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The Doll Gardner Art Gallery's show for March features a 10 year retrospective of paintings and pastels by Deborah DeWit.

DEBORAH DEWIT:
"Books, Cats and the Natural World"

Deborah DeWit is a local photographer, painter and author, who has been full-time artist showing in the Northwest for 30 years. Her photographs have been widely shown since 1980 and she has written about her life as a photographer in Traveling Light: Chasing an Illuminated Life, in 2003 (reissued in 2006.) Her work in pastel is known for its subject matter about books and reading, a collection of which, In the Presence of Books (2007), with an introduction by Kim Stafford. Working mostly in oil the last ten years her subjects have been inspired by her connection with nature and her ideas about how humans perceive the natural world. In her latest book she wrote about her relationships with cats and their wildness in Painting Cats (2008), with an introduction by Marge Piercy. Most recently she collaborated with her filmmaker husband Carl Vandervoort in the making of the documentary Wetlands, the story of her relationship with a very small piece of wild land near her suburban home and the paintings that resulted from that experience.

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The Doll Gardner Art Gallery's show for February is from the Zimbabwe Artists Project.

ZIMBABWE ARTISTS PROJECT

Zimbabwe Artists Project is a nonprofit based in Portland which works exclusively with artists, mostly women, from Weya, a rural area in eastern Zimbabwe. ZAP’s goal is to assist these artists in supporting their families through their own creativity and by building self respect through self-sufficiency. ZAP strives for a genuine partnership with the women of Weya through education, sale of their art in the U.S., and special projects. Through these efforts ZAP is able to help the women afford basic needs as well as providing school fees, medicines, transport, seeds and fertilizer.

Weya artwork explodes with vibrant colors and life. At the same time, in each piece of artwork, the artist tells a story that can be reflective and personal. The embroideries, appliqués, board- and fabric paintings are all reasonably priced, allowing more people to contribute toward a better life for the artists and their families. Each piece of artwork sold is accompanied by a short bio and color photograph of the artist, providing a closer link between artist and viewer.

The public is invited to come and learn more about the program and view the art at the show opening, Sunday, February 7th from 12:30-2pm.