Colony barns frame artist’s view of home

“Barns are not just for cows and chickens; they are for artists to paint.”

Shane Lamb was looking for direction when he approached an accomplished local artist and friend, Judi Rideout, about his idea to paint the Palmer Colony Farms, particularly the barns and old buildings that seemed to be, by his description, “fast disappearing.” That conversation took place in 1990 after Shane returned to Alaska with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brigham Young University.

Having grown up on an original Colony farm near the Matanuska River, Shane’s childhood playground was among the heavy boarded buildings with their large animal doors at his family home on the Springer Loop system. Tall, grassy fields for one’s carpet and Pioneer Peak for a backdrop inspired this young artist as a boy and motivates his art today.

It is very fitting that, as we approach the weekend of celebrating Colony Days, that Shane will feature his collection of Mat Valley Colony Farm Art from the past 20 years with a reception at the Shane Lamb Gallery, Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. The gallery is at 550 S. Alaska St. and the exhibit will extend through June 14.

Shane says he got his beginning when, “I painted two large Colony farm scenes and displayed them at a Valley Artist Guild Show in the old Cottonwood Creek Mall.”

They both sold and this first sale encouraged him.

“I attempted to fulfill my dreams of becoming an artist … inspired by the history of the pioneers of the Valley” he said.

His next series of Colony barns titled “Four Seasons Series” became his first published set of limited edition prints. About this body of work, Shane said, “All of these prints were sold out in the early ‘90s after they where created, but I do have some artist’s proofs and canvas giglees, of some of them, that I am going (to) resurrect and feature in my Colony Days week-long show.”

He maintains that only one of those four barns is still standing, and says it is “a sad reminder of how fast the Valley is changing around us.”

Shane discloses details from this series saying, “The first print in the Four Seasons Series was called ‘Evening Light.’ The barn featured was the Snodgrass barn. This barn burned down in the late ‘90s. It was located between the courthouse and the Old Glenn Highway in Palmer.

“The second in the series was ‘Morning Light.’ The barn is the Grover family’s and is on Inner Springer Loop near the banks of the Matanuska River. These barns, (they have two, one of which came from the Colony farm I grew up on next door) are still standing and well cared for.

“The third farm in the series was called ‘Shades of Autumn,’ and featured the Breeden family’s farm. The farm was relocated near the new hospital off Trunk Road to the Transportation Museum, about five years ago.”

“The last farm in the series was called ‘Summer Memories,’ (and featured) the Dreghorn Barn, later known as Dr. McKinley’s farm. He ran a successful dental practice out of the colony house next to the barn for years. This barn collapsed about 10 years ago.”

When asked about the authenticity and artist’s liberties in painting barns, Shane professes, “Most of the Colony farms I have painted over the years are real farms from recognizable locations; however, I have on occasion painted a few farms mixing and matching this farmer’s wagon with that farmer’s colony house and different views of the mountains, just to keep people on their toes and to be a little more creative. … I think because I paint in a fairly realistic style, somehow people think that my paintings have to follow the rules of photography, and they forget its artwork.

“Composition wise, … I was always looking for compositions that showcased the farms in their natural settings with the mountains. Not all of the farms aligned themselves with the mountains naturally, so I tended to favor the ones that did.”

Spin-off directions that his artistic interest in the local barns and farms has taken him, he said, has to do with recreating them from old photos.

“I have also done a number of commissions working with Colony families whose farms no longer exist. I have a good archive of Colony farm photos from over the years, and a lot of the barns and Colony houses had similarities,” he said. “With a little help from the families’ personal photos and some artistic vision, I have recreated many of these farms back to a period of time that the family remembers their farm to be like. This has been really neat for the families who often had no more to remember their grandparents farms by than a couple of old black-and-white photos.”

Shane explains that often this new art is reproduced and used as gifts to their family members.

With the current exhibit, Shane continues to fulfill his dream as a successful artist and expresses his gratitude saying, “Even though the barns have mostly disappeared, and I don’t paint them nearly as often as I used to, I am grateful to have been inspired by the history of the pioneers of the valley and to be a part of its continuing story line today.”

Suzanne Bach teaches art at Mat-Su College.

SECOND SATURDAY EVENTS

DOROTHY PAGE MUSEUM

323 N. Main Street in Wasilla 373-9071. Artwork of Lee Post, cartoon artist. 2-4 p.m.

PRIMROSE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

889 N. Elkhorn Drive, Wasilla 315-4025

Gallery A: “Light Chasing Shadows,” new art by Noel Bell. Reception from 12:30-3 p.m. Gallery B: “Spring into Summer” by Karen Mattson. Reception is from 1-3 p.m.

PANDEMONIUM BOOKSELLER AND CAFÉ

1325 E. Palmer-Wasilla Hwy 376-3939. “Summer Alaska Show” by Suzanne Bach 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

VALLEY WINERY AND BREWERY

1705 N. Ranch Road on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway 357-9463. Bird Sculptures by Pat Garley. 2-6 p.m.

FOX RUN GALLERIES

4466 South Glenn Highway, (Mile 36 Glenn Highway), Palmer 745-6120. “Odd and Not” Art Show features artists Stephan Wilson, Tim Manning, Myron Rosenberg, Keith Manning, Don Myers, Walter Pelrine, Ken Olson, Karen Peterson, Francine Chiklak, Rob Nelson, Dan Twitchell, Don Myers and Shaina Perry. Artist reception 5-8 p.m.

TURKEY RED

550 S. Alaska Street, Palmer 746-5544. The Alaska Gallery presents “Asian Stereotypes” by Julius Cavira. Artist’s reception 2-4 p.m.

VAGABOND BLUES

642 S. Alaska Street, Palmer. Photographs by Tim Berberich and paintings by Douglas Girard. Reception 4-7 p.m.

SHANE LAMB STUDIOS

550 S. Alaska Street Ste. 107, Palmer 746-3343. “Mat Valley Colony Farm Art” by Shane Lamb. Reception from 5-8 p.m.

MADD MATTERS

105 E. Arctic , Palmer 745-6045. “Art on Fire Art” will consist of metal sculpture and paintings created at, or express the overall theme of our annual “Art on Fire” Iron Pour Art Fest, which will be held at the Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry on June 26. Artists reception 6-8 p.m.

SPRING CREEK FARM

6404 N. Lossing Road, Palmer. “Art on the Farm” features tours of the farm and children’s garden, 30-foot Yurt, hay rides, music, refreshments, and art demonstrations. Check valleyartsalliance.com for more details. Noon until 4 p.m.