“Mapping the Shape of Air” mixed media collage (24″x20″) by Denise Elizabeth Stone, $495

Art Center East (ACE) announces the opening of “Journeys and Convergence,” a collaborative exhibit featuring the works of local artists Jan Clark, Linda M. Peterson, and Denise Elizabeth Stone. Community members are invited to a free opening reception on Friday, September 6, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The artists will discuss their work, inspirations, and creative processes in an artist talk beginning at 7:00 p.m. The exhibit will be on display in ACE’s Main Gallery from Friday, September 6 – Saturday, September 28, 2024. 

The roots of “Journeys and Convergence” run deep. Clark, Peterson, and Stone initially gathered to learn the batik watercolor method with Sue Orlaske, another local artist. 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 creative work, “Journeys and Convergence” is unified by the themes of nature, color exploration, and storytelling.

Raffle tickets for original artworks by Clark, Peterson, and Stone will be available for purchase in person and online at artcentereast.org beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 6. Proceeds from the raffle support the ACE Gallery Program. The three drawings, one for each artwork, will take place after September 28. The public is invited to attend a free closing reception on Friday, September 27, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Denise Elizabeth Stone
Stone’s art is a compelling blend of storytelling and archetypal themes, reflecting her background in education and psychotherapy. Stone lives in an Eastern Oregon river valley and draws inspiration from the ever-changing stories of the land, water, and wildlife around her. Her work spans watercolor, batik, acrylic, and mixed media, producing both figurative and abstract pieces characterized by intense color, texture, and light. Throughout her career, she has maintained a reverence for nature that she expresses with a touch of humor and a unique, quirky vision. Her pieces in “Journeys and Convergence” explore the natural world with both profound respect and playful creativity, seeing each painting as part of a larger, ongoing narrative.