Remarkable new art exhibition opens in Sammamish

On Wednesday night the City of Sammamish unveiled a remarkable new art exhibition at City Hall.

For those of us who like our art to combine beauty with an environmental and social message, the works of 44 of the region’s best known artists, and a few loose cannons, will make for an art experience of great value.

The “Eco Art” show features works made of recycled materials.

But those expecting that using scraps and castoffs will force the artists to compromise on the visual brilliance of their pieces, think again.

Issaquah’s own Kurt Rodenhiser is an example of how artists are embracing an environmental consciousness and using it to illuminate, rather than dull, their works.

The Reporter met up with Rodenhiser at Sip Wine Bar in the Issaquah Highlands, where he tends bar when not making colorful creations out of recycled wine bottles.

A multi-talented artist known mainly for his stained glass works, the Eco Art show was an opportunity for him to explore different mediums and ways of working.

And for him there was no shortage of materials - the owners of the bar were happy to support his artistic endeavors with all the empty wine bottles he needed.

According to Carol Ross, one of the show’s organizers, Eco Art boasts some of the biggest names in recycled art in the state.

“Eco art is a big movement all over the world,” she said. “There is a famous group of artists called ‘The Kings and Queens of Recycled Art.’”

Ross said that artists such as Diane Kurzyna and Brett Carlson, who will exhibit at the Sammamish show, were at the forefront of that exciting movement.

Eco Art will run until September 11.