups of bees on flowers.
Laura Karcher created a bench with reclaimed metal legs “in John Deere green” and a natural pine top, Abate said. And ceramics artist Marcia Ives made pottery trays titled “Envision Caprese Salad Here.”
“Sustenance” runs through Sept. 17. The Winthrop Gallery is located at 237 Riverside Ave. and is open every day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information contact the gallery at 996-3925 or go to the gallery’s website at www.winthropgallery.com.
