Nika Blasser

PENDLETON — The Betty Feves Memorial Gallery at Blue Mountain Community College will begin 2024 with the show “Light Moves in Radiant Bodies,” an exhibition by interdisciplinary visual artist Nika Blasser.

The community is invited to attend an artist reception on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. at the gallery, located on the BMCC campus. This event offers an opportunity to engage with the artist, and a brief artist talk will take place at approximately 5 p.m. The exhibit runs until March 14.

According to a press release, the show “highlights the intersection of light and material explorations with meditative contemporary artworks that invite literal and figurative reflection.”

Blasser’s approach includes drawing, painting, installation, video, sound and photography.

“The art installation encourages viewers to contemplate the ways in which we shape and are shaped by our environment,” Blasser said.

About the artist

Blasser’s art explores the ephemeral existence of humans in the world, capturing moments of poetic magic created by the forces of nature.

She has exhibited artwork nationally and internationally. She has been invited to attend prestigious artist residency programs at places such as the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming; the Vermont Studio Center in Vermont and Taekker AIR Aarhus in Denmark.

Born and raised in Portland, Blasser grew up hiking, traveling and immersed in the art scene of the Northwest. She holds an MFA from the University of Alberta in Drawing and Intermedia, as well as a BA from Portland State University in Painting/Drawing/Printmaking.

She lived in Canada for five years, initially for graduate school and later continuing her work in the arts and teaching at the University of Alberta. In September 2023, she was hired as a full-time art faculty member at Blue Mountain Community College. She has lived in Pendleton since 2015 and is highly involved in the arts and education communities in Eastern Oregon.

About the gallery

The Betty Feves Memorial Gallery at BMCC is a nonprofit exhibition space connecting emerging and established artists and their work with students, staff and the general public in Eastern Oregon.

The gallery is open to the public Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and is located in Pioneer Hall on the Pendleton campus, 2411 NW Carden Ave. Admission is free.