VANCOUVER — There are many different ways to celebrate our national parks. For some, the best way to connect to our national treasures is through a peaceful nature walk. For others, watching an exciting historical re-enactment might do the trick. For a group of local artists, celebrating the centennial year of the National Park Service means doing what they do best: creating works of art inspired by their local national park.
Curated by artist and educator Maureen Montague, professional artists from the Vancouver area were invited to create original two-dimensional works of art inspired by their experiences at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Participating artists toured the park and were able to meet with the national park’s curators to explore and draw inspiration from artifacts in the museum collection.
For decades, artists, authors, and photographers have created a tradition of using their skills to honor the wonders of America’s national parks. 2016 marks the centennial year of the National Park Service, which was founded on August 25, 1916, and the local artists involved with this exhibit will also draw inspiration from this landmark event.
The exhibit will open with a reception at the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center from 5-7 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 4, as part of Vancouver’s First Friday Downtown.
After that evening, the exhibit will be open to the public, free of charge, during normal park business hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Nov. 5, and Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Nov. 7. The exhibit will run through the end of 2016.
