Trailblazers: An Ellensburg Art Exhibition About Courage, Creativity, and the Paths We Build
This December, Nuwave Gallery brings together fifteen remarkable artists for Trailblazer, a wide-ranging exhibition that celebrates creativity in many forms. The show features woodworking, painting, photography, mixed media, graphic design, and more. While the work is stylistically diverse, each artist carries the spirit of a trailblazer: someone willing to try something new, challenge an idea, or tell a story in a way that only they can.
Trailblazer is not tied to one genre. Instead, it highlights bold thinking, thoughtful craftsmanship, and the courage it takes for artists to carve their own paths. Visitors will experience a collection of paintings, sculptures, carved works, portraits, landscapes, abstractions, and symbolic pieces that together create a powerful, uplifting atmosphere. The gallery becomes a place where people feel encouraged, inspired, and connected to the creative heartbeat of Ellensburg.
This exhibition arrives at the perfect time for those looking to shop locally for meaningful Christmas gifts. Purchasing art from Trailblazer supports independent creators, strengthens the Ellensburg arts community, and allows you to bring home a piece with a story and a soul.
The Artists of Trailblazers
Erin Oostra
Erin’s work ranges from expressive landscapes and mixed media abstractions to vibrant bird studies rooted in the Yakima Valley. Her pieces explore movement, hope, and the emotional experience of being in nature.
Mike Hipple
A photographer who documents quiet, powerful moments across the West. His images capture the personalities of people and places with honesty and style.
Jason Clifton
Jason works with expressive tones and deep atmosphere. His paintings carry an emotional depth that invites viewers inward.
Jeannie Rae Johnson
Jeannie’s nature-inspired pieces evoke warmth, gentleness, and a strong connection to the natural world.
Kait Robinson
Kait brings bold color, strong compositions, and a contemporary sensibility that pushes tradition in new directions.
Sasha Fair
Sasha’s paintings celebrate movement, mood, and rich storytelling through color and texture.
Matthew Wenz
Matthew’s moody, cinematic works pull viewers into dramatic scenes filled with depth and feeling.
Cory Rain
Cory’s symbolic and narrative pieces explore identity, cultural threads, and the stories people carry.
Fae Johnson
Fae’s dreamlike landscapes blend emotion, atmosphere, and the quiet courage of facing the unknown.
Caleb Cleland
Caleb’s work brings simplicity and strength to the show through confident forms and grounded compositions.
Devona Vader
Devona combines ceramics and found materials, creating work that honors history, resilience, and the handmade.
Shailer Tuell
Shailer’s carved wood and brass pieces bridge craftsmanship and contemporary art, offering a fresh perspective on the land.
Natalie D. Benson
Natalie’s figurative and landscape work carries themes of bravery, solitude, and purpose.
Luke Schuler
Luke uses reclaimed materials and layered textures to reimagine familiar landscapes in inventive ways.
Kyle Krauskopf
Kyle’s graphic portraits of cultural icons present bold, modern interpretations of figures who reshaped their fields.
Why These Works Capture the Heart of Trailblazing
Although the theme is broad and symbolic, each artwork carries its own spark of innovation or forward motion. Together, they form a constellation of stories about people, landscapes, and ideas that shape what it means to venture into the unknown.
Some artists draw directly from nature.
Fae Johnson’s sunrise painting mirrors the emotional landscape of facing a new day when life feels uncertain. It is a quiet act of bravery that resonates with anyone who has ever stepped forward despite fear. Shailer Tuell’s carved wood and brass landscape evokes the ancient calm of the Pacific Northwest, reminding viewers that the wilderness has always guided those seeking direction.
Others honor how communities evolve.
Devona Vader’s ceramic and barbed wire piece reflects the labor and fortitude of early homesteaders building a life in raw desert terrain. It captures both ancestral presence and the grit required to create something enduring. Luke Schuler’s reclaimed wood mountainscape pays tribute to early climbers and settlers by reimagining the Cascades with materials once used by generations who shaped this region.
Trailblazing also appears through iconic figures.
Kyle Krauskopf’s portraits of Bruce Lee, James Dean, Nina Simone, and Emmett Kelly highlight individuals who broke boundaries, defied expectations, and reshaped culture with conviction.
Some work celebrates local legacy.
Vera Ranguelova’s encaustic pieces inspired by historic Ellensburg landmarks, including the Loudon Brothers Dairy, the Cadwell Building, and the Yellow Church Cafe, honor the places built by people who took risks long before our time.
Nature itself becomes a trailblazer in several pieces.
Erin Oostra’s expressive paintings of Yakima Valley birds remind us that the land and its creatures forged paths long before human history. Her mixed media gold sky painting, featuring birds flying above hills now lined with wind turbines, acknowledges the ancient rhythm of migration and the blend of past and present.
Abstract work carries meaning as well.
Erin’s large illuminated abstract explores how bursts of unexpected color in nature guide us through dark seasons into brighter ones. It becomes a metaphor for resilience and the sparks of hope that lead us forward.
Some artists explore perseverance through symbolism.
Natalie D. Benson’s oil painting of a lone figure moving through the Southwest reflects courage, purpose, and the will to stand against danger for the sake of others. Cory Rain’s symbolic and narrative pieces trace cultural histories, personal journeys, and the stories people inherit or choose to rewrite.
Each artwork expands the theme rather than matching it literally. These pieces interpret courage, curiosity, identity, and change through many mediums and perspectives. In this way, Trailblazer becomes a collective map of how people push forward, reinvent, honor, and dream.
This is what makes the exhibition feel so encouraging. It reminds us that blazing a trail is not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it is quiet, steady, hopeful, or deeply personal. Sometimes it looks like building a life, honoring a place, migrating with the seasons, experimenting with materials, or simply taking the next step.
These works matter because they hold a mirror to our own journeys. They help us recognize that we are all finding our way, and that there is beauty in every chapter.
Supporting Local Artists and Finding Meaningful Gifts
Trailblazer offers a rare opportunity for those seeking Christmas gifts in Ellensburg. Visitors can discover paintings, handcrafted wood pieces, ceramics, original photography, graphic works, and mixed media creations that carry depth, story, and intention.
Purchasing from this show directly supports local and regional artists, strengthens the Ellensburg arts community, and brings meaningful, lasting beauty into your home or into the hands of someone you care about.
Join Us
Opening Reception: December 5, 5-8pm | Nuwave Gallery, Ellensburg Washington
Free admission, all ages, welcoming atmosphere
Explore the work of fifteen artists. Experience the spirit of discovery and encouragement they bring. And take home something trailblazing.
