By Vicki Hillhouse Dez’Mon Omega Fair has learned to find harmony in creative mistakes. Immersed in his own world of color and movement when he paints, he finds problems sometimes present themselves in unexpected ways. “Make a mistake and figure out how to navigate that mistake,” he says. “I think it just kind of creates … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse, 2023 It’s time to roll out the red carpet. Walla Walla’s annual festival of short films comes in for a close-up July 11-13, 2025. Walla Walla Movie Crush is a weekend marathon of cinematic shorts. Shown in clusters at Gesa Power House Theatre, the films are meticulously curated into themed blocks. The … Read More
While Washington’s Cascade Range is known internationally as a mountain biking destination, the state’s southeast corner and the town of Walla Walla are becoming popular for a variety of scenic and diverse trails. From the white-knuckle, fall-line single track on Indian Ridge to the undulating terrain at Bennington Lake, there’s something for every level of rider. … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse NOTE: For details and tickets for this year’s festival, visit: https://www.wwcmf.org/ There’s a running joke with the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival about its open public rehearsals: A violinist and cellist are sitting in a bar. One says to the other, “You were late.” The other responds, “You were early.” The gag … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse In the woodshop of Walla Walla artist Zac Merten, making furniture is a spiritual experience. The proprietor behind Zac Merten Design traces his woodworking roots all the way back to work as a National Park Service employee. On the backcountry trails, surrounded by mountains and solitude, he developed an interest in the … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse A typewriter. A lawn chair. A squirt gun. Seemingly common, often nostalgic, items are celebrated on the canvases of artist Matthew Pierce. “I think my paintings are an attempt to preserve things that kind of divorce from the digital realm — an attention to things that are temporary,” he says. Pierce came … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse There was a period when fabric artist Jessica Cook was so captivated by the process of hand-dying textiles that she almost forgot to make anything out of them. “I just kept dying more and more fabric, until finally I said to myself, ‘I need to do something with all of these beautiful … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse A lot of people don’t consider themselves artists when they visit The Refinery for the first time. Put some clay in their hands, though, and you can witness a shift, says potter, artist and founder Jess Portas. Located at 205 S. Second Ave., The Refinery is a community pottery and art studio … Read More
By Vicki Hillhouse An heirloom-dyed knitwear collection was the farthest thing from Elaine Vandiver’s mind when she and her husband bought farm property at the state line in 2013. But there she was with 10 acres of land that sprouted into a vibrant ocean of green grass. The two llamas that came with the property … Read More
Calling all spirit lovers; DW Distilling needs to be on your shortlist for your next visit to Walla Walla! This small-batch craft distillery specializes in producing brandy, and was just named the number-one craft brandy distiller in the country by USA Today in their 10Best Readers’ Choice award (read the full article on that here)! … Read More
