A Valentine’s Day in Palouse

Couples looking to get out of Pullman for Valentine’s Day can head to the town of Palouse for a full day of romantic events, including an antique sale and gallery opening.

Nelson Duran, owner and director of The Bank Left Gallery, said the gallery will host “A Day of Romance,” a daylong Valentine’s Day event that will offer a cultural peek into love.

“For ‘A Day of Romance’ we wanted to play with the ideas of lace, flowers, and food giving the participant a full day where they can experience many cultures while enjoying this day of love and beauty,” Duran said.

One idea he wanted to explore dealt with the theme of romantic gardens. The first event begins at 8 a.m. at the Palouse Grange Hall for a collaborative antique sale, “Garden-Romantic.” Beautiful gardens are often associated with romance, Duran said. Potted plants and 1900s to midcentury antiques will be sold at the sale.

From there, participants can explore romance through different textiles at The Bank Left Gallery’s art exhibit, “Lifting the Veil.”

Former WSU faculty member Paul Smith will present his collections of textiles in the gallery’s exhibit, including works created by women from different Middle Eastern cultures. The collection of one-of-a-kind works were used in many different ways. Some were used as carpets, while others were clothing, camel saddles, and even insulation to keep houses warm, Duran said.

The “Lifting the Veil” exhibit debuts at 11 a.m. and will be open to the public until 3 p.m. Smith, who is also a musician, will play music in the gallery during the lunch hour. As a former music teacher, Smith amassed a collection of rugs after visiting a rug store in Seattle. He said he wanted to replicate the sound of the room with rugs on the walls in his recording studio. Duran reached out to Smith to create an art gallery exhibit focused on the rugs.

“When you’re in my line of work you’re always listening, and the sound in the gallery was so lovely, I thought ‘Someday I want to make a recording studio covered in rugs,’” Smith said.

After visitors see the textile exhibit, later that night The Bank Left Gallery will host “Laced with Frost,” a dinner and concert starting at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $35 per person, which covers the cost of dinner and the music. A Persian-inspired dish will be on the menu to match the theme of the “Lifting the Veil” exhibit. Wine and dessert will also be included.

Scott Kent, a local musician, will play soft background music such as Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra during the concert.

“It’s intended to be what we call ‘wallpaper,’” Kent said. “It’s where the music is quiet enough for others to carry on a conversation without raising their voice while at the same time allowing others to listen to the music. It can be tricky to get the sound just right.”

The textile exhibit “Lifting the Veil” will be open until March 7.