Sharing the Spectrum of The WSO Cultivates Water Media through Galleries & More

by NOAH NELSON — A&E Feature Writer

The Watercolor Society of Oregon is a nonprofit with around 600 registered members that is dedicated to furthering the creation and appreciation of water media. WSO was founded in 1966 with 38 original members, and only accepted experienced water media artists who were willing to submit their work for review.

Now, the organization accepts water media artists of all skill levels. The WSO’s past president and current volunteer coordinator Winnie Givot said, “There is an immense benefit to allowing amateur and learning artists into the organization, to be inspired and collaborate with more experienced artists.”

The WSO will be hosting an art show at Hood Avenue Art Gallery on Sisters’ Fourth Friday Art Walk celebration. The gallery will be open for viewing until April 24. The gallery will be a special one, where selected WSO members will be sharing some of their recent work. According to Winnie, the show is rather select, and will feature between 20 and 25 paintings.

“This gallery will give people the chance to see what water media can really be,” Winnie said. “Watercolor painting has a much larger range than most people realize.”

The gallery will feature paintings that showcase the spectrum of techniques contained within water media; very exact and detailed work, loose and flowy abstraction and rich dark tones that dance in contrast to lighter brush strokes, along with plenty more.

Guests can expect to see a variety of work, all selected from experienced and passionate Central Oregon artists. This show follows the philosophy of WSO by showcasing a variety of water media. One of the selected artists, Rebbeca Sentgeorge, said “I am especially excited that WSO is embracing more than traditional watercolors and is including all types of water media under the WSO umbrella.”

Aside from sharing unique and lesser known water media styles to the public, the galleries put on by the WSO work to fulfill their mission by allowing artists to meet, collaborate and learn from one another. Afterall, the WSO is an organization dedicated to sharing and cultivating water media, and collaboration between members is paramount to the group’s success.

“Being a member or the Watercolor Society of Oregon is like belonging to a big supportive family,” Rebecca said. “It has given me an opportunity to show my work, be a part of a critique group, and it has given me a community of artists that I can learn from, grow with and rely on.”

Another artist whose work will be appearing in the art show at Hood Avenue Art Gallery is Kathleen Buck. Kathleen said,