Allied Arts Association History

 

The small farm settlement of Richland, Washington became a government city to house the thousands of people who came in 1943 to work at the Hanford Works, part of the secret Manhattan Project.  Although the government provided some entertainment, the residents banded together to bring culture to the area.

 

Thelma Pearson, an art teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, organized a small group of artists and officially founded Allied Arts Association in 1948.  The group became a vital part of the art community.  Among their many activities they organized seminars, art classes, field trips, loaned paintings to the library and businesses and awarded scholarships to art students.

 

The first Sidewalk Show was held at Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center in 1950.  The Sidewalk Show, now held in Howard Amon Park, has expanded from its original eight artists to over 200 artisans and thousands of visitors.

 

In the early years Allied Arts Association members met and worked in many locations in Richland.  Then in 1965 the Richland City Council agreed to let the organization move into a vacant building that is now its permanent home at 89 Lee Boulevard.  The building, next to Howard Amon Park and one block from the Columbia River, was at one time a hotel, the home of Richland’s first newspaper, an office for various businesses, a barber shop and a library.

 

Today the original building and its carriage house have been expanded.  The additional space now houses the Parkside Gallery and the Educational Wing.

 

To enhance the exterior of the building, an ambitious project to cover the retaining walls along the sidewalk and driveway with a mosaic tile design began in 2000.  Artist Lisa Day drew the designs, chose tile colors and was joined by over 30 volunteers to complete the project.  Soon after a large mosaic paint pot filled with large brushes was added to the building’s front patio.  The finished art is a significant attraction to visitors.

 

For the complete history of Allied Arts, please go to the History page.