Astoria artist opens Seattle exhibit, flies to overseas adventure
Published 6:30 pm Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Elise Wagner displays her encaustic artwork at her Astoria waterfront gallery. The technique combines wax with pigment for an abstract effect. She has been working with the process since the early 1990s. Patrick Webb
"The way our pieces were arranged in the gallery allowed the audience to explore each of our perspectives seamlessly," said Elise Wagner, describing the joint show
Astoria artist Elise Wagner, left, shares a hug with New Jersey-based collaborator MaryBeth Rothman at the opening reception. Rebekah Johnson Photography
Guests attend the opening reception at the Frederick Holmes and Co. Gallery at 309 Occidental Avenue S.,in Seattle. The gallery is open daily. Rebekah Johnson Photography
Photo courtesy Elise Wagner Frequencies 1, oil and pigmented wax on panel.
Photo courtesy Elise Wagner Frequencies 2.
Photo courtesy Elise Wagner Frequencies 3.
Photo courtesy Elise Wagner Frequencies 4.
SEATTLE — The trajectory of Astoria artist Elise Wagner continues to soar.
After a gala opening of an exhibition of her work at a Seattle gallery, she was flying to London to teach a class in encaustic collagraph printmaking, then going to an art seminar in Verona, Italy.
She calls it “a momentous travel and teaching adventure to London and beyond.”
The Seattle show, at the Frederick Holmes and Co. Gallery in Seattle, opened May 1 and continues through May 31. It is titled, “Familiar Elements: Visible + Invisible.”
‘Journey’
Wagner is based at the Pier 11 Studio overlooking the waterfront at 77 11th St., in Astoria. Much of her art uses an encaustic process that combines wax with pigments, taking her inspiration from interest in cartography and scientific disciplines like physics, meteorology and astrophysics.
Details of her artistic journey and examples of her creative work are online at www.elisewagner.com.
She opened the studio with business partner Ren Allen, a multi-media artist, in February after realizing her Astoria home’s basement was too cramped to contain all her processes. The Pier 11 site was chosen because it could serve as a location for art classes, as well as showcasing other artists’ creations.
Proclaiming “creativity is a vital aspect of life,” she announced, “Whether you are a seasoned artist or just starting your creative journey, our studio is here to support you every step of the way.”
She added, “With a focus on community and artistic growth, the studio aims to provide an inclusive atmosphere that encourages self-expression and creativity.”
Joint show
Wagner was born in New Jersey and moved to Portland in 1986 before making her home in Astoria in recent years. Her Seattle show is a joint exhibit with long-time friend Marybeth Rothman, whose studio is in Closter, New Jersey. Gallery leaders say it highlights “common threads among divergent approaches.” Both artists combine wax and pigments, although their outcomes are different.
Rothman’s art has been described as “contemporary encaustic photo-collage work.” In 2023, she showcased her work at the Nassau County Museum of Art in “Modigliani and the Modern Portrait.”
Her Seattle art consists of what the gallery owners describe as “orphaned, vintage photographs, digital photography, abstract drawings and encaustic paint.”
“The basic human response to identify the other is endlessly intriguing to me,” Rothman notes on her website www.marybethrothman.com.
Next
Several of Wagner’s pieces were on display, including artwork from her “Frequencies” series.
She described Rothman’s contributions as “truly exceptional.”
“The way our pieces were arranged in the gallery allowed the audience to explore each of our perspectives seamlessly,” Wagner said.
Next on her agenda will be a solo exhibition called “Celestial Currents” at the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Wash., July 12 to Aug. 1.
• The Frederick Holmes and Co. Gallery is at 309 Occidental Avenue S.,in Seattle. Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
More information:
www.elisewagner.com
www.marybethrothman.com
