The Blue Whole Gallery has named Mariah E. Vane as its December Student of the Month. The recognition highlights the gallery’s commitment to nurturing emerging artists and fostering creative talent.
Like many artists, Mariah has been creating, drawing, painting and crafting since childhood. She is enamored with the feel of handmade goods and believes that objects crafted with care and attention have character and soul.
Mariah grew up in Port Townsend and spent much of her time immersed in the outdoors. She was frequently found scouring blustery beaches for agates, meandering through canopied forests, or blissfully absorbed in the backyard. Her love for life’s interconnectedness, color, form, diversity, decay and resiliency are reflected in her pottery.
She graduated in 2013 from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with minors in Marine Biology and Architecture. She completed a certificate in Natural Science Illustration from UW in 2017. Since then, Mariah has returned to her hometown and is enjoying taking every opportunity to keep learning and growing.
This past year has been a leap into learning the art of functional pottery as a ceramics student at Peninsula College. Clay is still fairly new to her and she has been enjoying devoting her time to better understanding it and its many possibilities. She likes that it is messy and centering and can be exact too.
Join us in celebrating Mariah’s pottery as she continues to grow as an artist. You can view her artwork in the the gallery during the month of December.