Art Center East

CURRENT EXHIBIT ABOUT THE ARTISTS VIRTUAL GALLERY SHOP ORLASKE GALLERY MAIN GALLERY

Exhibits can also be viewed online at artcentereast.org thanks to a partnership with High Country Realty Professionals.

SUE ORLASKE

Orlaske Gallery Ribbon cutting

Photo: Berenice Chavez

The Art Center East Orlaske Gallery, formerly the Co-op Gallery, is an international fine art exhibition space that is community-supported and funded by Art Center East annual memberships, private donors, state and regional funders, and sponsors.

In 2022, Art Center East rebranded and reimagined its Co-op Gallery space to better serve the community. Community members had the opportunity to honor in memoriam a prominent local artist or art supporter by voting to rename the space.

After a three-month voting period, Art Center East’s Co-op Gallery transformed into the Orlaske Gallery, honoring the late local artist Sue Orlaske.

Sue Orlaske was born in southwestern Michigan but moved to Oregon in 1977 to attend graduate school and continued to live in Oregon until her death in October 2021. She has both a B.S. and an M.S. in Biology. She had no formal art training but from a young age was interested in art and produced detailed pen and ink drawings. For several years in the 1980s, Sue owned and operated a retail business — a coffee and tea store long before there was a Starbucks on every corner. It was during that time that Sue also became interested in pursuing art in a more serious way. She started taking classes in pottery at Valley Art Center in Forest Grove.

In the early 1990s, Sue sold her business and she and her husband, Mitch Wolgamott, moved to Northeast Oregon, briefly to La Grande and then to Summerville. Sue then became a full-time artist with a well-equipped studio where she produced ceramic/clay art as well as two-dimensional art (pastels and watercolors, including Batik watercolors). Her themes often included abstract and representational natural elements: Eastern Oregon landscapes, critters, and plants.

Sue was a member of and actively involved with three art co-ops: Valley Art in Forest Grove, Art Center East in La Grande, and Crossroads in Baker City. She became well-known in the region for the quality of her work and for her willingness to help and teach other artists. Her work was in many art shows and won several regional art awards. She was a featured artist on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Oregon Art Beat”. Several galleries in Oregon and Southern Washington carried her work.

Each exhibition has its own festive opening and closing receptions. Free and open to the public, exhibits remain on display for approximately 1-2 months. Exhibits can be viewed online thanks to a partnership with High Country Realty Professionals. Each exhibition artwork is listed online for viewing. Shop the current exhibition art here.

NEW! During Friday evening exhibit receptions (6:00 - 8:00 pm) and on Saturdays (10:00 am - 2:00 pm), visitors may find artisan pop-ups in the ACE Galleries foyer. Read about the ACE Artisan Pop-Up Program here.

Exhibiting artists of all mediums are juried by the gallery committee.

The Orlaske Gallery hosts a selection of annual events and non-juried exhibitions.. These include:

- The Big: Art Center East’s Annual Open Exhibition

- Annual Fiber Arts & Jewelry Exhibition

- Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead Exhibition and Community Celebration

- Annual Handmade Holidays Makers Market

The Art Center East Galleries are open Wednesday - Friday from 12:00 - 5:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Art Center East (ACE) is excited to announce the opening of “The Wonder in the Well”, an exhibit of works by Wallowa County artist and designer Silje Harlander. Community members of all ages are invited to attend a free opening reception on Friday, May 3, 2024, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. “The Wonder in the Well” is on display in ACE’s Orlaske Gallery May 3 - June 29, 2024.

“The Wonder in the Well” can be described as a metaphor for a collection of emotions and imagery that emerge as expressions of art. Harlander, also an avid outdoorswoman, often contemplates her place in the natural world. 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.”

Viewers can expect to see an eclectic mix of artworks given that Harlander is skilled in many art mediums such as digital graphic design, watercolor, india ink, pencil drawing, and linoleum cut printing.

“We are thrilled to have Silje in the ACE galleries – especially for her first solo exhibition. It’s a pleasure to share her talent and vision with the community,” commented ACE Gallery Director Jennifer Durr.

Raffle tickets for an original piece by Harlander will be available for purchase in person at ACE and online beginning Friday, May 3 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased through June 29; all proceeds benefit the ACE Gallery Program. The raffle winner will be announced after June 29, 2024.

The public is invited to attend a free closing reception for the “The Wonder in the Well” exhibit on Friday, June 28, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

The Wonder in the Well by Silje Harlander

About the Artist:

Silje Harlander is a multimedia artist, graphic designer, and former river guide.

Born in Zimbabwe to international and adventurous parents, she moved to Wallowa County at the age of four. From a young age, Silje loved spending time by herself – exploring the natural world and creating art from her surroundings.

After high school, Silje attended Fredtun Folkehøyskole in Norway where she studied art and water sports. She returned stateside to attend Williams College, where she dove into a variety of studio art classes including drawing, painting, and architecture. She also became fascinated with low-tech printmaking under the instruction of Barbara Takenaga, whom she later worked under as a teacher’s assistant during her senior year.

After graduation, Silje started dabbling in digital illustration and teaching herself design. She honed her skills working as a graphic designer in Hailey, Idaho for RP Creative and DECKED before moving home to Enterprise with her husband, Kevin. In January 2023, Silje launched Steep Creek Studio – a freelance graphic design, art, and illustration business. At the heart of Silje’s design philosophy is a blend of empathy, analytical thinking, and a deep connection to the natural world.

Silje loves swimming & boating, playing music, writing poetry, skiing, hunting with her husband and bird dog Sky, baking, dance parties, riding horses, expansive time, and giving in to curiosity and imagination.