PRESS RELEASE
The Entree Gallery at Reeder Bay is currently displaying “Inspirations and Dedications”, featuring pastel on handmade bark paper, and bronzes, by Monica Stobie. The show, which runs August 1-31 at the Reeder Bay gallery, presents elements of ancient rock drawings, re-imagined by Stobie and created into unique compositions. The gallery will host an artist reception for Stobie on August 8, from 5-7pm.

As a high school art teacher, Stobie became fascinated by the rock art found on basalt cliffs and crags along the Columbia and Snake rivers. “The discovery of those old images was an awakening,” she says. “I was hooked.” The artist, who grew up near the Yakima Indian reservation and attended church services at its Catholic mission, says the tribal culture is very much a part of her, and is reflected in her work. Stobie has done extensive research on tribal cultures, petroglyphs and other rock art, and has visited sites throughout North America, Europe and Africa.

Her pastel images, reminiscent of the primitive work found on cave walls, almost glow against the background of the textured paper, which looks like rock, and holds the pastel color in its coarse fibers. The paper, handmade in Mexico from indigenous tree bark, is processed by a method believed to be the oldest paper-making process in the Western hemisphere. Stobie explains that it is this paper that becomes the primitive “canvas” for to the oldest art known to mankind.

The Entree Gallery, now at two locations, invites the public to view the work of over 150 regional artists. The gallery at Reeder Bay is located just two miles east of Nordman at 1755 Reeder Bay Rd, and can be contacted at 208 443-2001. The Coolin Bay gallery, located two doors from the Leonard Paul Store on Bay View Rd, can be contacted at 208 443-2002. Summer hours at both galleries are daily, 10am-6pm.

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