Our Time, Our Voice: An Evening at the Kolva-Sullivan Gallery

LC’s installation of ceramic bowls at the Our Time, Our Voice art show.

by Mara Bech

Photography by Caty Childress

It was a rainy, wet evening when fellow Tribune editor Caty Childress and I made our way downtown to the District 81 art show Our Time, Our Voice hosted at the Kolva-Sullivan Gallery. Stepping into the gallery space, visitors are greeted with a wall covered in ceramic bowls, each painted with individual black lines. This centerpiece arrangement was Lewis and Clark’s contribution to the art show, which asked all the District 81 high schools to create a large collaborative installment that fit the theme “Our Time, Our Voice.” Created by LC ceramics students under the direction of art teacher Chad Brazill, the small clay bowls with their striking black lines served as a representation of the individual artist’s unique path through life. 

Shadle’s collaborative installment of paper magpies fluttered over the heads of gallery visitors.

Shadle Park’s contribution was a soaring installment of paper magpies flying towards a birdcage containing a tablet. To construct the magpies, over 150 students analyzed their social media feeds to create collages addressing issues they care about such as climate change, human rights, and overconsumption. These collages were then transformed into feathers and birds, creating a dynamic installation that explores how social media can distort cultural issues. 

Rogers’ ceramic tiles highlighted the urgency of coral reef restoration.

Rogers High School showcased three large collaborative pieces united under the theme of environmental awareness and conservation. An installment of 63 ceramic tiles glazed in pale blues, grays, and whites highlighted the biodiversity of coral reefs and the importance of protecting these vital parts of our oceans. Each tile was made individually. Brooklyn Linne, a Rogers Ceramics student, spoke to us on her process and the challenges of the medium. “We’ve been working on [the tiles] for two or three weeks now,” Linne said. “I really liked making the tube corals, but the sun corals – I love how they look, but the tiny parts kept breaking off!” This was Linne’s first time seeing the piece in its entirety and having artwork exhibited at a show. 

Ceramic Chinook salmon made by John R. Rogers students hang from the gallery ceiling.

Right next to the wall of coral tiles was a gravity-defying installment that took viewers into the habitat of Washington native Chinook salmon. A massive piece of driftwood was hung from the ceiling, surrounded by ceramic salmon about the length of my arm, all suspended on lengths of wire. The piece was created to celebrate the reintroduction of Chinook salmon into local rivers and inform viewers of the ecological importance of the species. Behind the hanging ceramic installment were eight mixed-media canvases placed together to depict a single salmon. A different student created the design for each canvas, resulting in a vibrant, creative piece.

John R. Rogers art students created this colorful piece to celebrate the native Chinook salmon.

Ferris student Adi Vasquez with the collaborative art piece “Florescence.”

Ferris High School’s contribution was a mixed-media poster depicting flowers and art pieces emerging from a globe, titled “Florescence.” Students were instructed to pick an element of nature that resonated with them. Adi Vasquez, one of the student artists involved in the piece spoke to us about her choice of subject. “I picked the moon because I love the moon… so I drew a girl looking at the moon, because I think it’s so relaxing.” 

Shadle student Carol Talbert and her piece “The Labyrinth.”

In addition to the large installments from high schools, there was a variety of student work that which spanned all mediums. I talked with Shadle student Carol Talbert, who contributed an acrylic portrait of David Bowie as the Goblin King from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth . Talbert said her first step was watching the movie multiple times “to get familiar with…different angles, different views, different scenes.” The portrait was a challenge to her, as she tends to lean towards a more cartoony style “kind of like Tom and Jerry or Jessica Rabbit,” she said. It was her first time having her work in an art show. 

Lewis and Clark senior Brady Bendickson with his ceramic vase.

It was impossible to miss LC student Brady Bendickson’s striking ceramic vase, which features a fanged snake coiled around the body of the vessel. I asked Bendickson how he constructed the vase. “I hand-pressed every individual scale – it was at least a thousand scales, and the process took me a long time.” This was Bendickson’s first art show, with two more lined up – one in Spokane for the Bite2Go Foundation, and one in Olympia. Overall, Bendickson enjoyed the experience. “It’s really cool, I’ve gotten a lot of positive criticism on [my piece]...It’s been great to meet people, show them my work and get to see their work.” 

A closer look at the detail present in Bendickson’s piece.

Various pieces of individual student artwork from the gallery.

The show as a whole highlights the importance of arts education in our schools and showcases the vast array of student talents present in our community. Personally, after our trip, we here at The Tiger Tribune can wholeheartedly recommend that you make some time in your day to go support your community of young artists in Spokane. The Our Time, Our Voice art show runs until the end of February at the Kolva-Sullivan Gallery at 15 S Adams St. and is open by appointment only.

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Edited by Theodore O’Harra