Artist Applications Available: Temporary Exhibit Curator, Art Models for Drawing Class, Art Class Proposals, Exhibit Proposals
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Opening Reception – Steve Arment Woodcarving: From Tree to Tale Exhibit
Steve Arment Woodcarving: From Tree to Tale
Youth Fundraiser Exhibition
November 14 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Exhibit runs November 14th – December 18th, 2025
Opening Reception 11/14 5pm
Doors Open @4pm
Free and open to the public!
This Exhibit includes works from featured artists Steve Arment, Cheryl North Coughlan, Kolle Kalle-Riggs, Joan Gilbert, Nicole Freshley, Silje Harlander and Ryan Finlayson!
Artist Bio – Steve Arment
Steve Arment is a renowned woodcarver, artist, and collector whose work blends craftsmanship with storytelling. Known for his creative and whimsical folk-art style, Arment’s carvings bring warmth, humor, and imagination to traditional techniques. His art ranges from finely detailed relief carvings to playful, functional pieces that reflect his deep appreciation for history, nature, and community.
In addition to creating his own artwork, Arment has been a generous teacher, sharing his skills through popular woodcarving workshops at the Josephy Center and across Wallowa County. His approachable teaching style inspires artists of all levels to explore the joy of working with wood.
A passionate collector as well as a maker, Arment has curated exhibitions pairing his personal collection of European and American works with his own sculpture, offering audiences a window into both artistic practice and artistic appreciation. His work can also be found in local cultural landmarks, including hand-carved architectural details that highlight his lasting impact on the region’s arts and culture.
Through his carving, teaching, and collecting, Steve Arment continues to enrich the Wallowa Valley with a legacy of creativity, craftsmanship, and community spirit.
Artist Bio – Joan Gilbert
Joan Gilbert has a BA from Eastern Oregon University and a BFA in Graphic Design/Illustration from Oregon State University. Her career in graphic design, includes permanent exhibits for the Wallowology! Natural History Discovery Center in Joseph, and two permanent exhibits for the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture. She has volunteered teaching art in schools and camps across the region and has written and/or illustrated several children’s books. In 2022 Joan produced a solo art show at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture that was the culmination of a three-year journey exploring Wallowa Lake while exploring mediums, techniques and styles. Moving among graphic design, illustration, exhibit design and now fine art, Joan is very thankful she has been able to spend her whole career in the arts.
Artist Bio – Nicole Freshley
Nicole Freshley is a self taught painter based in Enterprise, Oregon. Using watercolor or oils she attempts to convey the expansiveness, calm, and beauty present in the landscapes of the West. She paints places she has a personal connection to: the mountains, prairie, and canyons of Eastern Oregon, and the Washington coast where she spent much of her youth. She often takes a small watercolor kit while backpacking and backcountry skiing (or a portable oils setup while in cow camp) to make plein air studies that work in tandem with her reference photographs to inform finished studio pieces. Her work balances intricate geographical detail with open space and rich blocks of color.
Artist Bio – Kolle Kalle-Riggs
Kolle Kalle-Riggs is a multimedia artist that went to school for Jewelry and Metalsmithing. She is inspired by flying squirrels, beetle galleries and tiny rocks.
Artist Bio – Ryan Finlayson
Growing up in the Seattle area and visiting, then later settling here in Wallowa county has been great for my artistic creativity. I grew up loving comic books and drew countless pictures of superheroes, especially Spiderman, my personal favorite. I find watercolor to be expressive and I feel a chaotic connection with it. I’m continuing to learn to let the watercolor guide me on my journey to the end of the piece that I’m working on. My main passion is drawing, and I do so from my imagination, I don’t work very often from live subjects, I prefer to let my brain do the work.
Artist Bio – Cheryl North Coughlan
I grew up around art and art history books…I’ve always loved going to museums but was never good at drawing a straight line…years later as an adult, I found art that I can make that doesn’t have a lot of straight lines or perfect anatomy, etc. I love humor and try to put it in my work. Ceramics has been an obsession since I started working with it 10 years ago. The animals I create have personalities, names and of course have a history. Some are rebels, others appreciate glamour and the red carpet. It’s all for fun.
Silje Harlander
Artist Bio – Siljé Harlander
Silje Harlander is a multimedia artist, graphic designer, and former river guide who grew up in Wallowa County. A strong advocate for women and nonbinary individuals in creative spaces, she owns and operates Steep Creek Studio. Harlander’s own work is inspired by the rugged beauty of her surroundings and the resilience of those she calls community.