Category: Festival of the Arts

2024 Wallowa Valley Festival of the Arts

September 20-22, 2024; Joseph, Oregon
Opening Reception September 20 – 7 PM
Tickets Available Below!

Fine Art Show | En Plein Air Competition
Quick Draw | Silent Auction | Gallery Walk
Jazz Concert

Venue: Josephy Center for Arts and Culture (JCAC)

Judge: Karen Bakke

The Wallowa Valley is truly a special spot on the map.  Our breathtaking scenery captivates the heart, piques the imagination, and has a knack for unleashing the artist within us all.  It’s not by coincidence, that this beloved corner of Oregon is renowned for its vibrant community of artists, its exquisite galleries, its numerous bronze foundries, and its “WOW-inducing” Main Street art installations.  Whether you’re a local artist who has lived here most of your life, or you’ve never ventured quite this far out to the “End of the Road”, we encourage you to come and let yourself experience, anew, how this place will enchant and inspire you.  And, while you’re at it, be sure to step out and play a bit…take advantage of the myriad outdoor recreation opportunities this area has to offer.  What better time to explore Joseph and the Wallowas, than during the beautiful month of September?! Some have even taken to calling it our fifth season – our “Season of Art”.

Our Fine Art Show (including Opening Reception, Afternoon of the Quick Draw, Art Walk, and Silent Auction), will be September 20-22.  We’re also excited to, once again, offer our optional En Plein Air Competition.

Northwest Region Landscape Award | Sven Geirnaert

2023 Festival of the Arts

Our 41st Annual Event!

The festival is the largest juried fine art exhibition in Eastern Oregon, featuring representational realism as well as contemporary art from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

The Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts is dedicated to promoting the arts and supporting artists. WVFA is located in the beautiful town of Joseph – known for its breathtaking scenery, myriad outdoor recreation opportunities, world-renowned bronze foundries, exquisite galleries and Main Street art installations. A central aim of the annual festival is to reflect the beauty, culture, heritage, and traditions of our region through its arts and artists. We showcase sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, fiber arts, glass, jewelry, an En Plein Air competition and more!

Festival Judge: Tim Norman

Tim Norman is a sculptor who has worked in bronze production for nearly 40 years. Tim studied Art and Music at Eastern Oregon State College and Spokane Falls Community College. He began working at Valley Bronze in Joseph, Oregon in 1984.  Tim worked his way up to production manager but left in1996 to start Norman Arts with wife Nickie.

Tim creates and produces his original artwork at his studio near Enterprise Oregon. Tim utilizes the intimate knowledge earned from nearly 40 years in the Bronze Production business to create original fine art sculptures. Tim handles all of his own tooling and patina work on these sculptures, giving a personal touch to each bronze.

Tim’s artwork is enjoyed by collectors through out the United States and Europe. Tim has public works around the country including a  3’ x 5.5’ bronze wall relief of a Horse Drawn Combine titled ‘Harvest” for St. Anthony’s Hospital in Pendleton Oregon, “Heritage” a life size bald eagle in Joseph, Oregon and also in St. Joseph, Missouri.  Life size “River Dance” Redmond Oregon Airport. Tim’s work can also be seen at Phinney Gallery in Joseph, Or, and Rimrock Gallery in Prineville, Oregon.

2021 Wallowa Valley Festival of the Arts

Marlene Kingman

The festival is the largest juried fine art exhibition in Eastern Oregon, featuring representational realism as well as contemporary art from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.  

This year’s festival—which includes an opening reception, a fine art show, a quick draw, a silent auction, the Joseph Gallery Walk, and live music—will be held September 17-19.  Leading up to the weekend, the Josephy Center is excited to offer art workshops for local and visiting artists as well as a En Plein Air Competition which will begin on Saturday, Sept. 11th and end on Friday, Sept. 17th.  

Due to rising Covid cases in Wallowa County and the new masks orders from the Oregon Health Authority, we will not be able to produce this year’s Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts as planned. We are making some adjustments that will keep people safe while still exhibiting, appreciating and selling the 95 pieces of artwork accepted and the 54 artists that deserve to be celebrated. In order to do this in the safest way possible, the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture will dial back many of the events for the weekend.

Festival Events

  • Friday September 17th
  • Fine Art’s Show and En Plein Air Opening Reception 7-8:30 p.m. Limited Capacity.
  • Saturday September 18th
  • Art Exhibit & Music 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. FREE Admission
  • Downtown Joseph Art Walk 12-4 p.m.
  • Steve Arment Wood Carving Demonstration 12-1:30 p.m.
  • Quick Draw Event 2-3:30 p.m. Mt. Joseph Lodge Gardens (across the street from Josephy Center) Live music from 1:30-3:30 p.m, bidding closes at 4:00 p.m.
  • Sunday September 19th
  • Art Exhibit 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. FREE Admission
  • Silent Auction bids close at 1:30 p.m.
  • Buyers must pick up purchased art work at 2 p.m.

Virtual Gallery

Click here

 

Festival Judge: Dennis DeHart

Dennis DeHart is a photographic artist whose interdisciplinary projects are informed by the connections, conflicts, and intersections of the natural and cultural worlds. Dennis has exhibited broadly, including dozens of solo exhibitions, numerous on-line media and art contexts, and over 100 group shows nationally and internationally. He has received grants and awards from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the Idaho Commission on the Arts.  Dennis photographs are included in private and public collections including the The City of Phoenix and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Dennis received his MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico in 2002. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Photography with the State University of New York College at Buffalo and is currently an Associate Professor of Art with Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.

www.dennisdehart.com

37th Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts

September 10-15, 2019; Joseph, Oregon

 

Fine Art Show | En Plein Air Competition
Quick Draw | Silent Auction | Gallery Walk
Classical Music Concert

 

Venues: Josephy Center for Arts and Culture (JCAC) and 
Wallowology Natural History Discovery Center

Judge: Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson

 

The show will run at Josephy through October 1 with participating artists!


This Year’s Judge


En Plein Air Raffle


Opening Reception Tickets


Classical Concert Tickets

 

The Wallowa Valley is truly a special spot on the map.  Our breathtaking scenery captivates the heart, piques the imagination, and has a knack for unleashing the artist within us all.  It’s not by coincidence, that this beloved corner of Oregon is renowned for its vibrant community of artists, its exquisite galleries, its numerous bronze foundries, and its “WOW-inducing” Main Street art installations.  Whether you’re a local artist who has lived here most of your life, or you’ve never ventured quite this far out to the “End of the Road”, we encourage you to come and let yourself experience, anew, how this place will enchant and inspire you.  And, while you’re at it, be sure to step out and play a bit…take advantage of the myriad outdoor recreation opportunities this area has to offer.  And, what better time to explore Joseph and the Wallowas, than during colorfully placid September?! Some have even taken to calling it our fifth season – our “Season of Art”.

Karen Bakke

Our 2019 dates for the Fine Art Show (including Opening Reception, Afternoon of the Quick Draw, and Silent Auction), will be September 13- 15.  We’re also excited to, once again, offer our optional En Plein Air Competition, commencing on the evening of Tues., Sept. 10, and culminating on Thurs., Sept. 12, with a special reception and art hanging at the Wallowology Natural History Discovery Center (please refer to our Prospectus for all the details on this event).  We will, again, host a Joseph Gallery Walk; and we will wrap up the festivities with a Sunday evening Classical Music Concert at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture.

 

36th Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts

*36th Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts*
Show: September 13-16, 2018: Joseph, Oregon
Venues:  Josephy Center for Arts and Culture (JCAC) & Mt. Joseph Lodge (across the street from JCAC)

down, finger, hand iconFestival of Arts Schedule

Since 1982, Joseph Oregon has been welcoming Artists and Art Lovers to the Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts. Please join us for this special attraction featuring the best of local, regional and national fine artists working in a wide variety of media. This is our 36th year and we’ve made some changes to our festival  — venue, events and more. We’ve mixed it up a little and we think you are going to like what we are planning.

First, we’re moving our festival to the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture (403 N. Main Street, Joseph, OR  97846) and our Quick Draw and En Plein Air events will take place at the Mt. Joseph Lodge (directly across the street from the Josephy Center – 404 N. Main Street).

This year we are featuring over 65 artists and over 125 pieces of artwork in the Festival’s Big Night. Over 15 artists will be participating in the En Plein Air and 17 artists will be creating special pieces of art in 90 minutes during the Quick Draw on Saturday afternoon at the Mt. Joseph Lodge’s garden. There’s a silent auction of the Quick Draw pieces during and until 4 pm. Please check our schedule for complete details (below). Tickets for the Arts Festival Opening Reception are on sale at Beecrowbee, Bookloft and the Josephy Center. Advanced tickets are $20 and $25 at the door.  Each attendee will receive a hand-painted wine glass to help celebrate the evening.

Our judge this year is Cory Peele  – Cory W. Peeke received his BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design and his MFA from the University of Idaho. Cory is Professor of Art at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon where he also serves as Chair of the Art Department and Director of the Nightingale Gallery. He is represented by Gallery I M A in Seattle, Washington. https://corypeeke.com/home.html

Also featured in the Festival is a beautiful raffle piece by artist Tom Clevenger. Tom has graciously donated one of his amazing segmented wood turning pieces called Chocolate Adobe. It’s made from 385 pieces of Peruvian Walnut, bubinga and maple, valued at $1900. Proceeds from the sales will benefit the Josephy Center’s Youth Art Program and the OK Theatre’s new film screen. Tickets are $5 or 5 tickets for $20.

Show runs at Josephy Center through Oct. 2

This Year’s Schedule