The Hidden Talents at Youngstown
I’ve been working at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center for a month now, and every day I meet new residents who are joining the roster of Open House participants. Until now, I had been unaware of just how many talented artists reside in the building. For example, I only just learned that my co-worker, Renee DeMartin– also a resident of the building– is a talented photographer with a portfolio of beautiful wildlife prints. And yes- her work will be on display outside her studio during the event! It seems everyone I run into has a hidden talent, and more and more of those talents are being brought to my attention as we prepare for the Open House.
With every new piece of art that goes up in our hallways, I become more excited to discover what great work of art will be next. I’d like to introduce you to a few of the artists I’ve come into contact with at Youngstown– I can’t wait to find out what works they will have on display, and I know that if you learn a little more about them, you‘ll be excited to find out too!
Yvette Diltz grew up in the Puget Sound region and received her B.F.A. in Painting from the University of Washington. Her primary mediums are graphite pencil, colored pencil, acrylic, and oil paint. Her interests lie in portraiture and urban landscapes, and her work is heavily influenced by the works of Edward Hopper, John Singer Sargent, and Francis Bacon, among others. Yvette’s works recently appeared in exhibitions at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma and the Lawton Gallery of the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. In 2010, she was awarded a grant through the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center’s National Native Creative Development Program.
Koji Kubota began painting from a very young age, but he was initially drawn to music. He worked as a professional jazz drummer in Osaka and Kobe, Japan, before moving to the United States in 1986 to pursue visual art. Koji received a degree in Fine Art from the University of Washington and an Associate of Art degree from Seattle Central Community College. He continues to use music as a strong influence in his life and art. His preferred mediums are drawing and oil painting, specializing in abstracts, portraits, and landscapes.
Tanaya Sims has extensive training as a classical artist and holds a B.F.A. in Painting from Carnegie Mellon University. He has worked as a storyboard artist, character concept artist, and lead texture artist, among other roles at various companies that produce Xbox and Playstation games. Tenaya has been teaching for over 10 years with organizations such as Georgetown Atelier, Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio, Gage Academy of Art, and the Pratt Fine Arts Center. His work has been exhibited in various galleries in the Northwest and has been featured in International Artist and Southwest Art Magazine.
These individuals represent only a fraction of the many artists who will have work on display during the Youngstown Open House. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase works of art and tour some of the resident artists’ live-work studios. I am very proud to work with an organization that is home to so many talented visual and performing artists. I look forward to helping them share their work with the Delridge community, and can’t wait to see what else is in store for the Open House on Sept. 21st. I hope to see you there- it’s an opportunity not to be missed!