Happy Halloween - Highlights from the Annual Edison Elementary Costume Parade!

Every year both exits from Edison are barricaded to call traffic and hundreds of Edison Elementary school students parade around the heart of the town collecting candy from many (many) parents and onlookers.

The Vallees and two of three Smiths.

So Long!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Backroom Highlight - R. Allen Jensen, AKA, AKA

R. Allen Jensen, Faux Chalkboard, 24"x30", $725

R. Allen Jensen aka Robert Dante aka MAF Hockney aka Max Edison aka Amanda Stanhope aka Backroad Bob is our hero. Andrew Vallee first met Bob in 1994 - he was studying art at Western Washington University and Bob was one of his instructors. The class was as much about why to make art as much as how to make art. The "only" requirements were to be prolific, and be ready to defend how and why they created something. Andrew graduated in 1996 and Jensen retired the next year. Andrew focused on studying woodworking and Jensen continued to create on his own with artwork in exhibitions at the Whatcom Museum, Western Gallery, and Museum of Northwest Art.

Then in 2008, Andrew reconnected with his old mentor by having an exhibition of his work. Jensen was given full reign, choosing all of the work in the show. Another exhibition in 2009 flipped this idea when Jensen asked Smith & Vallee to choose artworks from his vast studio.

In winter of 2011 we have another planned exhibition with Bob. What does that mean? No one knows at this point but we are thrilled to have another chance to work with our prolific, uncompromising and extraordinary hero. For more reading, see here, here, here, and finally here.

R. Allen Jensen, Daily News, 28"x21.25", $600

R. Allen Jensen, Venus, 21"x15", $500

Preview! Cynthia Camlin and Michael Oppenheimer

Cynthia Camlin & Michael Oppenheimer
November 6 - 28, 2010
Artist Reception, Saturday, Nov. 6 (5-8pm)

Cynthia Camlin, a new professor in the Fine Art Department at Western Washington University, constructs glacial, geometric shapes that explore ideas of nature, the sublime and act as haunting barometers of global warming. Camlin, who is also a new member of Seattle's Punch Gallery, has shown nationally including the recent "Critial Messages: Northwest Artists on the Environment" at the Western Gallery in Bellingham.





Accompanying Cynthia Camlin is Lummi Island sculptor Michael Oppenheimer whose artwork directly responds to its environmental setting -- moving or resonating with weather conditions and sometimes responding to the viewer's gaze.

Smith & Vallee and "Journey of Action"

Today, we were one of the many stops along Kassidy & Ryan Brown's "Journey of Action." The brother - sister duo are making the trek from Alaska to Argentina to volunteer with and showcase young people with good ideas to make some impact in the social and environmental challenges of today (US!). Working with two filmmakers, Donovan Green and Nick Kova, they hope to bring attention to the people making change - from social entrepreneurs to non-profit organizations and educational systems.

You can learn more about and follow "Journey of Action" here.

The crew visiting S&V!

Ruthie V, "WORK" Reception and Exhibition Photos