Calling All Artists: Indy River Art Gallery Prepares for Summer Show

By Jennifer Halley, The West Side Newspaper

The Wild Women Exhibit is coming back to the Independence River Art Gallery for its twenty-fifth season. 

Running May 28 to June 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the show is open to all artists across the Willamette Valley, from those who have never been featured before to seasoned veterans. None of the artwork submitted is juried, which means that if you submit a piece, you will have a guaranteed spot in the gallery for the exhibit’s duration. 

Artwork can be in any medium, as long as it adheres to the theme and its guidelines. 

This year’s theme is Transition. 

“We give the show a one-phrase theme and then people just go with it,” said Pam Serra-Wenz, Gallery Marketing Director. “By allowing the art to be 2D and 3D, it gives everybody more opportunity as an artist to present that feeling or that image of how they perceive women in transition, the question of how do people transition, how do women transition, what are we transitioning to, and what is that about? And so it's different to each person, each artist. It's always interesting to see.”

There is a $30 hanging fee, and all work, limited to one piece of art per artist, must be available for purchase. Those who want to submit their art can drop it off at the gallery from May 21 to 24. 11 to 4 p.m. Pick up after the show is from June 27 to 28, 11 to 4 p.m.

A reception is scheduled for June 13, 4-8 p.m., with small refreshments and wine available. This evening gives the artists the opportunity to chat with visitors about their art, chat with each other, and view the rest of the submitted artwork. 

Wild Women is the gallery’s premier event, Serra-Wenz said. Since the exhibit is non-juried, the gallery sees artwork they might not otherwise, so the diversity is wider than it is for some of the smaller shows the gallery puts on throughout the year. 

“Because we don’t select the pieces, it actually opens it up more to emerging artists,” Serra-Wenz said. “They don't feel like they're competing. Sometimes that feeling of competition really closes people off. The integrity of the art is still phenomenal, but it's giving people permission to come in and celebrate the fact that they love art, they love doing art, and this is their interpretation of the theme.”

Over the years, the exhibit’s themes have varied, from Queen of Hearts to Tribal Rhythms, each one chosen specifically to showcase women and their place in this world. 

“Women are pretty cool,” she said, laughing. “And people really like to look at how others are expressing themselves around the theme and the subject of women. You get some interesting interpretations from the male artists who submit about women as well. So, it's not just for women, it's just about women and all the different facets of who women are. Women have a different way of presenting themselves to the world, and I really think that through art, it gives you a lot more freedom to show that to people.”

Serra-Wenz has been involved with Wild Women for 10 years. This year, she’s looking forward to what people will do with the selected theme. 

“I think the term ‘transition’ is a good term,” she said. “There are a lot of new and different things happening in the art world, in our world, and it's pensive, it's thoughtful, and artists focus on those things and express themselves about some of those concepts.” 

As she has done for other shows, Serra-Wenz will also be submitting a piece of art.

“It's a collage, which I don't normally do. I usually just paint, but this one was different and I wanted to do this. Mine is kind of a commentary. It's got something to say. And I know that a lot of our other artists have some pieces that they're going to be generating that say something.”

In past shows, the two-thousand square foot space was packed. The art filled up the whole front room and began to overflow into the second room. 

“It was so packed,” Serra-Wenz said. “People could barely move.” 

She expects a similar turnout this year. 

“It’s a very festive group of people,” she said. “It’s fun and we really enjoy it.”

The River Gallery is open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Interested in being a part of the Wild Women show?

Email Rivergallery97351@gmail.com or visit https://www.rivergalleryart.com/ for more information.