Over the first weekend in May, Inland Northwest residents will have an opportunity to view the most complete exhibit ever presented on the artwork and life of Leno Prestini. Assembled by the Chewelah Arts Guild, the show will display more than 50 of Prestini's paintings, most donated through the generosity of his descendant, Cathy Johnson. In addition, there will be peripheral material and cartoon books, samples of Leno's terra cotta work, photographs from his various adventures around the Inland Northwest, an audiotape of the artist explaining himself and a video of Battista Prestini's museum tour.
The show is at the Chewelah Civic Center (the old high school), on 301 East Clay Street.
It will kick off Friday, May 3, from 3-10 pm. Refreshments will be served, and at 5 pm an open microphone will be made available for people to share their memories of the Clayton artist. Live music will follow.
The festivities will continue on Saturday, May 4, from 10 am to 9 pm; once again, there will be an open mike and live music beginning at 5 pm.
The doors to Prestini's world will be open for viewing only on Sunday May 5, from 10 am to 6 pm. After this exhibit the Prestini material will be moved to its new permanent home at the Colville Museum and Historical Society.
For further information contact Chewelah Arts Guild members Kay Comer (509-935-6198) or Tom Bristol (509-935-6270).
Aside from the upcoming show in Chewelah, you can see paintings by Leno Prestini and terra cotta modeled by Prestini at the Washington Brick & Lime Company around the Inland Northwest:
Museums -- Colville Museum (M-F, 10:30 am-noon, 684-5968)
Loon Lake Historical Society (T & TH, 6-8 pm)
Northwest Musuem of Arts and Culture: "Small Towns" exhibit
Chewelah City Hall: Exhibit May 3-5
Public Buildings -- Clayton: Moose Lodge (1926) -- ram's head on old school house
Colville: Courthouse -- tiled mural
Spokane: Felts Field Air National Guard Hangar (1934) -- ace of spades card insignia; Paulson Medical Center, 407 West Riverside (1929); Davenport Hotel, southeast addition (1929) -- ram's heads; The Rookery Building, 14 North Howard (1934)
Cheney: Martin Hall, EWU campus
Seattle: Art and Music Building, UW campus
