2008

Kevin Bernstein is inspired by the natural phenomena of the Pacific Northwest. He plans to produce a new body of paintings and drawings based upon the research of regional traveling in Washington State from Eastern to Western Washington. Kevin works primarily on six by four feet pieces of birch plywood in his effort to understand nature as a primal source in a complex and ever-changing world in need of preservation and restraint. His new works will be on display at an exhibition in Olympia.

Robert Campbell has been primarily a video artist for the past 20 years and has recently expanded his materials to include glass. His most recent body of work Yellow, combines sculpture, glasswork, photography, and multi-channel video in order to explore environmental degradation and its effects on humans, specifically targeting estrogen mimickers and other hormone disruptors found in everyday products.

  

Debra Carlson is writing a novel "Shakuhachi". Named after bamboo flutes, which were first played by Zen Buddhist monks in the seventh century, Shakuhachi follows the story of an eight-year-old boy whose world is tossed upside down in 1940¹s Japan. The novel examines the courage and commitment required from individuals and nations to endure wartime horrors and to confront the ghosts that arise.

Britta Johnson makes animation shorts, videos, and installations that use the language of nature photography to explore science and technology themes. In her latest film 21 Landings, Britta hopes to unpack the gesture of landing through looping video. Since it is filmed in stop and go animation and, upon completion, lends itself as a challenge to the motions of the camera.

Miho Takekawa is a percussionist from Japan who wishes to revisit the traditional Japanese folk music of her childhood in a non-traditional way. Miho is scheduled to collaborate with three Seattle musicians, each with extensive experience with Japanese music: jazz drummer Greg Campbell, jazz vibraphonist Tom Collier, and South American Flutist Diego Coy. Her hope is to perpetuate Japanese folk music and inspire others to challenge their artistic identities.