Two weeks ahead of the solstice, Cordata Gallery’s newest exhibition is a vibrant reflection on the Pacific Northwest’s long-awaited summers. “A Summer Celebration: Six Women Artists” spotlights six artists with diverse visions, albeit united by their ties to Northwest Washington. The show opens on June 7 and runs through Sept. 14 at 465 W. Stuart Road.
Artists Diana Grant, Carol Hartsock, Mira Kamada, Mary Jo Maute, Joy Olney and Lori VanEtta draw their inspiration from “natural beauty, rich local culture and their personal experiences.” However, their work encompasses a wide range of styles and artistic approaches.
“Each of these artists make very unique work, and works also very different one from the other,” sales and marketing manager Sarah Corona said. “That was important to us — to bring together six artists with different aesthetics but who also complement each other. We really cared a lot about presenting a professionally curated exhibition.”
As Cordata Gallery expands its programming, Corona said the show was conceptualized as a way to work with returning artists as well as introduce a few new names to their program. The goal during curation was to spotlight distinct yet cohesive works — and coincidentally, all of them were submitted by women.
Maute takes a figurative approach to abstractions, with bold, organic shapes inviting viewers to create their own interpretations. Grant’s landscapes are rooted in realism, though her gentle rendering of Pacific Northwestern light gives each painting an ethereal quality.
Hartsock’s energetic paintings pay homage to summer and serve as a “powerful testament to the beauty and richness of nature.” Gestural abstractions such as “Messengers” measure 30-by-40 inches, their scale serving as a pleasing contrast to the intimate, figurative works by Olney.
Olney’s playful, pastel-laden ballerinas are reminiscent of paintings by Degas — though portrayed through a distinctly female gaze. Each vignette is enclosed within a thick black frame, drawing viewers further into the scene.
Kamada’s “Marina Reflections” series masterfully captures the tranquility and color of Squalicum Harbor. Her fluid, colorful depictions of sailboats dancing on the water’s surface will feel familiar — and perhaps even comforting — to viewers who call Northwest Washington home.
Finally, VanEtta’s pieces demonstrate the artist’s versatility. Most intriguing are her layered pieces, wherein the artist creates new works on top of old paintings. Embracing the concept of pentimento, or “the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms or strokes that have been changed and painted over,” the result is an honest account of VanEtta’s evolving process.
These diverse styles influence the layout of the show itself: Each room of the gallery has a unique energy; while some pieces work in dialogue with each other, such as Grant’s landscapes and Olney’s dancers, other paintings, such as Hartsock’s abstractions, demand independence. VanEtta’s layered painting is the “hero piece” of the exhibition, inviting viewers to linger and explore different meanings within its canvas.
But despite the varying styles represented in “Six Women Artists,” the included works capture regional culture and nature through an imaginative lens — at times inspiring comparisons to masterworks by mid-century “Northwest Mystics” like Morris Graves and Guy Anderson. Grant, Hartsock, Kamada, Maute, Olney and VanEtta, however, offer a more contemporary — and feminine — vision of the region.
“In each artwork, there’s a very delicate, female and very elegant touch to it,” Corona said, describing each work as “very intriguing, but not overpowering.”
Throughout her years at the gallery, Corona has spoken to visitors who chose to relocate to the Pacific Northwest for its tranquility and ethereal natural beauty. By bringing together these six artists — not as individuals but as parts as a whole — Cordata Gallery has recreated a similar ambiance within its walls.
“A Summer Celebration: Six Women Artists” runs June 8–Sept. 14 at Cordata Gallery (465 W. Stuart Road). Hours are Tuesday–Thursday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 pm., and by appointment. Info: cordatagallery.com.
Editor’s note: Gallery owner David Syre is the owner of Cascadia Daily News.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
