JOSEPH, Ore. – The Pacific Northwest’s art season gets under way along the byway with the traditional Mother’s Day Weekend Art Walk, in Joseph, Oregon’s art colony. Joseph’s widely renowned galleries will exhibit new pieces of art and serve wine and hors d’oeuvres while artists demonstrate their talents in various media. The event takes place 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 10 and 11.
“This is your opportunity in advance of our summer crowds to meet local artists and browse our great galleries and shops,” said Kelly Wick, owner of Kelly’s Gallery on Main and organizer of the annual art walk.
Joseph is known for its world-class artists, galleries and bronze foundries. Twelve large bronzes grace the town’s Main Street.
Artists scheduled to demonstrate their talents include Caprice Scott, hand-crafted pottery; Dennis Reinke, paintings; Tim Norman, bronze sculpture; Terri Malec, bronze sculpture; Tom Clevenger, segmented wood sculpture, and Gary Wishart, original pottery. Participating galleries and shops include Aspen Grove Gallery, beecrowbee, Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, Kelly’s Gallery on Main, Missy’s Uptown Art, Norman Arts Gallery, Stewart Jones Designs, toZion and Valley Bronze.
Additionally, volunteers for Oregon’s Alpenfest will sell delicious locally crafted Joseph Trading Post bratwursts on Main Street as a fundraiser for the region’s annual Swiss-Bavarian festival planned for Sept. 25-28.
Joseph is 70 miles east of La Grande on Oregon Highway 82 (the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway), and 93 miles south of Clarkston, Wash. The town adjoins spectacular Wallowa Lake. For lodging and other information: www.josephoregon.com.
