Community Calendar

School of Rocks is a three-day climbing camp designed for young climbers ages 8-11 – no prior experience needed! It will be held August 17-19 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the EWU Climbing Wall. Activities will include: supervised climb time, movement games, outdoor challenges, obstacle courses, and staff-belayed top-rope climbing. Climbers will leave knowing how to stay safe on and off the wall, introductory skills, improved confidence at the wall, and a camp t-shirt! Participants should bring lunch, water, and comfortable athletic wear each day.

RRAFA members are BUSY in August. Over 25
artists with 75+ works at Barrister Winery (1213 W Railroad Avenue), 15 artists showing 30 works at the Liberty Gallery (203 N Washington), Janene Grende, Katie Garner, and Mary Thomas at Indaba Coffee (512 W Riverside), and Joni Michels at the Garland Sandwich Shoppe (3903 N Madison). All addresses are Spokane unless otherwise noted. For many more events, see River Ridge Association of Fine Arts on Facebook and visit www.RRAFAofSpokane.com.

In John’s words: "I love to paint portraits and chose musicians from my young adult years. As I age, loss and death of good friends is ever present. In this series, my choice of subject matter links my memories of good times and great friends to these music legends. Some are deceased and some are still performing. All of the work is painted in oil on canvas."

Stop by the Historic Liberty Building this Aug to view John's paintings ~ stop by First Friday Aug 7 to Meet the Artist 5-8pm.

Kelley “Kel” Hudson is an artist and photographer currently living and working in Spokane, Washington. With community always at the heart of her work, Kel focuses primarily on photorealistic landscapes of daily, reoccurring life scenes and what Hudson refers to as “Mindcities;”aerial communities that she builds from memories. Her work resides in hushed restraint and aims to include many elements of silence and repetitive order. Alongside her love of symmetry and straight lines, she tends to reject the notion that human presence is necessary to describe the chaos or calm of a landscape. She instead focuses on the scene as having its own personality.

Robyn Smith finds that art is an adventure that never gets old, with so many possibilities to
explore. Through her teaching she has a passion for guiding others in exploring art in a way they might not have thought of before, finding that mixed media opens the door to experiment with different textures, layers, and mediums by repurposing items into art - old records, maps, sheet music, patterns, tissue paper.

Stop by Pottery Place Plus in the Historic Liberty Building this Aug to view Robyn's mixed media artwork ~ stop by First Friday Aug 7 to Meet the Artist 5-8pm.

Embark on a journey of creative self-expression! Whether on your own or with guidance, ease into simple exercises that explore basic artistic concepts. You could also respond to an optional mindfulness prompt. Our program provides a relaxed and inspiring environment for self-discovery, with all materials provided.

Meet, greet and book signing featuring author, educator, strategist and speaker K.A. Gilmore hosted by Auntie's Bookstore in downtown Spokane.

Whether you've known Karen for years or are discovering her work for the first time, this is an opportunity to reconnect, meet the author, and learn more about a book written to encourage honest conversations about race without pressure.

K.A. Gilmore is the pen name of Karen Loomis

Karen grew up in Spokane and spent 29 years of her life in the Inland Empire. Many of the stories in Book One – Setting the Stage take place in Spokane, making this homecoming especially meaningful as the book begins its public journey. Spokane is mentioned hundreds of times in Book One and an entire chapter is dedicated to Spokane, The All-American City.

Join monastics from Sravasti Abbey to learn practical steps toward peace of mind through growing kindness. Discussions are based on the book "An Open-Hearted Life", co-written by Sravasti Abbey founder and Abbess Thubten Chodron and Eastern Washington University Professor and Clinical Psychologist Russell Kolts. No registration necessary. All are welcomed.

Experience the breathtaking power of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in the historic Panida Theater, where the full force of the North Idaho Philharmonia joins the extraordinary voices of our community alongside the Bel Canto Opera. From its thunderous opening chorus to its soaring, unforgettable finale, this iconic masterpiece will fill the theater with a wall of sound that is both exhilarating and deeply moving. Performed by a monumental ensemble of orchestra, chorus, and acclaimed soloists, this is music on an epic scale—designed to stir the soul and leave audiences in awe. Don't miss this rare opportunity to witness one of the world's most electrifying concert works in one of North Idaho's most treasured performance venues.

Come see one of the best bluegrass bands in the Inland Northwest for free every Wednesday from 9:00-11:00.