Yakima, Wash. — A new art gallery, Heidi’s Art and Image, is set to open in Selah, providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work. Heidi Ihnen, a local artist who has been conducting mobile art shows for years, decided to establish a permanent gallery space.
“So, I thought a gallery is going to be the way to go. I could still sell my work. I can bring other artists in, and they get to benefit from that also,” said Heidi Ihnen, owner of Heidi’s Art and Image.
Unlike typical galleries, Heidi’s Art and Image will feature a collective of artists from the Yakima Valley.
“It’s going to be a collective of artists so that they have an opportunity to sell their work to maybe they can’t do art shows, maybe they can’t get into a gallery this way, we all benefit, and we get to share and selling our work,” said Ihnen.
The gallery will showcase a variety of art styles and mediums, including woodturning, watercolor, porcelain painting, homemade soaps and lotions, crochet, and sterling silver jewelry.
“I’ve got people who turn wood, watercolor artists, people who paint porcelain. I have people who make their own homemade soaps and lotions, crochet, homemade jewelry, beautiful jewelry made of all sterling silver, and a couple oil painting artists. On the other side, just all different mediums,” said Ihnen.
Ihnen expressed her enthusiasm for the gallery’s role in connecting art with the community.
“It’s always exciting for an artist to see somebody enjoy their work and think about putting it in their home or displaying it seeing, you know, what kind of feeling it gives them to have something that really inspired them to, you know, stick in their house. It’s a good feeling when they come in and they enjoy people’s work,” said Ihnen.
Heidi’s Art and Image will officially open next Thursday, May 8.
