Events for January 2017
Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber
Dec 2 - Jan 7    18th Annual Small Artworks Invintational
On the first Friday of December, The Art Spirit Gallery will open its 18th Annual Small Artworks Invitational, a unique holiday show with affordable pieces for gift giving.  Over 200 new works by 32 regional artists will be featured.  The opening reception will be from 5-8 on Friday, December 2.  Everyone is welcome.  Meet the artists and enjoy the holiday cheer.  The show runs from December 2 through January 7.  During December, the gallery is open seven days a week from 11am – 6pm except December 25 (Christmas) and December 26.
 
A second reception will be in conjunction with ArtWalk on Friday, December 9, as The Art Spirit Gallery always opens this holiday invitational show a week early to allow more holiday shopping time.
 
This show is sponsored by Stevens Landscaping.  We thank Brian and his staff for supporting the arts in our community.
 
The artworks in this exhibition will be on our website beginning Tuesday, November 22.
http://www.theartspiritgallery.com/exhibitions
 
……………………………………………………
 
 
32 Participating Artists:
-Chris Bivins, Eatonville, WA
-Victoria Brace, Spokane, WA
-Lindsey Meyers Carroll, Helena, MT
-Melissa Cole, Spokane, WA
-Michael de Forest, Portland, OR
-Allen Dodge, Coeur d’Alene, ID
-Mary Dee Dodge, Coeur d’Alene, ID
-Catherine Earle, Sandpoint, ID
-Sheila Evans, Spokane, WA
-Gina Freuen, Spokane, WA
-Kathy Gale, Dalton Gardens, ID
-Reinaldo Gil, Moscow, ID
-Max Grover, Port Townsend, WA
-Nancy Halter, Billings. MT
-Michael Horswill, Hayden, ID
-Greg Jahn, Billings, MT
-Chris Kelsey, Spokane, WA
-John Killmaster, Boise, ID
-Shelle Lindholm, Kalispell, MT
-Jerri Lisk, Boise, ID
-Mel McCuddin, Spokane, WA
-Richard Notkin, Vaughn, WA
-Laura Nuchols, Spokane, WA
-Kyle Paliotto, Hayden, ID
-Valerie Seaberg, Jackson, WY
-A.L. Swanson, Helena, MT
-Sarah Swett, Moscow, ID
-Shannon Troxler, Wilson, WY
-Sue Tye, Coeur d’Alene, ID
-Allie Kurtz Vogt, Hayden, ID
-Cary Weigand, Bandon, OR
-Gordon Wilson, Spokane, WA
 
………………………………………………………………
 
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Jan. 13 – Feb. 4, 2017
Harold Balazs – New and old works by a local favorite
-Opening Reception: Friday, January 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
Date: December 2, 2016
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 2    Chamber Closed
The Chamber and Visitors Center will be closed today in observance of New Years and football! Go Seahawks!
Date: January 2, 2017
Jan 4    Education Committee
The mission of the Coeur d'Alene Area Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee is to serve as a link between the education community and businesses to actively support quality education and to provide a well-trained workforce in the Coeur d'Alene area.

 2011 GOALS  
In pursuit of this mission, the Committee will identify educational issues that would benefit from understanding by or support from the business community.  The Committee will then create forums, surveys, ad hoc groups, etc to bring those issues to the business community and to mobilize the business community in support of those specifics. 
 
More specifically, it will: 
  1. Create opportunities within the business community for the discussion of timely education issues.      
  2.   
  3. Communicate information about education issues to the Public Policy Committee and provide position statements for key issues.
  4.  
     
  5. Recognize and promote excellence in education, in part through:

               Partnership Recognition (A+ Education Award)
               Scholarship Awards, Scholars Breakfast 
               New Educator Reception
                Senior Projects

     

       D.    Identify the training and education needs of the business
                 community and work to ensure that those needs are met.

                   K Tec
                   Work on a soft skills program

 
 
  
Date: January 4, 2017
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Chamber- Coeur Conference Room    
Contact: Ginger Dalvini
EMail: ginger@cdachamber.com
Date/Time Details: 1st Wednesday of every month from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Jan 5    Well~Read Evening Book Club
The Well~Read Evening Book Club meets on the 1st Thursday of every month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at The Well Read Moose.  New members are always welcome!  Please go to our website to see our selection for each month.

www.wellreadmoose.com 
Date: January 5, 2017
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Website: http://www.wellreadmoose.com
Location: The Well Read Moose 2048 N. Main Street Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Contact: Melanie Chun
EMail: melliethemom@gmail.com
Date/Time Details: 1st Thursday of every Month from 6:00pm-7:30pm
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 11    Well~Read Morning Book Club
Join us for  The Well~Read Morning Book Club every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10:00am to 11:30am.  See our website for upcoming book selections.
 
Date: January 11, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Website: http://www.wellreadmoose.com
Location: 2048 N. Main Street Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
EMail: mad4reading@gmail.com
Date/Time Details: 2nd Wednesday of each month
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 13    Harold Balazs Opening Reception
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
Date: January 13, 2017
Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Jan 13    Cosmic Bingo
Join Coeur d’Alene Casino for a night of glow in the dark bingo at Cosmic Bingo, Friday, Jan. 13 at 10:30 p.m. Visitors can get their bingo on with glow in the dark cards, black lights and music. Ten $100 prizes will be given away in addition to the $300 grand prize. Buy-in for Cosmic Bingo is $12. For more information visit www.cdacasino.com. 
Date: January 13, 2017
Time: 10:30 PM - 11:30 PM
Location: Coeur d'Alene Casino
EMail: joni@cdacasino.com
Date/Time Details: January 13 at 10:30 p.m.
Fees/Admission: $12 buy-in
Jan 14    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 14, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 14    Harold Balazs and Friends Panel Discussion
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Please join us for a discussion here in the gallery about Harold Balazs’ work! There will be a 4 person panel of Harold’s friends and colleagues to answer questions and talk about the history of his experience in the arts. Harold will also be present.
 
The discussion will begin at 1pm, and there is limited seating and standing room. We hope to see you there!
Date: January 14, 2017
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 15    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 15, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 16    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 16, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 16    Well Read Moose - Author Night

Author Night - Scott Moorehead and Ryan McCarty, authors of  "Build a Culture of Good" will make a stop as part of their Book Tour!

Build Culture of Good was written by Scott Moorehead and Ryan McCarty. Scott is the CEO of TCC Verizon, the largest Verizon Authorized Retailer in the country. Ryan was hired by Scott several years ago to create a movement of good within TCC.  More details can be found at:  http://cultureofgood.com/

Date: January 16, 2017
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Website: http://www.wellreadmoose.com
Location:
2048 N Main Street
Coeur d'AleneID 83814
Contact: Melissa DeMotte
EMail: mad4reading@gmail.com
Date/Time Details: Monday, January 16, 2017 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 17    Hungry Heroes

**NEW**

HUNGRY HEROES BREAKFAST

          Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., Garden Plaza will be offering a complimentary lunch for Veterans and War Heroes. We would like to show our gratitude for their service and serve them a delicious breakfast. Our First Hungry Heroes Breakfast will start on Wednesday, January 17th. We look forward to seeing you! 
                      
 

Date: January 17, 2017
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Location:

Garden Plaza of Post Falls

545 N Garden Plaza Court

Post Falls, ID 83854

Contact: April Howard 208-773-3701
EMail: achoward@centurypa.com
Date/Time Details:

January 17th, 2017

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Fees/Admission: Completely Complimentary for Veterans and their families
Jan 17    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 17, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 18    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 18, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 19    Coeur d'Alene Art Association General Meeting
COEUR D’ALENE ART ASSOCIATION – We invite artists of all levels, beginner through professional, seeking a friendly group for social interaction, support and opportunities to expand in activities and workshops.  Exhibit venues include Annual Artists Showcase, CDA Library and Art on the Green. Meet at St. Luke’s Episcopal, 501 Wallace Ave in Coeur d’Alene the third Thursday of the month at 10:30 am. (March, June, Sept, at 6 pm). Guests welcome.  Annual membership dues $35 for Participating members, $15 for Associate Info: www.coeurdaleneartassoc.org or Yvonne at 208-676-9132 or yrbenz@gmail.com
Date: January 19, 2017
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Website: http://www.coeurdaleneartassoc.org/
Location: St. Luke's Episcopal Church Hall, 501 Wallace Ave., in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Contact: Yvonne at 208-676-9132
EMail: yrbenz@gmail.com
Date/Time Details: January 19 at 10:30 am, Meet monthly on the 3rd Thurs.except March, June, Sept, meet 6 pm)
Fees/Admission: Guests welcome free. Yearly Membership dues are $35 for Participating Members, $15 for Associate Members. 
Jan 19    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 19, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 19    Scot Bruce as Elvis
Take a trip back to the 1950s with one of the highest rated Elvis impersonators. Scot Bruce will be performing at Coeur d’Alene Casino on Thursday, Jan 19 at 7 p.m. Bruce started his career as Elvis in the ‘90s as a part-time job, but his uncanny resemblance to the young “King” and his ability to sing, strum a guitar, and swivel his hips made it easy to blossom into a full-time career. Bruce has made appearances as Elvis on multiple TV shows and regularly performs at Disneyland. Tickets are $20 and are available at on TicketsWest.com.  
Date: January 19, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Coeur d'Alene Casino
EMail: joni@cdacasino.com
Date/Time Details: January 23 at 7 p.m.
Jan 19    Wulin Hanyun Shaolin Kungfu Martial Arts Show
The University of Idaho Confucius Institute invites you to join us for an evening of sensational physical feats, riveting martial prowess, and rousing musical performances with the Wulin Hanyun Shaolin Kungfu Martial Arts Troupe.
This spectacular event will include martial arts, weapon demonstrations, and accompanying musical performances.
As part of their tour through North America, the Wulin Hanyun performers will be stopping in Coeur d'Alene and Boise Idaho.
Admission is free and open to the public.

This event is sponsored by Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing and co-hosted by the University of Idaho Confucius Institute and the University of Idaho College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.
The Wulin Hanyun performers will be in Idaho for two performances only as part of their U.S. tour! The Shaolin Temple was established in 459 A.D. in the Henan Province of China and has continuously served as a training and spiritual center for martial arts practitioners since that time.
Date: January 19, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Website: http://www.uidaho.edu/kungfu
Location: North Idaho College Schuler Performing Arts Center in Boswell Hall
1000 W. Garden Avenue, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814
Campus Map - Location 22
Contact: For information for the Coeur d’Alene event, please contact confucius@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-7110. For questions and more info, visit www.uidaho.edu/kungfu
EMail: confucius@uidaho.edu
Fees/Admission: FREE for the whole family!
Jan 20 - Jan 21    Comedy Night at the BW Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn!
Comedy Nights January 20 & 21 2017 at the BW Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn!

Come join us for an evening of fun & laughter!  Tickets $15/person. Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm.  Priority seating availalbe for tables of 8.  Call for special room rates 765-3200.
Date: January 20, 2017
Website: http://www.cdainn.com
Location: Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn 506 W Appleway Coeur d'Alene Idaho 83814 208-765-3200
Contact: For tickets call 208-765-3200
EMail: ahester@cdainn.com
Date/Time Details: January 20 & 21 2017 Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm.
Fees/Admission: $15/person
Jan 20    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 20, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 21    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 21, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 21    Bartender Mix Off
Coeur d’Alene Casino is bringing Vegas night life to Idaho during the 6th annual Bartender Mix Off: Viva Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 21. The night will feature world champion bartenders from the Las Vegas Flair Academy as they go head to head in a live flair and drink show.
 
Guest bartenders from Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and surrounding areas will compete for prize money in categories including best overall cocktail, best theme involvement and people’s choice winner for all categories will be announced at 10 p.m.
 
In addition to the live show and competition, attendees will be treated to cocktail samples and specials, hors d’oeuvres buffet, door prices and live DJ. Tickets to the Bartender Mix Off are $30 and are available at TicketsWest.com. Must be at least 21 years old with valid ID to attend. Special hotel room rates for attendees are available.
 
Date: January 21, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Location: Coeur d'Alene Casino 
EMail: joni@cdacasino.com
Date/Time Details: January 21, 7-10 p.m.
Fees/Admission: Tickets are $30 available at ticketswest.com
Jan 22    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 22, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 23    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 23, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 24    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 24, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 25    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 25, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 26    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 26, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 26    Business After Hours



 

January's Business After Hours will be held at Cheryl Burchell Goldsmiths. Come see Cheryl's recent expansion and remodel. You'll love it!

Business After Hours is held on the fourth Thursday of every month. This networking event provides an opportunity for members to show off their offices or facilities. Food and beverages are provided by the sponsor business. There are drawings for door prizes. This is a great way to meet other Chamber members in a more casual “after work” atmosphere.

For more information contact Brenda Young, Program and Events Manager at 208.415.0110 or Brenda@CdAChamber.com

 
Date: January 26, 2017
Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
EMail: Brenda@CdAChamber.com
Jan 26 - Jan 28    Cabernet Cabaret
Join Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre, January 27 & 28, 2017 at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls! It’s an evening of fine wine, exquisite food, and prestigious entertainment. The $55 includes a three course “European Inspired” dinner created by the culinary team of Mangia Catering, three-act professional cabaret entertainment, tax and gratuity. Beer and Wine available for purchase at additional cost!  The show begins at 7:00pm 
Join a couple as they take their dream trip to Europe before the birth of their first child. As they travel to Italy, Germany and France, they experience the requisite culture-shock, but also fall more in love by the end of their journey. Four actors will play multiple characters in this comedic and silly dinner cabaret.  Featuring: Sarah Dahmen, Jadd Davis, Kasey Davis & Henry McNulty
(208) 660-2958 or www.cdasummertheatre.com
 
The address for the JACC is 405 N. William St., Post Falls

 
Date: January 26, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Website: http://www.cdasummertheatre.com
Location: The address for the JACC is 405 N. William St., Post Falls
Contact: Kay Poland 208-660-2958 info@cdasummertheatre.com www.cdasummertheatre.com
EMail: info@cdasummertheatre.com
Date/Time Details: January 26-28, 2017, 7pm  (6pm Cocktail hour)
Fees/Admission: $55
Jan 27    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 27, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 28    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 28, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 29    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 29, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 30    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 30, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free
Jan 31    Harold Balazs Exhibit
Upcoming Exhibition at The Art Spirit Gallery
 
Since the 1950’s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation.
 
Now at age 88, the longtime artist is continuing his work and preparing for an upcoming show at The Art Spirit Gallery – ‘One More Time,’ as he said this year. “Of course he’s said that every year for the last five” said owner/curator Steve Gibbs, with a smile. 
 
This year’s show will include over 100 pieces representing every decade of Harold’s work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more will be included. “We are excited to see two of Harold’s early works – featured in the book ‘Harold Balazs’ published by University of Washington Press,” said Blair Williams, gallery assistant. “Nutcracker, and Homage to Pablo Picasso are just two of the amazing pieces that will be included in this show.”
 
His work can be appreciated by both the seasoned Harold devotee, as well as new young art enthusiasts. “We are excited to see the number of young patrons beginning to follow and collect Harold’s work,” said Kasey Davis, gallery assistant. “With a variety of price points, all are welcome to join the Harold fan club.”
 
Images of work from this show will be posted on the gallery website at Noon on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017.
•        People can call or email the gallery, beginning at this date and time, to place their name first in line to purchase one specific piece.
•        Patrons must be present at the opening reception, no later than 6 pm, to purchase the work – otherwise it will be released to the next person in line.
 
For more information, call The Art Spirit Gallery at (208) 765-6006.
 
Balazs describes his life’s work with these words:  “I make stuff because it is better than not making stuff.”  Fortunately for Balazs faithful followers and collectors, this prolific artist is still making stuff.
 
The Art Spirit Gallery has been proud to represent Balazs since 1997.
 
 
About the Artist
 
In the Northwest, Harold Balazs is a household name.  And for those who have explored the region in the past six decades, chances are great they’ve been touched by his large-scale public art pieces that populate plazas, schools, parks, libraries, government offices, and college campuses.  Metal sculptures, concrete reliefs, enamel murals, walls of carved wood and brick reflect the breadth of the artist’s creativity and decorate cities throughout Washington from Seattle to Spokane.  Others dot the landscape in Oregon, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. 
 
Perhaps his most famous pieces are found in Spokane in Riverfront Park, former site of Expo ‘74.   Chosen as the primary artist for the world’s fair in 1974, Balazs created a 32-foot sculpture derived of twenty concrete panels and patterned after a Japanese lantern that dazzles visitors and illuminates at night.  Centennial Sculpture, a curious and playful tangle of stainless steel completed in 1982, floats in the Spokane River.  Balazs’ latest masterpiece for the park is the giant Rotary Fountain, a series of sprinklers and spouts supported by five 24-foot steel columns he co-created in 2006.  Also famed as a leading liturgical artist, Balazs has created art – including carved doors and altars, enamels, and stained glass - for more than two hundred churches and synagogues in the region since the 1950’s, including Spokane’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Unitarian Universalist Church.
 
Balazs can take responsibility for public art in Washington in more ways than one.  Shortly after earning his bachelor degree of arts from Washington State University in 1951, where he was viewed as one of the top students of his program, Balazs served three terms on the Washington State Arts Commission and helped establish the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) that facilitates the acquisition, placement, and stewardship of artwork in state-funded building projects throughout Washington.  To date, more than 4,500 artworks are sited throughout the state for public enjoyment thanks to AIPP.
 
An Icon he is.  Over his extensive and productive career as an artist, Balazs has received notoriety throughout the country and has been honored with a plethora of prestigious awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architectural Craft, the Creative Achievement Award from the Enamellist Society, the Seattle Metal Guild Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from the Gonzaga University School of Law.  His work is displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  And in 2001, Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, hand selected Balazs for Northwest Designer Craftsmen’s Living Treasures video series. Also, Balazs’ contributions to the field were celebrated in a major retrospective exhibition in 2010 organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and documented in a 160 page book published by the University of Washington Press.
 
Born in Westlake, Ohio, a short distance from Cleveland, Balazs learned the art of metal working from his father, a sheet-metal worker and air-conditioning repairman.  His mother, a woman who valued the arts, enrolled the budding artist in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Here Balazs became enamored with enamel panels and vowed to practice the same art form one day.  And that he did.  Today Balazs resides on seven acres of paradise in Eastern Washington with Rosemary, his wife and devoted art assistant of 65 years.
 
UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE ART SPIRIT GALLERY
 
Feb. 10 – Mar. 4, 2017
Jerri Lisk – Acrylic paintings on aluminum
-Opening Reception: Friday, February 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk: Saturday, February 11 at 1pm
 
Mar. 10 – Apr. 8, 2017
Chris Bivins & Shelle Lindholm – Mixed media masks & colorful encaustics
-Opening Reception: Friday, March 10 from 5-8 pm
-Artist Talk & Demonstration at the gallery: Saturday, March 11 starting at 1:00 pm
 
Apr. 14 – May 6, 2017
10 Gallery Artists – Frank Boyden, Michael de Forest, Catherine Earle, Mary Farrell, Robert Grimes, Yuji Hiratsuka, Michael R. Lee, Tyree Riggs, Valerie Seaberg, Shannon Troxler
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, April 14 from 5-8 pm
 
May 12 – June 3, 2017
Victoria Brace, Lindsey Meyers Carroll, and Cary Weigand – oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and figurative clay sculptures
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, May 12 from 5-8 pm
 
June 9 – July 8, 2017
Allen and Mary Dee Dodge – metal sculpture and enamel works by these local favorites
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, June 9 from 5-8 pm
 
July 14 – Aug. 5, 2017
20th Anniversary & 200th Show of The Art Spirit Gallery
– works by many of the artists who brought us to 20 years
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, July 14 from 5-8 pm
 
Aug. 11 – Sept. 2, 2017
Dan McCaw & Sons – highly respected contemporary impressionists
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, August 11 from 5-8 pm
 
Sept. 8 – Oct. 7, 2017
Del Gish – classic oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, September 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Oct. 13 – Nov. 4, 2017
Mel McCuddin – unique figurative oil painting
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, October 13 from 5-8 pm
 
Nov. 10 - 25, 2017
Sheila Evans & Elaine Green – enamel on copper and charcoal
-Opening Reception and ArtWalk: Friday, November 10 from 5-8 pm
 
Dec. 1 – Jan. 6, 2018
19th Annual Small Artworks Invitational – smaller than 12” by 30 artists
-Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 from 5-8 pm
-Downtown ArtWalk: Friday, December 8 from 5-8 pm
 
Date: January 31, 2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: The Art Spirit Gallery
EMail: steve@theartspiritgallery.com
Fees/Admission: Free