Spring is in the Air 

The signs of Humboldt spring are everywhere: budding trees, muddy holes, emerging trilliums and gardeners doing their thing. What does spring look like to you? If you hurry and visit the Redwood Art Association Gallery before April 15, you will get a chance to see what spring looks like to some of our local artists.

The RAA annual Spring Exhibition is one of the organization's most popular. This is the 65th year of the judged member exhibit and one that has seen more than 120 new works of art submitted for the competition. While there is no specific theme for the event, the works represent creative visions of spring in various artistic mediums. Paintings, sculptures, photographs and fiber art are all on display throughout the gallery.

"The exhibition shows how there are many interpretations of spring," said judge Michele Ohm. Ohm, who holds a degree from University of California Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies and an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design, is one of the many volunteers who helped make the exhibit what it is. Tasked with the difficult job of deciding who took home top awards, Ohm was struck by the vast differences in the pieces she examined. "I saw florals and landscapes, of course," she said in her official statement. "But there were also works about emerging from grief, the passing of time, feminism and cycles."

In the end, Best in Show went to Adrienne Werth for the gorgeously depicted squash in the watercolor "Gregourdian Chant" and First Place went to Pat Durbin for the detailed stitchery of "Miniature Redwoods." Other awards included Elsie Mendes' serene picnic "Peace and Quiet" for Best of Spring and Barrie Love's mixed media portrait "The Gaze" for Best in Photography. Prizes for all awards came from generous sponsors, with the exhibit underwritten by primary donor Eureka Natural Foods and major cash donations from Pierson Building Center and Redwood Capital Bank. Other local people and businesses alike also donated cash and gift certificates to add to the winnings.

Getting a show like this ready for viewing is no simple feat. Being a nonprofit organization, the RAA greatly depends on local support to showcase art and artists in our community. As the spring exhibit is a large one, it requires the hands of numerous volunteers and a lot of hard work. It is a true labor of love. Once the art is brought to the gallery, each piece is professionally photographed and catalogued for the online exhibit, allowing guests and members to view the work even if they are unable to visit the downtown Eureka gallery in person. When everything has been entered, setting up the spatial design and hanging begins. Every piece is carefully selected for its designated spot based on size, color, medium and other factors.

During the closure and limited hours imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers and RAA members used the time to remodel the interior of the art space. Thanks to their hard work, the upstairs gallery has a more pleasing flow and the space is brightened with new flooring, fresh paint and other updates that help draw visitors' eyes to where they should be — on the art — rather than to needed repairs. Members also worked on the website to provide better online access and a host of other updates.

Although much improvement work has been done in the space, the RAA is still fundraising for a chairlift to improve access to the upstairs galleries for those with mobility issues. A percentage of sales from this show will go toward the chairlift fund.

Visit the RAA Gallery at 603 F St., Eureka, Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. View the Spring Exhibition online at redwoodart.net.

Tamar Burris (she/her) is a freelance education writer and relationship coach. Her book for children of divorce A New Special Friend is available through her website tamarburris.com.