WSO members were “Drawn to The Dalles” for the 2025 Fall Exhibit and Convention and were not disappointed. Juror Stan Miller presided as we christened a brand-new location for a WSO convention. The Dalles offered ideal logistics downtown with the exhibit and convention site only one block apart. The smaller town was easy to navigate, and the crisp fall (rainless) weather was a bonus! The weekend kicked off with the Artists’ Reception on Friday evening, hosted by The Dalles Art Center, located in a historic Carnegie Library. Members, friends, and families, along with local residents, had the first opportunity to see the whole Fall Transparent Watercolor Exhibit while enjoying handmade charcuterie boards, wine, and other snacks in the basement classroom.
Saturday’s classes were all contained in The Civic Auditorium, a historic building from the 1920’s. The hospitality team greeted attendees in the foyer and directed them to sessions in one of four different classrooms, including an actual theater for our larger events. During breaks there was a flurry of activity at the Vendor Fair which included Tokki Art Supply, the WSO 100 Club fundraising table, and artist demonstrations.
Pre-ordered boxed lunches were a huge hit, with over 75 attendees opting for a yummy sandwich or salad and goodies provided by the next-door neighbor “Farm Stand” organic grocery store and deli. This offered members a chance to relax and visit with each other or spend more time shopping instead of frantically searching for food in the short one-hour time period.
Lastly, the awards dinner in the ballroom was a chance to have a nice meal, catered by Cobblestone Catering, witness the announcement of the merit awards and 100 Club raffle winners, and then share in the excitement of the live exhibit awards and comments from Stan Miller.
We were back in The Civic Auditorium on Sunday morning for the annual business meeting which included the induction of the slate of WSO officers, along with so many door prizes and volunteer thank you gifts that everyone went home a winner!
Stan Miller wrapped up the weekend with a portrait demonstration using his realistic watercolor techniques, providing a perfect lead-in to the beginning of his four-day workshop.