Reception, show will recognize ‘Honored Artists’

Ceramics by Sue Orlaske

The Honored Artists show, which will run through July 31, features the work of artists chosen by jurors during ArtsEast’s Artists of Eastern Oregon Show that took place last summer.

The Honored Artists are Steve Antell, photographer; Mona Dinger, photographer; and Sue Orlaske, sagger-fired ceramics.

Jurors also selected four artists for honorable mention: Kevin Boylan, Diana Dominguez, Linda Gray McKean and Jessica Thompson. These artists will show one piece of work each at the Honored Artists show.

The public is encouraged to attend the opening reception as well as the ArtsEast annual meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. Friday.

The show will be on display through July 31. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

HONORED ARTISTS

2007-2008

Steve Antell

Photographer

Antell works as a photographer in Northeast Oregon where he lives with his family. At age 15 he decided to spend more of his time photographing the outdoors and in the following 10 years lived in Colorado and Yosemite, Calif., completed college, published a book and traveled while pursuing an active lifestyle.

The many visual memories and emotional experiences from this period strongly influenced his selection of photographic subjects, composition and image presentation in subsequent years.

After completing a master’s degree and doctorate in field biology, Antell opened his own studio where he worked for 16 years.

Today, his nature images show the viewer an intimate, captivating and complete presence of the scene photographed.

Mona Dinger

Photography by Mona Dinger

While in her 20s, Dinger studied photography while earning degree in comprehensive design. Because of her desire to learn and be creative, she became a non-traditional student at Eastern Oregon University.

She first studied multimedia and computer science but recently returned to the field of photography with a new passion and enthusiasm.

In 2006 she began showing her work and was selected as an honored artist with her serigraph “Window of Time’’ in 2007.

Sue Orlaske

Ceramics

Originally from southwest Michigan, Orlaske has lived in Oregon since 1977. Her first pottery classes were from Janet Buskirk. Other workshops and instructors that followed include Jim Koudelka, Leslie Lee, Dennis Meiners, Malcolm Wright, Takasi Nakazato, Hank Murrow, Jan Edwards and Mary Sue Rightmire.

Orlaske’s current clay work focuses on hand-built vessels that are salt-fumed in a low-fire sagger. Her themes often include abstract and literal natural elements-western landscapes, critters and plants.

Locally, Orlaske’s work can be seen at the Crossroads Arts Center in Baker City, Mitre’s Touch in La Grande and at the Fly Shoppe of The Dalles Gallery and Studio in The Dalles.