Friday, December 12, 2025
39.0°F

Art Spirit invites guests to check out art for two weeks

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 8 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | March 20, 2020 1:00 AM

Art Spirit invites guests to check out art for two weeks

COEUR d’ALENE — Tired of staring at the same old things on your walls while you're stuck inside?

Feeling a little blasé about your living space?

The Art Spirit Gallery in downtown Coeur d'Alene wants to add some color and creativity to everyone’s life through an innovative art loan program.

"This work was created to be loved and enjoyed and celebrated, and just because you can’t come here to do that, we can't gather together, doesn't mean you can’t have it on your walls," gallery owner Blair Williams said Thursday. "You can just stop in and we’ll show you to our collections."

Art-seekers can check out a piece of Art Spirit inventory for two weeks when they provide a valid driver's license and credit card for the gallery to keep on file until the art is returned. The program is free.

Williams said the program has existed "behind the scenes," as Art Spirit has previously allowed people interested in a piece of art to take it home and give it a whirl for a few days.

"I don't ever want you to wake up from something you get from our gallery and go 'Eh,'" Williams said. "I want you to wake up and go 'Yes! This speaks to me!'"

Art Spirit is reserving the right to say no if an item is too fragile or cumbersome, but Williams said those items make up only a tiny percent of the gallery's inventory. She encourages guests to come take a look and imagine the possibilities.

"We’ve got sculptures you can take home and enjoy, some paintings you can take home and enjoy," she said. "We, like so many other businesses, are making this up as we go along. Every day, every hour, we're looking deeper and differently at what our future holds. What do we have? What can we offer our community at this time? Check out a piece of art, enjoy it for two weeks and love it."

The Art Spirit is at 415 Sherman Ave. and is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Visit www.theartspiritgallery.com or call 765-6006 for information.

ARTICLES BY DEVIN WEEKS

Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday
December 12, 2025 1:09 a.m.

Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday

Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday

Mike Baker installed his exhibit at the Art Spirit Gallery hoping it would generate conversations in the community. And wow, did it ever. "No Permission Needed," featuring pieces created using artificial intelligence, debuted Nov. 14 at the downtown gallery. It quickly became a subject of social media discussion and scrutiny in the arts community and the community at large for the use of AI and female experiences being brought into focus by a male, with some accusing Baker of misogyny, art theft or posing as an artist while others defended the intention behind the project and the exploration of a new technology-based medium. "At the end of the day it’s focused on women’s health, all rooted in the work we’ve done around endometriosis and tied to the experiences people have shared with me and that I’ve seen walking through the health care system,” Baker said Thursday. “I was just trying to capture all of that within it."

Community gathers at Human Rights Education Institute for holiday meal
December 9, 2025 1:09 a.m.

Community gathers at Human Rights Education Institute for holiday meal

Community gathers at Human Rights Education Institute for holiday meal

A festive feast paired with a social smorgasbord Monday evening as the 104th Monday Night Dinner took over the Human Rights Education Institute in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Babies in Santa hats, jazz musicians in dapper suits, best friends, complete strangers and everyone in between came to the holiday-themed dinner, which featured sweet and savory fare ranging from cookies, cakes and cocoa to pizza, lasagna, fried chicken and chili. "I think it's wonderful," said Quin Conley of Coeur d'Alene, who has been to a handful of Monday Night Dinners. "After going to a lot of these, I love it. I've gained so many friends on Facebook, gotten a few phone numbers." Monday Night Dinners are important because they bring together the community, Conley said, and they serve as a venue for making friends. "Everybody is welcome," he said.

Market at the Heart offers loving space to fill needs, bellies
December 7, 2025 1:08 a.m.

Market at the Heart offers loving space to fill needs, bellies

Market at the Heart offers loving space to fill needs, bellies

A whiteboard announces, "We have fish!" People greet each other with warm hugs, smiles, handshakes and shoulder squeezes, exhibiting the words framed in a small sign near the door: "When you're here, you're family." "Everyone here has got such a loving heart," Franny Anderson said Thursday evening while at Heart Reach Inc.'s Market at the Heart weekly community meal. "You can tell that they have the love of Jesus in their hearts when they're talking to you, and it just shines through."