The Community Wall

A permanent art installation for all dedicated to creativity and giving back

The Nuwave Community Wall was born out of owner Erin Oostra’s desire to give back to the community paired with inspiring all members of the community to get creative.

The idea began to form when she had been thinking about her own artistic journey. She remembered that one of the main obstacles was simply starting. Whether that meant getting out her paints and paper or finally taking it to the next level of submitting her artwork to be shown in public. “Anytime you do something new, there is a hurdle to overcome,” she says as she reflects on the beginning of her career. “What I want to help with is breaking down those barriers. I want to make creativity exciting and approachable, no matter what skill level you’re at because I believe that exercising those muscles helps us to heal.”

The Community Wall is located on the back left wall of the gallery. This is where people can drop off an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of artwork to go on display. “There are 21 frames that open from the front to accommodate art that will be interchangeable,” she said. “Basically anyone, whether you’re 5 or 95, can drop off artwork.

“The art will then be considered a donation in the care of Nuwave Gallery. We will choose a local art-related nonprofit to donate to along with the Fortuity Tasting Room. Two dollars from each of our limited edition art-focused Fortuity bottle sales, along with a portion of all Nuwave art sales proceeds will be donated to that cause.”

The winter quarter donations will be going to Skookum Kids in Ellensburg. Skookum Kids is an emergency shelter for children entering foster care. The monetary and in-kind donations will go toward supporting the program and the children in this transitional period through art and educational supplies.

Here’s what the wall says:

Whether you’re five or ninety-five, a beginner or seasoned pro, wearing yoga pants or a cowboy hat – your art deserves to be seen.

Ready to share? Before submitting, please read the following guidelines:

All submissions to the Community Wall are considered donations under the care of Nuwave Gallery. When any art from the wall is purchased, it is a 100% donation to the cause of the quarter.

Work must be sized at 8.5” x 11” in order to be accepted.

Any work deemed offensive will not be considered for display.

Check back often, we rotate artwork on a consistent basis!

Interested in purchasing?

All work displayed on the Community Wall is available for a $10donation. Frames open from the front for purchased art pick up. Any art in the drop box below is also available for purchase.

As an added bonus, there’s a Creative Table placed right in front of the wall if you want to come in and work on any creative project while hanging out at the gallery. There are even art kits available on location to purchase and create with.

This is just one of the ways Erin Oostra plans on giving back through the art gallery. With the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in mind “Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?”, she also gives back through donating 1% of all earnings through 1% For The Planet, and a percentage of all sales to the quarterly cause as well.

So when supporting Nuwave Gallery, you can count on the fact that your purchase will benefit both the local and global community because giving back is one of Nuwave’s core values. Erin Oostra’s mission is to create a space for people to gather and support those who help make our communities better.