'Pushing the envelope gracefully'
For Women’s Month, during March, art by women was featured at the Jacklin Arts and Culture Center in Post Falls.
A mosaic bust of a woman is prominently displayed during the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center’s recent Women’s Month exhibit.
The Women’s Month exhibit attracted more attention than director Laurel Smith expected it to.
This piece by artist Myesha Callahan Freet - a smile drawn over a self-portrait - brings attention to society’s tendency to expect women to always smile.
Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center director Laurel Smith.
Art on display during the month of March at The JACC.
The bust of a mannequin sits in the window of the Post Falls Jacklin Arts and Culture Center. But, on further inspection, this is not an average mannequin. Its silhouette has been decorated with small pieces of tile and glass to create a mosaic depicting the journey of a woman finding a home, becoming a mother, and finding herself as an artist.
Looking around the gallery, the plaques under each piece have a woman’s name. There is a pattern: Every piece has been created by a female artist.
The JACC hosted its first annual Women’s History exhibit to celebrate March as Women’s History Month.
The show, which ran from March 1 to April 5, was orchestrated by The JACC’s executive director Laurel Smith.
For her first curated show, Smith admitted she was a little unorganized.
Only seeking submissions for the show on Facebook a few weeks before the deadline closed, she thought just a few women would submit their work. Smith was thrilled when 50 different female artists filled her inbox.
“The show really became everything I wanted,” she said. “There was no pushback, just a celebration of womanhood.”
Twenty-seven different artists of varying backgrounds and ethnicities were chosen. Ages ranged from 14 to 60.
Watercolor paintings, pen drawings, photos, poetry, digital graphics, sculptures, potteries, mosaics - the diversity of the pieces matched the diversity of the artists. From a Hungarian refugee who escaped Soviet occupation to a budding local high school student, all pieces reflected an aspect of womanhood.
On opening night, hundreds of patrons attended, well-exceeding Smith’s goal. She said she was shocked so many people were interested.
People attending art classes on the main floor would climb up the stairs to see the gallery while their paint dried. Residents and staff of Coeur d’Alene Children’s Village, a nonprofit residential treatment facility, took field trips to the gallery.
Smith said the piece that received the most comments and questions was a self-portrait by eastern Washington artist Myesha Callahan Freet. The artist drew an eerie smiling face over her portrait to comment on how women are encouraged to smile - always.
“A lot of people were really confused by the piece,” Smith said. “But then when we explained the story behind the piece, most everyone had an ‘oohhh’ moment.”
Another local artist featured in the show was Christina Hull, a finalist in this year’s Art on the Green Poster Contest. Her hope is that her art brings a smile to people’s faces, feeling the joy she felt while creating it. According to her artist biography, painting “washes away the dust from her soul.”
Regardless of medium, each piece in the exhibit was meant to celebrate the success of female artists and highlight the difficulties women face. Smith called it “pushing the envelope gracefully.”
“I wanted to create an exhibit with more depth,” Smith said. “I wanted to challenge the viewer to think about how the artist was inspired. Even the more safe pieces have deeper elements to them that requires some thought.”
Her goal was not to shock, but to encourage understanding and conversation between artist and viewer.
“I wanted to bring together conservatives, liberals, everyone,” she said. “People really have more depth than you give them credit.”
Although only a few pieces sold over the month long exhibit, Smith was anything but discouraged.
“For people to come out to Post Falls, Idaho, and put $500 down on a piece of art is incredible,” she said. “I would be happy even if we only sold one.”
Post Falls is not often recognized for progressive art, and Smith wants to change that.
“Art is a way to bring more diversity to the Coeur d’Alene area,” she said. “So we want to make sure the arts community in our area is as inclusive as it can possibly be.”
Smith has only lived in Post Falls for a few years, but she has already made an impact in the North Idaho art community. In partnership with the Coeur d’Alene’s Arts and Culture Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts, and the Human Rights Education Institute, Smith has helped create a group committed to encouraging diversity in the arts.
To further encourage Post Falls to interact with art, Smith also plans on creating an “accessible art show,” no piece being over $100.
“Most galleries, the only art people can afford are tiny cards and prints of the larger pieces,” Smith said. “I want people to feel like they can actually buy local.”
As Smith continues to curate galleries at The JACC, the arts community will be exposed to new ideas and different mindsets. But, more than anything, Smith just hopes the community will continue to support its local artists - regardless of differences.