Gina Murray, Nicole Taflinger and George Wray in the 2008 “Curator’s Choice” exhibit. The show runs through July 18.The “Curator’s Choice” exhibition is a focus on local artists. Keith Wells, Museum of Art/WSU Curator said, “We are fortunate to live in such a creative wellspring as the Palouse. As I have said many times before, there is either something in the water or the fertility of the soil must have the same effect on the many talented artists here who produce great art as consistently as the rolling hills produce waves of wheat.”
Colson lives and creates her work in Viola, Idaho. She and her husband have created their own slice of nirvana on a few acres of land making use of the many outbuildings by transforming them into studios and retreats. Her glasswork is bold, vibrant, and colorful, with a playful sense of humor. Her collaborations with Murray capture the essence of the Palouse in its purest form by creating exaggerated blades of grass out of glass to compliment the waves of grass that occupy the fields in the spring every year. Murray and Colson will showcase their individual works along with their collaborative glass pieces.
Murray has carved wood and stone since she was 19. She knew instantly that she would continue to do so throughout her life. After honing her skills for five years in New York, she began to create a body of works that embrace both the figure and non-representational forms sometimes fusing the two together.
Taflinger is originally from France. After spending some time in the mid-west, including a brief stint at the Art Institute in Chicago, she flourished as an artist upon arriving on the Palouse in 1954. Her experiences with the many artists from the area and WSU Fine Arts faculty through the mid-part of the 20th century ultimately lead her to open her own gallery in Pullman, the Nica Gallery which she operated from 1974 to 1998. Taflinger will take us on a journey through her lifelong commitment to art, from paintings to elaborate collages.
Wray is a retired professor of art from the University of Idaho. Wray’s works will consist of his unique exploration of the use of light as an art medium. This body of work will also represent his latest pieces on paper.
