Operations Manager
Dava Ihrke
dava@gallery-one.org
As the Operations Manager, Dava Ihrke’s role encompasses managing inventory, budget and product displays for the gift shop; coordinating private and community events; and cultivating and maintaining relationships with artist vendors and community members. Additionally, she teaches adult ceramic hand-building and summer camp classes at Gallery One.
Dava is a Pacific Northwest native with experience in a broad range of industries including aviation, manufacturing, retail, graphic design, real-estate, higher education, non-profit and birth work. Having owned and operated various small businesses, she brings real-world experience in administration and bookkeeping.
Dava loves working with clay and mainly creates functional, hand-built work, but her curious and adventurous nature are allowing her to explore other forms of work as well. She has taught ceramics in her home studio for a local home school community incorporating history, math and chemistry for a well rounded course. In the past, she explored other art forms, such as photography and paint. She is a lifelong learner and enjoys studying cultural history, archaeology and religion. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, exploring food preservation techniques, spending time with her husband and two dogs, and whenever possible, traveling to see her children and grandchildren on the West side of the state.
Communications Manager
John Durham
john@gallery-one.org
Trained in music theory and composition, a published author, a self-educated designer and lifelong learner, John is obsessed with sounds, words, human-centered design, modern art, and lines that point somewhere. He is equally passionate about creating inclusive spaces for the community to learn and create and is excited to continue supporting and promoting the arts through his role at Gallery One.
A native of southwest Washington, John landed in Ellensburg in 1998 to attend Central Washington University and never had the heart to leave. His undergraduate and graduate studies focused on music theory and composition, orchestration, electronic music, and multimedia performance.
John spends a lot of his free time volunteering in the community. He is the current board president of the Ellensburg Dance Ensemble (formerly Central Washington Dance Ensemble), the nonprofit organization that owns and operates The Studio in downtown Ellensburg, and a member-at-large with the Laughing Horse Arts Foundation.
When not volunteering, John enjoys family time with his wife, three kids, and two dogs, and engaging in activities that surprise him or teach him new things.
Gallery Assistant
Clay Maer
clay@gallery-one.org
Clay Maer is delighted to continue her lifetime of connection with the arts and artists in her position with Gallery One. Her education focused on Art History/English, BA, Liberal Arts, University of St. Thomas, Houston followed by years with nonprofit organizations and a certification in nonprofit management. Working with Shakespeare at Winedale at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin Children’s Museum, Denver Center for the Performing Arts and most recently, Allied Arts of Yakima Valley, brought opportunities to learn from directors whose vision and tenacity made possible celebrations and support for Art: visual, literary and performing. She enjoys watching Washington’s changing seasons, reading the next good book and being with her children and grandchildren.
