Check out our new exhibit!
Owen McAuley Retrospective
September 3 – 24, 2021
Opening reception: Friday, September 3, 2021, 5 – 8 PM
Owen McAuley was an artist who lived in Cheney, Washington. He grew up in Cheney and attended Eastern Washington University, where he received a B.F.A. in in painting and drawing in 1995. He subsequently lived and worked in Seattle until 2000, when he moved to Austin, Texas to pursue his M.F.A. in painting and drawing, and exhibited work in numerous venues there. He received his M.F.A. in 2003 and then moved to New York, where he lived for the next decade, making and showing his work in addition to working in Robert Longo’s studio.
Upon returning to Cheney after leaving New York, Owen began to create a body of work heavily influenced by his physical surroundings and the Eastern Washington landscape. Typically, mundane subjects such as wheat fields, buildings and powerlines took on new life in his paintings and drawings. Often, a narrative hum beneath the surface of the picture, yet even imagined scenarios are made enthralling by the current of realism binding all of his work.
Owen drew inspiration from frequent walks and drives in the country around Cheney. Though he rarely worked directly from a photograph, he took and kept many as source material. His studio was littered with post-it notes, sketches and printouts; some notes were reminders for camera and light settings, others contained ideas for titles or directions to himself for what a picture needed. His house was a veritable art factory: the studio was one of both art and photography, as photographing his work had become a science, and an entire back room was devoted to framing and packaging. He took on the role of instructor in recent years as well, teaching classes for the Spokane Art School in addition to private lessons.
Owen’s work has been shown across the U.S. and is represented in numerous private collections in the U.S. and Europe. His work has been featured in publications such as New American Paintings and Juxtapoz, among others.
Spokane Art School Gallery Hours
Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Covid-19 Requirements
Updated August 23, 2021
Due to new Washington State mandates, Masks are required, NO EXCEPTIONS.
(Please make sure your nose and mouth are covered at all times)
Practice social distancing
We offer curbside pickup for our customers who are unable to wear a mask.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
The Spokane Art School Gallery Hours
Monday – Friday
10 – 5
Upcoming Exhibit
2021 Spokane Watercolor Society Juried Member Show
October 2021
Opening reception: Friday, October 1, 2021, 5 – 7 PM
Kitty Bendixen-Park
Sara Cate
Carrie Dugovic
Janie Edwars
Amalia Fisch
Kim Gardell
Joyce C. Gruenwald
Julie Hopkins
Nancy Huck
Gail Johannes
Gina T. Judy
Kelly Knouff-Burk
Mary Lou Martin
Diana Postlewait
Karen Robinette
Bonnie Williams
Gay Witherspoon
I have always loved making art. I started drawing and painting at a young age and continued taking art classes through high school and college. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree.
After graduation, I moved to NYC and began working as an assistant at several design companies, eventually becoming a professional graphic designer myself. I juggled my time between design and fine art until 2017 when I turned to art full time. However, my graphic design background continues to be a huge asset for me as an artist and instructor.
Teaching students to paint in watercolor is now my passion… I love seeing their expressions when they experience the absolute “magic” of this amazing medium. My favorite subject to teach is portraits, but my ongoing classes cover all subjects.
I am a Signature Member of the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) and served as President in 2013-2014. I will again be president in 2020-2021. NWWS is considered one of the top watercolor societies in the country. If you would like to know more about the society, click here.
Annual Ornament and Small Works Show
Past Exhibits
Open Space – Mariah Boyle
August 6 – 27, 2021
Sanctuary Life – Kit and Pete Jagoda
July 2 – 30, 2021
Pleurotus Vestitus – Lisa Soranaka
June 3 – 26, 2021
Wonder Wall – Roger DuBois
May 6 – 28, 2021
Seasons of Spokane – Megan Perkins
April 1 – 30, 2021
Outside In – Owen McAuley
March 4 – 26, 2021
Ars Gratia Artis – Tom Quinn
February 4 – 26, 2021
Ornament and Small Works Show 2020
November – December 2020
Mother Daughter: Hannah Pomante – Spokane Art School Artist in Residence
October 2 – 30, 2020
Short Story: Works by Mary Farrell Opening at the Spokane Art School
August 7 through September 26, 2020
Alternative Finishes – Spokane Watercolor Society
July 10 – 31, 2020
Long Shadowz Fade to Black & White – Robert Charloe
February 7 – March 25, 2020
Annual Ornament and Small Work Show – 2019
November 8 – December 23, 2019
Oh Heavens! – T Kurtz
October 4 – 25, 2019
An Extended View – Laura Truitt
August 2 – September 27, 2019
Current II – Mariah Boyle
August 2 – September 27, 2019
2019 Area High School Show
Juried by Jamie Nadherny
June 5 – July 26, 2019
Charlotte Bigelow – Cheney High School
Cora Cashmere – Freeman High School
Teyonia Craft – On Track Academy
Jasmine Daily – Cheney High School
Christopher Dawson – Cheney High School – Honorable Mention
Erin Dougherty – Gonzaga Prep
Kaila Emtman – Mount Spokane High School
Gillian Janda – Mount Spokane High School
Bailey Johnson – Mount Spokane High School
Candence Keller – Mount Spokane High School
Kitana Klingback – Mount Spokane High School – 1st Place Winner
Michael Legkobit – Freeman High School- Honorable Mention
Caitlin Martin – Gonzaga Prep
Bella Mazza – Gonzaga Prep
Moira McLaughlin – Cheney High School
Tyler Mosset – Freeman High School
Mary Neale – Freeman High School
Shonto A. Pete – Cheney High School – 2nd Place Winner
Ceinwyn Phipps – Gonzaga Prep
Sarah Schlegel – Gonzaga Prep – 3rd Place Winner
Brandon Shaffer – Cheney High School
Tegan Shipman – On Track Academy
Grace Thompson – Mount Spokane High School
Eva Ulrichsen – Gonzaga Prep
Jaiden Wagner – Gonzaga Prep
Integration – Jamie N. Nadherny
April 5 – May 31, 2019
My Delicate Flower – Daniel Lopez
February 1 – March 29, 2019
Ornament and Small Works Show 2018
November 9 – December 22, 2019
Aesthetic Contraption – Larry Ellingson
October 5 – 26, 2018
Avoid the Struggle, (a book of fear) – Dan McCann
September 7 – 28, 2018
Area High School Exhibition
July 6 – August 31, 2018
Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset
Juried Show by Robert Fifield
Keenan Avery-Carpenter – Honorable mention
Eleanora Becherini
Athayla C. Begay – 1st Place
Katelyn Bumbeck
Ada Cashmere
Chloe Daniels
Donna Finger
Ericka Flory
Emily Freeman
Stuart Gibbs
Xzandre Jean-Francois
Ashley Jensen – Honorable Mention
Bailey Johnson
Hope Johnson
Laura Jones
Namida Amy Kangvanwanich
Hunter Koss
Halle Kuhar-Pitters
Hailey Landkammer
Jamie LeMieux
Savannah Lindsley – Honorable Mention
Avery Matson
Teigan Mikkelsen
Alexa Miller – 2nd Place
Andrew Nordhagen
Mia Puzzo
Annika Readel – 3rd Place
Ashley Runge
Rachel Schupp
Katelyn Tippett
Reluctant Compromise – Joseph Tomlinson
May 4 – April 27, 2018
Alchemy for Cells and Other Beasts – Maya Zeller and Carrie DeBaker
March 2 – April 27, 2018
The Art of the Darkroom: film photography with Bill and Kathy Kostelec
January 12 February 23, 2018
Ornament and Small Works Show
November 3 – December 23, 2018
Crawl Space – Karen Kaiser
October 6 – 27, 2017
Dreamscapes : Sketchy Memories – Ken Spiering
August 4 – September 29, 2017
Water Color; Between the Cascades and the Rockies
June 2 – July 28, 2017
Cleave, Stick and Split – Lenora J. Lopez Schindler & Richard J. Schindler
April 17 – May 26, 2017
