A Creative Mecca: Terrain 16 Unites Hundreds of Artists In Spokane

Spokane, WA - The Inland Northwest’s largest multimedia art and music festival, Terrain, recently celebrated its “sweet 16” with its annual art festival in the heart of Spokane, Washington. This creative mecca brought together nearly 500 artists from the region showcasing close to 900 pieces, and connected them with an audience of over 10,000 people. At Terrain, it was all about showcasing the artistic brilliance of local creatives and preserving the culture and community that keeps the arts thriving across Washington State. 

The sixteenth iteration of the event paid homage to its Sweet 16 theme with a Willy Wonka-inspired literature park and candy decorations throughout the three-story warehouse it inhabited. 

Co-founder and Executive Director of Terrain Ginger Ewing described the event as a little bit of everything within the artistic spectrum. 

"We were thinking about all of the voices, all of the burgeoning undercurrent of artists... whose voices were being pushed to the margins. And we really wanted to bring them to the surface, hence the name Terrain," Ewing said. 

With excitement, Ewing highlighted a new addition to the festival: a procession of 10 to 12-foot puppets led by visiting artist Dennis McNett, also known as Wolfbat.

For hundreds of artists, Terrain is a vital platform for getting their work out there, including Mery Smith, the Poet Laureate for Spokane. As a spoken word artist who has overcome her own obstacles in the name of creativity, Smith underscored the event’s mission to provide a platform for emerging voices and its importance to bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront. 

Terrain’s musical lineup featured the hip-hop trio True Hoods, consisting of lyricists and rappers Darrien Mack and Manuel Salinas, and producer Logan McDonald. 

“Our first ever show as a group was at Terrain three years ago,” McDonald shared, noting that the group, which performs "foundational hip-hop" with an emphasis on nerdy word play and expansive storytelling, was excited to debut their latest album “THIRTEEN” at this year's event. 

Mack added that the crowd creates a uniquely supportive atmosphere at the event. "The best part about Terrain is that there's no haters here, man. Everybody's encouraging,” he said.

The commitment to community and diversity is central to Terrain’s enduring mission. Artist Olivia Evans, whose work blends her Native, Black, and Italian heritage, spoke to the value of collaboration over competition at Terrain.  "I feel like most artists want to collaborate and this is just a way or an extension of that," she said. 

Terrain’s immense impact over the years and support of small local artists was palpable on all levels at its 16th annual event. "Someone will come to me and say, 'Terrain saved my life,' or 'art saved my life,' or 'finally, I feel like I found a community.' And that makes it all worth it,” Ewing said.

Learn more about Terrain and the pillars of their mission at terrainspokane.com. 

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