Original Artwork Showing at Carco Theatre
Application for Displaying at Carco Theatre
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission showcases two-dimensional works by local artists on a rotating basis in the Carco Theatre Lobby, 1717 Maple Valley Highway. Interested artists can submit an application for consideration. For artwork previously shown at Carco Theatre, click here.
Amanda J. DeSilver
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local artist Amanda J. DeSilver. The exhibit is on display through May 17. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Saturday, April 27, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Carco Theatre Lobby.
According to artist Amanda J. DeSilver, “A great deal of our lives is spent in confined spaces—offices, homes, cars, structures not of our making. So too are we restricted by our modes of thought, habits and definitions. In my work, natural landscapes provide the catalyst to creating new environments unfettered by internal and external obstructions. Mountainsides, beaches, even a lone street tree can create room to breathe. Unexpected colors and forms open the mind to new possibilities and clear away the clutter of facts and figures. Contemplation and surprise allow the imagination to wander. I invite you to journey with me to wide open spaces and uncharted territories.”
Amanda graduated from Syracuse University as a printmaking major in 1993. After years of travel, she struck camp in the Puget Sound area, impressed by the astounding beauty of the Northwest. The unique landscapes of the region inspired her to explore them through painting and collage as well as on foot. Her emotions during these adventures have influenced? her bold and sometimes unusual use of color. Amanda has exhibited in a number of alternative spaces throughout Western Washington for the past decade, participated in public art projects, and volunteered her time in various arts organizations.
For more information, visit www.popgirlzarts.com or facebook.com/PopGirlzArts.
Previous Artist Exhibits
Mary Clymer, August 28 - October 12, 2012
Brian Forrest, June 25 - August 10, 2012
Jan Tervonen, May 14 - June 22, 2012
Lesli Cohan, April 7 - May 11, 2012
Tracy Wallschlaeger: February 25 - March 30
John Smither: January 9 - February 17, 2012
Acrylic artist Bev Horn's artwork will be on display from January 14 - February 22 Soothe the soul - that's why Bev Horn paints and that's why she encourages others to paint. Bev’s acrylic paintings are vibrant and colorful - to give your eyes a visual feast, especially during the Pacific Northwest rainy season. They are meant to inspire you so you might find your own artistic outlet to soothe YOUR soul! Initially Bev went to college to be an art teacher. She changed her mind early on and decided to pursue a business degree. After 20+ years in the outside sales industry, she decided to take the plunge and open a business based on her first love - art! She currently teaches anyone (no experience necessary; over 21) to be able to paint these paintings at Arts-n-Carafes, a painting and sipping studio in Downtown Renton.
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local mosaic artist Debbie McLaughlin. The exhibit will be on display October 15 – November 30. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Saturday, October 20, from 5 – 7 pm in the Carco Theatre Lobby.
Debbie fell in love with glass on glass mosaics when she first spotted them in a window display. “I have been called an old soul, which is why I love mosaic. Mosaic bridges the ancient and modern worlds, in all its elements: inspiration, design, materials. Mosaic is design, and it is work. Mosaic is spiritual, yet absolutely physical. Mosaic blends soft beauty and hard-edged tesserae. Mosaic births something new out of brokenness. Mosaic can adorn the body as jewelry, beautify one’s walls or windows, become a
permanent part of the architecture of one’s home, or create a focal point in the public realm. In bringing a work from dream to concrete reality, I thrive on the interplay of the creative brain, of working with one’s hands, and of the unique tools of the trade. I sense the legacy of my family — a quilt maker, a steelworker, farmers – people who worked with tools to create durable, useful, and beautiful items for their communities. From somewhere in all of this emerges my unique vision.”
To learn more about Debbie and her work, visit www.waterlightmosaics.com.
Mary Clymer
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local craft artist Mary Clymer. The exhibit will be on display August 28 – October 12. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Saturday, Septem
ber 1 5, from 5 – 7 pm in the Carco Theatre Lobby. Mary will provide felt embellishments/decorations for any attendees who bring an extra t-shirt, skirt, jeans, jacket or similar item for a minimum fee. Mary considers herself more of a crafter than an artist. She has been actively creating with her hands since before she can remember. She likes to challenge the boarders of what defines art, and what’s considered to be craft. With an Associate degree in the Arts, and a passion for community, Mary has spent the last five years running her own shop, happy delusions, in Downtown Renton. This has been a place for both art and community to come together and experience all the best parts
about the people who live in the Renton area.
Mary expresses herself currently through felt. Fun, colorful, and full of 1970’s flare, every piece is one of a kind and done in a free-form method. Mary states, “I craft because life is short and I just want to do what makes me happy! I live my life separate from the "real world." I live in dreams awake. I make things I like and surround myself with my own imagination. That makes things more interesting. So come join my world of delusions and remember life’s just a dream anyway.”
To learn more about Mary and her work, visit
www.etsy.com/shop/happydelusions.
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local painter Brian Forrest. The exhibit will be on display June 25 – August 10. Brian Forrest works in many mediums, from oil painting, computer graphics, theatre to digital music, film, and video. He is a modern expressionist painter whose work is influenced by colors. Brian believes, “Color is the most agile and dynamic medium to create joy.” Brian said, “If you can find joy in your art, then you’ve found something worth holding on to!” Brian studied acting at Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles and digital media in art and design at Bellevue College. He works in the design, media and fine art fields. For more information, visit www.brianforrest-art.blogspot.com.
Jan Tervonen
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local watercolor artist Jan Tervonen. The exhibit will be on display May 14 – June 22.
Jan Tervonen grew up in a Finnish-American family, and was taught the values of simplicity, organization and having a sense of humor. She graduated from Michigan Technological University with degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration, and was a software professional by trade. After many years as a successful commercial software executive, she found another passion to augment her creativity – watercolor painting. Mostly self-taught, she has developed a minimalistic abstract style with a wry sense of humor representative of her Finnish-American roots. Her paintings have been featured at local galleries, art centers, and numerous shops in the Seattle area. Jan was the recipient of the Vascovitz Family Scholarship for Drawing and Painting at the Pratt Fine Arts Center where she studied. She is a member of the Pratt Fine Arts Center, the Kirkland Arts Center, the Eastside Association of Fine Arts, and artEAST.
You can also see her work at www.dajanarts.com.
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local photographer Lesli Cohan. The exhibit will be on display April 7 through May 11. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Saturday, April 14, from 5 to 7 pm in the Carco Theatre Lobby.
Lesli Cohan has been an avid photographer for more than 20 years, working first in film media and now in digital format, using a full frame format 35mm digital camera. She has studied with professional photographers in the US and France, developing her distinct focus on nature, landscapes, and interesting forms, shapes and textures.
Her work, which has been shown in galleries across the United States, highlights the nature of creativity and communication through photography. Her passion and vision are to show the wonder of nature and our surroundings in a different view. She works extensively in her home state of Washington and within the US and Europe.
Lesli states, “As a photographer, I am always looking for the intriguing viewpoint, the play of light and shadow, an illumination of a moment in time. For any artist, your canvas is where your heart draws you. For me, that is in photographing the beauty that surrounds us in textures, shapes and colors–seeing and interpreting them through my camera.”
To learn more about Lesli and her work, visit www.imagesthroughthedoor.com.
Return to Artist List
Tracy Wallschlaeger
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents an exhibit by local oil painter Tracy Wallschlaeger. The exhibit will be on display February 25 – March 30. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception on Saturday, February 25, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Carco Theatre lobby.
Tracy graduated from Central Washington University in 1985 with a BA in graphic design. She was the recipient of both The Morris Merit Scholarship and The Little Art Gallery Scholarship. Her work includes paintings that have been featured in numerous community art walks as well as larger scale projects for Seattle Animal Shelter, Shoreline Community College and First Avenue Women's Shelter. Her poster design for United Way's combined fund drive was selected as the prize-winning entry for their annual fundraising efforts and her Spay and Neuter poster for Seattle Animal Shelter was selected as the national shelter poster prize winner for promoting animal care. Her influences include Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe and local artists Z.Z. Wei and Lois Silver. The pieces in this show gather inspiration from the idea in the movie “The Golden Compass,” in which the soul resides outside the body.
John Smither
The Renton Municipal Arts Commission proudly presents local oil painter John Smither. The exhibit will be on display January 9 – February 17. 
John Smither’s latest series revolves around a rough interpretation of the interplay between the cedar and blackberry plant forms. He sees the blackberries as, “a quick growing alien interloper of the Seattle area, while the cedars are the long lived, older established norms which have been here a very long time." He has taken fairly simple subjects and injected them with a visual rhythm, gesture and emotional interpretation. In Smither’s work, season, place, time of day and visceral experience all come into play.
John Smither is originally from the Chicago area and grew up in the Midwest, earning a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Washington University in St. Louis. After showing in Chicago for many years, he moved to Seattle and is a founding member of Core in Pioneer Square.
To view more of his work, visit www.johnsmither.net.
Location and Hours
Carco Theater, adjacent to the Renton Community Center, is located at 1717 Maple Valley Highway at the intersection of I-405 and Maple Valley Highway. Theater hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional viewing on show nights. Please contact the theatre for show times at 425.430.6706.