Wenaha Art Events feature Dayton and Kennewick artists

DAYTON-The Wenaha Gallery's upcoming Art Event features Denise Wagner of Kennewick, specializing in Japanese wrapped stones. This art form involves using Japanese knot and basketry techniques to wrap smooth stones with natural cane ribbonry. Wagner, a licensed home healthcare provider, was working at a retirement facility when she saw a gentleman wrapping stones. He noticed her interest and invited her to join him, and he would teach her the technique.

"We became fast friends, and we got together one evening in the activities room, and he taught me how to wrap my first stone," Wagner says. "Afterwards, I went home and made all kinds of wraps - both traditional designs and ones I just thought of on my own."

Wagner collects stones for her wraps from along the Columbia and Umatilla rivers. She arranges the rocks on glass, ceramic, and wooden platters.

Wrapping the stones takes a lot of patience, she says -- setting up, preparing, wrapping, re-wrapping when it comes undone, drying, spraying, etc. She works from her dining room table when she can ensure that she is free from distractions.

Wagner's Art Event runs from July 13 through August 9.

Dayton artist, Jordan Henderson's work continues through July 26. The show features the oil paintings by Jordan Henderson, the son of Dayton oil painter Steve Henderson. Jordan is making his own mark on the art world with his technique and choice of subject matter.

Henderson's paintings fall into two themes: country pastoral and political. He says that while they may seem to be 180 degrees from one another, they are similar. In both, he seeks to bring attention to elements that are overlooked, ignored, or denied.

In the pastoral work, the subject matter could be as familiar as geese or cattle:

"The animals are so ordinary to most people that they don't see their charm and beauty. By painting, say, geese, I first make the value judgment that they are worthy of taking a long time to say something about.

The political work, Henderson's work often deals with deeply controversial topics. Last year, Jordan created allegorical paintings on Covid-19. Issues surrounding this topic are blurred and blurry, he says, and many people don't see the other side, or any alternative message, to what they are given.

"Painting is every bit as useful for shedding light on these things as it is for highlighting beauty."

Henderson's COVID-19 paintings, which are highly complex, take time to complete. He has sold all but one from this series which will be displayed in the gallery office due to its large size.

The Wenaha Gallery is at 219 E Main Street, in Dayton. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m-5 p.m.