Local artist Jan Nontell sits on a chair in front of a shelved wall featuring her ceramic and enamel art work during the first day of ARTrails on Saturday at the Galvin School outside Centralia.
Jan Nontell's ceramic and enamel art is seen on display at ARTrails at the Galvin School outside Centralia on Saturday.
Photographer Dennis Blake points to one of his photos on display at ARTrails at the Galvin School on Saturday.
Dried "bang pots" cover a table at the Galvin School during the first day of ARTrails on Saturday.
Bonnie Blake's jewelry is seen on display at ARTrails at the Galvin School near Centralia on Saturday.
Local artist Jan Nontell sits on a chair in front of a shelved wall featuring her ceramic and enamel art work during the first day of ARTrails on Saturday at the Galvin School outside Centralia.
A woman looks at framed photographs made by local photographer Dennis Blake on Saturday at ARTrails at the Galvin School outside Centralia.
Jewelry artist Bonnie Blake is seen in the reflection of a mirror talking to a customer about her work at ARTrails at the Galvin School on Saturday near Centralia.
Local ceramics artist Jan Nontell reforms a "bang pot" for Ashlea Renschler, 10, Tumwater, left, as her sister, Allie, 7, looks on with their grandmother on Saturday at ARTrails at the Galvin School outside Centralia.
Photographer Dennis Blake is seen in the reflection of a photo he made while presenting his work during ARTrails of Southwest Washington at Galvin School on Saturday afternoon.
Lewis County’s premier art event, ARTrails continues in its second weekend this Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Southwest Washington studio tour kicked off last Friday with a gala event in the Exhibition Gallery at the Historic Centralia train station. The event is in its eleventh year.
During this weekend’s tour, artists will open their studios to the public. Visitors can come see how the artists work, ask questions, as well as browse and purchase high quality art. Some of the artists will even encourage visitors’ artistic expression with hands-on activities.
All of the artists on the studio tour must submit to a rigorous jury process to be included in the artists’ collective to ensure the quality of the work. ARTrails encompasses an array of mediums including photography, sculpture, fiber arts, ceramics, metalworking, jewelry, glass, and many others. The studio tour features 27 locations from Little Rock to Castle Rock, and many of the artists have donated pieces for a drawing that will be held on October 17.
While the studio tour is its most recognizable event, the ARTrails collective engages in an array of activities throughout the year aimed at growing Southwest Washington’s fine arts community, as well as art tourism throughout the region.
According to Jan Nontell, a ceramics and enamel artist who is also past president of ARTrails, “I’d like to see Lewis County become a premier location for art and artists.”
To that end, ARTrails artists work with the community year-round to display art in local businesses such as the Market Street Bakery and the Centralia Starbucks. Nontell would also like to see local storefronts make a place for art in display windows, because a vibrant local arts scene revitalizes and grows communities.
“It encourages tourism,” she notes, adding, “When art is displayed in storefronts, it also encourages people to walk around downtown. That can bring foot traffic to local shops and restaurants.”
Chehalis jewelry and fiber artist, Bonnie Blake agrees with this philosophy, noting, “They’ve done studies that show crime rates drop in communities where art is on display.”
Blake and Nontell will be showing their work this weekend at the Verdant Fire Studio at the Historic Galvin Schoolhouse on Joppish Road in Centralia. The studio is number eight on the tour. Photographer Dennis Blake will also be showing there, along with three other artists including: Matt Carney, pastels; Judy Howard, watercolor and mixed media; and Marcia McCue , acrylic painting.
Those unable to attend studio tours over the weekend can also visit the Exhibition Gallery, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, September 29 at the Historic Train Depot in Centralia. The Exhibition Gallery features works from all of the ARTrails artists.
Karen Frazier is an author and freelance writer. She lives in Chehalis with her family.
