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What is an Artist Talk? It’s a presentation during which an artist speaks in depth about their work, medium(s), process, and influences. Audience members (whether in person or online) have an opportunity to ask questions and speak with the featured artist.

 

In 2022, Art Center East hosted a series of in-person and virtual Artist Talks, utilizing generous grant funding received from Oregon Humanities. These Artist Talks are now available online! View a recording or download an audio-only MP3. 

 

Subscribe to ACE’s weekly e-newsletter https://artcentereast.org/our-story/newsletter  for information about upcoming Artist Talks and follow us on Facebook at Art Center East or on Instagram at @artcentereast.

 

If you’re an artist who would like to explore giving an Artist Talk through ACE, please email [email protected] with “Artist Talk: Presenter Proposal” in the subject line and tell us about your work. If you know of artist(s) who might be interested in presenting for our Artist Talk series, please email [email protected] with "Artist Talk - Presenter Recommendation” in the subject line.

Artist Talk: bayly lay


Art Center East (ACE) announces the opening of “Thin Red Thread”, a solo exhibition by emerging Eastern Oregon painter Bayly Lay. Community members of all ages are invited to attend a free opening reception on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 6–8 p.m. in ACE’s Main Gallery. The exhibit will be on display May 2 through June 28. A recorded artist talk by Lay will be available following the opening reception.

Raised on a fifth-generation ranch in the foothills of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Lay brings a grounded yet passionate energy to her self-taught painting practice. She did not grow up painting or attend art school, but she has not stopped painting since she began in 2022. Her work speaks in memory and mirage, and she layers sheer pigments in an unorthodox oil painting style that is impressionistic, tender, and deeply evocative.

Lay says, “This body of work draws upon three sources of artistic influence that shaped my life. The moody darks of Scotland’s pubs, the impossible greens of the Colombian Amazon, and the thin red thread that tugs me back to the Catherine Creekbed.” 

Artist Talk: 2025 EOU Practice & Theory Artists
 
Art Center East is proud to host Eastern Oregon University’s annual Junior Theory and Practice art exhibition, “Collideoscope”, in ACE’s Main Gallery. The EOU Junior Exhibition, held annually at Art Center East, marks a significant step on the artistic path of each student involved. Although this group of junior-year students is cohesive in their shared academic experience, the variety of their artistic processes and creative interests results in a group exhibition that celebrates individual expression.
 
Part of the EOU Art Department capstone sequence, the Junior Theory and Practice class guides students through concentrated research, writing, and studio exploration. Students in the class have each begun to develop focused bodies of work; these are the pieces on display in “Collideoscope”.
 
The featured student artists include Shelby Bell, Samantha Choate, Abby Colby, Andrea Grigg, Jack Hess, Henry Hoelscher, Megan Hurley, Elisabeth Munsell, and Baron Ucharm.
 
Artist Talk: DARCY DOLGE
 
Art Center East is excited to present "Celestial Resonance," an immersive exhibit by local artist and sound therapist Darcy Dolge.
 
"Celestial Resonance" combines art, sound, and intention to create a multi-sensory experience that invites viewers to explore art as a space for meditation, healing, and connection. Dolge weaves together hand-drawn linework, watercolors, digital collages, gilding, and beading with specific sound frequencies and crystal elements, creating works that resonate both energetically and visually.
 
Inspired by creative courage, self-discovery, and universal connection, Dolge incorporates frequencies, cymatics, astrological cycles, numerology, and planetary rhythms into her art. Gilded details in gold, silver, and copper leaf symbolize alchemical transformation, while digital collages infused with mineral-based pigments ground the work in natural elements. A key series highlights cymatic patterns—the visual representation of sound vibrations—featuring motifs such as the seven main chakras and the AUM symbol of universal harmony.
 
Artist Talk:
Jan clark, linda m. peterson, denise elizabeth stone
 
Art Center East presents "Journeys & Convergence" a collaborative exhibit featuring works by local artists Jan Clark, Linda M. Peterson, and Denise Elizabeth Stone. The roots of "Journeys and Convergence" run deep. Clark, Peterson, and Stone initially gathered to learn the batik watercolor method with another local artist Sue Orlaske. Orlaske died in 2021. As a group, they developed techniques that expanded the possibilities of the method and exhibited their work as the "Batik Convergence". Chronicling 16 years of individual artistic journeys and collaborative work, "Journeys and Convergence" is unified by the themes of nature, color exploration, and storytelling.
 
Learn more about Denise and view her work here:
 
WEB: https://www.therowdygoddess.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/therowdygoddess/
 
Artist Talk: Brenna kimbro
 
Art Center East presents "My Heart" an exhibit of organic sculptures, paintings, and limited edition bronze sculptures in the Orlaske Gallery by local artist Brenna Kimbro. She says, "With this body of work, I want to share a piece of my heart. Through horses and art, my heart continues to grow, trust, and discover." Kimbro not only embraces the movement, freedom, and gracefulness of horses, but celebrates their nature. 
 
Learn more about Brenna Kimbro and view her work here:
 
Artist Talk: Silje Harlander
 
Art Center East presents "The Wonder in the Well" an exhibit in the Orlaske Gallery by Silje Harlander of Wallowa County, Oregon. She explains that the artworks included began at a time when she was discovering her infatuation with water. "I am particularly enchanted with the soft starkness of water. Its capacity to bend around what it meets, to calm and soothe, to reflect when still, " she said. Water is a vessel through which Harlander "explores her connection to nature, Norwegian culture and symbolism, ideas of the West, and surrendering to change as the only constant."
 
Learn more about Silje Harlander and view her work here:
 
Artist Talk: christie lower
 
Art Center East presents "Fiber in Flight: Birds of Eastern Oregon," an exhibit in the Main Gallery by Christie Lower of Halfway, Oregon. Lower has developed and honed her skills and technique in creating to-scale, lifelike animals inspired by by the natural world around her, specifically birds. 
 
Learn more about Christie Lower and view her work here:
 
Artist Talk: Don Gray
 
Art Center East presents "Cross-Section: Paintings by Don Gray," an exhibit in the Orlaske Gallery. Don Gray is a Washington-based professional artist who has strong ties to Eastern Oregon. He has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States.
 
Learn more about Don Gray and view his work here:
 
Artist Talk: Jessica plattner
 
Art Center East presents "The Other Life" by Jessica Plattner. She is an American artist residing in Canada. After earning a BFA from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis, and an MFA in painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Temple Rome, Italy, Plattner participated in artist residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, The Vermont Studio Center, and Studio Art Centers International (SACI) in Florence, Italy. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Mexico, where she taught and exhibited at the Universidad de Guanajuato. For twelve years she was a full-time faculty member in the Art Department at Eastern Oregon University, and she currently teaches in the Art & Design Program at Medicine Hat College in Alberta.
 
Learn more about Jessica Plattner and view her work here:
 
Artist Talk: Jen Hernandez
 
Hernandez is an artist and educator based in Corvallis, Oregon. Her artwork is inspired by the natural environment, people, and stories of the Pacific Northwest, with special attention to diversity in representation. 
 
Learn more about Jen Hernandez and view her work here:
 
 
This talk is part of a series of Artist Talks at Art Center East. Thank you to the Oregon Humanities for their grant funding to help make these opportunities possible!
Artist Talk: Katie Harris Murphy and Mary Harris.
 
These Pendleton based creatives make traditional regalia.
 
Learn more about Katie & Mary and view their work here:
 
 
This talk is part of a series of Artist Talks we have been able to host at Art Center East. Thank you to the Oregon Humanities for their grant funding to help make these opportunities possible!
Artist Talk: berenice chavez
 
Chavez is a photographer who uses a range of film types, large and small formats, candid shots and portraiture. She graduated from Eastern Oregon University in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science in Art and Anthropology. Chavez is currently an Admissions Counselor and Social Media Coordinator at Eastern Oregon University.  
 
Learn more about Berenice and view her work here:
 
 
This talk is part of a series of Artist Talks we have been able to host at Art Center East. Thank you to the Oregon Humanities for their grant funding to help make these opportunities possible!
Artist Talk: addie delong
Art Center East presents Wall Paper, an exhibit featuring work from Bend-based artist Addie DeLong. Excerpts of her past are displayed as soft pinks and pastels that resemble the walls of generations past, more specifically, her grandparents’ home. Upon her final visits, emotions flooded as she realized these spaces were an important piece of her childhood. DeLong uses acrylic paint and paper to depict her nostalgic memories involving color, time, and family.
The exhibit was on display from September 10 - October 23, 2021.
 
Learn more about Addie and view her work here:
 

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