DUNDEE, Ore. – September 27, 2021 – On September 25, Argyle Winery and Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University (PNCA) proudly unveiled the 2021 Art of Sparkling artwork at a special reception held at the Argyle Tasting House in Dundee, Oregon. Established by Argyle Winery to support the talents of Oregon student artists, the Art of Sparkling program is a unique collaboration with PNCA. Each year, three PNCA student artists are selected to receive a scholarship from Argyle. The scholarship involves creating original artwork used for Argyle’s annual 3-bottle Art of Sparkling set, and describing their creative process along the way. The stunning labels created by this year’s scholarship recipients—Hayato Kikkawa, Jakob Dawahare, and Renn Simmons—are available online at www.ArgyleWinery.com in a limited-edition, three-bottle Art of Sparkling Set featuring Argyle’s acclaimed 2018 Vintage Brut.
“Over the past six years, the Art of Sparkling Program has become a beloved annual tradition at Argyle,” said Marketing Coordinator Cathy Martin. “At its heart, Art of Sparkling represents so many things that matter to us: community, supporting the arts, nurturing the next generation of talent, and finding new, meaningful ways to share and celebrate the story of Oregon viticulture and winemaking. Every year, we are amazed and inspired by the reflections that the artists reveal in their art, and this year is no exception.”
Once the three PNCA student artists were selected to receive the Argyle scholarship, they were able to immerse themselves in the Argyle story by visiting the vineyards, winery and Tasting House. During these visits, the artists were hosted by Argyle Winemaker Nate Klostermann and Viticulturist Geoff Hall, who provided the artists with a behind-the-scenes perspective on Argyle’s approach to growing grapes and making wine. These experiences served as the inspiration for each artist’s original artwork, which were then turned into back labels for the three-bottle 2021 Art of Sparkling set.
“This program was a bright spot in a uniquely challenging year,” said Kristin Rogers Brown, the department head of PNCA’s Graphic Design program. “Emerging to learn about both the science and the creativity in growing, harvesting, and making beautiful wine, our artists connected deeply to the improvisation in the process that is necessary to survive and thrive. The works feel closely tied to this place and time; to Argyle, the land, and to the experience of standing in the vineyard under a big sky. The theme of resilience shows up less as the subject of their artwork and more as a heartbeat: subtle but persistent, and essential.”
The three labels created for the 2021 Art of Sparkling Set include:
Hayato Kikkawa – “Evening that Delightfully Sparkles”
Created using acrylics on a cradled wood panel, this label was inspired by the unique relationship between the Argyle vineyard and an adjacent clover-field, with the painting representing improvisation in harmony with the unpredictability of nature.
Jakob Dawahare – “The Return”
Working in digital and mixed media, this label was inspired by puzzles and broken fragments coming together, with linework that embraces the aesthetic of the vine rows to create a pattern representing a topographic map.
Renn Simmons – “This Unending Life Gifting Cycle”
Working in digital collage and photography, the label reflects the regenerative and symbiotic relationships between soil, cover crops, sunlight, and the grape vines of Argyle’s estate vineyards.
About Argyle Winery
Argyle Winery has been creating wines in the Willamette Valley since 1987. What began as a conviction to grow world-class sparkling wine has grown to include an acclaimed portfolio of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Argyle farms nearly 400 acres of estate vineyards in the Willamette Valley, and welcomes guests daily at the Argyle Tasting House, located in the same downtown Dundee space they’ve called home since the beginning. To learn more, visit ArgyleWinery.com.
About Pacific Northwest College of Art
Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University empowers artists and designers to reimagine what art and design can do in the world. Founded in 1909 as the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, PNCA offers 11 art and design Bachelor of Fine Art programs, eight graduate programs including Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs within the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies, a Post-Baccalaureate program, and Community Education courses for artists and designers of all ages. Learn more at pnca.edu.
