Michelle Wyles of Boxx Gallery: Tieton Art Gallery Funds Community Through Art

What do you get when you mix a shuttered church, an art gallery, a food bank, and a whole lot of community spirit?

In this heartwarming episode, Scott sits down with Michelle Wyles at Boxx Gallery in Tieton, Washington, to hear the unexpected origin story of a gallery that’s done more than just hang beautiful art—it’s helped feed families every week for years.

Michelle shares how Boxx Gallery, now a nonprofit, grew from a simple idea—turn an underused space into something that could support the local food bank—into a vibrant creative hub for the Yakima Valley. With two “X’s” symbolizing the hundred boxes of food they distribute each Saturday, the name “Boxx Gallery” is just the beginning of a story filled with generosity, grit, and artistic growth.

Michelle gives us a tour (via words) of the current exhibit, “Textures,” featuring the fiber and textile work of local artists. We explore the challenges and joys of curating shows, building a gallery from scratch, and how a small town of 1,200 is attracting artists from all over the region.

Boxx Gallery Michelle Wyles Episode Transcript

Michelle Wyles [00:00:00]:

So two x’s is a hundred, and we the food bank gives away of of around a hundred boxes of food every Saturday.

Scott Cowan [00:00:26]:

Welcome to the Exploring Washington State podcast. Here’s your host, Scott Cowan. Alright. So I am sitting here today in Tieton, Washington at the boxx Gallery. My guest is Michelle. Michelle’s gonna tell us a little bit about how the Boxx Gallery got started. And so I’m gonna be quiet and let her talk. So, Michelle, tell us the Boxx Gallery.

Scott Cowan [00:00:51]:

How did it get started?

Michelle Wyles [00:00:53]:

Well, years ago, as part of the whole movement that’s happened in Tieton, we bought this building with Ed and Mike who now have gone on to buy other buildings in town. And then when our church closed about eight years ago, we moved the food bank to the backside of this building, and it has been there ever since. And then six years ago, a couple that lived part time in Tieton, Carrie and Karen Quint, approached me and asked me what I would think about, opening an art gallery that would benefit the food bank. And I’m like, okay. Whatever. I I had no better idea. Before that, it was a thrift shop and, you know, it’s been a few things, mostly just empty. And so Carrie did the design work, and the volunteers all pitched in and put in a ceiling, polish the floor.

Michelle Wyles [00:01:52]:

I used to have a clothing store. We brought the, cash wrap desk from my store, and these are props against the wall from our orchard or our son’s orchard, I think. And so it’s just kind of grown organically, and we had no expectation, which works out really well with something like this. We’ve we’ve been so surprised and pleased that the gallery has grown and grown and become an actual thing in the valley. And, it’s it’s done well. So we take of our commission, we, pay our expenses, and then we have helped to, help financially with the food bank for the six years that it’s been open.

Scott Cowan [00:02:43]:

So it’s great that that you’re donating in helping the food bank, but to me, odd in a good way. It is. It’s an odd odd odd relationship. So Mhmm. Why do you think so why did they come up with the, like, the art gallery? Because you could’ve come up with could’ve been a thrift shop. It could’ve been an espresso stand. It so many other things it could be. What so is there was the art community growing here at that time? What was the what do you think was their inspiration?

Michelle Wyles [00:03:16]:

Well, for me, I never cared what it was. It could be a feed store as long as it gave some money to the to the food bank. But Karen had is the former director of Foster White Gallery downtown Seattle. So she had that background. And a lot of people that have moved to Tieton are artists and have art art backgrounds. And so to her, I guess, it made sense. And it’s largely been a space for local artists to show their work and also to work in the gallery. And then we do have other people, from the Northwest.

Michelle Wyles [00:03:54]:

We have a show coming up in January with a woman originally from Ohio. So we’re expanding our scope as time goes by. But I’ve said before that I don’t know anything about running an art gallery. This is not my gig. I never wanted this in my life. I I do art myself. My mom was an artist, so I’ve kind of been, you know, marinated in it. But it’s it’s just been something that people really, it resonated with them.

Michelle Wyles [00:04:26]:

They they like it. They think it’s wonderful. I think that sometimes they think that all the money we make goes to the food bank, which is not true. And through COVID, the food bank has done very well in terms of people donating money. And, now that the this this gallery has become a five zero one c three nonprofit, it is able to accept donations and apply for, you know, grants and things like that.

Scott Cowan [00:04:58]:

How did you come up well, I say you, but the collective you. Mhmm. How did you come up with the name box gallery and why with two x’s?

Michelle Wyles [00:05:08]:

So two x’s is a hundred, and we the food bank gives away around a hundred boxes of food every Saturday to people in need in this area.

Scott Cowan [00:05:19]:

That’s a great reason. Yeah. That’s cool.

Michelle Wyles [00:05:22]:

It is a great reason.

Scott Cowan [00:05:23]:

I was I think what I thought was it was gonna have something to do with apples because we’re sitting in the middle of a of an orchard area, and it has something to do with apple boxes. But it was because you’re giving away about a hundred boxes of food. Mhmm. Yeah. That’s cool.

Michelle Wyles [00:05:38]:

Yeah. Alright. Our community is really small. It’s about 1,200 people. And so to give to a hundred families every month, that’s a lot. Our percentage is quite high.

Scott Cowan [00:05:48]:

That is quite high.

Michelle Wyles [00:05:50]:

And so, you know, there’s a need. And and the artists and the patrons really like the idea that they are helping out, people that need need things.

Scott Cowan [00:06:03]:

The food bank how long has the food bank been in existence? It was

Michelle Wyles [00:06:08]:

Twenty five years probably or more before my time.

Scott Cowan [00:06:11]:

Before your time.

Michelle Wyles [00:06:12]:

And, it’s just it’s it’s changed. Paige Mattson, who is a junior high science teacher in our school district, is the manager and has been for, I think, about six ish or seven years. And because of her, it’s a going concern. It’s amazing. This Christmas, we’re trying to give away a coat, a hat, gloves, a pair of shoes, a blanket, and a toy to a 75 kids. And it’s pretty ambitious, but I think we’re gonna make it.

Scott Cowan [00:06:48]:

So how does the food bank go about doing this type of fundraising and organization?

Michelle Wyles [00:06:54]:

Well, we’ve never really been organized, but a friend of mine, Sarah Holzinger, who used to be raise funds for, the Union Gospel Mission, has kind of adopted me. And so she is now doing that kind of thing for both Boxx Gallery and the Highland Food Bank. And so we are starting to get funding in, and it’s a crazy world. I didn’t even know that existed. I I had no idea that well, first of all, that people would send checks or that, you could ask for money from different foundations. It’s super cool.

Scott Cowan [00:07:33]:

Okay. How would you describe the gallery’s how do I wanna say this? Artistically, what is typically hung in the gallery? How what’s the style that the gallery brings in, or does the gallery is it Northwest art? I mean

Michelle Wyles [00:07:54]:

No. It’s really eclectic. It’s it’s

Scott Cowan [00:07:58]:

really stumbling because the eclectic.

Michelle Wyles [00:08:00]:

You know, can I say I don’t even have enough of a background to be able to explain it succinctly, but it is whatever somebody’s doing? Okay. Our goal with this gallery is diversity and inclusion and all those catch phrases. Our community is, I don’t know, 70% Latino. Mhmm. And so we we strive to include the Latino, population and those artists to to show in here. It’s it’s kind of something that’s coming along. We’ve done some of that in the past. But with any organization, you have to bring in young people.

Michelle Wyles [00:08:46]:

And old white people like myself have a house full of this stuff, and they don’t need anymore. And, you know, you have to get rid of something. And you you pawned off as much stuff on your kids as they’ll take, and they refute mine, at least, they refuse. I I can’t even believe it. And, so so we need young people that have houses with that without all the stuff on the walls. And so, you know, it’s it’s the same with any organization. You need young people to sustain it.

Scott Cowan [00:09:17]:

Right. No. I’m laughing because my daughter who who anyone who listens to the show, you don’t know this, but anyone who listens knows MacKenzie. He’s my daughter, and she she runs Explore with me. But she lives in Europe. She lives in Austria, and I’m convinced she moved away so that I couldn’t keep giving her things to take. So that’s why I’m laughing so hard. It’s like she moved across the Atlantic to get away.

Michelle Wyles [00:09:38]:

Oh, yeah. My kids live close, and we have snuck things into their garages when they weren’t home. And, eventually, they see it, and they call us out.

Scott Cowan [00:09:47]:

Tuck this kid here, mom.

Michelle Wyles [00:09:49]:

Uh-huh. Come on. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:09:52]:

So today so when we’re recording this, it’s November of twenty twenty one. Why don’t you describe since this is an audio medium and we’re in a visual space, what am I looking at on the walls here? What’s whose whose art is here, and how would you describe it?

Michelle Wyles [00:10:10]:

So the name of the show is Textures. And so two of the artists are are fiber and textile artists. Nancy Gabriel, does, like, rug hooking.

Scott Cowan [00:10:25]:

Mhmm.

Michelle Wyles [00:10:25]:

But they they become art by the time she’s done. There are things that you can put on the wall. They’re very unique, but they’re, again, really tactile. The other the other artist that’s a textile artist is Jackie Prout, who is our, basically volunteer gallery director. We we make people who are the least suspecting into positions of of having to put out a lot of time. But, anyway, Jackie Jackie does, fabric art. And in conjunction with her husband, who is a photographer, these these people are all quite well known within our group of artists. They have collaborated.

Michelle Wyles [00:11:12]:

And with with photography and textile art, they have put things together, and and they they become something different, a different medium that doesn’t that you don’t usually see.

Scott Cowan [00:11:24]:

And how long will this show be in the gallery?

Michelle Wyles [00:11:28]:

It’s up for the month of November.

Scott Cowan [00:11:29]:

And is that your typical length is a month each show?

Michelle Wyles [00:11:33]:

Except our Christmas show will go on for two months because everybody’s kinda pooped by the end of it. And January is a low time for, for gallery, attendance, and so we will leave it up for a while. The the show in December is for the volunteers and specially invited artists. K. So we’ll get something like 50 artists showing work. Wow. It’s a bookkeeping nightmare of which I’m responsible for.

Scott Cowan [00:12:03]:

Yep. So you’re doing basically 11 shows a year then here?

Michelle Wyles [00:12:07]:

Yeah. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:12:08]:

Well, so that’s gotta be just easy to coordinate and, you know, no no no planning ahead.

Michelle Wyles [00:12:15]:

The thing is it’s super hard. It’s super complicated. She has shows, planned into 02/2023. I I stay out of it. I don’t usually know what’s going on. We’ve they’ve given us a book now so you can look it up. For the six years that this gallery has been opened, I’ve been pretty much clueless the whole time about what’s going on. Somebody else is always in charge.

Michelle Wyles [00:12:44]:

Karen was the director, until January or February of last year, and the next day, we arm wrestle Jackie Jackie into being the director.

Scott Cowan [00:12:55]:

I would have thought it was just because she wasn’t at the meeting, so you elected her. You know? You weren’t here, so you got picked.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:00]:

Yeah. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:13:02]:

So in the sixth year, I’m gonna put you on the spot, and I’m gonna ask you your opinion. This is your opinion. I’m gonna emphasize

Michelle Wyles [00:13:08]:

Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:13:08]:

This is the opinion of one person.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:10]:

Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:13:11]:

What’s been your favorite show in six years? Your favorite show.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:17]:

Man, that’s hard.

Scott Cowan [00:13:19]:

I know.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:19]:

Can I pick two?

Scott Cowan [00:13:20]:

Sure.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:20]:

Okay. I’ll let

Scott Cowan [00:13:21]:

you go with two.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:22]:

Okay. Years ago, Karen curated a kite show of all things. K. And there were kites of all varieties, and these artists were from the Seattle area. It was wild in here. That was so fun. It was so, unexpected for me. And I just it was colorful.

Michelle Wyles [00:13:43]:

It was beautiful. It was happy. It was very up Uh-huh. Kind of a thing. The other show that is awe inspiring is Leo Adams every time. When he has a show, you might cry accidentally because it’s so pretty, and his work’s so beautiful.

Scott Cowan [00:14:02]:

What what is his what does he work what medium does he work in?

Michelle Wyles [00:14:06]:

He, works in acrylics. K. And, that’s mostly what he does. He also does three-dimensional things. Some of it is sort of native inspired images, but, you know, he’s got it going on. It’s amazing.

Scott Cowan [00:14:26]:

K. And he’s in the in the valley Yakima Valley?

Michelle Wyles [00:14:28]:

Yeah. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:14:31]:

Kites, that’s interesting you said because kites can be pretty powerful when you see them. I mean, they’re they’re they’re crazy how intricate they can be. I agree with you on that. Yeah. That would have been this would be an interesting were you hanging them from the ceiling? Or

Michelle Wyles [00:14:47]:

Yeah. She was hanging from the ceiling. You can see some hooks still in the ceiling.

Scott Cowan [00:14:51]:

Okay. Yeah. Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:14:53]:

Yep.

Scott Cowan [00:14:58]:

So you’re you are you from this area Mhmm. Originally?

Michelle Wyles [00:15:03]:

I’m an apple farmer’s daughter and an apple farmer’s wife. Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:15:06]:

Do you Mhmm. That sounds like a coal miner’s oh, sorry.

Michelle Wyles [00:15:10]:

I know. Barefoot and pregnant. Uh-huh.

Scott Cowan [00:15:13]:

Have you always lived in the region, or did you escape for some like, so many of us, you know, we wherever we called home as a kid, we’re like, I don’t wanna be there, and then we end up back there. But did you live here?

Michelle Wyles [00:15:24]:

Yeah. We we moved a hundred miles away for twenty years, but I was married really young, and we moved to the Columbia Basin. And, yeah, I haven’t ever been anywhere.

Scott Cowan [00:15:40]:

That’s fine. Yeah. So so what is change okay. So I I stumbled upon Tietons, as I was telling you before.

Michelle Wyles [00:15:46]:

Right.

Scott Cowan [00:15:46]:

And we had some previous guests on that own Tieton Cider Works. Nothing about this little community, and

Michelle Wyles [00:15:53]:

and

Scott Cowan [00:15:53]:

Craig’s like, no, you gotta go look. And so I had found your guys’ site somehow when I was researching for them, somehow I put in Tahitian box gallery powder. So I was aware that this was here. I wasn’t aware of anything else. So what’s changed in this area in the last twenty years? What what you know, like, everything has changed in every everybody’s neighborhoods. But in Tieton, there’s mosaic art. Mhmm. There’s a really cool little town park here that’s just kinda interesting.

Scott Cowan [00:16:29]:

I believe you have a Grand Prix race of I’ll call them model cars, but they’re, you know, they’re not full sized cars. But Right. How did all this happen?

Michelle Wyles [00:16:40]:

Well, it this town was going the way of small towns across the country where people were vacating, and they would go to town to do their business. And so the property values you know, the the it there just was nothing happening. Years ago, the only time I came to Tieton was to get a package at the post office. But when my husband was a kid, his father owned the grocery store that is now in Tieton Made. There was a pharmacy with a with a soda fountain. And when we were first married, his dad would take pity on me being out in the orchard forever and looking so bad. And he would say, go get some green rivers. Well, what the heck is that? You know? And vanilla Cokes and all that and bring them back.

Michelle Wyles [00:17:33]:

And so that was a pretty cool thing. And so, you know, the town used to be vibrant. There was a, a theater. There was a bowling alley. There there was a lot happening, but, you know, it’s just like everywhere else. So since it’s all since it kinda disappeared and the whole Titan thing started happening, Rob and I have bought up several buildings in there. Your husband? Rob is my husband. We recently bought the the gas station down here that Titan Arts and Humanities is renting, and that is their office.

Michelle Wyles [00:18:12]:

And they’re, and and I’m sure Ed will tell you all of this. They’re they are doing an after school program for kids. Okay. We bought the old hardware store across the square, and that is artist studio space that we’re renting to different artists. He made a deal with Simplot about a block away to lease their building for a dollar a year, and he had welcome to Tieton written on the side of it. And there’s an apple in the window that I bought years ago that’s originally from the hig the higgly pig wig Piggly Wiggly

Scott Cowan [00:18:52]:

Piggly Wiggly.

Michelle Wyles [00:18:52]:

Piggly Wiggly East Coast like the forties. So that sits in the window.

Scott Cowan [00:18:56]:

That was my first job. I worked at a Piggly Wiggly. Oh, really? Box boy. Yeah. Yeah. That’s funny.

Michelle Wyles [00:19:01]:

Okay. And, so, you know, that’s that’s been something that he really wanted to do. Okay. Titan is where he grew up and Okay. You know, his heart is here, and it’s an opportunity to be a big fish in a little pond. You can really help people. So But

Scott Cowan [00:19:18]:

okay. All of that’s true. Yeah. But what I’m as a very casual observer and very much an outsider. Right? The abundance of art Yeah. The fact that you have art space for rent and you have somebody taking you up to rent the space.

Michelle Wyles [00:19:37]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:19:38]:

Why do you think there’s this concentration of artistic talent here?

Michelle Wyles [00:19:46]:

Well, it’s critical mass, I think, that, you know, the more as I always say, you can’t throw a rock around here and not hit an artist. There there are a lot of them around. And the more there are, the more, you know, come because it’s stimulating to them creatively. And I don’t know. It’s a welcoming environment for artists, and they they feel comfortable. And our what we do is kind of parallel to what Mighty Titan is doing. We don’t intersect particularly, but we are kind of doing our own thing along those lines. As I said before, it didn’t have to be an art gallery.

Michelle Wyles [00:20:32]:

It could have been something else because I’m about the food bank. But, the the art gallery has strangely taken off, and, we’re kind of like a victim of our own success. Now we have to figure out what to do because we have a lot of ambition about where the art gallery will go. We’d like to have, workshops, maybe artists in residence program. And as I said, don’t ask me what that means because I don’t do this stuff. I don’t know. I leave it up to others. Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:21:05]:

And, they seem to be all enthusiastic and know what they’re doing, and it appears that they do. So I just say, oh, yeah. Let’s do it.

Scott Cowan [00:21:13]:

But see, in my experience, what you you and your husband are doing, what the other guys are doing here isn’t common. No. It’s it’s not typical.

Michelle Wyles [00:21:28]:

Right.

Scott Cowan [00:21:30]:

And I think you’re being modest, and with we modest is not a bad thing. But I still you tell me there’s a town of approximately 1,200 people. Yeah. You have an art gallery. Across the street, we’ve got the Mercantile that people can’t see because I’m pointing. But, you know, the Mercantile and I joked with you when I walked in there the first time, and they’re selling Filson clothes, which is my head about

Michelle Wyles [00:21:53]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:21:53]:

Came unglued. And I watched as somebody bought Filson clothing.

Michelle Wyles [00:21:56]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:21:58]:

I would have never ever guessed that.

Michelle Wyles [00:22:00]:

Right.

Scott Cowan [00:22:02]:

You have an abundance of art artistic talent here. And I I there’s artists everywhere. Absolutely true. But Mhmm. Like, where I live doesn’t have a real vibrant or at least if it does, I’m not aware of

Michelle Wyles [00:22:13]:

it. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:22:14]:

Doesn’t have a real vibrant art culture, and there’s a lot of artists. So why you guys have you guys have started something. You’ve you’ve you’ve given birth to this artistic community.

Michelle Wyles [00:22:34]:

Right.

Scott Cowan [00:22:35]:

But it’s art without in my opinion, this is not a pretentious looking little town. No. It’s it’s very I don’t know what the word I’m searching for is.

Michelle Wyles [00:22:47]:

It’s a humble little town. Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:22:48]:

Yeah. It’s not pretentious.

Michelle Wyles [00:22:50]:

No.

Scott Cowan [00:22:50]:

But it’s supportive of of art.

Michelle Wyles [00:22:56]:

Well, I have to give a lot of credit to Ed and Mike of Mighty Titan. They’re the ones that kind of started that ball rolling. And, we had roots in the Yakima Valley, and we were able to support that whole thing by knowing people and knowing artists. Okay. And so I think that that forwarded it maybe more than it would have, but I I can’t take credit for that.

Scott Cowan [00:23:25]:

And and I’m not I’m not saying you should take I’m just saying I’m just acknowledging that

Michelle Wyles [00:23:29]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:23:29]:

Your your modesty is maybe a little too modest. Because the fact that you’ve got a studio spaces that you’re renting to people is amazing. Mhmm. The fact that let me ask you to put you on the spot. How full are your arts are those spaces?

Michelle Wyles [00:23:44]:

We have one space left and somebody is considering it right now.

Scott Cowan [00:23:48]:

So Yeah. And so you’re successfully renting out artist workspace?

Michelle Wyles [00:23:54]:

I mean, they’re cheap compared to, like, Seattle prices. But yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:23:57]:

Yeah. But but still, you

Michelle Wyles [00:23:58]:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:23:58]:

The he okay. Yeah. There’s I can’t think of the guy’s name who’s renowned, that’s got

Michelle Wyles [00:24:07]:

Oh, Trimpin. You know? He’s he’s amazing.

Scott Cowan [00:24:10]:

Yeah. Okay. So this this is this is interesting. It’s fascinating to me. Yeah. And I think okay. So you said, you know, you guys had roots in the in the valley, in the community, and Ed and Mike were, at that time, outsiders. So they wouldn’t have had those relationships yet.

Scott Cowan [00:24:28]:

And you guys maybe that’s how you were able to facilitate. Yeah. But putting together some things you said earlier, you’re an apple farmer’s daughter, an apple farmer’s wife. Yeah. But you owned a clothing store in Yakima. Yeah. I’m I’m I’m I’m failing I’m I’m giving you a hard time. I am failing to see the direct connection.

Scott Cowan [00:24:50]:

What inspired you to open a clothing store?

Michelle Wyles [00:24:54]:

Gosh. I don’t know. I don’t know why I do a lot of the things that I do. I I don’t know.

Scott Cowan [00:25:05]:

I just looked at clothing store was it?

Michelle Wyles [00:25:07]:

Women’s clothing. I did men’s for a while too.

Scott Cowan [00:25:09]:

But in in more I mean, you’re wearing some intricate cowboy boots here today. You’ve got a a a nice gold scarf on. You have fashion sense. Was it

Michelle Wyles [00:25:18]:

Well, we went downtown or I went downtown and, had a store in the old railroad station freight office. And it it truly was an expression of art, and I gathered together people that I loved and and forced them to work for me at slave wages. And I this is kind of my MO.

Scott Cowan [00:25:40]:

I was just gonna say, I let’s see. We we volunteer people who

Michelle Wyles [00:25:44]:

I do. Mhmm. That’s that’s

Scott Cowan [00:25:46]:

my talent

Michelle Wyles [00:25:47]:

in in the world. I love it. Yeah. I don’t know, you know, to who has been given much, much is expected. I really do feel I mean, privileged to be able to give back to the community.

Scott Cowan [00:26:02]:

Well well, so many people might have an idea, but they don’t take action. And I think what I’m, what I’m hearing is you you just take action.

Michelle Wyles [00:26:11]:

Well, I, you know, I have way more ambition than brains. That’s always been my ammo, and I’m half hyper. So, you know Okay. Just stuff to do. Mhmm. But I didn’t do it all. You know? I said yes to other people who had an idea, and I just let them run with it. I I didn’t mic well, I mean, how am I gonna micromanage having an art gallery? All I know how to do is balance a till, which I that was my contribution.

Michelle Wyles [00:26:42]:

And, you know I think you’re I don’t think you’re I’m really not trying to be No. You modest. Not be

Scott Cowan [00:26:51]:

an art gallery director. You you might not have the organizational skills and the outreach skills and blah blah blah. But it certainly sounds like you have the people skills to connect people and find the right people for the right position.

Michelle Wyles [00:27:09]:

I will take that.

Scott Cowan [00:27:10]:

I love that. Incredibly Thank you. Powerful skill set to have.

Michelle Wyles [00:27:15]:

Thank you.

Scott Cowan [00:27:16]:

Because oftentimes, people are in the wrong place

Michelle Wyles [00:27:19]:

Yeah. And

Scott Cowan [00:27:20]:

they don’t succeed or don’t find happiness and fulfillment. And having somebody who can go, no. You you come over here and you run this art gallery for a while. Mhmm. I don’t know what just try and setting people on a path that’s better fit for them. That’s what I’m hearing a lot of.

Michelle Wyles [00:27:37]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:27:39]:

So this this conversation is gonna go all sorts of different directions. So I’m gonna ask you another on the spot question.

Michelle Wyles [00:27:45]:

Alright.

Scott Cowan [00:27:46]:

You have a magic wand. You can add one business of one genre of business to Tieton. What would you add here?

Michelle Wyles [00:27:55]:

What we need is a really good grocery store with a deli. Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:27:59]:

That was easy. Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:28:01]:

Yeah. You know, just for a need.

Scott Cowan [00:28:03]:

Uh-huh.

Michelle Wyles [00:28:04]:

We we could use a pizza place. It’s just support for the population. We right now, there’s, a low income kind of housing being built by the Catholic Housing Authority. There’s another housing development of more expensive houses going in up north. So there are gonna be people moving into the area. Mhmm. And we have to be able to support them.

Scott Cowan [00:28:33]:

So where is the closest full size grocery store?

Michelle Wyles [00:28:38]:

It’s Harvest Foods in Cowiche 

Scott Cowan [00:28:40]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:28:41]:

And we do a lot of shopping there. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:28:45]:

So me, what I would want Yeah. That and I would say this about every community. Where’s a great place to get a cup of coffee? I’m all about coffee. So it’s like

Michelle Wyles [00:28:54]:

Well, you know, that’s in the works. There the over at the Tieton fueling station Uh-huh. Which which is, you know, just opened not very long ago, they have all the equipment to to have an espresso stand, and, it hasn’t opened yet, but that that’s in the works.

Scott Cowan [00:29:14]:

Okay. Yeah. Good.

Michelle Wyles [00:29:15]:

And you can also there’s an espresso stand in the Panaderia.

Scott Cowan [00:29:19]:

Oh, is there? Yeah. Okay. Alright. What we haven’t talked about yet is you are an artist. Yeah. You do sculpture. Yeah. So here you are being modest about art, but you are an artist.

Scott Cowan [00:29:32]:

Yeah. As you said earlier, I think you were what was the word? Steeped in it? Marinating. Marinating. Yeah. Yeah. How did okay. So you’re marinating it, but when did you start what what okay. What start there we go.

Michelle Wyles [00:29:50]:

Oh, sorry. Our

Scott Cowan [00:29:53]:

other our other interviewees are here. That’s right. When did you start thinking about going into do being doing sculpture?

Michelle Wyles [00:30:03]:

I think I told you that my mom was an artist, and I took a couple classes at the local junior high junior college rather on, oh, yeah, on, working on the wheel. You know, I don’t think about things very consciously. So the first thing I did, one of my kids got married in the yard, and I made 80 platters to give to the guests. And they weren’t very good, but I had 80 platters.

Scott Cowan [00:30:34]:

Okay. Wait. Wait. Wait. I’m not letting you off the hook. You have to tell more about that story because that’s an insane amount of

Michelle Wyles [00:30:41]:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:30:42]:

I don’t care if they weren’t good or not. That’s regardless Yeah. What on earth possessed you to create 80 platters? I mean, besides the wedding is

Michelle Wyles [00:30:53]:

It was sort of half in my wheelhouse. I could imagine what they would be like, and I sort of figured out how to do it. And I don’t know. I I just, I’ve been taking painting lessons from Brian Holzinger, who’s across the square, who is a very accomplished artist. And, he always tells me that I work like a squirrel on crack.

Scott Cowan [00:31:20]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:31:21]:

Yeah. I I only have one speed. It’s kinda fast. Okay. Alright. I do have, friends that do sculpture, and they’re they will say to me, you stay six feet away from my stuff because you’re gonna break it because I’m flailing my arms around while I’m explaining something or another.

Scott Cowan [00:31:36]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:31:37]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:31:38]:

Alright. So eight let’s go back. 80 platters. Was there a theme?

Michelle Wyles [00:31:42]:

Oh, I can’t remember. You know, that kid’s been married for a long time now, but, I’ve only been doing this for, I think, eight and a half years. I’ve only been doing art, not for very long. K. So just before, I closed my store. And then from there, I started doing sculpture, and I cannot tell you why, but it’s been so fun. It’s just stupid how fun it is. I go into the studio, and artists will tell you this, and lose track of time.

Michelle Wyles [00:32:16]:

And I’m late for everything because I forgot that what time it was. I forgot to look at my watch. I think I’m hilarious. I laugh. Oh my gosh. That’s so funny. And so I I have my own entertainment. It’s just a wonderful thing to be able to do.

Michelle Wyles [00:32:32]:

Such a blessing. Sorry. Sorry.

Scott Cowan [00:32:46]:

I so are you working on any any pieces now?

Michelle Wyles [00:32:50]:

I am. I, am doing something of a woman sitting cross legged, and it’s kinda Buddhist except it’s not a Buddha. So she’s going to, be holding birds in her hands, and there’ll be birds all around her.

Scott Cowan [00:33:08]:

So where do you get your inspiration from then?

Michelle Wyles [00:33:10]:

I don’t know. I I don’t draw things. I’m very undisciplined about the whole thing. It just it’s just in my head, and it just Something has to come out. Has to spark you. Birds? I don’t know. Yeah. It’s just that’s I I I cannot tell you that.

Michelle Wyles [00:33:31]:

I I’m just not linear, you know, in all of that.

Scott Cowan [00:33:36]:

But you just see, what I what I keep hearing what I keep hearing from you Yeah. Is you just take action.

Michelle Wyles [00:33:40]:

I do.

Scott Cowan [00:33:41]:

You just consistently take action.

Michelle Wyles [00:33:45]:

Yeah. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:33:47]:

Have you ever shown your work here in the gallery?

Michelle Wyles [00:33:49]:

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Mhmm. You don’t wanna take advantage of that that idea that you can. Hey. It’s my gallery I am showing. No. But, Jackie, that’s Jackie over there, kindly invited me to be in a show couple months ago.

Michelle Wyles [00:34:04]:

And so once in a while, I do. Okay. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:34:07]:

And where do you show it elsewhere?

Michelle Wyles [00:34:10]:

I have some. K. I have a piece in the Larson Gallery Central Washington artist show. I’ve been in shows where people will say to me, but you’re so weird. And you’re like, is that bad? For a while, it’s okay, and then you’re like, oh, boy. Because some of the stuff is pretty raw. And you really are showing as my mother used to say, it’s like showing people your underwear. It’s really personal.

Scott Cowan [00:34:39]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:34:40]:

And you’re you’re asking for people to critique you, you know, that it’s okay. It’s allowed.

Scott Cowan [00:34:47]:

So how has that been for you?

Michelle Wyles [00:34:49]:

It’s great. I love it. I I think it’s really great. I’ve had my my garden. I’m also I also garden. My garden has been on tours before. Oh. And people I love it when I hear them say, I cannot believe she put that plant with that plant.

Michelle Wyles [00:35:07]:

I would never do that. And it makes it even better because it’s fun to go against, you know

Scott Cowan [00:35:14]:

Convention?

Michelle Wyles [00:35:15]:

It is. It’s just clean.

Scott Cowan [00:35:17]:

Plants are you pairing that you shouldn’t be pairing? Colors.

Michelle Wyles [00:35:20]:

You know, I put, I don’t know, purple with orange or some horrible thing like that, which pleases me to no end. Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:35:28]:

But what but okay. So I I would I would not be able to do that. I I I’m too insecure to to if I were to create a piece of art that to to get that that feedback from people. Right. What’s some of the what’s some more memorable feedback you’ve received?

Michelle Wyles [00:35:53]:

What you want, you want to do that. You want to evoke emotion. It’s way better perhaps to have somebody not like it than to just walk past it and they don’t even see it. That means nothing to them. True. True. And you can’t make things just so that they’ll sell. Mhmm.

Michelle Wyles [00:36:17]:

Or to me, you can.

Scott Cowan [00:36:18]:

Right.

Michelle Wyles [00:36:18]:

I do make garden balls over there like crazy and sell those things, those deals that you put in the garden. But if you do, you lose your soul a little. You know?

Scott Cowan [00:36:29]:

So what’s some of the more interesting feedback you’ve ever gotten about your sculpture?

Michelle Wyles [00:36:34]:

That face really bothers me. They’ll say that I like all the rest of them, but that face really bothers me. And and so you wanna say, so why does that face bother you? Yeah. And that’s cool. Or they’ll they’ll say, what were you thinking when you did that? And I used to try to explain it, but I can’t explain it well because it’s from some subconscious place. Uh-huh. And so you kind of end up saying, well, what does it mean to you? Because people bring themselves to any kind of artwork. They’re half of the equation.

Scott Cowan [00:37:06]:

True. That’s a good point.

Michelle Wyles [00:37:08]:

And so That’s a good point. You know, Karen that was the past director used to say to me, people would want the story. And sometimes you tell them the story, and then they don’t want the piece anymore because they didn’t they don’t it leaves them out of

Scott Cowan [00:37:23]:

the story. Themselves in that story.

Michelle Wyles [00:37:24]:

Yeah. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:37:25]:

Interesting. Yeah. So do you have with your sculpture How size of these sculptures? What do you

Michelle Wyles [00:37:37]:

I’ve had a couple that are, like, oh, like, three quarter

Scott Cowan [00:37:41]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:37:41]:

Size.

Scott Cowan [00:37:42]:

Five foot tall, maybe four and a half

Michelle Wyles [00:37:43]:

foot. Yeah. Yeah. But people don’t have a space for that. A lot of it ends up being outside.

Scott Cowan [00:37:51]:

Okay. So these can be

Michelle Wyles [00:37:53]:

Yeah. I have a piece in my garden right now that’s kind of Frida Kahlo ish, and she has a knife in her heart, which is kind of an anatomical looking heart, but that was Frida Kahlo. And this one has apple branches and apples all over her head. I think she’s just wonderful. It scared people when I showed it in the show in the in the gallery, but that’s okay.

Scott Cowan [00:38:14]:

Well, you’re invoking you’re but you’re invoking emotions and commentary Yeah. Absolutely. Which is, I guess

Michelle Wyles [00:38:19]:

super fun. It’s really cool to do that.

Scott Cowan [00:38:23]:

So how long does a a sculpture how long does a sculpture take from that you might say you don’t know where you got the inspiration, but you when you realize, oh, I wanna do this Mhmm. To completion. And you said you’re a fast worker and you’re flailing around, but

Michelle Wyles [00:38:39]:

It depends on how big the thing is. If it’s small, I can get it done in a day. Okay. Or if it’s large, you need as I always say with clay, you need to let it sit and think about it. Okay. You can’t work too fast because the clay won’t allow you to do that. Okay. And it’ll slump if nothing else.

Michelle Wyles [00:38:58]:

You’ve gotta let it harden up. But but you’re asking it on a cellular level to change its shape, and you want it to stay that way in the firing. Okay. So you have to massage the clay to make it accept you.

Scott Cowan [00:39:16]:

So you’ve mentioned you’re doing maybe three quarter sized pieces.

Michelle Wyles [00:39:19]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:39:20]:

How are you are you are you firing those in sections? Yeah. Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:39:25]:

The big ones have to be in sections.

Scott Cowan [00:39:26]:

The same.

Michelle Wyles [00:39:27]:

Yeah. I have a big kiln that I don’t use very often because it’s really loud. But, I mean, you could burn a body in that thing. It’s big.

Scott Cowan [00:39:35]:

Good to know.

Michelle Wyles [00:39:36]:

Well, it is good, and I’ve mentioned it to my husband on occasion.

Scott Cowan [00:39:41]:

Where is he, by the way? We’re kidding. We’re kidding. We’re kidding. Oh my gosh. Where do you see your art going? What do you wanna do with it?

Michelle Wyles [00:39:55]:

I don’t know. Okay. I can’t I can’t say what it will be. It seems like I think any artist will tell you, you go to a place, you find this place, you work and work at that thing, and then one day you’re just sick of it and you do something else.

Scott Cowan [00:40:13]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:40:14]:

Yeah. That seems If you if you think about it too much, you can’t do it. Oh, for me.

Scott Cowan [00:40:18]:

For you? Okay. Yeah. Mhmm. So your studio, you spend inordinate amount of time in there. You go in. You lose track of time.

Michelle Wyles [00:40:26]:

Yeah. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:40:27]:

I always you know, I when I my friends that are artists, the creative process everyone’s creative process in in interests me a great deal.

Michelle Wyles [00:40:34]:

Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:40:35]:

So do you have music playing, or is it a quiet space? How how do you work?

Michelle Wyles [00:40:41]:

I have books on tape. K. I listen to sermons. I listen to music. Yeah. I I listen to

Scott Cowan [00:40:51]:

coming out in the in the art? Has has I mean, retroactively. I mean, have you ever run? I was just a lot of murder mysteries. I don’t know.

Michelle Wyles [00:41:00]:

I don’t know.

Scott Cowan [00:41:02]:

We’re seeing a theme here. Yeah. Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:41:07]:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:41:10]:

That’s actually really funny.

Michelle Wyles [00:41:12]:

Your time tied.

Scott Cowan [00:41:13]:

I’m yeah. Give give me pause here. So so when you’re not doing all of this stuff, when you’re not being, you know, a connector of people, because I think that’s what we could call you, is a connector Mhmm. A connector. And you’re not creating sculpture. What do you do for fun?

Michelle Wyles [00:41:35]:

I love to travel.

Scott Cowan [00:41:37]:

Oh.

Michelle Wyles [00:41:38]:

I love it. We have a trailer, and I think there’s nothing more fun than getting in the trailer and just going someplace. My husband likes it organized, and I like it unorganized. So away we go. So my idea of a great time would be to, get up in the morning and say you wanna go north or south. You know? And just just

Scott Cowan [00:42:00]:

be You don’t ever say east or west. It’s always

Michelle Wyles [00:42:01]:

Or east or west or whatever it is. Yeah. And, so so that’s you know, that that

Scott Cowan [00:42:07]:

to me

Michelle Wyles [00:42:08]:

is really fun.

Scott Cowan [00:42:08]:

And how how is but he’s organized. Does that work for him, or is he adapted to that?

Michelle Wyles [00:42:12]:

He’s learning.

Scott Cowan [00:42:13]:

He’s learning?

Michelle Wyles [00:42:13]:

He’s learning to let it go.

Scott Cowan [00:42:15]:

Yeah. Okay. So where where was your last where’s your where’s your last little trip?

Michelle Wyles [00:42:19]:

Well, we went we went, fishing in Montana and Idaho. I have to kinda make this work for him so he thinks he’s having a good time. And, we went fly fishing, and, I won the contest because I got most, biggest, and, well, I don’t know. Whatever the other best because I got one fish and he got none.

Scott Cowan [00:42:42]:

Oh, okay. So you won all the awards?

Michelle Wyles [00:42:44]:

I won all the awards. Yeah. Okay. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:42:49]:

So do you both like to fish?

Michelle Wyles [00:42:51]:

Well, kind of. I mean, I it’s okay. I I fish because he kinda likes to fish. And

Scott Cowan [00:42:56]:

Whereabouts in Washington? Any good any good fishing places that he likes to go in Washington?

Michelle Wyles [00:43:00]:

Well, you know, we’re surrounded by good places to fish here. You can go up to the mountains to Waipashna Pass and fish. My kids go down to Durano, which is near

Scott Cowan [00:43:11]:

Durano?

Michelle Wyles [00:43:12]:

Durano. I don’t even know what that means.

Scott Cowan [00:43:14]:

That’s a it’s a it’s a it’s a sink cleanser.

Michelle Wyles [00:43:16]:

That’s what I do. I think that’s what he calls it, and it’s down by Goldendale. Oh. I don’t know where they go. They’re they’re always going and doing that that kind of thing. I have two sons.

Scott Cowan [00:43:27]:

And they grew up here too.

Michelle Wyles [00:43:29]:

Yeah. They went to Highland High School.

Scott Cowan [00:43:31]:

And do they still live in the area?

Michelle Wyles [00:43:32]:

They do.

Scott Cowan [00:43:32]:

So do They’re

Michelle Wyles [00:43:33]:

in fruit business.

Scott Cowan [00:43:34]:

They’re in the fruit business. Mhmm. Yeah. And so what fruit do you guys raise?

Michelle Wyles [00:43:38]:

Primarily apples. We have some cherries too.

Scott Cowan [00:43:41]:

Okay. Yeah. It’s a easy business.

Michelle Wyles [00:43:45]:

It’s a super easy you don’t need to go to Vegas because you’re, you know, gambling every day, begging mother nature, please be good to me.

Scott Cowan [00:43:56]:

How was it? Were you impacted this year because of what was the fire that was,

Michelle Wyles [00:44:02]:

The Schneider Springs fire.

Scott Cowan [00:44:04]:

Was that

Michelle Wyles [00:44:04]:

was that It was awful. It was a really hot and smoky year. I well, because of the heat, the the year was early. Where our picking was early. But I guess grapes, wine grapes were really impacted because that smoke goes through the skin and affects the taste. Right.

Scott Cowan [00:44:27]:

That’s what I’ve I’ve heard as well. One time, I had to come down to look at something in Natchez. And so I came off the highway and turned, you know, turned right. So I was heading west on Mhmm. What is that, Highway 12? Yeah. And it was like I ran into a wall of I was it was like

Michelle Wyles [00:44:46]:

It was

Scott Cowan [00:44:46]:

so bad. Nothing. And then all of a sudden, I couldn’t see in front of me. Driving through Natchez, I couldn’t see the buildings on the side of the road.

Michelle Wyles [00:44:55]:

It was sad. It was really sad.

Scott Cowan [00:44:57]:

Yeah. And it was it lasted. I mean, that that did not dissipate. Yeah. It did not dissipate. It was

Michelle Wyles [00:45:03]:

Started August, like, tenth or eleventh and didn’t end until October sometime. Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:45:10]:

So, I mean, but the fruit business is you know? I joke because you you’re right. It’s it it is like gambling, isn’t it, in a lot of ways? You have to be, I think, quite resilient to do it. But you guys have been doing this a long time and you and your family. So

Michelle Wyles [00:45:24]:

Yeah.

Scott Cowan [00:45:27]:

Why? I mean, what I’m saying what I mean about that, you know, you just said it’s gambling. It’s we know it’s hard work. Mhmm. Does it

Michelle Wyles [00:45:32]:

does it lifestyle, baby. Is it? Okay. It’s a great lifestyle.

Scott Cowan [00:45:36]:

I’m a city guy. Explain to me the lifestyle. Why?

Michelle Wyles [00:45:40]:

I am so in love with the dirt and so in love with I don’t know. I mean, you can you can kind of be lofty about it and say you’re you’re feeding the world. And all of that is true, but we live by the seasons. And, my husband was home when my kids were growing up, and he would come through and yell at him to stop doing something as he walked through the house. And people don’t get that, you know, where the the parents are both around.

Scott Cowan [00:46:14]:

K.

Michelle Wyles [00:46:15]:

We so so my husband recently retired or sort of retired. And so we you go into the question of what are you gonna do when you’re older and, you know, where would you wanna be? I would I would hate so much to have neighbors. I don’t want neighbors. We have neighbors, but they’re a long ways away. And I I can’t imagine my we we went with our grandchildren trick or treating the other night, and we went to a neighborhood and, you know, lovely houses. Everybody’s very nice. It was super great, but they’re, like, cheek by jowl. I can’t even imagine.

Michelle Wyles [00:46:52]:

And, you know, I grew up kind of in town. Okay. But I just love being out in the country. Love it.

Scott Cowan [00:46:58]:

So how far are you from your nearest neighbor, if you will?

Michelle Wyles [00:47:02]:

Across the pasture. So, you know, an eighth of a mile. Not that.

Scott Cowan [00:47:05]:

Okay. Not not that. But But but you’re not hearing them having coffee conversation over coffee in the morning?

Michelle Wyles [00:47:11]:

Oh, no. We hear people hunting. You know, they’re shooting guns, that kind of thing. Yeah. Okay.

Scott Cowan [00:47:17]:

So do you think you guys will retire in in the area? I mean, you think this is Yeah.

Michelle Wyles [00:47:23]:

We have to be a a pain to our children. You know? We it’s important that we hang around so that they have to take care of us. And where we are, somebody has to have a tractor and a blade to get you out in the winter because of the snow Right. To to, you know, blade the driveway for you.

Scott Cowan [00:47:39]:

And you you have that?

Michelle Wyles [00:47:41]:

We have that now. But someday, when I’m really old, the kids are gonna have to do it for me. And they they know that.

Scott Cowan [00:47:49]:

Then they know that.

Michelle Wyles [00:47:49]:

They have no choices.

Scott Cowan [00:47:51]:

Okay. Okay. What do you hope to see the next couple of years? Five years seems impossible to forecast anymore. I mean, given I know. So the next couple of years for in your vision, box gallery will be a big success when it does what for the food bank or for the community?

Michelle Wyles [00:48:23]:

Well, I think that when it fulfills its mission, honestly, right now, we are contemplating the possibility of moving the food bank to another building on the square. And at that point, Box Gallery would take over the whole building and would give us an actual office and workshop space

Scott Cowan [00:48:46]:

Okay.

Michelle Wyles [00:48:47]:

And all the other things that we dream of. And at that point, it serves a lot of people. Mhmm. And it allows kids and young people and all those people that we hope to serve the opportunity to experience art in whatever form that is for them.

Scott Cowan [00:49:08]:

Do you get a lot of people from the community coming in and walking through and looking at the art?

Michelle Wyles [00:49:13]:

Yeah. We do. The shows that we have had that are by young people seems to bring in more seem to bring in more young people. K. But I think as time goes by and we continue to be a friendly place for people to see I mean, we we really are welcoming. We really want you to come in and look, and you can ask questions or you can just get the heck out before it grabs you. You know? What whatever works

Scott Cowan [00:49:46]:

for you. Works.

Michelle Wyles [00:49:48]:

That that I think is fulfilling the mission, is is to be an outright outreach into the community. And it’s not just Tieton. It’s the whole valley.

Scott Cowan [00:49:57]:

K. How, what are the current hours of operation for the gallery?

Michelle Wyles [00:50:03]:

Right now, well, like tonight for the opening of this show, the gallery will be open from five to eight. K. But we’re always open Saturdays and Sundays, eleven to four. Okay. We look forward to expanding our hours and days open, but that’s another dream that’s in the future. But When

Scott Cowan [00:50:22]:

you wrote somebody in for no pay to

Michelle Wyles [00:50:24]:

Exactly. When you Oh, yeah. Somebody leave the least suspecting amongst us. Yeah. Mhmm.

Scott Cowan [00:50:31]:

Alright. What should I have asked that I haven’t? What do we what what do we unintentionally not cover?

Michelle Wyles [00:50:42]:

You know, the only thing I can say is I don’t wanna be overly humble or anything, but I will tell you that I get way more out of this than I ever give to anybody else. This is huge for me. I love it. I feel so privileged to be in this place and to be able to make a difference, I guess. Okay. Alright.

Scott Cowan [00:51:09]:

We’ll put links to the the website so people can take a look at it. And we’ll put links in the show show notes and all that. And I think that’s our cue.

Michelle Wyles [00:51:17]:

Yes. Thank you. I really appreciate your time. Thank you for coming. Welcome. I hope it’s okay.

Scott Cowan [00:51:24]:

Is it okay?

Michelle Wyles [00:51:24]:

Okay. Well, thanks. Alright.