Eva Kelley has played a crucial role in elevating the visibility of Ridgefield’s arts scene. Now, as the city’s newest representative to the Clark County Arts Commission, she plans to bring that same focus to the county level
On Thursday, Feb. 12, the Ridgefield City Council selected Kelley, a local mixed-media artist and secretary and board member of the Ridgefield Art Association, to serve as the city’s representative on the Clark County Arts Commission.
The position has been vacant since October. Ken Spurlock served as Ridgefield’s representative during the previous four-year term, regularly updating local artists about commission initiatives and countywide arts developments, a practice Kelley said she intends to continue.
Kelley, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington State University, has worked as a freelance artist and arts educator for over 16 years. Ridgefield Mayor Matt Cole, who nominated Kelley for the role, said her appointment carries weight as the city considers expanding its creative footprint.
“She's got deep roots in our local creative community and a proven record of leadership… She has worked as a freelance artist and arts educator for more than 16 years, spanning community programming, creative entrepreneurship, and nonprofit service here in Ridgefield,” Cole said. “She strengthened systems, expanded opportunities and connected artists with community and regional resources. She brings thoughtful, collaborative energy and a deep commitment to arts advocacy… I’m confident that Eva will be a strong and effective advocate for both Ridgefield and the broader arts community.”
Reflecting on her history, Kelley said her path to art began in college. She originally enrolled at Washington State University to study journalism with an emphasis in advertising. That plan did not last.
“I loved my fine art courses and hated my advertising courses, so I switched and I haven't changed that mindset,” she said.
Art, she said, became more than a major, it became the one thing that quieted her mind.
“It's the thing that makes time disappear for me. It's the only thing that really makes my brain quiet, and it's the one thing I do that (allows) my brain to fully focus on the task at hand. And for someone who has a busy brain, that is such a gift,” she said.
Kelley works primarily in mixed-media, combining acrylic painting with collage. She describes some of her work as bright, humorous, and occasionally “a little sinister” beneath the surface.
“I enjoy putting humor in my artwork. I enjoy bright colors. Those are all ways to lead people in. When you sit with it, you can have a conversation about what it's about and get a little deeper than that, but I find that bright colors, interesting materials, and humor are a really good way to draw people into my work,” she said.
Over the years, Kelley worked as a barista and afterschool instructor, started a paint party business and painted murals while raising her family. She moved to Ridgefield in 2019 and joined the Ridgefield Art Association, eventually becoming its secretary.
Her involvement intensified in the past year. She helped lead the rapid transformation of a former hardware store space into the newly opened Ridgefield Art Gallery in downtown Ridgefield, which greatly increased the visibility of the Ridgefield Art Association and local artists.
The Ridgefield Art Gallery officially opened Saturday, Jan. 3, at 104 N. Main Ave., Suite 110, on the corner of Main and Pioneer, welcoming community members into a bright new space dedicated entirely to showcasing local artwork. The gallery is an artist-run cooperative and nonprofit venture and the first permanent, dedicated gallery space for the Ridgefield Art Association. The association relied on pop-up shows and temporary exhibitions throughout town for prior events. The gallery shares a space with local businesses, including Ridgefield Floral and Gifts, Toys on Main and Spudder Spirit and Co.
In the weeks leading up to its opening, Kelley and other association members painted walls, installed lighting, built display panels and developed hanging systems to accommodate rotating exhibitions. Kelley described her thought process behind the gallery’s layout.
“I asked, ‘What if you just gave us the door and we had this big section (onwards).’ It increased the rent, but I was confident in the fact that we could make it into a co-op-style gallery. And, no brag, but we did,” Kelley said.
Kelley continues to help install artwork each month, working directly with artists to curate and arrange pieces throughout the space. The gallery offers certain artwork and items, such as cards and prints, for sale, while other pieces are on display only. It also hosts art-related events, critique sessions and meetings, enhancing local involvement in the arts scene.
Each month, the gallery features a themed exhibition. February’s theme is “Water Water Everywhere,” with all participating local artists contributing pieces centered on water. Works range in style and medium, including several by Kelley, whose mixed-media pieces explore the subject through layered texture and color. The monthly theme format is designed to encourage creative interpretation while maintaining a cohesive exhibition experience for visitors.
Beyond the gallery, Kelley created an art critique meetup to provide constructive, in-depth feedback for local artists working through projects. She encourages artists to bring unfinished pieces and focuses on growth, professionalism and safe dialogue.
“It's just a safe place to talk about your unfinished work. It's usually like, your work and yourself are in a vulnerable place at that moment. So having people who like understand where you're at because they've been there too, and then also (being) constructive and kind is important,” she said.
Kelley’s next art critique will be held at 5 p.m., March 10 at the Ridgefield Art Gallery. Readers can learn more about the meeting at eventbrite.com/o/eva-kelley-creative-19940714700.
Regarding her new role as Arts Commissioner, Kelley said providing the perspective of Ridgefield’s arts community, not just her own, will be a priority.
“I would like to represent the people who would love to volunteer and love tobe a part of the conversation, but don't have the freedom to necessarily physically be there to do that. So (it’s) just making sure that this art community has a voice to the wider county arts (scene),” she said.
To improve the local arts scene, Kelley expressed a strong interest in supporting a theater program in Ridgefield. Whether that support comes from the Clark County Arts Commission, the Ridgefield Art Association, or interested volunteers, the idea remains an aspiration for Kelley.
“We have a theater program at the high school, we have a really cool old theater across the street,” she said, referring to the Old Liberty Theater in downtown Ridgefield. “We have so many people moving here with children and I’ve met so many people in Ridgefield (who) used to be involved in theater in some way. It would just be nice to make that a reality instead of just an idea.”
She also sees a need for greater visibility and accessibility in the arts world.
“The arts world is already kind of a gate-kept kind of subculture, and I don't understand why it needs to be that way. And I do think that that's changing, I just want to help (that) continue changing. People should be able to find the information they need to continue showing their work and being involved in it. It shouldn't be a mystery where to find the information you need or the help you need,” she said.
The lack of visibility of the arts and the work artists put in, across all mediums, may influence the perception that art is a hobby, rather than a viable calling.
“For some reason, when someone says they're an artist or an author or a filmmaker… (There’s) almost an assumption that that's their hobby, right? That can't be the way someone lives or makes a living. My other pet peeve is (how) people ask artists to do things and they expect them to do it out of the goodness of their hearts because they love to do the task. You hear well, yeah, but it'll be good exposure. So (it’s) undervaluing of our (role) because it's viewed as something pleasurable when in reality, it's so much work,” she said. “That is challenging. But anything worth doing is challenging, and artists know that,” she added.
During public comment at the Feb. 12 meeting, fellow artist and Ridgefield Art Association member Merrilee Asla Lee praised Kelley’s character.
“Eva's personality just naturally reaches out and includes everyone. She just does it, it is just her, and I think that's gonna really benefit all of us. And then also… That woman has the most amazing work ethic. So yay, thank you for including her,” Lee said.
For Kelley, the appointment represents an opportunity to expand the work she has already been doing in Ridgefield; connecting artists, improving accessibility and boosting the visibility of the arts so they are seen as an essential part of community life, not just an afterthought.
