THE DALLES — Art lovers, family members, and friends intermingled at the opening night party of Artist Myrna Anderson’s solo exhibit “Scenes from the Gorge” at The Dalles Art Center (TDAC) July 10. The exhibit’s layout is intended to encourage an “immersive, walkthrough” experience, said TDAC Deputy Director Emily Whitfield, who installed the exhibit. As the night went on, visitors flowed through the space to admire over a dozen paintings by the Mosier-based artist.

Anderson, a long-time art educator in Oregon, did not start out painting landscapes. She was always drawn to the natural world, painting large flowers and birds earlier in her career, and her interests eventually developed into landscapes after she moved to Mosier seven years ago, she said. The inspiration was right outside — Mount Hood, the basalt cliffs of the Gorge, the spring balsamroot blooms. Visitors will recognize these familiar scenes in Anderson’s works, which are deeply rooted in place and come alive with luminosity.