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 “Adventures in Fluid Art” by artist Theresa Henderson of La Grande, Oregon. Community members of all ages are invited to attend a free opening reception on Friday, April 5, 2024, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. “Adventures in Fluid Art” is on display in ACE’s Orlaske Gallery April 5 - 27.

Henderson is a self-taught acrylic pour artist. For the past 15 years, she has been refining her techniques, but she acknowledges that her paintings reflect freedom of experimentation and a release of expectations. She is currently exploring painted abstract work and is excited to see where this process takes her.

“Theresa is a passionate and longtime supporter of the arts and of ACE. She’s requested that proceeds from the sale of her artwork in this exhibit benefit ACE’s Youth Arts Learning Fund. We’re humbled by her ongoing generosity,” commented Jennifer Durr, ACE Gallery Director.

Raffle tickets for an original fluid art piece by Henderson will be available for purchase in person at ACE and online beginning Friday, April 5 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased throughout the exhibit and all proceeds benefit the ACE Gallery Program. The raffle winner will be announced after April 27, 2024.

Find out more about this exhibit and ACE classes, exhibits, and events at artcentereast.org. Art Center East is located at 1006 Penn Avenue in La Grande. Gallery hours are Wednesday - Friday noon - 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Exhibits can also be viewed online at artcentereast.org thanks to a partnership with High Country Realty Professionals of La Grande. Galleries are open to the public and admission is always free.

Art Center East, based in La Grande, Oregon, was founded in 1977 and is a [member-based] 501(c)3 arts services organization that brings arts opportunities and education to the residents of ten Eastern Oregon counties. Our historic Carnegie Library building hosts art classes, art exhibits in our three galleries, and cultural events such as Día de los Muertos celebrations, Guinean drumming workshops, and literary readings. Our Artists in Rural Schools Program engages K-12 students across Eastern Oregon and our Community Music Program brings together community members of all ages in ensemble settings.

Art Center East programs are supported by members, community donations, local businesses, and regional and statewide foundations. For a list of our supporters and more information, visit artcentereast.org.

Adventures in Fluid Art by Theresa Henderson (1)

About the Artist:

Theresa Henderson is a self-taught acrylic pour artist for the past 15 years. Her first introduction was through pouring artist Rick Cheadby. Color, movement, and letting the paint tell its story are her cornerstones. Her paintings reflect the freedom of experimentation and a release of expectations. She is currently working on and experimenting with painted abstract works. She finds the process exciting and uses texture in many of her paintings. Theresa looks forward to exploring many forms of painting and the learning process that tickles her fancy.