Forsberg Art Gallery

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About the Exhibition:

Join us at the Forsberg Gallery for a celebration of creativity, experimentation, and craft featuring the work of faculty artists Ray Cooper, Michael Kohlmeier, Shane Prine, and Peipei Wallace. From hand-crafted leatherwork and functional ceramics to fragmented visual narratives and historic photographic processes, this exhibition offers a glimpse into the diverse ways artists explore materials, process, and personal experience. Together, these works
invite us to look closer, embrace the unexpected, and discover new perspectives. Come experience the Faculty Art Show at the Forsberg Gallery.

About the Artists:

Ray Cooper is a contemporary fine artist, painter, sculptor, and educator based in Kelso, Washington. Born in Walla Walla, he earned both his BFA and MFA in Painting and Drawing from Washington State University after initial studies at Eastern Washington University, working under prominent mentors like Ruben Trejo and Robert Helm. His diverse artistic portfolio spans portraiture, figurative work, expressive landscapes, and nonrepresentational abstract art, heavily incorporating themes of passage, change, and the natural world. A dedicated educator, Cooper has taught art appreciation, drawing, design, and painting at Clark College and Lower Columbia College for over two decades. His multi-faceted career also includes serving as an editorial cartoonist for The Daily News in Longview, and holding leadership roles with the Broadway Gallery and the Washington Community College Humanities Association.

 

Michael Kohlmeier is an artist, educator, and theatrical set designer based in Washington State. Originally from Kent, Washington, he studied at Goddard College before pursuing his passion for art education. For years, Kohlmeier has shared his expertise as an art instructor at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. Beyond the classroom, he is a prominent figure in the Pacific Northwest performing arts community, designing theatrical sets for regional institutions including Lower Columbia College, Centralia College, and Grays Harbor College. Known for his imaginative flair, Kohlmeier also famously applied his design skills to his own home in Centralia, transforming a historic former church into a unique, custom-walled "castle" residence.

 

Shane Prine is a Washington-based artist and visual arts educator who teaches at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valdosta State University and a Master of Arts degree from Washington State University. In addition to teaching, Prine supports student creativity and artistic exploration through his involvement with the college’s Art Club, which encourages students to explore a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography. Through his work as an educator, he helps foster an inclusive and engaging environment for artistic learning and expression.

 

Peipei Wallace is a Taiwan-born artist and educator based in Longview, Washington, where she teaches visual arts at Lower Columbia College. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics, with a minor in printmaking, from Washington State University. Her artistic practice combines functional pottery and sculptural forms, incorporating techniques such as screenprinting, block printing, and sgraffito. Drawing inspiration from cultural identity, cross-cultural experiences, food, and human connections, Wallace creates work that bridges ceramics and printmaking. As an educator, she has helped revitalize Lower Columbia College’s ceramics program, sharing her passion for experimentation and creative exploration with students. 

 

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