By Kaury Balcom, Wine Science Center
RICHLAND, Wash. – Corks from Washington wineries will be used to create a 10,000-cork portrait mural of Chas Nagel, Washington State University’s first professor of enology and a Washington wine industry pioneer.
The mural will be donated to WSU and displayed at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center on the WSU Tri-Cities Campus in Richland.
Internationally known artist Scott James Gundersen will create the mural in a series of free community events sponsored by Gesa Credit Union:
Friday, Sept. 16
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Market at the Parkway, Richland
6-8 p.m. Sunset at Southridge, Southridge Sports & Events Complex, Kennewick, Wash.
Saturday, Sept. 17
10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Gesa Carousel of Dreams & Southridge Sports & Events Complex, Kennewick.
Gundersen studied art and education at Western Michigan University and teaches high school art in Wayland, Mich. While traveling in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2007, he was inspired to imitate the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the people he met there.
His love for mosaics and red wine prompted him to collect corks for two years before making the first portrait in 2009. He has used over 300,000 wine corks in mosaics created for private and corporate collectors on four continents. Clients include the John F. Kennedy Center, the Spanish royal family, the Portuguese government, Hallmark, Royal Caribbean and others.
Contact:
Kaury Balcom, WSU viticulture and enology communications, 509-572-5540, kaury.balcom@wsu.edu
