New exhibit opens Friday at Moses Lake Museum

MOSES LAKE — An exhibit featuring the photographs of the late Joe Rogers, longtime professor at Big Bend Community College, will open Friday at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.

The opening reception for “Interesting... People, Places, Things” will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 10.

The museum is located at 401 South Balsam St.

Rogers taught anthropology, sociology and photography classes at BBCC for about 35 years, retiring from BBCC in 2005. He died in 2015.

Joe Rogers was a big supporter of the arts, a founding member of Columbia Basin Allied Arts among other projects. Rogers and his family were “longtime members of the museum,” said director Freya Liggett. “We have had a longstanding relationship with the Rogers family.”

Not everybody who knew Rogers knew of his work as an artist, Liggett said, so the exhibit highlights his talent as a photographer.

He was just as big a supporter of the outdoors, heavily involved in building the city’s walking trails system. Moses Lake city officials decided last month to name a section of the existing trail system in his honor. The dedication is scheduled for Sept. 15.

With the trail dedication coming up, “it just felt like a nice opportunity to remember him,” Liggett said.

Among Rogers’ academic accomplishments was a master of fine arts degree from Washington State University in printmaking. The show will feature about 50 photographs, Liggett said, showcasing Rogers’ skill as a printmaker as well as photographer. The artist’s share from the sale of any works in the exhibition will be donated to the city’s walking-biking trail program.

The opening reception will include refreshments and a no-host wine bar from Camas Cove Cellars, Moses Lake. Proceeds from wine tickets and general donations go to the museum’s Family and Education Fund, which supports free family and children’s programming and resources for education.

The “Adult Swim” program continues also, with “alcohol ink tiles.” Participants use alcohol-based ink to paint ceramic tiles. The Adult Swim program “honors the public pool tradition of giving adults a time and space for themselves,” according to a press release from the museum. Selected opening receptions include a craft project for adults.

There is an opening-night discount on artworks, 10 percent for non-members, 20 percent for museum members.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.