Tieton (Tie'-eh-tun) is a small town (1600) at the northern edge of the Yakima Valley, in the eastern foothills of the Cascades. Very lovely rolling high ground, about 1000 feet above the valley proper, with lots of apple orchards. Our longtime friends Ed Marquand and Karen and Kerry Quint of Seattle have bought property and huge warehouses once used in the fruit business, and are converting them into beautiful loft living spaces and an arts complex. You can see pics and learn more about it on their website: http://mightytieton.com/.
Ed and Kerry were art students at Eastern in the early to mid 70's. Kerry was a sculptor who went on to build ships and later manage a shipyard in Seattle. Ed is a very talented designer who formed Marquand Books in Seattle years ago. He publishes beautiful art books, really world class. He gave me about $400 worth of books!
They've got these huge studio spaces, (including a fully equipped printmaking studio) and they invited me to come up anytime for a "residency" and use the studios. I plan to take them up on it.
Here's Judd showing Ed a sculpture he's doing. Ed's a nice guy and really connected in the international art world, because of his publishing. He often works with major museums like the Smithsonian, or New York's Museum of Modern Art.
He grew up in LA. Shortly after his mother died when he was 18, he went on a road trip in an old VW van and ended up in La Grande. He stayed and started school there.
Here are just a few of the beautiful art books Ed gave me.
Judd, Mom and Kathy in Karen and Kerry's loft. There are 14 lofts in this converted warehouse. 12 are sold already, and they just finished them. There's a large gallery space in the center of the complex, and lots of communal spaces. They have high ceilings with huge old original beams. The design is very contemporary. Bedrooms are below grade downstairs.
Karen Quint in the kitchen of their loft. She was the director of Foster White Galleries in Seattle in the late 80's.
Here's Kerry. He's the man Friday doing the hands-on management of construction, etc. at Tieton. He's good at it, after 18 years managing a shipyard. He has a great sense of humor--is really funny.
As an art student in the 70's, he had a bushy afro!
It was a fun trip. On the way home we stopped at a winery at Benton City and sipped (just a little :)
Love to all,
Mom & Dad
