It’s no surprise that the Yakima Valley is filled with creativity. From displays at local galleries to murals adorning favorite eateries, the Yakima-based art world is flourishing. At the center of much of this activity is the Yakima Valley Artists Association, a club for artists that welcomes people of any experience level and any variety of mediums.
Yakima Valley Artists Association
The Yakima Valley Artists Association was founded in 2019 as a revival of the Yakima Valley Society of Artists, which served the county as a nonprofit for nearly forty years prior. YVAA’s founding vice president, Kate Bowditch, saw the opportunity to create a community of like-minded artists after moving to Yakima and rediscovering her passion for art. “I came [to Yakima], and I thought, ‘This landscape is gorgeous!’” Kate shares. “So I started painting again, and it’s been that way ever since.”
The Association is comprised of passionate people but functions differently than an artist’s guild or formal school. “These are the artists with no studios, those of us who aren’t particularly famous or well known,” Kate says. “We’re doing our work at the dining room table, and we have a ball.”
In the past few years, YVAA has grown a lively membership base with various events, shows, and ways to get involved. Members meet monthly for workshop-style demonstrations, open to the public, where local artists share their techniques and encourage others to try something new.
Linda Kirkpatrick, an active member of YVAA, finds inspiration in these workshops every month: “I’m an artist at heart. It’s nice to get together with other people in the same frame of mind and see what other people are doing.” Although her background is as an oil painter, Linda began experimenting with watercolors after attending a member-led demonstration on the medium. She discovered that she has a love for both. “Even people who don’t think that they are really talented, but who really love art, can find a medium that they enjoy,” she shares. “I think that’s what people need — a chance to relax, have a good time, and try something new.”
Yakima Valley Artists Association Events
YVAA members have the opportunity to showcase their work in virtual shows, in-person galleries, workshops, and collaborative projects with other creative organizations in the community. The Association website is currently hosting a dynamic virtual gallery featuring pieces in a variety of mediums that draw inspiration from motion, color, and emotion. The new year will bring with it an exciting collaborative gallery entitled “Inspiration: The Art of Poetry” between YVAA artists and the talented poets of Central Washington.
A favorite of both Kate and Linda’s is the YVAA plein air outings, where the artists travel to a nearby park or scenic lookout and, in Kate’s words, simply “paint what [they] see.” Recent locations have included Randall Park, Sportsman’s Park, and Cowiche Canyon, and there are always plenty more beautiful landscapes in the valley that are on the list to visit. “At some point soon,” Kate shares, “we’ll have a show of just our plein air work. I absolutely love it when we paint outside.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the heart behind YVAA or getting involved with the artistic spirit of the community is welcome to join the Monday workshop demonstrations, which meet on the second Monday of each month at the Harman Center. “Just because it’s a senior center doesn’t mean it’s only for seniors,” Linda jokes. “Everyone can come in and watch the demonstration, talk with people, and meet new friends.”
This Labor Day featured a number of YVAA artists at the Artebella-sponsored Yakima Tour of Studios, where guests had the chance to visit the home studios of local artists for a glimpse into their creative environment. There’s more to look forward to, though, with the upcoming Central Washington Fair in late September, where YVAA artists can be found painting and visiting with guests every day of the fair.
Linda, who was involved with the fair before beginning her annual live painting demonstrations, alternates between oil and watercolor projects, often choosing a theme to center her work around for the entire duration of the fair. “The first year I did it, I painted ten oil paintings in ten days. Now, we have about five or six of us that paint there, and people can come by and see what we’re doing.” Whether it be graphite portraits or lifelike acrylic animals, there’s sure to be a beautiful painting in progress any day of the fair. “Come up and talk to the artists,” Linda says. “It’s a wonderful feeling for both artist and visitor.”
