Art takes flight

Vashon Allied Arts has announced the 2009 exhibition lineup for Blue Heron Gallery.

The season will feature a mix of work by artists working in a variety of media, including sculpture, painting, print, fiber, photography, pottery, drawing and mixed media.

Gallery curator Janice Mallman said several of the exhibitions were chosen by a panel that convened in October to consider 54 proposals that came in as a response to a call for entries VAA issued last summer.

Only 13 of the proposals came from the Island, Mallman said, although she clarified that a few of that number were proposals for group shows featuring dozens of Island artists.

Panel members included Mallman, Pam Ingalls, Mary Rothermel, Paul Martinez and Terry Donnelly.

The panel selected exhibits that will include a three-person show featuring Christa Matteson, Heidi Lindberg and Megan Frazer; a group show of the Vashon-based collective Fiber Net and an exhibit of garden-themed paintings by Donna Botten and Kristen Reitz-Green.

The panel also gave the nod to furniture artist John Luke, potter Reid Ozaki and Kay Dewar, who makes colored pencil drawings.

Gordon Barnett, who makes sterling silver bells, was selected by the panel, as were painters Esperanza Grund, Tracy Kay Fraker and Mareth Warren.

The gallery will also present an exhibition of work by Vashon High School students. Mallman said that show takes place every other year.

Several other exhibits will be curated by Mallman.

These include shows by gallery favorites Art Hansen, Morgan Brig and Mike Urban.

Mallman will also curate a group show of Island photographers and a show of miniature works by Island artists.

The season will kick off in January with a panel-selected show, a posthumous exhibition of wooden “creatures of whimsy” by Basil Milovsoroff.

Milovsoroff, who died in 1992, was a groundbreaking Russian-American puppeteer who created an acclaimed body of work.

The works in the exhibition will come from the private collection of Milovsoroff’s son Peter, who lives on the Island.

Mallman said there will be an educational sidebar to the show — a presentation by the Carter Family Marionettes from Northwest Puppet Center. Mallman will offer the puppet show to eight classes from Chautauqua Elementary School.

When asked what would be special about this year’s exhibition season at Blue Heron Gallery, Mallman responded that this year would feature more 3D work than usual and a greater number of group shows.