Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1405271
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 11 first take staircase gallery / wine club Wine Club sign-ups now open e WAC Wine Club is ushering in a new year of in-house tastings that promise to be educational and elegant affairs. e club, now in its 20th year, purchases and ages Old World wines in its own cellar at the WAC and brings them up at their peak to enjoy with creative food pairings. e club also hosts well-established New World winemakers, who share and present their current releases. e Wine Club's goal is to educate its members with presentations from local experts while providing an opportunity to socialize and form new friendships. Membership in the WAC Wine Club is capped at 90, and annual attrition usually opens a few seats each fall. e club will accept new members for the 2021–2022 season from a waitlist beginning in September. To sign up and to find more information about the Wine Club and past tastings, visit wacwineclub.com. Perception in paint Enjoy artist Terra Clarke Olsen's work in the Grand Staircase Gallery Dri away into dreamland and the fantastically abstract mind of self-taught artist Terra Clarke Olsen when you visit the Grand Staircase Gallery's newest installation. Consisting of two series— Dreams and Viewer's Discretion— Olsen's work beckons visitors inward to the deep recesses of emotion and imagination. In Dreams, a series Olsen developed aer attending art therapy, clouds of amethyst dri across teal canvas that's punctuated by rose-tinged accents. e contrast between radiant purple, vibrant pink, and deep blue imparts a calculated chaos to the series. As each work dances and flows with its neighbor, a trancelike state emerges. is cognitive dissonance echoes Olsen's experience in creating the series. "I started Dreams aer experiencing a personal loss," she says. "I channeled intense emotions through my color choices and brush techniques." e result? Bursts of optimistic light and color amid dark abstract forms that explore the inexplicable interplay of despair, new beginnings, loss, and hope. Olsen's second series on display, Viewer's Discretion, is equally as cerebral. Originally conceived as an inkblot study, Viewer's Discretion grew into an exploration of imagination and perception. "e original painting was meant to create feelings of serenity," Olsen says. "When viewers had wide- ranging interpretations, I was inspired to expand the series." In Viewer's Discretion, bright swathes of heavily layered color sit front and center on dynamically dark backgrounds. Olsen's paint application is wonderfully textured, imparting a depth and intensity reminiscent of the expanse of imagination. Gaze into the stratum of ochres, golds, pinks, and reds and let your mind wander—what do you see? According to Olsen, there's no wrong answer. "I hope my art stirs emotions in you," she says. "But, regardless of how you connect with the work, I'm glad I got you to stop and look." —Terra Clarke Olsen lives on Vashon Island with her husband and two sons. She is available for commission on a limited basis. Most of Olsen's work in the Grand Staircase Gallery is available for purchase by emailing terra@tcoart.com. See more of her work on Instagram @terrasum and online at tcoart.com. J O H N B A N G T E R R A C L A R K E O L S E N