“A POP OF PINK” SHOW FEATURED ARTISTS / Photo by Ky Light. / Clockwise from top left: Farhod Janovich, Malaura Bricker, William Hanley, Melanie Bricker-May, Rae Galloway, Diana McPherson, Qeysha Riding, Yu-Heng Dade, and Maja Shaw. (Not pictured, Jerry Lewis)
It’s easy to think you aren’t making a difference.
In October of 2024, FrogPatch Paper & Works met with the South Columbia Creative District and the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership to find a way to make a difference. With the closure of DS Watkins and Bristle Galleries, how could one small mobile art business make a difference in the downtown Kennewick art scene? How do you keep local artists and businesses engaged in the arts?
The idea was simple enough: match a business which had underutilized spaces, or wanted to help out, with like-minded artists for a monthly pop-up gallery. The timing of each pop-up would be left to the business owner. Does the venue have a unique vibe? Lean in to it, create a show around it. Capitalize on what’s already working for that business and give it a splash of color.
The Tri-Cities is home to so many creatives. It wasn’t too hard to share a post on social media announcing where artists could showcase their works. Not long after, businesses got excited about holding custom events. Artists began digging through their previous pieces and creating new art to match that month’s venue. People from all walks of life started coming together, sharing stories, travels, financial tips, and what inspires them.
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I’ll never forget my first DrewBoy Creative Color Show. It was the Green Show. I’d observed the Yellow and Red Shows from afar — I’d thought I wasn’t good enough to submit. But each time a Call to Art came around and I didn’t apply, I felt like I was missing out on my place in a vibrant community. So I applied.
Being part of the Green Show changed my outlook on the local art community forever. I felt safe. I felt heard. I felt seen and accepted. I was in awe of how DrewBoy filled rooms with all types of artists and art lovers. Not to sound corny, but to me, it was — well — magical.
The 2025 announcement that DrewBoy Creative would “end its art show activities” hurt. As a business owner and former manager, I fully support and understand how difficult these operational decisions can be. But this felt personal. I realized I was grieving the loss of the art community I had come to cherish. If they couldn’t sustain those shows, how was my tiny mobile business supposed to keep going? How do you recapture that sense of belonging? I remembered something my husband always says when we’re working on a home improvement project: “Sometimes you just have to start.”
If I wanted that magical feeling of art community back, then I just had to start. The pop-up gallery at Magnolia Studios & Blossom Coffee on March 1 would be a color-themed show. It would remind people about the importance of fostering “a vibrant community of creatives and art lovers.” With permission from DrewBoy Creative, the pop-up gallery became “A Pop of Pink: A DrewBoy Creative Tribute Showcase.” Eleven creatives from all walks of life showcased their passions. The interactive public display, Words from the Heart, gave visitors an opportunity to share what they felt needed to be heard.
And then it happened. Visitors arrived. They chatted with artists. They shared their thanks for providing a space to see, be inspired, to feel safe. A sense of community re-emerged.
It’s easy to think you aren’t making a difference, but sometimes you just have to start.
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You can see a video from the show from Downtown Kennewick Partnership on their Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGrP2R8SiBT
