Water Tables by Pat Clark

Pat Clark

Pat Clark's work includes several pieces that explore the flooding of the Red River.

Two exhibitions open this week, showcasing the work of Pat Clark and her reaction and response to water. It's a subject that's seemingly simple, yet a subject Clark's been sitting with for a long time. Clark will showcase drawings and sketches, as well as final large mixed-media pieces that speak to her connection to water and the role it plays in our lives.

Clark, who grew up in the Midwest, became aware of water and the impact it had when the river near her house flooded every spring and forced her family to leave their home. She noticed that the only people who paid attention to water, she felt, were weathermen, farmers and fishermen.

At Bend Art Center, you can view four large mixed-media pieces Clark created using various materials including clapboard, pen and ink and watercolor. You'll also see pieces created by six other Bend artists who Clark asked to respond to her studies of the water table. The artists, including Christian Brown, Bill Cravis, Barbara Hudin, Ron Schultz, Carol Sternkopf and Abney Wallace, created work in a variety of mediums, including woodcuts, encaustic prints, photo collages and sculptures.

Simultaneously, 34 of Clark's smaller sketches and studies of water tables will be on display at Central Oregon Community College's Barber Library. The work shows Clark's long examination of this topic and how she views it within different landscapes. Many of the pieces are titled with "setting," referring to the setting of a dinner table. She envisions these water tables a place to come together and have important conversations about our relationship with water.

Clark moved to Central Oregon about 10 years ago and opened the print studio Atelier 6000. Last year, A6 became Bend Art Center, a space that continues to allow artists to showcase their work while also providing art education. Clark is also one of the founders of ScaleHouse and an active advocate for artists.

Pat Clark

Clark's influence and work doesn't stop there. The Bend Art Center will also hold classes where you can make your own work inspired by water. COCC visiting scholar Emma Marris will speak Oct. 10 about the global and local struggles with water, and on Oct. 24 two poets, Dr. Emily Carr and Laura Winberry, will perform pieces that investigate water. On Nov. 7, Clark joins U.S. Geological Survey Geologist Jim O'Connor to discuss water and the impact of climate change.