Tyler Geel

Art: Life’s Messy, Beautiful Mirror

“Art: Life’s Messy, Beautiful Mirror” 

Art has a particular way of mirroring Life. As a large canvas abstract visual artist, Tyler Geel has had the joy of seeing that theory in a practical way. The challenging journey of art creation can tempt one to throw in the towel or be discouraged because of the seeming lack of control. Similarly when a painting is going in its own direction and the brushstrokes or drips derail the intended result, the feeling of failure starts to creep in. The painter has a choice to be overcome by insecurities and give up or embrace the flaws. If they’re brave enough, they take the risk pressing through in the potential to see the piece come together and reveal its own beauty. The end work is always a glorious display of tension and struggle enveloped in vivid colors and movement. Life, real life, is on the canvas and draws a viewer to connect and ask questions. What do YOU learn about yourself through art?

Visual Artist, Tyler Geel explores how to embrace vulnerability and insecurities, finding emotion and beauty on a painted canvas.

Elisabeth Goebel

Behind the Curtain

Why do theater tickets cost so much?

What lies behind the curtain of a live theater performance? Onstage, we see the actors. But who is backstage? Where do the costumes and sets come from? Who is running the lights? What about that music? Doesn’t somebody have to organize this commotion?

Who is in charge here?

Elena Orwick

 Love Your Mind

Learning how you think is the key to respecting and loving your brain. I want to create a community and platform around different terms and tools to help neurodiverse people understand and respect themselves. These tools are also for those surrounding alternative thinkers, and can help you be more compassionate and supportive to those around you. I have started making Love Your Mind content to help organize my own experience as someone with severe ADHD learning and living in a world made for neurotypical thinkers. I am beyond lucky to have a support system that values my input and has given me the space to figure myself out, and now I get to share some tips and tricks I and some other creative neurodiverse folks around me use everyday in working around and with our funky brains.

Jessica Riehl

Art Literacy Program

Jessica’s showcase explores her work in elementary art education. The Tigard Tualatin School District does not have elementary school art teachers. As an alternative, the Art Literacy program was developed by the district 40 years ago and is coordinated by a parent and funded primarily through parent support organizational funds. In partnership with her son’s elementary school, Metzger Elementary, Jessica evaluated the artists featured in the program and found it centers “classic western European Art History.” Feeling this did not adequately address the needs and interests of Metzger’s students, she created an alternative curriculum based on showcasing “Artists Like Us.”

To date she has created 22 artist lessons that feature an artist and accompanying project. In the program, art is taught through the lens of the artist’s story. The projects do not replicate the artist’s work, but are inspired by the artist and focus on the process of discovery and experimentation. Her program is well loved by the teachers and students at Metzger Elementary and recently, Bridgeport Elementary school has adapted her program for their students. She was recently awarded a Regional Arts and Culture Council grant to continue developing the artist stories for the program. All of her work has been done as a volunteer and on a school supply budget of $2500 per year.

Through her time in the incubator, Jessica hoped to figure out how to either scale the program to the rest of the school district, find funding or programmatic  partners, or turn it into a business. Her showcase exhibit offers a peek into the curriculum, a favorite children’s take home project, and example projects her students have made. She also has a portfolio of other work from visual facilitation to graphic recording and design and will be looking for her next big work project to start this summer.

Lorelei Ruiz

Brown Suenos Brand

Arte de la Pinta was already a thought before I started the TVC Artist Incubator Program. Arte de la Pinta started with a call from my incarcerated uncle. I wanted to find a way to help sell and promote his art. I’ve had some experience helping organize and coordinate events so I told him “Tio, what if I organize some kinda pop-up to promote n sell other incarcerated artists’ work?” He thought it was a cool idea. I kind of just left it at that. That changed when I started the TVC Artist Incubator Program. Here I felt like I could speak on this and the issues revolving incarceration. At the Artist incubator, I was given guidance, support, and a space where I would expand more on this. I am now organizing Arte de la Pinta as a incarcerated art pop-up. My goal and hope is to turn this into a annual event. Arte de la Pinta goal’s is to showcase art behind bars and to educate the community.

Cherie Savoie Tintary

Pretty Plus; Eat Your Peas if You Want Dessert: A Retrospective in Collage

I grew up with a plus size mother, then turned into one myself in my late twenties. Food has always been an issue; my dad made sure we were members of the “clean plate club.” When I became a collage artist two years ago, I noticed the hilarious diet ads in 1960’s magazines and knew I had to make something with them. My mom had a stroke in February, so I’m making collage as a living tribute to her and the foods we love to eat together. My mother’s main hobby as a master food preserver is on hold for now, so I’m preserving some memories using collage.