Opening reception Friday for new museum exhibit

MOSES LAKE — The opening reception for an exhibit of the works of painter Erika Mueller and sculptor Ginger Oakes is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, 401 South Balsam St.

Admission is free.

Mueller is a 2014 graduate of the University of Washington Fine Arts program and has been drawing and painting since she was two years of age, she wrote. “I view things differently in paint,” she said.

“That’s one of the things I love most about art in general, is the ability of art to stir something within your spirit or consciousness despite the barriers of a common tongue, social status, class,” she wrote. “There is a freedom in art that you simply cannot experience in other disciplines.”

Art can and should encourage people to reconsider the world and themselves, Mueller said. “I hope the work draws us together as a society and as a species.”

Portraits and the human figure have been her primary areas of study. “It holds infinite beauty and potential for the type of painting I like to do. I find the figure to be fascinating, in that we all share certain commonalities but all are created completely unique.”

Mueller said many things go into choosing a subject. “But ultimately it is an emotion or spirit within them I try to draw out during a session," she said.

“All in all, I strive to provide an honest image. I tend to be a bit of an aggressive painter and this style leads to the type of images I create. I prefer a raw portrait of someone.”

Oakes, from Spokane, emphasizes “my impression of nature” and its impact on her sculpture. “Nature opens our eyes to the magic of details,” she wrote. As viewers look at her sculptures, she said, she hopes “they’ll be pulled into the detail and they’ll start seeing things themselves.”

Oakes works entirely in clay, from original conception to finished artwork. Currently most of her works are in porcelain, she said. Many artists use clay, she added, but not many use porcelain.

A lot of artists use clay for a model, then cast the work in a different medium. Oakes said she feels a closer connection to her work by staying with clay.

But clay is a “whole different process,” she said. “It’s more risky, because you do end up having to fire the clay.” The finishing step for any clay piece is a trip through the kiln, and in the kiln anything can happen.

“That line of risk is most satisfying to me,” she said. “If you don’t push those limits, you might not get the extraordinary.”

The reception will feature beverages from Camas Cove Cellars, Moses Lake, and light refreshments. The museum also offers an opening-night discount on artwork on sale, 20 percent for museum members and 10 percent for non-members.