Arts Around Redmond: Burst Of Creativity On Display At Schoolhouse

Jessica Lambert has been painting for nearly two decades, but this year, she saw a turning point in her work.

“I just let myself loose,” she said.

After a period of intense productivity — including a stretch where she painted more than 30 pieces in several months — Lambert is exhibiting her work from this fertile period at the now through Aug. 29. Save for three small paintings, everything in the exhibit was created this year.

The urgency of her output is reflected in the pieces’ themes — revolution and re-genesis. Some of the paintings explore revolution on a personal or global level; others are rethinks of previous works. All are acrylic paintings, which represents a bit of a change for Lambert, who has worked mostly with oils throughout her career.

“Acrylics are just sort of — for me — a more organic method of painting,” Lambert said. “(I’m) more reactive to what’s going on.”

Lambert, who was born in New York, grew up in Dallas and moved to Redmond about 11 years ago, had taken a hiatus from showing her paintings in recent years. A docent at the Seattle Art Museum, she’s kept up her own work, but a big change in December helped fuel her creative drive — the sun room in her house was turned into a dedicated studio.

“It’s important to have a marked-out space as an artist,” she said. “When I go there, I feel like I’m going to work. It’s inspiring to have that.”

Lambert sees art as an essential element of peoples’ lives, and to help aid that cause, she founded a nonprofit last year — VALA Eastside, which aims to provide venues for local artists to show their work.

She’s also applied to be a member of the Redmond Arts Commission and is looking forward to meeting more people interested in the arts through her exhibit. A free reception to meet Lambert will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 24 at the Schoolhouse Community Center.

“(It’s) an opportunity to show what I’ve been doing, but also to make a connection to people,” Lambert said.

Mixed in with the excitement is a little bit of nervousness, but that’s to be expected.

“You kind of feel like you’re walking on the edge,” Lambert said. “But it’s good to feel a little of that.”

The exhibit is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, now through Aug. 29.