With the smoky air and demands of work, artist and Chewuch Inn & Cabins co-owner Sally Kuperberg didn’t get as much time in the mountains as she would have liked, but through her art she captures the breathtaking local scenery, from photographic images, from memory, and from imagination. One new work, “The Painted Trail,” shows a lupine-lined mountain trail in the Pasayten Wilderness and caught not only the popular interest of a recent art show in Anacortes, but also the “People’s Choice” award for the exhibit.
Kuperberg comes from an artistic family and has been drawing and painting since she was a little girl. “Horses, horses, horses — it’s all I ever painted,” she said. She evolved into painting landscapes and wildlife, and intends to venture further into portraits, but horses still captivate her.
In college Kuperberg studied commercial art and graphic design, and did freelance work in the field in her early career. “Fine art isn’t always a viable way to make a living,” she said. “Many artists around my age who have been working in commercial art and graphic design find that in retirement they’re able to paint full time and sell fine art. Having the time, plus using the internet for sales, makes it possible for them.”
Kuperberg and her husband, Dan, had corporate backgrounds on the west side, as well as in New York and Chicago, before moving to the Methow Valley, but they loved to visit Mazama for family reunions. During one such vacation they asked themselves, “What can we do to make a living here?”
The Chewuch Inn was for sale and although the Kuperbergs didn’t come from a hotel background, both had worked extensively in customer service and felt like serving the public was something they could do. “Back then my creative outlet was painting the walls of the inn,” Kuperberg said.
That was 27 years ago, and for a long period Kuperberg painted sporadically, whenever time allowed. But 12 years ago, Dan turned a shed into a studio for Sally Kuperberg, and since then she has been able to paint more frequently. “I can go in whenever I wanted and leave things out, not have to pack them away,” she said.
Time and space to paint, coupled with support from other Methow Valley artists, has given Kuperberg the opportunity to share her work with audiences. “I credit a lot of our local artists for helping me,” she said. “Kathy Meyers and Rod Weagant were crucial in helping me develop my skills.”
Local businesses have supported Kuperberg as well. “Arrowleaf Bistro and the Purple Sage Gallery show my work, and their owners have given me so much motivation to continue to paint and get beyond my fears,” she said.
Kuperberg said she cannot overstate how critical workshops have been to her development as an artist, although she had to get her nerve up to take classes from artists whose work she admires. She encourages emerging artists to take advantage of the wide range of instructional talent available in the Methow Valley. “Just like any practice,” Kuperberg said, “you can learn so much by seeing what others are doing, how they are building professional careers in fine art.”
Kuperberg said she built up her courage to start entering art shows once she launched a website for her art. She discovered Plein Air Washington Artists (PAWA), which is “dedicated to the fine art of painting on location in natural light to document the diverse and breathtaking scenery of our state” and is right in Kuperberg’s wheelhouse. “Every time I go out on a hike I want to take my easel with me,” she said.
Kuperberg’s most recent award comes from the “Little Gems” show, hosted by PAWA and the Scott Milo Gallery in Anacortes. The show was for paintings smaller than 11’ x 14’, she said. “It was really cool to be accepted. Eighty-three painters entered 337 paintings, and they only accepted 70 paintings from 38 artists. It was a real honor to get the People’s Choice award, which came from show audiences voting on their favorite painting.”
Kuperberg sells her original works, as well as limited-edition archival reproductions. When she’s not running the Chewuch Inn, she’s painting or exploring areas of the valley that she hopes to paint. In addition to domestic and wild animals and the forests and meadows of the Methow Valley, Kuperberg often focuses on landmarks like old silos or barns—“things that are starting to disappear.”
“This valley is so spectacular,” she said, “I’m always interested in what’s around us.”
For more information about Kuperberg and her art, visit www.sallykuperbergart.com/.
