| About ArtWalla |
ArtWalla was originally formed in 1992 as the Blue Mountain Arts Alliance, a non-profit organization engaged in facilitating the acquisition of public art and education about that art. ArtWalla’s legacy is visually evidenced by the stunning collection of public art gracing Walla Walla’s historic downtown core. In 2011, leadership of ArtWalla shifted to an all-volunteer board committed to the challenging work of restructuring to serve the broader arts community. Our Mission ArtWalla encourages and empowers local creative artists, engages the community, and enriches life in the Walla Walla Valley. |
Our Board |
President - Brenda Bernards | After a successful Urban Planning career, practicing in the Cities of Toronto, Portland and Nashville, Brenda Bernards retired to Walla Walla in 2016. She has always been an avid photographer and wanted to explore additional artistic paths. When an opportunity to take Joyce Anderson’s watercolor class opened early in 2017, Brenda stepped into a whole new world of creativity. A second opportunity presented itself with Greg Tate’s drawing class. Initially taking the drawing class to improve her watercolor skills, she discovered the appeal of graphite and charcoal as an artistic medium. Brenda draws inspiration from both the photos taken on her travels and scenes from everyday life. “One of the best things about Walla Walla is the diversity of art forms on tap for a city its size. I am so pleased to be a part of this creativity. Being a Board Member of ArtWalla allows me to give back to this community that is so welcoming to emerging artists.” |
Treasurer - Tricia Harding
| I am a long-time member of ArtWalla’s Board of Directors, where I currently serve as Treasurer. I previously served on the board of Carnegie Picture Lab and have been working on bringing a Creative District designation to Walla Walla and College Place (CoWalla). I am also involved with a group of arts related non-profits working to bring a shared space for the arts to Walla Walla. As a co-owner and member artist and of the Combine Art Collective in downtown Walla Walla, I have the opportunity work with talented artists and connect with the community and visitors around their love for the arts. I moved to Walla Walla over eight years ago and promptly got recruited to join ArtWalla’s board of directors. At that time ArtWalla was focussed on Public Art and I had just left a community where I was chair of the City Commission for Art in Public Places. It was a good fit and a great way to meet the arts community in Walla Walla. Fast forward 8 years and I am still excited to be working with a wonderful group of commitment volunteers that want to see a vibrant arts community in the Walla Walla Valley. I am very proud of all that ArtWalla has accomplished and so love all the creative opportunities in our community. We are all very lucky to have so much available to us in this tiny corner of the state. In my free time I am a mixed media paper artist who loves playing in my studio and collaborating with creative people. I am proud of the work ArtWalla is doing to support a vibrant arts community in the Walla Walla Valley! In my free time I am a mixed media paper artist who loves playing in my studio and collaborating with creative people. Gardening, cooking, playing with my dog Momo and bingeing TV series at night with my hubby also bring joy to my life. |
Vice President - Joel Libby | Joel is an avid art collector. |
Secretary - Sonja Rootvik Ewing
| I was born and raised in Walla Walla, have a BA in Fine Art from Walla Walla University, and am pursuing my MBA through Eastern Washington University. Painting and printmaking are my most common artistic modalities, but I am always excited to try new crafts. A lot of my work is inspired by nature, especially Alaska, where I commercial fish every summer. I was introduced to ArtWalla through ArtSquared in 2018, and have been on the board since 2022. As a board member, I hope to inspire more people to be involved in our creative community! |
Interim Program Director - Brianna Wray | Our Interim Program Director is ArtWalla's second employee. Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Brianna lived in Orlando, Florida for a decade where she fell in with a bad crowd (poets and painters). She represented her troupe in the 2007 National Poetry Slam. There she also joined a guerilla-style artist collective known as the B-Side Artists. Upon relocating to Seattle in 2009, Brianna studied Interdisciplinary visual art at the University of Washington. Printmaking, photography, videography, graphic design, painting and drawing were recurring passions. After college, Brianna joined the ranks of Chihuly Garden & Glass as a docent, learning to blow glass along the way. Brianna and her partner in crime and all things, Honeybee, moved to Walla Walla in 2018. She worked as a writer and layout designer for the Waitsburg Times, interviewing local artists and photographing scenes to accompany the headlines. Now Brianna is photographer for the Walla Walla Foundry by day and interim program director for ArtWalla by later day. She only slows down to pet her beautiful tortoise shell cat, Pepper. |