CONSTANTS

Artist: Emily Somoskey

Show Statement:

Constants explores the shifting balance between what holds steady and what is always in flux. Using a combination of painting and collaged imagery, I reflect on how our lives are shaped by both enduring constants and the ever-changing variables of perception, experience, and the shifting social, political, and natural landscapes we inhabit. These layered mixed-media paintings give form to the complexities inherent in being alive, using a blend of representation and abstraction to explore the tension between the known and the mysterious, the material and the immaterial, and the constant interplay between the everyday and the cosmic.

Rooted in ordinary spaces and objects such as rural landscapes, fire pits, swimming pools, and plastic lawn chairs, these works draw from the visual language of my own upbringing in the Midwest while also pointing to the shared, often overlooked elements of daily life. Each painting depicts a hybrid landscape where the familiar opens into the cosmic, the psychological, and the abstract; spaces where memory, imagination, and the unknown intersect. Collaged fragments pulled from technical diagrams, personal photographs, and found imagery weave into the language of abstract painting, disrupting linear ways of seeing and inviting viewers to reconsider how perception shapes the ways we find and assign meaning. Through this process, I reflect on how reality is not fixed but continually shaped by what we notice, what we overlook, and how we connect disparate pieces into something whole.

Building on painting’s history as a tool for reflection, translation, and transmission, I aim to create a space for wonder where viewers are invited to question what they see, dwell in uncertainty, and reconsider their relationship to the visible and invisible structures that shape our lives. Rather than offering fixed answers, these works encourage viewers to linger in ambiguity and find comfort in the shifting, unsettled nature of perception itself. Ultimately, Constants offers an invitation to pause within the complexity of the world, to anchor ourselves, however briefly, in the mystery of what endures, what changes, and how we continue to navigate this ever-shifting terrain.

On View: August 1st-August 30th
Opening Reception: August 1st, 5-8pm
Terrain Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday 4PM-7PM

NOW OPEN! Introducing the Terrain Gallery Annex – a new retail wing of the gallery showcasing rotating work from 30 local artists. Annex artwork is available to purchase directly off the wall, and features a variety of mediums and price points. View the current list of participating artists here.

Designed to create more opportunities for artists to display and sell their artwork, we hope the Annex will help to further cultivate the local arts community and remind visitors of the importance of supporting artists and the arts.

Terrain Gallery Annex is open during regular gallery hours.

Click below to view past exhibits.

PAST GALLERY SHOWS

ABOUT TERRAIN GALLERY

We believe art and creativity have the power to transform Spokane into a stronger, more economically diverse, just, and vibrant city. Terrain Gallery is a critical component of this work, providing artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds, artistic practices, and abilities, a beautiful and professional platform to show their work.  

In addition, the gallery is a space for the community to come together and exchange ideas, and challenges us to see the world through multiple perspectives.

Terrain Gallery plays host to a myriad of public events, artist-led activities, and collaborative showcases. We’ve partnered with EWU, Whitworth, and SCC giving students interested in the arts intern opportunities, and we have made a tremendous effort to highlight shows with subject matters that have depth and relevance for the Spokane community. One of the foundational principles is to show the work of as diverse populations as possible. To date, we have shown the work of 243 artists, 98 whom identify as artists of color, and 58 who identify as LGBTQ2SIA+. 80% of Terrain Gallery shows feature at least one artist who identifies as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ2SIA+, and we have showcased artwork from groups like unsheltered teens and Spokane's immigrant populations.

Terrain Gallery is FREE to show in and FREE to visit, eliminating economic barriers for participation, and our commission split on artwork sold — 70% to the artist, 30% to Terrain — is not only rare (galleries typically take a MUCH higher cut), it demonstrates our dedication for economic empowerment for the artists of our region.

Supporting Terrain Gallery not only shows a commitment to Terrain and the artists of Spokane, it communicates your shared belief in building a more equitable, empathetic, fair, and beautiful city.

#weallbuildthis #terraingallery 

Become a friend of Terrain Gallery!

Let’s be friends!
Sustain Terrain Gallery by becoming a monthly donor!

For $17 a month (or $204 annually), you can play a role in keeping Terrain Gallery FREE to the public, and FREE for artists to show in.

Your support not only reflects your belief in the #weallbuildthis spirit, but also helps gallery artists access:

• Beautiful, street-level retail space — helping us claim space for the arts in Spokane!

• Digital and physical marketing materials

• One of the best exhibit preparators in the region

• A commission split that centers artists i.e. 70% of each sale goes to the artist while only 30% goes back to Terrain to help cover administrative costs. This is unheard of in traditional galleries

The public benefits too! By creating a space that welcomes ALL people, Terrain Gallery gives the community the opportunity to come together and exchange ideas, challenge ourselves to see the world through multiple perspectives, and celebrate our shared humanity.

And as a little icing on the cake, we’ll put your name on our soon-to-be “Friends of Terrain Gallery” wall, which honors the volunteers, donors, sponsors, staff members, and artists who collectively keep Terrain Gallery going.

** If you’re interested in a breakdown of Terrain Gallery’s costs, you can do so here. **

GALLERY - NOW accepting submissions

The Terrain Gallery is approximately 1,500 square feet and is located at 628 N. Monroes St.. The building is a beautiful turn of a century space that has been updated will still maintaining its original character - such as the original tin ceilings, beautiful brick walls peaking out around the white gallery walls.

Pictures of the gallery as well as gallery renderings can be found by clicking here.

We are looking for an array of proposals including two dimensional, sculptural, installation, video, audio (artist must supply equipment), interactive, or experimental artworks.

CALL CLOSES: October 17th, midnight