We are excited to open the gallery at Blakely Hall after a hiatus! Swing by to experience the joy of creating art and develop a deeper sense of belonging to Issaquah Highlands.
Six local artists will showcase their work in the Rootedness exhibit this fall: Gail Baker, Ekta Gupta, Anna Macrae, Carol Ross, Ann Elizabeth Scott and Susan Walker. Each of the six showing artists create art full-time and sell regularly.
The exhibit opens Thursday, Oct. 6, and runs through Dec. 8. Join us for an open house and artist reception at Blakely Hall on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 3-5 p.m.
Meet the artists and learn about their personal experiences with Rootedness…
Gail Baker:
“I have deep roots in Western Washington. I was born in Seattle and grew up in Bellevue. Since COVID began, I’ve been walking the hills, mountains, and trails in and near Issaquah every day. Occasionally a friend and I will go high into the Cascades or to Mt. Rainier. (Good rain gear is essential.)
As I devoted myself to walking greater distances, I realized how fortunate I was to be free to walk out my door and explore, especially during COVID isolation. I’m in love with this place. These three paintings express the gratitude I feel for this sacred area.”
Ekta Gupta:
“Moving to an unfamiliar place evokes a feeling of being uprooted and transplanted—it’s necessary for your growth, but at the same time, it requires a certain degree of fortitude and willingness to adapt to the new surroundings if you wish to thrive, not simply survive.
Forging new connections and relationships while holding on to your traditions and culture is an art and a skill that is a never-ending work in progress, as people constantly move in and out of our lives.
The love and support of family and friends, old and new, has helped me stay connected and rooted despite having moved to new continents and cities multiple times over the years.”
Anna Macrae:
“This work was generated during that time when the world took stock of what we valued. We paused, we stood still, we lived smaller lives and reckoned with what was important. We hoped we would learn, listen and do our best to re imagine how things could be to help make sense of the tremendous losses that were endured.
Expanding on the exploration of familiar reoccurring shapes and forms, I solidify my vocabulary of repeated patterns and marks. Using raw materials that were close at hand, I created abstract renderings. I generally built-up layers of information, then edited them down to attempt to calm the potential chaos, finding beauty in what is revealed and what is redacted.
I feel fortunate as an artist that I was able to isolate with my art practice and dig deep, being rooted in my response to that moment in time. I feel I was given the luxury of time and permission to explore and play with complete freedom of creative direction.”
Carol Ross:
“For my interpretation of the show theme ‘Rootedness,’ I looked at the idea that no matter how many differences there are in our in our lives, the closeness of how we live can ‘root’ us into our community.
The nearness of neighbors brings their daily lives into our awareness: our children play on the same street, we walk the same paths, and we share in complaining of the heat or the rain. The houses in my painting almost rest in the common sand of the community.”
Ann Elizabeth Scott:
“I hike nature trails, walking in parks and finding water areas. Being able to connect to nature and walk the landscape gives me a sense of connectedness to a specific space. It’s how I became deeply captivated with the Pacific Northwest after moving here to go to art school.
Many of my paintings have elements of nature that come directly from things I’ve seen— whether on a walk in the woods or watching a series on Netflix or finding a unique gift store on a day trip somewhere in Washington. I mostly use photos I’ve taken of local places, rather than more exotic far-away locales.
During the lockdowns, when I couldn’t go anywhere, I read more and watched more fantasy shows on TV than I had in a long time. I found rootedness in what I enjoyed seeing in stories and in the stunning visuals that can be found in the art of contemporary filmmaking. It made me create a language of visual symbolism in my creative process and opened up a new international audience of collectors for my work online.”
Susan Walker:
“Rootedness is home. I painted a real room from the home I was raised in, but there was never a red table with a single chair. Viewer, why did I paint the room this way?
Rootedness is neighborhood. I lived in the same neighborhood all my life until I left home for college. Everywhere I have lived since that time, I have intentionally cultivated good relations with the people who surround my place. Relationships are an anchor.
Rootedness is food and cooking. There is nothing like a favorite restaurant or a favorite meal, especially when shared with family or friends. Relationships ‘cook’ over food and food preparation.”
