Brightly colored art showcased at First Friday

Visitors to the First Friday art reception at the Ritzville Art Gallery can expect to be enthralled by the bright, colorful creations of Jake Rehm. The reception begins at 5 p.m. and concludes at 7 p.m. at the Ritzville Art Gallery on Main Avenue.

Inspired by a variety of artists, Rehm brings the Andy Warhol style of pop art to the gallery, using a color contrast and combinations to portray people who have inspired him. Rehm, who did not take any formal art classes in college, uses art as a hobby and a way to relax.

A graduate of Eastern Washington University, Rehm earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation management and a master’s degree in physical education. It was also at EWU where he met his wife, Sheena, and the two have been married for a little over a year.

Rehm grew up in Okanogan; a small farming town that Rehm describes as being similar to Ritzville. Rehm moved to Ritzville because of a job and also because he wanted to return to a small community.

Rehm currently serves as a correctional officer at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell. It was after Rehm began working at the correctional facility about four years ago that he realized the release painting helped provide him.

“The reason I stick to that medium, it really serves as a good way to decompress from my job,” Rehm explained. “I like bright colors, and the paintings are of people that were significant in my life.”

While Rehm keeps to his medium of acrylic painting on canvas, he has a large variety of hobbies that help keep him busy in his downtime. When Rehm began working at the correctional facility, coworkers encouraged him to find a wide variety of hobbies to separate his personal life from his work lifestyle.

Rehm said he is an amateur musician and is currently learning to play the piano. He also enjoys bicycling, when the weather permits, and has recently taken up golfing with his wife.

Rehm said he had a cousin who was working on artwork that had a Warhol influence and during downtime between jobs, he began experimenting with a similar medium. The majority of Rehm’s paintings begin with painting a bright background and using a projector to outline the image of the painting’s subject.

Rehm began displaying his art at the gallery shortly after moving to the community. He explained he had about a dozen paintings in the garage and his wife encouraged him to ask to exhibit his artwork in the gallery.

During the reception, Rehm plans to have about 10 paintings on display. He finds inspiration through music and learning about, or meeting, inspirational people.

Rehm said the majority of his artwork is based around music and musicians that have impacted his life. He also has painted artwork of pastors and theologians that he has studied about or taken an interest in at some point of his life, and has completed a painting of his wife.

Artwork became part of Rehm’s hobbies because he enjoyed, “Painting bright things, being creative and finding things that are cool. You don’t have to be an artist, it’s a way to express yourself.”

This is Rehm’s first experience as a featured artist at the gallery and is excited to have his artwork on display at the gallery. An experienced public speaker, Rehm looks forward to meeting and talking with visitors during the reception.

The First Friday event is sponsored by the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce and celebrates the talent and success of local artists in the area. The Ritzville Art Center is located at 109 West Main Avenue.

For information about the event, call the chamber office at 659-1936.