Longtime Spokane artist Kay O'Rourke can bring a good story to life on canvas .  A descendant of homesteaders who farmed in Eastern Washington, O'Rourke claims, "I am intrigued by folklore, myths, and stories, especially those pertaining to indigenous people in our area." The artist's new body of work for her upcoming show at The Art Sprit Gallery emerged from ideas and inspiration generated during the artist's recent commission for Kendall Yards in Spokane.  In this commissioned series,  "The River Remembers," O'Rourke created thirty paintings depicting the story of life along the Spokane River from the Ice Age to Expo '74.

Personal elements also surface in O'Rourke's compositions.  A winged cat, for example, represents the spirit of the artist's beloved cat, who although awkward and heavy, always wanted to jump and "fly."  O'Rourke's mother often graces the canvases, typically adorned in leopard print, her fashion statement of choice.  "Although I am well versed in the rules of good painting," the artist admits, "I prefer to focus on the emotion of the moment and the tale to be told.

O'Rourke has participated in more than fifty exhibitions in the Northwest and throughout the United States.  Her work is in numerous private and public collections, including the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, Jundt Art Museum, and Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts in New Castle, Pennsylvania.  The Art Spirit Gallery has shown her work since 2010.