Determined to Rise:  The Valiant Women of the Vote – 100 years

Exhibit opening Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m. – Featuring People’s Choice & Curator’s Choice Awards

Click here to view our virtual exhibit, and to purchase a piece.

In its seventh year, the Women’s Exhibit is hosted in conjunction with National Women’s History Month – March 2020.  This year marks a special century of history with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right vote. The curator is Jenny Klimsza.

This exhibit features local and regional women artist working in a wide variety of media.

On March 7 at 7 p.m. join us and the Wallowa Valley Music alliance for the “Women, Words & Music” concert.  This is our annual showcase of women musicians and writers. The Women’s Exhibit is sponsored by the Wallowa County Soroptomist , the Autzen Foundation and the Oregon Arts Commission.

Other events during the exhibit include Fireside Fireside readings in partnership with Fishtrap, hosting brown bag lunches, and solo plays about Abigail Scott Duniway and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Painting of Woman’s Face: Jennifer Klimsza

Print: Progress by René Fleming

Theme:  “Women on the Edge”

Exhibit will run March 2 – April 18, 2019

Click here to view our virtual exhibit gallery!

The Josephy Center is excited to bring back our annual Women’s Art exhibit opening Saturday, March 2 at 7pm. This year will be our fifth! Everyone is welcome to help us celebrate these amazing women artists and Women’s History Month. Appetizers will be provided by Vanilla Stag and we will have a no-host bar. The exhibit is set to run until April 18 so there will be ample time to stop by before it’s over. Support for the show comes from Wallowa County Soroptimist, Oregon Arts Commission, and the Pacific Power Foundation.

This year’s exhibit has a wide range of talent. Many upcoming artists like Olivia Starks and Kolle Kahle Riggs. There are also some very experienced artists like leslie LeViner and Nancy Clarke. All artists will participate in the exhibit with a total of 36 artists and 57 pieces. Artist Dawn Norman is our curator this year. “This was my first time curating an open call exhibition for the Josephy Center. I was happy to see so many great entries from our Wallowa Valley women!”. Dawn teaches youth art classes on Friday at 10 a.m. for ages 5-7 and a drawing and painting class for teens and adults from 12:30-2 p.m. During the exhibit, she will be teaching a Wine and Painting class – with watercolors on March 9th at 4 p.m. Register for the class on our website or contact Mellica at classes@josephy.org.

This year is a special year to celebrate women – it marks the 100th year that women were legally authorized the right to vote in 1919. On March 12 Wallowa County Commissioner – and former Enterprise Mayor – Susan Roberts will talk about her career in local politics at a noon Brown Bag event at the Josephy Center. On March 26 the Brown Bag will honor outstanding women in County affairs, beginning with Wilma Haller, an early Soroptimist who developed the Thrift Shop. And on April 9 several senior women agriculture and natural resource students from the OSU program at Eastern Oregon University will talk about the future for women in their fields.

Join in classes with local and regional artists Dawn Norman, Whitney Freya, and who will be leading Painting Meditation classes on the 13th of March and the 24th of April.

Feel free to email Megan at coordinator@josephy.org with any questions!

Honoring Women’s Art Month please join us for our exhibit featuring women and the art they have created.  Opening evening will be March 3, from 7-9pm with drinks and goodies catered by Lynne Curry. The exhibit runs through April 3.

We have a great line up of events and classes to participate in during the month of March.  Dabble in the art of abstract painting with Jennifer Klimsza on the 10th.  No experience necessary but expect to have some fun.  Terri Malec is offering a sculpting series class, every Tuesday from 1-4.  You must be able to commit to all Tuesdays.

Participate in the  “Women’s Tea” on March 18th at 4pm.  Come listen to readings by Mary Emerick and Pam Royes.  Delight in music played by Gail Swart on the piano.  To wrap up the month we’ll have a concert on the 31st showcasing women musicians and writers.

Brown bags every Tuesday at noon to be announced.

Honoring Women’s Art Month in Wallowa County, with brown bag lectures, classes, music, and films showcasing women in the world of art.

Josephy Center Hosts Fourth Annual Women’s Art Show

Visitors are encouraged to dress as their favorite female character, icon, or heroine at the Josephy Center’s Opening Reception for their fourth annual Women’s Art Show on Saturday, March 4^th at 7 pm. A prize will be given for Best Costume as well as a People’s Choice Award from among the artwork in the exhibit. The exhibit, juried by Shelley Curtiss and sponsored by Soroptomist of Enterprise, will feature a wide variety of artwork by women artists of all ages, professions, and skill levels.

“This is our most popular show of the year,” said Cheryl Coughlan, Executive Director at JCAC, “We always get a ton of entries and it gives us an opportunity to feature some of the women artists in our community who have never been in one of our shows before.” Over 30 women artists will be featured in this year’s exhibit, including Nancy Clark, Pam Royes, Cynthia Harvey, Aimee Jungmann, and MC Reardon.

In addition to the art exhibit, JCAC and Soroptomist of Enterprise will be partnering to host a variety of special programs and events at the Josephy Center. JCAC will show the women’s suffrage film, ‘The Suffragette’ on March 8 at 7 pm; a Women’s Open Mic Night on March 12 from 4-6 pm; and, back by popular demand, the Wallowa Valley Music Alliance’s Music & Words Event on March 25 and 7 pm. The Josephy Library will also be hosting three special Brown Bags discussions at the Center: Women in Natural Resources featuring Pat Kennedy on March 7 at noon; Art History featuring Cheryl Coughlan on March 14 at noon; and Women’s Health featuring Dr. Rene Grandi on March 21 at noon. Finally, JCAC’s Lead Instructor, Mellica McIntire will be offering an Abstract Painting class on March 18 from 10-4 pm and Jennifer Klimsza will offer her Wine and Painting Class on March 11 from 4-7 pm. Anyone interested in these classes should visit www.josephy.org/classes or the Josephy Center to pre-register.

“I’ve never done a Women’s Art Show before and I’m thrilled at our line-up for the month of March,” said Casey Holmes, Resource Coordinator at JCAC, “It will be interesting to see the community’s response, from the costumes at the reception to our diverse set of Brown Bags and the music events. I think everyone will be really pleased.”

The Josephy Center is honored to present our third annual Women’s Art Month. This month’s exhibit, inspired by National Women’s History Month, opens with a reception on Friday, February 26 at 7 p.m. The Center will celebrate women through readings, two art workshops, the art exhibit, music performances, films and Brown Bag discussions for the entire month of March.

Executive Director Cheryl Coughlan says, “I look forward to the Women’s Art Exhibit every year, we have incredible women artists who deserve recognition and the Josephy Center is the perfect venue to celebrate their work.” Artist Leslie LeViner juried the submitted artwork. We will have a People’s Choice Award given at the exhibit opening. More than twenty-five artists from the Northwest will display their work in the exhibit. These women are from all walks of life: working artists, students, retirees, mothers and career women. A few of the participating artists are Leslie LeViner, Shelley Curtiss, Aimee Jungmann, Cynthia Harvey, Faith Hulse, Jean Falbo, Jennifer Klimsza, Mary Zeise, Nancy Clarke, and more.

Women-themed events will take place throughout March including three Brown Bags: Tuesday, March 1 at noon, we welcome Stacy Green to speak about Wallowa Memorial Hospital’s “Circle 100”, Tuesday, March 8 at noon, musician Janis Carper will be here to sing and talk about the Music Alliance and lastly, we will have Ann Browder from Soroptomist on Tuesday March 15 at noon to tell us who the Soroptomists are and what they do.

We are excited to host two art workshops in March: first on March 4 from 4-6:30 p.m., Jennifer Klimsza will host a “Wine & Painting” class. This is for the total beginner and costs $40 + $10 for supplies. Each student will get a 16” x 20” canvas and will learn the basic painting skills with acrylic. Students will leave with a beautiful completed work of art. On Sunday, March 20 from 10-4 p.m. we are honored to have book artist Roberta Lavadour here to teach a “Book Arts” class (cost is $75 + $7 for supplies). During this one-day class students will create a distinctive leather travel journal that can be used for anything from writing to creating plein air watercolor sketches. We’ll look at the ways that sound structure and creative design elements can work together to make a book that will be sturdy enough to go anywhere. No previous experience is necessary. Roberta Lavadour lives and works in Pendleton, Oregon. Her work is fueled by her rampant curiosity, and explores everything from found objects and thrift store finds to family history and current events. She received an Oregon Arts Commission/ National Endowment for the Arts Visual Artist Fellowship in 2001. All interested students should pre-register online at www.josephy.org/classes, or call 541-432-0505, or register in person and leave a deposit or pay in full to reserve a spot.

On Friday, March 4, at 7:00 p.m., the Josephy Center and Fishtrap will host a Women’s Writing Panel with three women writers with strong ties to Wallowa Country in an evening of readings and discussion. Memoirist Liz Enslin, novelist Mary Emerick, and journalist Anna Bird will each read for 15-20 minutes, and Amy Zahm will then moderate a panel addressing the special joys and problems of being a woman writer.

Enslin’s book, While the Gods Were Sleeping: A Journey Through Love and Rebellion in Nepal, was recently nominated for an Oregon Book Award in creative non-fiction. Mary Emerick chose to write her years of Alaskan experience in novel form, and The Geography of Water, published recently by the University of Alaska Press, is receiving glowing reviews. Enslin and Emerick both live in Wallowa County now. Anna Bird, who graduated from Joseph High School and the University of Oregon, is a staff writer at 1859 Oregon Magazine in Bend, where “The Storied Life of Alvin Josephy” appeared in the November 2015 issue. Admission is by a donation. Books will be for sale by Mary from the Bookloft. A non-fiction writing workshop will be offered on Saturday, March 5 at Fishtrap, please call for details 541-426-3623.

Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m. “The Woodmans”, a documentary film about a family of artists. Francesca Woodman was on the cutting edge of photography in the 1970’s when her life was cut short at age 22 by suicide. Her artistic family talks about their work, family and Francesca’s amazing repertoire.

Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m., Women’s Music and Reading Event in partnership with Wallowa Valley Music Alliance. Join us and hear the great songs and writings of Janis Carper, Heidi Muller, Carolyn Lockhart, Jennifer Hobbs and more.

Women’s moth provides an excellent opportunity to honor women and their accomplishments. The exhibit and events are made possible by the generous support of Soroptomist, Oregon Cultural Trust, and the Collins Foundation. Please contact the Josephy Center for additional information, 541-432-0505.

Georgia O’Keeffe, one of history’s most famous painters said, “The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I’m one of the best painters.

Please attend our opening reception Friday, February 26th at 7 PM – free and open to the public! Donations welcome. The exhibit will be up and running through March 29.

Following are links to women’s programs at Josephy during the exhibit:

March 1 & 15 – Noon: Women’s Brown Bag Lunch Lectures

March 4 – 7 PM: Women’s Writing Panel Discussion

March 5 – 4 PM: Wine & Painting Class

March 10 – 7 PM: Cinema Night: The Woodmens, about Francesca Woodman

March 20 – 10 AM: Book Arts Class

March 26 – 7 PM: Women’s Music Showcase

Sculpture: Cynthia Harvey

Photo below: Ellen Bishop

Illustration: Roz Crews

“Divide” Oil Painting: Aimee Jungmann

Acrylic Painting: Jennifer Klimsza

Basket / Cover Art: Mary Zeise