Woodcarving Party - The Exquisite Gorge Project

You are invited to carve along with artist Roger Peet as we learn about the process of woodblock printing and the exciting Exquisite Gorge Project. Carving tools will be provided, and all abilities are welcome, from the seasoned artist to the curious kid.

Portlander Roger Peet, who works in the disciplines of printmaking and murals, is designing a 4 x 6 foot woodblock for the stretch of the Columbia River between Miller Island near The Dalles and the John Day dam for Maryhill Museum's Exquisite Gorge Project.

The Exquisite Gorge Project connects 11 artists with communities along a 220–mile stretch of the Columbia River to create a massive 66–foot steamrolled print.

The unique project takes inspiration from the Surrealist art practice known as exquisite corpse. In the most well-known "exquisite corpse" drawing game, participants took turns creating sections of a body on a piece of paper folded to hide each successive contribution. When unfolded, the whole body is revealed.

In the case of The Exquisite Gorge Project, the Columbia River will become the “body” that unifies the collaboration between artists and with communities, revealing a flowing 66–foot work that tells 10 conceptual stories of the Columbia River and its people.

Eleven completed 4 x 6 panel will be connected end-to-end and printed using a steamroller. The big steamroller print event will take place on August 24, 2019 on the grounds of Maryhill Museum of Art.

Light refreshments provided by Friends of the Goldendale Community Library.