New Featured Artist: 

Medium: Oil & Acrylic Landscape Painting

About the Artist & His Work:

Jimmy Ulvenes is a long-time Olympia resident and painter who dedicated more than two decades to teaching art in public schools. Following a kidney transplant that made classroom teaching too difficult, Jimmy stepped away from education to focus on his family and immerse himself fully in his art. Over the past 20 years, his paintings have been exhibited across the Pacific Northwest.

Jimmy draws continuous inspiration from the resilience and unwavering tenacity of nature. His paintings have often been described as "soundscapes," using layers of paint to capture not just the sights, but the quiet sounds of the natural world.

For this October show, Jimmy presents landscapes that feel quintessential to our region. In these works, skies seem to drip gently down the canvas onto the trees, soft mist obscures deep forest backgrounds, and the viewer can almost feel the damp, saturated earth underfoot.

Learn More: jimmyulvenes.com | @jimmyulvenes

Medium: Functional & Decorative Ceramics (Stoneware & Porcelain)

About the Artist & His Work:

Jody Wally first discovered clay as a junior at Pomona College while earning a degree in Philosophy. He went on to study in the Kansas City Art Institute’s intensive ceramics program before setting clay aside for a few decades. Today, Jody has returned to the wheel, creating work out of the studio at Rain City Clay right here in West Seattle (Arbor Heights)—a return he describes as clay truly "reclaiming" him.

Jody’s ceramic practice focuses closely on presence, volume, and classical proportion. Working in both stoneware and porcelain, he builds tight, symmetrical forms that are given unique character through visible throwing lines, surface carvings, slips, and underglazes.

Each piece features custom glazes that Jody mixes himself to complement the shape and surface textures. For his functional pieces, special care goes into ensuring they not only perform well in daily use but feel satisfying in the hands, demonstrating how craft and art remain forever intertwined.

Learn More: jodywallyceramics.square.site | @jodywallyart

Staying for October:

Medium: Multimedia Art & Painting

We are pleased to share that Irene Wood is staying with us through the month of October!

Irene’s featured series is a moving meditation on the kitchen table, inspired by Joy Harjo’s poem Perhaps the World Ends Here. Her paintings explore how ordinary domestic spaces become sacred vessels for memory, migration, ritual, and family history. If you didn’t have a chance to view her series last month, we encourage you to stop in and spend some time with these reflective pieces.

Learn More: irenewood.com | @irenekuanwood

Event Details

Join us to meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments, and celebrate local Pacific Northwest talent!

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026

Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Location: CAPERS Home, 4525 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116