.png)
Stevenson Streatery
PICNIC TABLE ARTISTS
Tricia Cole
I have been an artist my entire life, but as an adult it got pushed to the backburner while I focused on raising my kids. A few years ago I decided to try painting as a way to raise funds to fly my family to watch my oldest graduate Basic Training. I didn't plan to continue painting after our trip but I fell in love with it and couldn't stop.
I grew up playing in the woods and swimming in the river here in The Gorge and still love the outdoors. That has had a big influence on my art. Mountains, trees, rivers falls... painting anything in nature is my favorite. I paint with acrylic on wood planks.
Jesse Graves
I am an artist and art educator, teaching at Stevenson High School and Wind River Middle School. I studied Jewelry Metalsmithing and Art Education in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I have a very broad artistic practice, dabbling in a variety of mediums, which works well for teaching art. For the last few years, my focus has been wood carving. Previously, I made a lot of environmental public art using a technique I came up with called mud stencils. My art practice includes creative movement, like dance and acro yoga. I also have an interest in construction which often feels like making art because of all the hands-on creative problem solving involved. I love being outside, engaging in outdoor sports and hunting, always appreciating the best artist, mother nature.
Dawn Nielson
I create most of my art at my home studio, Kamanė Studio in Stevenson. Painting with encaustic wax (beeswax and pine resin) is my primary art making process. As an artist I gravitate to work that exemplifies human thought & behavior. This topic has many layers and possesses its own concoction of biological, psychological and social elements that make up who we are as human beings.
My early education and career is in graphic design. Later in life I returned to school and earned a BFA in General Fine Arts from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon while studying psychology and art therapy at Marylhurst University. When I’m not making art, I work part-time fundraising and art programming for Skyline Health in White Salmon and volunteer as an outreach committee member and artist coordinator for the Stevenson Downtown Association. My husband & I relocated our family to Stevenson from Arizona in 2003. I absolutely love where I live and am proud to be a part of this small mighty community.
Olive Pancy
I am a Michigan native who relocated to the Columbia River Gorge in the summer of 2020. I moved to take the position of Director of Bands and Choirs for the Stevenson-Carson School District. I love teaching music, but I have also been passionate about the visual arts since I was very young and am happy to be contributing a piece to the Streatery for its third year. The Gorge is a truly beautiful place to live. It regularly inspires me to create in a variety of ways, and I am grateful for this opportunity to share that inspiration with the community.
Tyla Smith
Tyla Smith has more than 35 years of experience in the arts & has launched several successful businesses. She has worked as a freelance Makeup & Special Effects Artist in film, television, fashion, & bridal. She is also a freelance photographer who traveled doing fashion & editorial photography, with much of her work published in magazines & billboards.
She also takes photographs of nature & had several art gallery shows in Miami displaying her paintings & photography while she lived there. She is an art & nature therapist with a background in child psychology with a Masters in Counseling & Art Therapy, a BS in Psychology, & an AA in Graphic Design & Illustration from The Art Institute of Seattle.
Born & raised in the Pacific Northwest & having traveled the world, she has a passion for keeping nature protected & beautiful so future generations can enjoy it as much as she does.
Tyla is currently the owner of Waterfall Sanctuary, an art & nature retreat center where people can book lodging, participate in various art workshops & classes, & explore 16 acres of gorgeous nature bordering the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, immersing themselves in the beauty of the PNW & the greater Columbia River Gorge which is in close proximity.
As an artist & healer, she strives to help people in ways that work with their inner child, their creative selves, & help re-establish & reinforce their connection to all that Mother Earth
Kim Puckett
Founder, CASS Mobile Art
Community Art Studio of Skamania
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kim graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon with a Master of Education in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Kim fell in love with The Gorge when she and her husband, Brian, bought a tiny vacation cabin in the upper hills above Lyle near Appleton in 2011. Through both good and unfortunate circumstances Kim, Brian and pets moved from Milwaukie, Oregon to the Skamania area permanently in 2016. Kim currently lives in Skamania with her husband Brian, BIG Bernese Mountain Dog Wilson and two cats, Auggie and Mazy. She enjoys learning about many types of art and craft and loves to share her passion, learning and supplies with others. In November 2021 she and her husband purchased a step van and in 2022 they started Community Art Studio of Skamania and CASS Mobile Art. CASS provides repurposed and free art supplies, as well as free and low cost art making opportunities to Skamania community and surrounding neighborhoods.
Mindie Gum-Grivell
Born and raised in Washington, I'm a self-taught artist working with both traditional and digital mediums. Most known for my colorful and wildly imaginative artworks, I enjoy painting and illustrating a variety of subject matters and my execution always results in a bright and uplifting piece of art! My paintings have been featured in galleries all over the US and I've also earned a handful of creative and entrepreneurship awards for my work. Aries Art NW is my independent studio and gallery business built around my personal passion to inspire creative self expression. In addition to doing this through my artworks, designs and merchandise collections; I also facilitate creative workshop experiences and events! I do this locally, virtually, and all over the US! I provide freelance Creative Director and Design services and have worked with a variety of brands and organizations over the years. I've been living in Skamania County for 4 years now and am especially excited to be participating in this year's Streatery project!
Jennifer Hays
I am a local, born and raised in Skamania County. I began making art in 2019. I have had no art lessons, or training and don't really consider myself an artist. My first project was painting my riding lawn mower with flames using spray paint and all my painting evolved from there. I won third place in Artist of the Gorge 2020, with my "Bridge of the Gods" lightning piece, and won many 1st place ribbons at the fair including first place for amateur adult.
You may see my art online on Pinterest (jenniferhays1), reddit (jenni4hays), Facebook (Jennifer.hays1) and Google (Jennifer Hays spray paint). Spray paint artist Aerosotle featured two of my paintings on his channel on YouTube and on Reddit. I am known for spray painted local landscapes on masonite shaped like bigfoot feet, Bridge of the Gods with lights, and abstracts. Many windows have opened up since, now face painter for the county at the fair and other events, I paint windows for storefronts and businesses during the holidays, and this is my third year painting picnic tables. I feel Blessed for the interest in my paintings, thank you for your support!
Madisen Kellogg
Madisen Kellogg was born in the Pacific Northwest growing up with a love for the elements. She spent the seasons camping, berry picking, mushroom hunting, skiing, hiking, all the classics of the Gorge. After graduating from Washington State, she worked at Maryhill Winery where she was blessed with the Columbia River always in sight. With a love for the PNW but a desire for the unknown, she spent a year traveling and studying in England, Scotland, and New Zealand, with a few stops in between. Switching from wine to coffee she spent the last five years in New York running a local shop but ultimately made it back to Washington and the love of the Columbia River Gorge and Stevenson. These experiences have led over time to her love for painting mother nature and all she gives to us.
Board & Staff
This table and entire Streatery project brought to you by the Board & Staff of the Stevenson Downtown Association.
We welcome you to the 2023 Stevenson Streatery!
What started as a public space activation in summer 2021 to support restaurants with outdoor seating options, soon became a beloved community-wide project
and a seasonal gathering place.
For this year's Streatery project, we worked again with Ruff Cutts high school wood shop students who built all of the picnic tables, which were then sanded and primed by community volunteers. Finally, the tables were creatively painted by local artists, aside from this one, which was painted by our board and staff (can't you tell?) :)
Each of these one-of-a-kind tables will be auctioned off in October in an online auction to benefit the Stevenson Downtown Association and projects like the Streatery!
Thank you to our Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Program contributors for funding projects like this in our downtown district!
Liberty Anderson
Liberty is one of our youth artists participating for a 2nd year.
Jewel Waymire
Jewel is one of our youth artists participating for a 2nd year.
Ashley Renfrew
This is Ashley's first year participating as a Streatery table artist.
Jennifer Hays
Jennifer generously painted a second table this year. Please see above for her bio.
