Members Exhibition opens Friday at Moses Lake Museum
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Museum & Art Center’s Members Exhibition is in its fourth year, and it’s breaking records, said Gallery Coordinator Veronica Talbot. “It’s over 160 pieces, with over 50 artists,” Talbot said. “We have quite the array (of media). We have acrylics, we have oils, we have wool wreaths. We’ve got a skull.”
Eastern European traditions on display at Basin schools
EPHRATA — Columbia Basin Allied Arts kicked off its annual school tour Monday, with a performance for Grant and Columbia Ridge students in Ephrata by Trio Barynya.
Soap Lake Creative District creating tile mural
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Creative District is inviting residents and visitors alike to participate in a unique community art project—the Tile Mural Project. Designed to engage the local community in a creative pursuit while beautifying the town, this initiative encourages participants to paint tiles that will be displayed as a large mural on the James Building.
Senior events for December 2025
COLUMBIA BASIN — The weather outside may be frightful, but the holiday events this month make the chill in the air a little more bearable. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in December:
BASIN EVENTS: Dec. 12-20
COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas out there, and there are holiday goings-on galore in the Basin. Here are a few things to make your spirits bright:
Mattawa Winter Festival includes crafts, cocoa and ugly sweaters
MATTAWA — Mattawa’s annual Winter Festival will take place Wednesday. “The goal is to bring families together to celebrate the holiday and to make crafts as a family,” said Mattawa Mayor Maria Celaya. The event is put together by a coalition of community stakeholders including the city of Mattawa, Wahluke School District, the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic and Columbia Basin Health Association, Celaya said. Crafts play a large part in the Winter Festival, Celaya said. Local first responders will have a table where children can decorate cookies with police officers, and MCMC will have a space where children can write letters to Santa. The Wahluke High School Future Business Leaders of America will have a booth where children can make a Christmas ornament for the 50-foot tree in the school commons. The craft materials are donated by CBHA, Celaya said.
Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars returns Jan. 10
MOSES LAKE — Six homegrown hoofers will take the stage again Jan. 10 at Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars. “It’s part comedy (and) part dancing – of course,” said Carla McKean, a board member of the Central Basin Community Concert Association, which puts on the show as its annual fundraiser. “So many people have their favorite dancer coming in. They know the people, so they’re rooting for them.”
Metalwork exhibit opens Jan. 15 at CWU
ELLENSBURG — Beginning next week, the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery at Central Washington University will host Ferrous, a group exhibition of 15 innovative contemporary artists who transform iron into evocative works of art. The opening events will be held Jan. 15, beginning with a curator's talk by Renee Adams from 4-5 p.m. in Randall Hall, room 117. Adams is an alum of the CWU Department of Art + Design (MFA, 1999), as well as a local sculptor and blacksmith. A reception will be held in the gallery (Randall Hall, room 141) directly following the talk, from 5-7 p.m.
BASIN EVENTS: Jan. 9-17, 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — With the holidays safely in our rear-view mirror, the calendar in the Basin isn’t as crowded as it was a few months ago. Still, there are plenty of things to get out and enjoy for those who want to. Here are a few possibilities.
‘Four Corners of the Year’
Moses Lake Museum exhibit shows the turning of the seasons
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Museum & Art Center’s first exhibit of 2026 encompasses the entire calendar. “The title of the show is ‘The Four Corners of the Year,’” said Gallery Coordinator Veronica Talbot. “It goes through all four seasons. We wanted to start with winter, since that’s where we’re currently at, and then move our way down the year.” Pamela Petry-McKinsey’s exhibit, which opens Friday, is almost entirely done in acrylics. Her work harks back to the Impressionism of the 19th century, which emphasized feelings and spontaneity over realism, Museum Superintendent Dollie Boyd said. “I personally love the color in this show,” she said. “It’s really wonderful to have such exuberant color up on the walls in the middle of winter. … The love of nature really shines through her work.”
