 "Photo: Matthew Strohmeyer")
For those students who come from bigger cities, Spokane may seem to lack centers of culture and entertainment.
“Where are the museums, the clubs, the quaint coffee shops?” some might ask.
The usual urban features might be less numerous and more inconspicuous than in other metropolises, but our Eastern Washington outpost does have hidden treasures. Among these lesser known attractions is Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.
Located on 2316 W. First Ave. in the Browne’s Addition neighborhood, the MAC preserves and celebrates the history of Spokane and the Northwest. It offers local artists a place to display their work and organizes events that honor the traditions of the Kalispel, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
This week I jogged to the museum from campus, making my way out of Riverfront Park and down Riverside. Those who have run the Bloomsday Race in May might remember the MAC. Runners go past the building at the first mile point.
Joanne Rehberg, a volunteer, greeted me at the door.
“I don’t know much,” she said as I quizzed her about the museum. She helpfully gave me pamphlets about the exhibits and the Campbell House, a historical home located next door.
Lori Bertis, the Museum Services Manager, said the Campbell House tours run on the hour and last for about 50 minutes.
“The tour shows how Spokane was becoming Spokane at the turn of the 20th century,” Bertis said.
Promising to come back to ask more questions, I meandered through the exhibits. After walking through the entrance, I came to the Spokane Timeline, which features personal stories of people who lived in Spokane over the centuries. I saw artifacts such as old liquor bottles from a downtown bar built in the mid 1800s and canoes hollowed long ago by local tribes.
One of the current highlights is the exhibit, “Art and People: Spokane Art Center and the Great Depression.” The Federal Works Progress Administration, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s alphabet agencies, founded the Spokane Art Center in 1938. An article from the era, showcased behind glass, proclaims, “Spokane Art Center Uncovers Hidden Talent.” And indeed it did.
The paintings of Z. Vanessa Helder, whose work was once displayed in New York’s Museum of Modern Art alongside the pieces of Edward Hopper, line the walls of the exhibit. Her pieces treat the eye to bold lines and the subdued but beautiful shades of watercolors. The exhibit runs through April 10.
One of the other current exhibits, “Swinging with the Big Bands,” illustrates what the Swing Era looked and sounded like in the Northwest. With Spokane residents Bing Crosby and Mildred Bailey gaining national acclaim, the city drew young people to hotspots like the Pirate’s Den, later known as the Harlem Club.
“Spokane was a show-conscious city,” one of the exhibit captions proclaims. Visitors can appreciate the MAC’s display on musical history through April 24.
Like the swing clubs of the 1930s, the museum tries to bring in a younger crowd with BeGin, an after-work party at 6 p.m. on the second Friday of each month.
“The museum started BeGin with students in mind,” Bertis said. The event has music and lets visitors tour the exhibits free of charge. There is a bar available for those over 21, but anyone can come.
“It’s very lively, very fun,” Bertis said.
Bertis also touched on why she thinks students not originally from Spokane should visit the museum.
“It’s one way to easily get a sense of this region’s history,” she said.
Moreover, the museum has archives available for student researchers.
“We have books and records, and we’re a repository for historical photographs. We make it easy for people to look through them.”
The museum has staff on hand to help students use these resources.
The MAC charges a $5 entrance fee for students with a valid ID and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On the first Friday of every month, it stays open until 8 p.m. Well worth the trip, the museum is a regional institution that offers students a host of reasons to appreciate Spokane and the Northwest.
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