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Local land inspires Washington artist

Art

Local land inspires Washington artist

James Blackburn Craig’s closing reception includes gallery walk, presentation

The Corner Gallery’s latest exhibit, “Experiences and Recollections,” displayed work by artist James Blackburn Craig. The closing reception Thursday, Feb. 2 featured a gallery walk and presentation.

An art instructor from Kennewick, Wash., Craig has exhibited his work in numerous galleries since the early 1970s. The Corner Gallery exhibit included acrylic painted wall constructions, high-relief painted surfaces, base-relief painted surfaces and various mediums for sculptures.

“Interest in the cultural dynamics of the country [are] based on observation and the news,” Craig said. “Observations and inspiration [are]derived from the rural environment of the West, and northeast Montana.”

The exhibit first opened on Nov. 14. The gallery walk, held Thursday at 10:30 a.m., was mostly directed toward students, but was open to the public as well. Craig proceeded to give a presentation in Molstead Library that afternoon in which he discussed the show in more detail, and shared a large body of his work that had not been displayed.

Several art classes as well as a members of the community were present. To conclude the evening, both students and the public were invited back to Corner Gallery for a closing reception from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Craig spent 18 years of his life living on an Indian Reservation. He said many of his wall-hung pieces were influenced by Native American quilt work.

“Experiences and Recollections” consisted of 22 pieces, 14 of which are what Craig called, “Wall Relief Constructions.” Acrilic based, the pieces are products of a decade of work, incorporating recycled paper fiber as a sculptural medium.
“[These methods reflect the] repetitive patterns of the agricultural land, and the traditional motifs and color orchestrations found in quilt design,” Craig said.

The other eight pieces Craig described as “Floor & Wall Wood Sculptures.”

 

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