Oil painter to show interplay of cedar, blackberries at Carco exhibit

The Renton Municipal Arts Commission will present local oil painter John Smither Jan. 9-Feb. 17 at Carco Theatre.

January 9, 2012 1:24 pm
The latest work of oil painter John Smither revolves around a rough interpretation of the interplay between the cedar and blackberry plant forms.
The latest work of oil painter John Smither revolves around a rough interpretation of the interplay between the cedar and blackberry plant forms.

The Renton Municipal Arts Commission will present local oil painter John Smither Jan. 9-Feb. 17 at Carco Theatre.

Smither’s latest series revolves around a rough interpretation of the interplay between the cedar and blackberry plant forms. He sees the blackberries as “a quick growing alien interloper of the Seattle area, while the cedars are the long lived, older established norms which have been here a very long time.”

Smither is originally from the Chicago area and grew up in the Midwest, earning a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Washington University in St. Louis.  After showing in Chicago for many years, he moved to Seattle and is a founding member of Core in Pioneer Square.

Carco Theatre, adjacent to the Renton Community Center, is at 1717 Maple Valley Highway at the intersection of I-405 and Maple Valley Highway. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional viewing on show nights. Contact the theatre for show times at 425-430-6706 or at rentonwa.gov.