Show Opening Party: Scenes From the Gorge with Myrna Anderson
Description
Join us in celebrating the opening of Myrna Anderson's incredible new show at The Dalles Art Center
Event Date:
07-10-25
Event Time:
05:00 PM - 07:00 PM PST
Location:
The Dalles Art Center
220 E 4th St
The Dalles, OR 97058
Contact Person:
Ellen Potter
(phone: 5412964759)
Details:
Join us for the opening celebration of Scenes From The Gorge, a stunning new exhibit by local artist Myrna Anderson. Explore the vibrant landscapes of the Columbia River Gorge through Myrna’s richly layered acrylic paintings and dynamic paper collages - each piece a tribute to the beauty of our region and the artist’s inventive, hands-on process.
Enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks as you mingle with fellow art lovers, meet the artist, and experience the work up close. This is a free, family-friendly event and a wonderful way to kick off the summer arts season at The Dalles Art Center.
Come for the art, stay for the community - everyone is welcome!
About the Exhibit:
Myrna Anderson’s Scenes From The Gorge is a vibrant and deeply personal tribute to the landscapes and light of the Columbia River Gorge. Living and working in Mosier, Oregon, Anderson draws daily inspiration from the region's ever-changing skies, rugged cliffs, and rich natural textures. Her body of work, presented here in two distinctive styles, captures the emotional and visual rhythms of the Gorge with a unique and layered approach.
In her acrylic paintings, Anderson employs what she calls her “stained glass” style. Each piece begins as a drawing in pencil, which is then outlined in black ink, creating a structure of bold lines and intersecting shapes. Color is built through a patient and deliberate process: rather than mixing pigments on a palette, Anderson layers translucent and opaque acrylic paints directly onto the canvas. Each “cell” of color contains up to seven individual layers, allowing light to interact with the surface in nuanced and luminous ways. The result is a vibrant mosaic of color and form, reminiscent of stained glass windows yet grounded in the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
In contrast, her collage works are composed of hand-altered paper made from National Geographic magazines. Using CitraSolv, Anderson dissolves the original printed images to create richly textured and unpredictable surfaces. These altered pages are then torn and reassembled into dynamic compositions, fixed to canvas with polymer gloss medium and accented with transparent paint or white highlights when needed. The collages radiate with organic energy; both abstract and deeply rooted in place.
A graduate of Whitman College with a BFA in Art and a teaching credential from Portland State University, Anderson brings both a deep knowledge of technique and a lifelong passion for arts education to her practice. Before settling in Mosier seven years ago, she taught art in public schools, led an elementary school art literacy program, and participated for 16 years in the Yamhill County Open Studio Tours. She has since become an active member of the Gorge arts community, regularly exhibiting her work at Columbia Center for the Arts, The Dalles Art Center, and other regional venues, and participating annually in the Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour.
Scenes From The Gorge is a celebration of both place and process. It is an invitation to see the familiar anew through the eyes of an artist whose work is as thoughtful as it is luminous.
Links:https://www.thedallesartcenter.org/events/show-opening-party-scenes-from-the-gorge-by-myrna-anderson