November | December 2021 ISSUE NO . 36
this issue ’ s art chowder team
Chandler Baird - When I moved to Spokane in 2014 , I had two questions : “ What is there do in Spokane , Washington ?” and “ Where can I buy a raincoat ?” Three years later , I can say I have found a raincoat and I have fallen in love with this city I call home . I am an almost six-foot-tall Texan girl who found myself in the Pacific Northwest . I discovered my passion for food and travel in college when I studied abroad in Europe and Asia . This allowed me to master the art of multimedia storytelling . Now , living in Spokane , my curiosity allows me to continue to seek out the food , communities , and businesses that make this city unique .
Jani Bers - Jani ’ s zodiac sign , Gemini , couldn ’ t be more appropriate ! His extensive and varied careers in broadcasting , audio / visual production , and creative writing has been equally split and equally rewarded between Great Britain and the U . S . It ’ s this international “ twinning ” that has formed his diverse overview of the wide world of performing arts .
Alex Barrouk - Originally from Paris , Alex Barrouk grew up in a Mediterranean family of restaurant owners and natural born cooks with whom he developed a very distinctive sense of appreciation for life and all the beauty it has to offer . After a career in hospitality and event management , he now owns Aim & Build Consulting & Development , where he brings the same level of attention to supporting businesses throughout the region and country . In his spare time , he enjoys teaching cooking classes , introducing friends to unfamiliar flavors , and embarrassing his daughter with TikTok dances .
Ginny Brennan - Life and career allowed good fortune of living in the West , Midwest and Southeast all the while painting and exploring art as well as studying the works of favorite artists — Winslow-Homer , Charles Reid and Richard Taylor . Ginny has been associated with co-ops , galleries and art associations across the country . Returning to Spokane in 2013 , Ginny is actively involved in the arts community , with her own art and Art Chowder magazine .
Ann Contois is Copy Editor / Proofreader for Art Chowder ; she is a digital composite and stained glass artist , writer , web designer and arts marketing consultant . With a curious spirit and myriad interests , she has traveled widely , visiting European castles and Asian kingdoms ... always feeding her artistic vision . Ann earned a BA in Fine Arts / English from University of California , Berkeley and markets her original digital artworks via DigitalVisionsArt at Etsy . com . She is co-owner of Contois Reynolds Art Glass Studio , creating fine art glass for gallery , residential , and liturgical markets .
Sue Eller - In addition to freelance writing , Sue Eller writes short stories and novels . Her passion is science fiction . Sue is Vice President of the Spokane Authors & Self-Publishers , a member of the Inland Northwest Writers Guild , and the Idaho Writers League . She has also dabbled in news journalism , sports reporting , and screenplay writing .
Eric Cook - Eric Cook ’ s career in food and wine spans more than 30 years and five countries while learning to find the values of a culture from the foods for which it is known . Share the art and joy of wine and food with him through these pages . When not travelling and teaching wine , Eric teaches Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Spokane ’ s NewTech Skill Center so that more young people grasp how attention makes nutrition irresistible .
Melody Fyre is a recent graduate of the Evergreen State College where she received a dual bachelors of arts and science in physics and communication . She ’ s been involved in running her family ’ s art gallery from a young age , framing , creating , and restoring works of art . Now she writes about the evolution of the world of art and picture framing for Art Chowder while working as the frame room manager for Spokane Gallery . Find her on instagram at Thunderpopdesign
Mandy Hill is the Editorial Designer for Art Chowder . She grew up in Montana and moved to the Pacific Northwest when she was 19 years old to study at Eastern Washington University . She earned her BA in Graphic Communications with an Art minor . She and her husband currently own and operate Amplified Wax , which is a music recording and graphic design studio in downtown Spokane .
M . J . Hudon is a Pacific Northwest native , art lover / blogger , and writer . A member of Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers , the Tin Pencil and St . Francis writers groups , she specializes in urban fantasy and personal interviews .
6 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE
Karen Mobley is a visual artist , poet and arts consultant . Her poems have been published in WA129 , Spokane Writes , and Lilac City Fairytales . She was a artist in residence at Laboratory ( 2018 ). She serves as a Program Contractor for Spokane Arts . She served as Arts Director for the City of Spokane from 1997-2012 . She holds an MFA from the University of Oklahoma and a BFA with Honor from the University of Wyoming . For more information : karen @ karenmobley . com 509 499 0784
Tom Quinn - Originally from Great Falls , Montana , Tom Quinn grew up surrounded by art — mostly nostalgic celebrations of the Old West . After receiving a degree in art history from Gonzaga University and spending a year in Florence , Italy , he went on to the Art Institute of Seattle to pursue a career as an illustrator . Now living in Spokane , Quinn has completed several murals , extensive easel paintings , book illustrations , and magazine contributions . Quinn also enjoys drawing caricatures at parties and conventions , and teaching drawing and painting at the Spokane Art School , Corbin Art Center , and the Institute for Extended Learning . His work has been exhibited in galleries in Spokane , Seattle , and Portland .