Josephy Center Exhibit: "The Year of the Horse"

The Year of the Horse, an open, multi-media exhibit of artwork celebrating the horse, opens Saturday, October 4 at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture. The opening reception begins at 7:00. Doors open at 6:30.
            This exhibit is the first of the Josephy Center’s new Four Directions exhibit series, designed to celebrate unique aspects of Wallowa County history and culture, including agriculture, Native American culture, women in Art, and natural resources.
“According to the Chinese Calendar, 2014 is the year of the horse and, as horses have a long history in this community and the American West, we decided they would be a perfect theme for our first Art and Agriculture program,” said Executive Director Cheryl Coughlan.
During the month-long exhibit, the Josephy Center will also offer a series of programs centered around horses. Molly Gloss, author of  The Jump-Off Creek and The Hearts of Horses, will give a reading on the evening of October 17. Artist Sam Collett will teach a workshop about drawing horses on Saturday, October 4. Rodd Ambroson and Tim Norman will teach a clay sculpting class on October 18 and 19.
The Josephy Center will feature three films, including Black Beauty, Secretariat, and Dreamer:Inspired by a True Story. Brown-bag discussions will focus on the history and use of horses in the West, and an evening of music with Janis Carper, Bob Webb and a host of other local musicians will celebrate songs about horses.
Local artist Mike Koloski is celebrating the exhibit by premiering a new painting that he will offer for raffle to raise funds for the Josephy Center and Camp Divide, a local wilderness retreat for veterans. One hundred tickets will be available for $10 each, of which $750 will benefit Camp Divide and $250 will benefit the Josephy Center.
Other artists to look for include exhibit curator Leslie Leviner, David Crawford, Michele Baird, Ed Pitts, Dennis Reinke, Mark Kortnik, Carol McLaughlin, Jan Holt, Linda Bauck, Kathy McCrae, Leslie Lamb, Rene Fleming, and many others.