D2 Gallery and Studio

06/11/2026

Look what came out in the on-line version of the Inlander 3 hours ago! This wonderful article about Carl Richardson’s beautiful and moving exhibit “Cypher”! It’s a really great show - come see it today! Or maybe this week, at least before it’s gone at the end of the month. We’re open from 11 to 5:30 today, and then 11 to 6 Friday and Saturday. D2 Gallery, 310 W First Ave, Spokane

In his latest exhibition, artist Carl Richardson is challenging expectations often placed on artists of color to create work that focuses primarily on struggle, trauma or social issues.

06/05/2026

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jun/05/artist-carl-richardson-takes-inspiration-from-hip-/

Today in the on-line edition of the Spokesman is a great article about Carl Richardson! Read it here, maybe do it now, haha, and then definitely come to D2 TODAY for the opening of his exhibit "Cypher"! The official opening is from 5 to 8, but we are opening the doors at our regular time, 11:00, for all of the early birds out there. D2 Gallery, 310 W. Fist Ave., Spokane

Artist Carl Richardson was being interviewed a few years ago when he had a revelation about his creative process.

05/16/2026

“Always Existed and Always Didn’t, 63” x 43”. This is definitely one of the larger pieces in the Benjamin Heiken’s exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat”, and it feels like a more traditional style of painting (ie Paint on stretched canvas), until you look more closely. Pieces of jute overlap, there are those big chunks of material that feel like they are erupting out of the piece, all matter and color and chunkiness, there is a part of a vinyl chessboard attached. As is always with Ben’s work, there is much more to it than the initial first impression. We are open until 6 today- come see us! Also, Ben is giving an artist talk on Friday, May 29th, at 6:00 PM. He’ll talk about the work, take questions, and even discuss his love of chess, if you ask him. D2, 310 W First Ave, Spokane

05/15/2026

I enjoyed a brisk and rigorous walk to the gallery this morning with these two. Last month they were banned from the gallery during Elisha Harteis’s exhibit “Cry Baby”, due to the delicate nature of the ceramic sculpture and their tendency towards frisky dog mayhem whenever they come here. Not this month though! The work in Benjamin Heiken’s fantastic exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat” is definitely made of sturdier stuff - wood and jute, sand and staples, canvas and paint rags, vinyl chessboards and holiday stickers. All sorts of things! Come in today to see this show! We’re open from 11 to 6 today and tomorrow. Just don’t expect these two to greet you, they are eagerly waiting for somebody to take them home! D2 Gallery, 310 W First Ave, downtown Spokane

05/14/2026

“Peanut Butter”, Jute, Staples, Sand, Holiday Stickers, Paint Rag, Paint. This is definitely one of the more popular pieces in Benjamin Heiken’s exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat”, and Ben told me that it has been a fan favorite when he has shown it before. It definitely has an intriguing composition, especially with the painted sides, which adds to the dimensionality of the piece. Plus people seem to really like the name of the piece. And there are holiday stickers! I don’t know that this pic does this justice, really, and anyway, it’s always so much better to see artwork in person. We are open until 5:30 today, and then from 11 to 6 Friday and Saturday. Come see this show before it’s gone! D2, 310 W First Ave, Spokane

05/13/2026

Happy Wednesday! It’s a little blustery outside, but warm and perfectly pleasant in here. It’s a great day to come in and see the marvelous mixed media paintings and sculptures that make up Ben Heiken’s exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat”. The work is really colorful, but not really, seemingly slapdash in their creation, but also not really. The work feels, well, rattletrap, at first, but when experienced in person there is complexity, restraint, confidence, and thoughtfulness lying within the process that really presents itself. It’s a show worth spending time with. So spend some time with it! We’re open 11 to 5:30 today and tomorrow, and then 11 to 6 Friday and Saturday. D2 Gallery, 310 W First Ave, downtown Spokane

05/08/2026

Ben Heiken brought a mighty pile of work down to the gallery for his fabulous exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat”. This collection of 55 small pieces is a fraction of what came our way! These are smaller pieces, ranging from maybe 10 x 10-ish down to the size of a cell phone. Four of these guys have already sold, but there are plenty left to choose from (clearly)! We are open from 11 to 6 today and tomorrow, so head on downtown, pick out your favorite one, and maybe support a local artist (and business, haha). D2 Gallery, 310 W First Ave, downtown Spokane

05/07/2026

“Our Summer Night (mis-tune)”. Jute, staples, painters rag, sand, wood, holiday stickers, paint. This piece feels kind of like an outlier to me, mainly because the wood construction feels like it is framing the piece more than the other pieces in the show. With the exception of two large pieces painted on jute, everything in the show are painted on or incorporates wood into the work, but the wood rarely is used to focus on the central image as this one does. It gives this one a different complexity that I enjoy. This piece is also one of two pieces that incorporates holiday stickers into the composition. Do you see them? If not, please come on in and check out this stunning exhibit! We are open until 5:30 today, and then 11 to 6 Friday and Saturday. D2, 319 W First, Spokaloo

05/06/2026

“Bang”, Jute, Staples, Cardboard, Sand, Painters Rag, Vinyl Chessboard, Paint. More than one person who has seen Benjamin Heiken’s exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat” has declared this their favorite piece. Ben likes to list out all of the materials that go into his pieces, and the list can be pretty illuminating. He also usually paints on wood, as this is, and pulls in the materials in a layered way, building up the surface so that the paint interacts with the materials rather than just sitting on top. The material itself also tends to break free of the parameters of the painting, as this does, creating an additional three dimensionality beyond the standard framework of the piece. Come see this show! It’s brilliant! That’s my opinion, of course, but you can’t form your own opinion unless you come in and see this show! We’re open 11 to 5:30 today and tomorrow, 11 to 6 Friday and Saturday. D2 Gallery, 310 W First Ave, Spokane

05/02/2026

Great turnout for Benjamin Heiken’s marvelous exhibit “A Rattletrap Sailboat” last night! It may have been the busiest Opening we have ever had, which feels fitting since it was also our one year anniversary. A lot of ch*****ne was served, thanks to (if you ever need a fun and awesome way to serve bubbly, I highly recommend), lots of people decorated the fridge, Kolya Dampf played and sang for nearly three hours straight, and people had a chance to connect with Ben. Actually, that last thing is the most important thing in my opinion - the night was about Ben and his work, and people really showed up to support him, and to see his incredible work, which isn’t often seen in this neck of the woods. We are so pleased and honored to have this chance to feature, promote and celebrate his artwork and, well, Ben himself, who is a really great guy and a pleasure to work with, and I hope that people get out to see this show! We are open from 11 to 6 today, and then back to normal hours next week (11-5:30 Wed-Thu, 11-6 Fri-Sat). D2, 310 W First Ave, downtown Spokane